Building a hi-fi device that sounds so brilliant, so crystal clear and
so free of distortion as if one were sitting right in front of the audio
source. Creating a level of acoustics that surpasses everything that
has gone before. These are the visions that drive Sennheiser in the
development of its high-end products. For the first time, Sennheiser is
now launching an amplifier for dynamic headphones, thus making the
Sennheiser sound experience perfect. The digital HDVD 800 has a fully
symmetrical layout and sampling frequencies of up to 24bit/192kHz to
ensure an unequalled listening experience. It also harmonises perfectly
with Sennheiser's HD 800, HD 700, HD 650 and HD 600 high-end headphones.
The outstanding features of the HDVD 800 include its balanced sound
image, maximum precision and impressive spatiality. The high-end
headphone amplifier has a fully symmetrical layout for operation with
analogue audio sources, thus ensuring absolutely symmetrical signal
transmission from the source to the headphones. For use with digital
sources, the amplifier is equipped with a high-quality Burr-Brown
digital/analogue converter that converts digital audio data into
analogue signals with a resolution of 24 bits and a sampling rate of up
to 192 kHz. This enables the HDVD 800 to transmit the entire frequency
spectrum of high-end audio sources without any loss of frequencies.
“The search for perfect sound is a constant motivation for us to
develop new ideas,” said Maurice QuarrĂ©, Director Product Lifecycle
Management Sennheiser Consumer Electronics. “The best example is the
legendary Orpheus. These electrostatic headphones with a vacuum tube
amplifier, which came onto the market around 20 years ago, have become
an icon in the audio world. With the HDVD 800, Sennheiser is now taking
up the tradition of the Orpheus, providing music lovers with the perfect
combination of Sennheiser headphones and a specially matched
amplifier.”
Top-quality technology, top-quality sound
Signal
processing in the HDVD 800 is fully symmetrical. That means that not
only the signal input into the amplifier is symmetrical but also the
signal output and therefore the connection to the headphones. “The fully
symmetrical principle effectively compensates for interference and
distortion. The sound therefore becomes much clearer as total harmonic
distortion is minimised," explained Axel Grell, Sennheiser’s Senior
Acoustical Engineer. Sennheiser supplies specially made cables for the
symmetrical connection to headphones. The headphones can, however, also
be connected using a normal 6.3 mm jack plug. In addition to the
symmetrical inputs, the HDVD 800 also has an asymmetrical input socket;
incoming signals are symmetrised before further processing takes place.
Digital sources are connected to the rear of the unit as an AES/EBU
input, S/PDIF (optical and coaxial) or USB. The USB 2.0 audio standard
offers 24 bit data transmission at 192 KHz.*
In order to fully exploit the sound potential of the HDVD 800 with
any audio source, a rotary gain switch at the rear of the unit provides
simple adaptation of the amplifier output to the audio input voltage.
This ensures that the dynamic range can be used to its full extent.
High quality in every detail
A glass panel
embedded in the aluminium housing of the amplifier gives a clear view of
the top-quality interior of the HDVD 800. Selected components and
sophisticated circuitry promise the ultimate in listening pleasure. The
rotary potentiometer is mechanically connected to the volume control by a
150mm long shaft. This unusually long potentiometer shaft allows the
signal path between the audio source and the potentiometer to be kept
very short, thus preventing possible interference of the signal.
High-quality components (Alps RK 27 quad) ensure that the volume is
controlled with maximum precision and a fine rotary ‘feel’. Also visible
through the glass panel are the cooling element, the audio relay and
countless MELF resistors for the amplifier. “The material selection has
been thought through down to the finest detail in order to fully exploit
the amplifier’s sound potential. The audio aspects of each individual
component were evaluated in listening tests before the optimum
combination was finally chosen,” said Maurice QuarrĂ©.
And such meticulous attention has also been applied to the exterior.
Both the housing and the potentiometer control as well as the rotary
switch for selecting the source are made of anodised aluminium, while
the front panel of the housing and the controls are milled from solid
material. The HDVD was developed and designed in Germany, and the latest
member of Sennheiser’s high-end series is also being manufactured
there.
The new digital HDVD 800 will be delivered to Sennheiser’s worldwide sales partners from September.
The Sennheiser Group, with its headquarters
in Wedemark near Hanover, Germany, is one of the world’s leading
manufacturers of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission
systems. The family-owned company, which was established in 1945,
recorded sales of around €468 million in 2010. Sennheiser employs more
than 2,100 people worldwide, and has manufacturing plants in Germany,
Ireland and the USA. The company is represented worldwide by
subsidiaries in France, Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands,
Germany, Denmark (Nordic), Russia, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Japan,
China, Canada, Mexico and the USA, as well as by long-term trading
partners in many other countries. Also part of the Sennheiser Group are
Georg Neumann GmbH, Berlin (studio microphones and monitor
loudspeakers), and the joint venture Sennheiser Communications A/S
(headsets for PCs, offices and call centres).
Source: www.sennheiser.com