Is this the secret to Porsche’s iconic sound?
A Reddit post by additionally21 has caught the eye of both music lovers and car fans. This features a Porsche engineer wearing the Sennheiser HD650 headphones in an unusual way—backward and with the headband tilted toward the back of his head—while testing the sound of a 911 car model.
The unique approach, captured in a detailed development video, has sparked a vibrant discussion on headphone design, user habits, and precision in sound engineering.
Porsche’s Unconventional Audio Test
The heart of this discussion centers on a video showcasing the development stages of Porsche’s 992 generation 911.
It was during this detailed presentation that an engineer was observed in a rather unconventional act: conducting aeroacoustic tests while wearing his headphones the wrong way.
For one, he wore the headphones at a slanted angle, with the headband positioned towards the back of his head instead of atop. Two, he wore the headphones backward.
Such a sight is unusual, especially in a professional setting where precision is paramount.
“Just saw a vid about how Porsche developed their 992 generation 911 from the design stage all the way to mock manufacturing and assembly. It’s interesting to me how incredibly detailed they went when making this car.” shares the OP.
“The dude you see here is testing the aeroacoustic characteristics of the car. He’s basically hearing how loud and the type of frequency each part of the car is making when traveling at speed using a wind tunnel.”
This is one of Porsche’s in-depth processes of developing the iconic “Porsche sound”.
The OP initially only referred to how the engineer was wearing the headphones in a way that the headband wasn’t resting on top of his head. But, users have quickly pointed out that he was also wearing the headphones backward.
This was evident from the misplaced L and R markings on the ear cups, which were visibly on the wrong sides. The Sennheiser logo was also upside-down, which shouldn’t have happened if the headphones were worn right.
“I’ll somewhat excuse the angle he’s wearing the headphones, but again like so many other examples we’ve seen, he’s wearing it backwards.
You can see the L above the left grill and the connector, along with the three bumps that are supposed to be on the front half of the headphones if worn correctly. The Sennheiser logo shouldn’t be upside down from this angle either.” says TheAznActualization.
User Error or Design Oversight?
As expected, many users initially resorted to humor when reacting to the post.
However, the conversation quickly expanded beyond the engineer’s headphone orientation. Some users have opened broader discussions about headphone design and user experience.
A user raised an important question: “Do you think that issues like this lie on the user or with manufacturer?”
This question led to a divided response among Reddit users.
For instance, a user defended Sennheiser’s design efforts, arguing:
On the other hand, MostPatientGamer pointed out that aesthetics often take precedence over practical features. Because of this, practical considerations like clear L/R differentiation are sometimes overlooked.
The post also prompted anecdotes and insights from others within the audiophile community.
XG3OX recalled an incident at the Bristol AV show where Sennheiser representatives mistakenly advised attendees to wear HD8XX variants backward. This highlights that even supposed experts can make such errors.
“I saw multiple visitors in the booth with the HD8XX variants on backwards. When I finally got to try the HD820 I found out why. The woman running the booth was actively telling people to put them on the wrong way around.” he shares.
“So even Sennheiser reps get it wrong. I later visited the Audeze booth across the room and while chatting, their rep noted he’d been amusedly watching them make this mistake all morning.”
Meanwhile, Vincehk offered a behind-the-scenes perspective. He suggests that during video or photo shoots, individuals often “pretend to work.” This leads to mistakes like wearing headphones incorrectly in a rush.
As a person with hearing damage…I can see a situation where you would switch headphones around to assess the sound with your good ear…just saying…
If you have’nt ever inadvertently put headphones on backwards while playing a video game you should try it so you can experience the madness. You will question your own sanity as your entire sound stage is flipped opposite of what You’re seeing.