I was exceptionally privileged to be invited to an exquisite boutique hotel just off Oxford Street in Central London. The reason for my journey…….to listen to Sennheiser’s 70th anniversary product. A product wrapped in beautiful Carrara Marble for as little resonance as possible. A product with specifically developed valves that slowly rise from the depths of the chassis as it’s turned on and the unit literally “comes alive”. A product clouded in mystique that offers something just a little bit special.
I have heard the 1991 Orpheus a fair number of times and spent many hours with it and regard it as the best headphone system I have heard. The scale of sound is unprecedented and synergy for me is perfect. The combination of the valves and electrostatic headphones is simply lush. I have the ability to listen to countless headphones, headphone amplifiers, portable players and enjoy many of them, but not many combinations have that je ne sais quoi. It really is indescribable when the system you are hearing just “works” seamlessly, it is very hard to quantify. For me the solution doesn’t even always have to be completely accurate in its presentation to still be an ultimately enjoyable experience.
However I have now spent time with the 2015 Orpheus and what an experience that was. To start with the initialisation of the system is reminiscent of the key start that was on the original Orpheus. Turning it on is nothing more than a showpiece but what a showpiece it is. From a lifeless block of grey marble it turns into a unique behemoth of a headphone solution. Two rows of four valves begin to rise from the underworld and the controls gradually ease their way towards you, enabling control of what you would like to listen to and at what level you want to be entertained at. Lastly the glass cover opens to reveal a pair of meticulously developed Orpheus headphones. Lifting them from their protective environment I was already anticipating something jaw dropping. something awe inspiring, something that just couldn’t be replicated by anything else.
I had chosen to enjoy my time with Gregory Porter as I was handed the T+A CD remote to start my experience when I wished. The opening few bars began as I had depressed the play button on the remote. My thoughts, impressions, reaction was pretty instantaneous and it was clear that I had been presented with something momentous and extraordinary. With all of the grandeur and splendor of turning Orpheus on it certainly didn’t fail to impress with it’s sonic performance. An extreme air of dark silence enveloped every nuance that was presented to my aural senses. Each and every moment was delivered with utmost composure and instilled supremacy. I was well and truly involved and loved every passing second. I was listening to a higher resolving 1991 Orpheus that was poised in front of me at this moment in time. Everything that I loved about the original Orpheus had been replicated for the 21st Century but the detail and resolution had been improved to take it into another century. The headphones felt solid but were unobtrusive when being worn and exceptionally comfortable.
I am used to supplying HiFi systems to clients at tens of thousands of pounds so the price of Orpheus would equate to being cheaper than a pair of high end speakers and mono block amplifiers to drive them. I also have another thought! Orpheus is no pick ‘n’ mix solution. You do not have to spend hours getting the right synergy of headphone amplifier and headphones. Orpheus is matched, the amplifier harmoniously compliments the headphones, the amps in the headphones have been specifically designed to work with the drive units, it is a complete solution that offers the best sound I have heard from any headphone system bar none. In HiFi I try to promote the use of an active system for ultra high end solutions, speakers at circa £60k-£70k+ (See PMC Active) as they offer a sound that no passive solution can provide and this is what you get with Orpheus. Everything has been designed to work with each other to provide the best possible sound and Sennheiser have achieved this by having the money no object approach.
Sennheiser are aiming to make just 250 pieces per year, maximum, so Orpheus will remain very exclusive. Spec wise Orpheus is incredible, with an astonishingly small level of distortion and a frequency range that’s stratospheric. Components are vaporised with gold and the marble sourced from a city in the Province of Massa, Italy. Every single aspect of the Orpheus has been meticulously designed to give the user the ultimate enjoyable listening experience and I take my hat off to Sennheiser who have managed to achieve exactly that.
