hifiblueprint

HE 1 (Orpheus)

Driver
Electrostatic
Enclosure
Open-back
Weight
550 g
List
Price on request
Loading the model

An electrostatic system built as one object: headphones with 2.4 micron platinum-vaporised diaphragms, a valve amplifier under quartz-glass bulbs, and a Carrara marble base. Sennheiser builds it to order and publishes no US price.

Where to buy

List Price on request

None of the boutiques we track list this model right now. Manufacturer page: us.sennheiser-hearing.com.

Retailer prices checked 2026-10-21. We may earn a commission on purchases. How this works

Title block

Maker
Sennheiser
Model
HE 1 (Orpheus)
Made in
Germany
Released
2016
Transducer
Electrostatic
Enclosure
Open-back
Driver
Not published
Weight
550 g
Impedance
Not published
Sensitivity
Not published
Frequency response
8 Hz – more than 100 kHz
List price
Not published

Assembly drawing

1234567

Parts

  1. 1HeadbandNot published
  2. 2GrilleNot published
  3. 3Ear cupEar cups precision-machined from solid aluminium
  4. 4Rear statorStators: gold-vaporised ceramic electrodes
  5. 5Diaphragm2.4 µm platinum-vaporised diaphragm
  6. 6Front statorStators: gold-vaporised ceramic electrodes
  7. 7EarpadsHandmade leather with soft velour/microfibre surface

Schematic electrostatic assembly, annotated with the Sennheiser HE 1 (Orpheus)’s published materials. Not to scale.

Engineering notes

  • 2.4 µm platinum-vaporised diaphragms between gold-vaporised ceramic electrodes
  • Cool Class A MOS-FET high-voltage amplifier integrated into the ear cups
  • Desktop amplifier with vacuum tubes under quartz bulbs, Carrara marble base, and eight ESS SABRE ES9018 DACs
  • Distortion 0.01% at 1 kHz, 100 dB SPL

Design language

Furniture-scale audio. The headphones rest beside valves in quartz glass on a block of Carrara marble, and the system is built to stay on display.

Build the listening station

Desktop sanctuary

Electrostatic drivers run from a dedicated high-voltage energizer. Pair it with an energizer from the maker or an electrostatic specialist.

Related architecture

Sources