Limited Edition: Sennheiser’s New & Seriously Expensive Orpheus Headphones

Sennheiser's Orpheus HE 90 debuted at the International Consumer Electronics Show (ICES).
Image Courtesy: Sennheiser

Making a comeback from 1991 are Sennheiser’s popular headphones, the Orpheus HE 90. In a new amped up avatar, the headphones seem to have gotten more attractive, functional, and also more exclusive now that only up to 300 units are being produced.

While the appearance of the Orpheus HE 90 has been refined by use of luxurious leather and fabric, the metal mesh on the exterior gives the headphones a more edgy appearance. A good way to do flashy in your house is to hook them up to the chrome-finished 90-tube amplifier, which is so unique in design, it could be the dominating factor that decides your purchase.

Performance scores are high what with the speakers maxing out at 118 dB, and most folks with firsthand experience have reported the high and mid tones are good on clarity, although the throw of the bass could use some improvement.

Functionality is top notch, given that these hand-assembled speakers cleverly use cloth in the area that sit on the ears.  Also make note that the Orpheus HE 90 is wide-sized and ovular in design, all to sit comfortably on your ears and provide enough coverage to drown out the sounds of the surrounding ambiance.

Lastly, the headphones are constructed with gold plated contacts, which not only make them good conductors, but also add dimension to their looks.

At anywhere between $30,000-$40,000, these limited edition, high performance, luxury earpieces don’t aim to be run of the treadmill headphones for sure.