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HD58X frequency response investigation

solderdude

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Yes

Still under investigation and questions will be asked by Massdrop to Sennheiser about this.

hd58x-037089.png


Below compared with 2 other HD58X.
3-x-hd58x-compared-alternative.png


See if you can spot the discussed version.
One can also overlay the plots differently so they match around 1kHz.

3-x-hd58x-compared.png


The (current ?) version is more linear in the lows (no midbass hump, close to my modification) except the treble is relatively lower, so a bit less clear sounding.
The 13kHz drop-off is de-mystified as well and had another origin.
 
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solderdude

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Correct, this was not a property of the headphone.
 
OP
Graph Feppar

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Ok... here we go.

I recently found out I have both of my ears blocked by ear wax. There was about 20 day period between when I stopped trying headphones at my local shop and when my 58X got delivered. In this period both of my ears become blocked. This ear blockage was such that it was low enough that it flew under my radar in normal everyday life but enough to ruin the listening experience once I got my headphones.

I didnt had any speakers or headphones for half year, that means I had no reference sound source that would alert me to this wax blockage. I thought there is something wrong with the headphone but it was my ears that had problem. I realized this three days back when I tried stock HD800, it sounded very dark and veiled, no soundstage, no transient microdetail, horrible sound. This was instant heureka realization moment when I knew within second after putting them on that there must be something wrong with my hearing.

I apologize for spreading false information, I acted with good intent. I never had ear wax blockage in my entire life, also bilateral, that means both ears blocked at same time is quite rare thing to happen. I have been using Q tips about every second day for one and half decade, never had problem till now. I had long hair most of my life and I cut it short this year, I also started wearing ear covering hat in winter becose without long hair I felt too cold, maybe that has something to do with it, I have no idea why this happened.

Was this all for nothing? No. Solderdude found that my 58X is indeed different, it looks like Sennheiser made silent revision, mine is significantly darker and has flat bass kinda like HD600, no hump.
But the review I wrote about the headphone is completly useless, I believe if my ears were ok, I would not hate this headphone, infact I think I would love that flat bass darker top end frequency response.
 
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Hugo9000

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Thanks @solderdude for the tests and @Graph Feppar for letting us know the source of your frequency issue. I wonder if @amirm or @Thomas savage could update the thread title and first post to reflect this information? It might be helpful to anyone who hasn't been following this saga and who might come upon the thread in the future.
 

hvbias

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Ok... here we go.

I recently found out I have both of my ears blocked by ear wax. There was about 20 day period between when I stopped trying headphones at my local shop and when my 58X got delivered. In this period both of my ears become blocked. This ear blockage was such that it was low enough that it flew under my radar in normal everyday life but enough to ruin the listening experience once I got my headphones.

I didnt had any speakers or headphones for half year, that means I had no reference sound source that would alert me to this wax blockage. I thought there is something wrong with the headphone but it was my ears that had problem. I realized this three days back when I tried stock HD800, it sounded very dark and veiled, no soundstage, no transient microdetail, horrible sound. This was instant heureka realization moment when I knew within second after putting them on that there must be something wrong with my hearing.

I apologize for spreading false information, I acted with good intent. I never had ear wax blockage in my entire life, also bilateral, that means both ears blocked at same time is quite rare thing to happen. I have been using Q tips about every second day for one and half decade, never had problem till now. I had long hair most of my life and I cut it short this year, I also started wearing ear covering hat in winter becose without long hair I felt too cold, maybe that has something to do with it, I have no idea why this happened.

Was this all for nothing? No. Solderdude found that my 58X is indeed different, it looks like Sennheiser made silent revision, mine is significantly darker and has flat bass kinda like HD600, no hump.
But the review I wrote about the headphone is completly useless, I believe if my ears were ok, I would not hate this headphone, infact I think I would love that flat bass darker top end frequency response.

For mild ear wax hydrogen peroxide for about 10-15 minutes lying on your side will work very well. For impacted ear wax against the ear drum you might need to see an ENT physician, they have more sophisticated irrigation tools.
 

Thomas savage

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Thanks @solderdude for the tests and @Graph Feppar for letting us know the source of your frequency issue. I wonder if @amirm or @Thomas savage could update the thread title and first post to reflect this information? It might be helpful to anyone who hasn't been following this saga and who might come upon the thread in the future.
Done and thank you to @solderdude for the brilliant work he’s done on this and for sharing it with us.
 

solderdude

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Your website is offline, have you moved it to a different domain ?

I guess maintenance from wordpress at that time ?
Should function normally.
Sometimes mediafire (for the HD58X article download) isn't working as expected.
 

solderdude

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I attempted that and it does totally nothing.Also these earphones have awfull soundstage and imaging,they seem like shut headphones,not exaggerating.All other HD6X0 have indistinguishable soundstage and imaging,this earphone have literaly zero imaging.

What I generally attempt with open earphone is to hinder the external piece of glass to make kind of shut earphone with my hand.All HD6X0 earphones when I attempted this sounded enormously diffrent,it caused solid reverb sound and midrange blare resonance.My earphone when obstructed with hand sound very little extraordinary to when its not obstructed by hand,the change is in no way like HD6X0,again,they sound and act like shut od semi-open... there must be some monstrous contrast in them.

Graph fepper asked me to measure the effect of blocking the mesh (by hand) and compare HD58X (my modified version in this case) and my (old, black driver) HD650 a while ago. Below the HD650 and the HD650 blocked by hand.
HD650 covered and stock.png


Below the (modified) HD58X and the same HD58X but blocked
new HD58X covered and stock.png


The effect on FR is the same or similar enough to give the same results.
 

pwjazz

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For mild ear wax hydrogen peroxide for about 10-15 minutes lying on your side will work very well. For impacted ear wax against the ear drum you might need to see an ENT physician, they have more sophisticated irrigation tools.

I like to follow up the hydrogen peroxide with a tiny bit of rubbing alcohol to dry out the ear afterwards.
 

KR8NUX

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They had sent him an early evaluation unit.
If you look at the Massdrop page, they even cite Frans as a positive reviewer.
I hope they sit up and notice.
 

solderdude

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@solderdude Has Massdrop or Sennheiser reacted to your findings?

Massdrop has reacted (they are quite responsive) and are committed to improvements in headphones and also curious if something changed without them knowing and why.
They now have the same measurement setup as Jude so can do their own measurements in the future.
Massdrop spoke to Sennheiser a few days ago.
I will probably get to hear the results one of these days.
If not will ask in a while.
 
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solderdude

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I asked Massdrop a few days ago actually.
They still have to send the offending one to Sennheiser.

My suspicion is that all of the later series HD58X have a somewhat different FR from the first series.
It is 'flatter' from lows to the mids but has relatively less treble.
Can only prove this when I have measured another HD58X from the second series.
AFAIK Massdrop did not request a change.

The mods I described won't have the right effect IF indeed Sennheiser (deliberate or not) changed the tuning slightly.

Takes a lot longer than I thought it would take. If only I had access to another one from the second series.
That would be proof enough for me.
 
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blank001

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Any idea when or where the change from first series to second series occurs? Either by (drop?) date or serial?
 

Sin Hizer

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I asked Massdrop a few days ago actually.
They still have to send the offending one to Sennheiser.

My suspicion is that all of the later series HD58X have a somewhat different FR from the first series.
It is 'flatter' from lows to the mids but has relatively less treble.
Can only prove this when I have measured another HD58X from the second series.
AFAIK Massdrop did not request a change.

The mods I described won't have the right effect IF indeed Sennheiser (deliberate or not) changed the tuning slightly.

Takes a lot longer than I thought it would take. If only I had access to another one from the second series.
That would be proof enough for me.

Define second series. I might have one.
 

solderdude

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Should have said second drop.

The first drop was surrounded by people complaining about the serial numbers not being low.

After a while a second drop was made.
Perhaps around December 2018.
When it sounds a bit 'muted' in the treble compared to other HD6** series this might be one of them.
Maybe they have serial numbers in the 37000 range ?

It's just an unconfirmed suspicion of mine. Not a fact !
 
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