Sennheiser is a well-respected name in the audio industry. Pink Floyd is a legendary progressive rock group who commanded the title of the best selling album from 1973-1988. In case you didn’t know, the name of that album was Dark Side of the Moon. Now, these two behemoths have collaborated on the Sennheiser HD1 Wireless Pink Floyd edition headphones. The Pink Floyd edition headphones are basically the Sennheiser HD1 Wireless headphones with some special design elements added for Pink Floyd fans. Read on for the full review of the Sennheiser HD1 Wireless Pink Floyd edition headphones.
Specifications
The Sennheiser HD1 Wireless Pink Floyd edition headphones have the following features and specifications:
- Passive impedance: 28Ω
- Active Impedance: 480Ω
- Frequency Response: 16Hz – 22000Hz
- Total Harmonic Distortion: <0.5%
- Contact Pressure: Approx. 3.6N
- Microphone Frequency Response Wideband: 100 – 8,000Hz
- Microphone Frequency Response Narrowband: 300 – 3,400Hz
- Pick Up Pattern: Dual omnidirectional microphone (2 mic beamforming array)
- Sensitivity as per 121 TR 9-5: -44dB V/Pa (1kHz)
- Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth 4.0 + EDR
- Supported Profiles: A2DP + AVRCP + HSP + HFP
- Battery Life: 22hrs (HFP + ANC)
- Codecs: apt-X
What’s In The Box
- Sennheiser HD1 Wireless Pink Floyd edition
- Carrying Case
- 3.5mm AUX cable
- MicroUSB cable
- Documentation and instructions
Design
First, it’s important to note that the Sennheiser HD1 Wireless and the Pink Floyd versions are the same. The biggest difference here is the design elements added to celebrate the greatest progressive rock band in history.
Let’s talk microphones and controls first, these are going to be the same as the regular version. On the left ear cup, you’ll find one set of microphones and that is it. On the right ear cup, you’ll find the other set of microphones. These mics are used for active noise cancelation as well as voice calls.
The right ear cup also houses the controls and inputs. The top button works as the Bluetooth, pairing, and power button all in one. The button directly beneath that functions as your volume, track skipping, play/pause and voice call button.
Finally, at the very bottom of the right ear cup, you’ll find your MicroUSB port for charging as well as your 3.5mm AUX port. The materials used in construction are super premium and feel and look amazing. The plastics, metals, rubber, and foam materials all look durable and well made.
The headband is comfortable, it doesn’t have much padding but I found that it didn’t put a whole lot of pressure on the top of my head. The flexibility of the headband is good, it doesn’t feel like your head and ears are being crushed. The earpads are phenomenally comfortable. Soft, supple, and comfortable I really enjoyed wearing these headphones for long hours.
The biggest design differences in the Sennheiser HD1 Wireless Pink Floyd edition can be found in the badges, stitching, and paint job. The stitching on the headband is something to behold. The thread used is multicolored and has a rainbow effect when you look at it. The paint job on the earcups is also multicolored and changes colors when viewed from different angles.
The Dark Side of the Moon triangle is painted on the sides of each earcup, hinting at the source of these headphones. Finally, there is a nice metal badge on either side of the headband that says, “Their Mortal Remains” Pink Floyd.
Overall, the HD1 design is already very nice and the materials and comfort are stellar. Adding in the Pink Floyd elements is just massive fanboy icing on the cake and I think Pink Floyd fans (like myself) will love this design.
Ease of Use
Bluetooth devices have gotten so simple to use these days, it’s really not an issue for most anymore. Hold the power button for 5 seconds to get into pairing mode, look for the Sennheiser HD1 Wireless in your Bluetooth settings and connect. Once connected, your device will remember the headphones until you choose to forget them.
Volume is controlled with the other button, just push up or down to adjust. Push the same button in once to pause or play. Again, the same button pushed twice will skip forward, pushed three times it will go back a track.
Overall, very simple to use and basically there’s nothing to it.
Sound
The Sennheiser HD1 Wireless Pink Floyd edition headphones are stellar in the sound department. I test a lot of headphones and I love many of them. It’s pretty hard to nail down the perfect pair of headphones for one person.
I really love a balanced soundstage with a very slight and minor tweak to the lows. I don’t like my headphones to be too bass heavy but I like them to favor the bass a tick or two over the rest of the frequencies. The HD1 headphones are nearly perfect.
The mids are clear and cut through nicely. The highs are bright and crisp. The bass is holding it all together with just a little bit more love. The spatial dynamics are amazing on the HD1’s. I’ve not used the non-Pink Floyd edition so I don’t know if these were tuned with Pink Floyd in mind. But listening to albums like Meddle, Animals, The Wall, and The Dark Side of the Moon you can really feel the spatial dynamics and nuances that Floyd often put in their recordings.
Overall, these sound stellar and are among my favorite headphones so far.
Reception/Call Quality
Bluetooth reception is better than average on these headphones. I was able to get around 75 feet from my device before signal degradation, which is more than double the standard Bluetooth range. This was also through walls and around corners.
Call quality was okay, not the best as some callers sounded hollow or echoey. It didn’t happen every time but once in awhile. Although I still maintain a no call with headphones rule unless I am testing them for reviews, they will do if you use your headphones in such a way.
Overall, the Bluetooth reception is stellar and one of the bright points on these headphones. Call quality is decent with a few issues.
Battery Life
Sennheiser says you should get 22 hours of battery with ANC on and I was able to get just over that a few times and just under a few other times. Testing was done with the headphones next to the device and volume set at 60%. Battery life will vary depending on the distance from the source and how loud you like your music.
Price/Value
The Sennheiser HD1 Wireless Pink Floyd edition cost $499.95USD. This is the exact same retail price as the Sennheiser HD1 Wireless regular edition but you can find the HD1 regular edition on sale for $349.95USD on Amazon right now. I think if you’re a massive Pink Floyd fan, paying the extra is well worth it.
Wrap Up
I rated these headphones very high because of their stellar sound performance, comfort, build quality, and design. As a Pink Floyd fan, these are well worth the $499.95USD asking price. If you’re not a Pink Floyd fan, you can get all of the same attributes, minus the Pink Floyd nuances, for $150 less. I’m sure the sale isn’t going to last long and the price will go back up to the Pink Floyd edition price. If you’re looking for stellar sound and stellar looks at a better price, go with the original versions. If you’re a Pink Floyd diehard, you know what you’re going to do.
