Drop + EPOS PC38x Black - Now with Less Yellow

on
 

Disclaimer: The EPOS PC38x was sent to me by DROP, they did not do anything to influence my opinion.
 
Introduction  
 
This review won't be like my normal ones, as I have already reviewed this headset and the review will be linked below. Drop offered to send one of these my way so I could listen and test it and assure people that this is the same as when it was branded with Sennheisers name. In fact this is made by the exact same team, just a new name.

So a very quick briefing about who EPOS is. 
 
2 companies Sennheiser and Demant decided to join and have a working relationship. Under this joint effort, they formed Sennheiser Communication A/S. This was the team that would go to make the Sennheiser branded gaming headsets and Bluetooth headphones. So the more consumer side of Sennheiser portfolio. But recently as most of you should know by now there was a demerger and the companies split up. When this happened the Sennheiser Comunication A/S team ended up being fully owned by Demant and were renamed to EPOS (pretty much). At first it was odd that Sennheiser would seemingly give up full control but now with the sale of the consumer headphone division of Senheiser it makes a lot more sense. 
 
Part of this deal is EPOS would continue to sell the products they have worked on for years, but anything released under there time at Sennheiser would be CO branded. EPOS | Sennheiser

So here we are, the Sennheiser Gaming and Communication Team is now called EPOS. If I'm not mistaken this is the first Sennheiser product to be fully rebranded. The PC38x has fully dropped the Sennheiser branding. Does this mean more will follow like the PC37x or GSP series, only time will tell.
 
Referral Link
 
Headphone Specs:
  • Form factor: Over ear
  • Transducer principle: Dynamic, open
  • Frequency response: 10Hz - 30000Hz
  • Impedance: 28 Ω
  • Sound pressure level: 109 dB
  • 2.5 m PC cable, 2 x 3.5 mm split TRS connector
  • 1.5 m console cable, 1 x 3.5 mm TRRS connector
  • Weight: 8.9 oz (253 g)
  • Weight (with cable): 10.2 oz (290.5g)
Microphone Specs:
  • Microphone frequency response: 50-16,000 Hz
  • Pick-up pattern: Noise-cancelling
  • Sensitivity: -38dBV/PA
  • Microphone technology: Electret condenser
  • Microphone pickup pattern: Bi-directional
Included:
  • 2 removable cables (PC and console)
  • 2 pairs of earpads (mesh knit and velour)
  • Drawstring travel pouch
  • 2-year manufacturer’s warranty
     
Changes
 
Not a lot has changed here. 
  • Gone is the controversial yellow that I still actually prefer, it is now replaced with simple, yet popular black. 
  • The cable is also now all black and a slightly different material but the same quality. But I have to frustratingly talk about this yet again. The cable is packaged in a folded up bunch meaning there will be lots of kinks in it. This is not how cables should be packed, roll them up in a circle to prevent kinks from forming in the box. Please change this eventually. If I'm not mistaken the GSP5500/600 already does this, so all EPOS products should as well.
  • The velour pads are slightly different, but this is most likely just normal pad batch variation. They're a bit softer and thicker in texture. They're also slightly less plush. But extremely close. Also do note this was comparing the pads to the brand new PC38x velour pads on my second PC38x unit.
  • Gone is the white Sennheiser logo and branding and replacing it is a black glossy EPOS logo and branding.
  • The cloth bag no longer has a white DROP logo but just a small black +.
Graphs
Disclaimer: My measurement rig is an industry standard clone. So it's accurate up to 3k compared to most GRAS rigs. Over 3k it's fairly off so ignore that tell I get a better calibration. When I talk about tonality and tuning it's based mostly on what I hear.
 
Above are the averaged measurements of the 2 Sennheiser PC38x units I have along with the new EPOS PC38x. As you can see they are very close. There is some deviation that is audible between units and that's just bass extension and upper mids like shown in the graph. But it's not too bad and falls into the excepted unit variation and seal variation.

For anyone wondering if it is maybe pad variation, that does make up for some differences but when measuring with all the same pads they remained slightly different. But fall close enough to be considered the exact same.
 
This is just something I don't think I ever posted measurements for but have spoken about a lot. This is what happens when you use the volume wheel and why I tell people not to use it. It's fine to use to quickly lower volume if you need to, but when your actually using the headset keep it maxed and adjust volume on your source. As the wheel gets lower the bass blooms really bad making the headset sound muddy and slow and just bass gets a lot worse. 

So when you put on your PC37x, PC38x or make sure you turn the volume wheel to max and adjust via your source. I actually would just tape the wheel in place if I daily drove this.
 
Conclusion
 
So what does this all mean? Well, this is just a long winded way of saying the Drop + EPOS PC38x Black is still the exact same headset as the Drop + Sennheiser PC38x Yellow. 

So if you were at all nervous about this name change and worried that this may somehow not be the same headset you originally wanted, fear not, it is the same just now in a much more neutral and consumer-friendly black colour.