Sennheiser HD595 crackling?

[Nielo TM]

I bought the HD595 three days ago, and well… it seems to crackle/pop/break-up during heavy bass scenarios. I did manage to stop it by reducing the 30Hz on my X-Fi EQ by 90%, but for the price, it should be able to handle very low frequency without any problems. In fact, my previous MDR-CD380 can handle even the most deepest bass levels without any audible distortion and it only cost me £30 (back in 2004). However, the HD595 did beat the CD380 on everything else.

This is not a problem with music, but only with movies.


I am using PinkNoise to burn-in the headphones, but will it ever be able to produce clean deep bass?


PS: Does anyone know the drive size of the HD595?



Thanks for reading

[Tejstar]

I have the HD 595's and whilst I don't listen to too many movies with them I do listen to hip-hop on occasion and haven't noticed any problems with the bass. The Sennheiser HD650 is meant to be much better in this regard, but as I said I've not had any issues. Mine are properly broken into though.

[Nielo TM]

hmmm...

What device are you using with the HD595, (e.g. soundcard, hi-fi, MP3 player, active speakers etc...)?

[Tejstar]

The main use is through my PC soundcard but I also use it on occasion with my hi-fi setup (Musical Fiedlity Amp, Cyrus CD player).

[LFC_SL]

Originally Posted by Nielo TM

This is not a problem with music, but only with movies.

Then I would suggest the problem is not with the headphones but rather the films themselves (unlikely), your source (unlikely as music is fine) or the software player

If I come up with more variables I will update...

Edit: Actually you use EQ? Because strictly speaking EQ itself is distortion

[Nielo TM]

I only use EQ to remove the problem when viewing movies


In music, its perfect, but if I increase the bass to a very high level (with the help of the EQ), then it distrotes.

[LFC_SL]

Originally Posted by Nielo TM

I only use EQ to remove the problem when viewing movies

In music, its perfect, but if I increase the bass to a very high level (with the help of the EQ), then it distrotes.

Your posts conflict...

Previously it would appear you lower bass to eliminate crackling. But this quote suggests the crackling occurs when you use EQ to bump the bass up

If the answer is the former, then we still need to solve this...
If the answer if the latter I would suggest you are using too much EQ boost in bass

[alexs2]

Originally Posted by Nielo TM

In music, its perfect, but if I increase the bass to a very high level (with the help of the EQ), then it distrotes.

Most,if not all systems will distort at some point when excessive levels of bass EQ are used.

The point about decent headphone systems such as the HD595 and similar is that they do not require hideous amounts of EQ to deliver an accurate result....without EQ,you get the music as it was intended to be heard,gievn that they have a pretty flat response across a very wide frequency range.

A lot of people do mistake the absence of large amounts of upper bass/mid range bloat as a system short on bass.....this is often not the case at all.

[Nielo TM]

I apologize; I should have provided an in-depth answer


I use X-Fi XtremeMusic, and thanks to the latest up-date, the sound quality has jumped to an all time high. Also, the EQ embedded in X-Fi is one of the best there it. Reason: it doesn’t distort the sound in any way regardless of the configuration, (but ultimately this is where most software EQs fail). Even with 31 and 62Hz set to maximum (+12db), the bass level still remains free from all forms of distortions. The same can be said for the higher frequencies as well.


I used to enable the X-Fi EQ for my Sony HDPs, and it managed to provide very strong distortion free bass (even when increasing the lower frequencies of the EQ to the maximum).


The HD595 completely fails in this regard (test). I can increase the 62Hz to +6.1db to obtain puncher bass but at higher levels, the HDPs begins to crackle (right can first, quickly followed by the left).


I prefer the music to sound natural, which is why I have purchased the HD595 and it hasn’t failed in that regard. I don’t actually use the EQs during listening periods, only when testing (and watching movies, which I’ve explained below).


During movies, the HD595 crackles during heavy bass scenarios. For example: At near the end of the Matrix: Reloaded where the Mjolnir (Hammer) comes in search of the Nebuchadnezzar and in Terminator 3 when the HK hovers above the ocean bay and returns to the battle field.


During those scenes, the HD595 crackles/pops very strongly. However, I found that enabling EQ (flat) and lowering the 31Hz to -10.1db helps to solve the problem without greatly impacting the over-all sound quality.



At the moment, I’m using Pink Noise Generator with 15 minutes rest period every hour. I usually run the application 5-8 hours a day. I just hope one day, it’ll be able to produce wide range of lower frequencies without any problems.

[Broosta]

Dude there is no way that crackling/popping noise is the HD595.

It's the sound card, your card is rubbish and is well known for having this problem.
There may be a conflict with your sound card or video drivers drivers as this is known to create the problems you are hearing, but creative have not been too helpfull with driver updates on this front.

[Nielo TM]

Trust me, it is. I know cos it's the sound of the diaphragm/s under heavy stress.


The X-Fi card itself was excellently designed. It was the drivers (both creative and 3rd party) and BIOS that caused the problem (mainly on nVIDIA-chipset based systems). Luckily, I haven't experienced any problems and I had it well over 2 years (with two different systems). My previous system was WinXP Pro X86 with ASUS K8V SE Delux mobo (VIA chipset), and my new system is Vista Ultimate X64 with Intel DP35DP mobo.


PS: The pure sound quality of the X-Fi still manages to impresses me tbh (that is after the July update). And if the culprit was the soundcard, I’d be able hear crackle/popping with my other headphones and speakers


PPS: Creative fixed most of the problem with the July driver update. Even though I wasn't affected, it certainly did improve the overall sound quality of my X-Fi.

BTW, I have the original 2005 card, not the 2nd reversion or XtremeAudio.

[alexs2]

There are two problems here...firstly,the amounts of bass EQ you are using are excessive,and even if they are not responsible for the popping and crackling,they certainly will utterly colour the sound.

Secondly,I'm no expert on PC soundcards,but the poster above is correct in saying that there are a large number of blogs and sites filled with reports of exactly this problem on your soundcard.

[LFC_SL]

Am I to understand this problem only occurs during films with this one headphone?

HD595 are fine in all music, and all films when there is not a "subwoofer" moment?

That being the case, the cans are not faulty as it is hardly selective. So either the sound card is faulty or you are unnecessarily altering the low freq's in films...

[Nielo TM]

It is not the sound card or the movie or the EQ. And I’m not a nubie when it comes to electronics and diagnosing problems.



I know for a fact it is caused by the HD595. But since the HDP is new, I suppose it may take some time to produce low frequencies more clearly.


I had the same problem with HD485, but it was much worse. It couldn’t even handle normal bass levels.


It is very hard to transfer the problem into words due to many variables. And thanks for helping.


PS: I doubt the HD595 has 50mm drive units. IMO I think they are either 30 oe 40mm, which could be problem.

[alexs2]

Originally Posted by Nielo TM

I use X-Fi XtremeMusic, and thanks to the latest up-date, the sound quality has jumped to an all time high. Also, the EQ embedded in X-Fi is one of the best there it. Reason: it doesn’t distort the sound in any way regardless of the configuration, (but ultimately this is where most software EQs fail). Even with 31 and 62Hz set to maximum (+12db), the bass level still remains free from all forms of distortions. The same can be said for the higher frequencies as well.



The HD595 completely fails in this regard (test). I can increase the 62Hz to +6.1db to obtain puncher bass but at higher levels, the HDPs begins to crackle (right can first, quickly followed by the left).

This is the problem...excessive amounts of bass EQ resulting in distortion.

Originally Posted by Nielo TM

I prefer the music to sound natural, which is why I have purchased the HD595 and it hasn’t failed in that regard. I don’t actually use the EQs during listening periods, only when testing (and watching movies, which I’ve explained below).

If you want things to sound natural,and the same applies to watching movies and testing......dont use excess EQ.

Also,using pink noise will not significantly alter the drive units characteristics.