[JudgmentZefhyr]

I accidentally left my Sennheiser HD555 playing at an absurdly loud volume for about 10 minutes. By loud, I mean, it was hooked up to a Little Dot MK IV SE Amp with the knob turned to the max...computer volume turned to the max...and winamp's volume turned to the max. I could hear the volume beating from the headphones from all the way outside the house...and the room with the headphones was totally closed off too.
 
Would I have done any damage to it?

 

[Digital-Pride]

Hmm, 10 minutes?  It's possible, have you noticed any change in the sound quality?

 

[InnerSpace]

Usually a voice coil will melt before a suspension will rupture, so you're probably OK.

 

[fabio-fi]

Wow..thats a lot of volume. Probably the drivers were affected in some way. 
 
Be more careful..

 

[tme110]

you did that accidentally?
 
If you dont hear any new static or ratteling then you're probably good.  Grado's would be long gone so you got lucky.

 

[Il Mostro]

Quote:

you did that accidentally?
 
If you dont hear any new static or ratteling then you're probably good.  Grado's would be long gone so you got lucky.

Tell me about it -- I have to send my RS2's back to replace a blown driver.

 

[JudgmentZefhyr]

There's no static or rattling...the only difference I can see is that the sound seems...sharper. I'm not sure if it's just my imagination but it seems the treble got higher and the bass appears to be "heavier". Can playing at that volume do that or is this just me imagining things?

 

[mrip541]

In the past I've been convinced that after playing video games on my nice headphones they didn't sound right. Using other headphones for a day or so fixed the "problem." Could just be in your head. However, if you really blasted the daylights out of them there could be some damage i'd guess, but I'm not an expert. My guess is that if you don't use them for a bit and they still sound off there's something wrong.

 

[tme110]

I dont think that model has a particularly stiff driver or big need to be broken in but if so, you may have just loosed up a stiff driver.  Some may complain that your hp's are now colored but if you like the new sound then it's win-win.  If you've done real damage, I think you'd know it by now.

 

[JudgmentZefhyr]

Hmm...is it possible that I could have sped up the degradation of the sound?