feedback- opinions on sennheiser headphones

[peterS]

http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/productdetail.asp?transid=newHD-2

^these ones in particular
impressive relative to others in the 100-150 range
the 595 are $100 more but i cant find any differences in what little time i spent with them nor on the website

thus the 555 seem like the better buy

anyone have opinions either way

[Joey_V]

Had the 555... they were ok. Prominent vocals, but a bit congested in the end.

The 650s, I thought, are better all around.

[peterS]

i am looking at the $100- 200 range
not the $600 range


in all honesty i couldnt hear a difference between the 650's and 555's
at least to the point that the 555's are more than adequate given they are 1/5 the price

[dknightd]

The 650 might list for $600 but can be had for about 1/2 that. Still
more than your target budget. . .

http://www.head-fi.org/ is the place for headphone.

I suspect most there would suggest the 595 or 580/600 over the 555.
They might suggest other alternatives (the agk 601 might fit your budget).
But in the end it is your money and your ears. If you've listened to
the 555 and can't hear a difference between them and the 595, then
you already have your answer - buy what you like and can afford.
Smile and be happy

[jim777]

At work, we use Senns and Beyers. I prefer the Beyers for work because they sound more detailed and analytical. For pleasure, I like the dark round sound of the Senns. To me they sound more colored, but more fun. They also complement well a detailed amplifier. The match of the 650 with a Tascam US-144 sound card is great! The "dark" side goes away and everything is fine.

On a good system, the difference between a 600 or a 650 is obvious, but part of the difference is only a better stock cable on the 650.

[Joey_V]

i am looking at the $100- 200 range
not the $600 range


in all honesty i couldnt hear a difference between the 650's and 555's
at least to the point that the 555's are more than adequate given they are 1/5 the price

The 650s can be had for $300. And the difference shouldn't be inapparrent between the 2... the 650s are far more balanced while the 555 are vocal-preferential.

The 650s scale well with amplification while the 555 arent.

[peterS]

would anyone be so kind as to pm me where they can be found for $300
thats shockingly low...

[peterS]

i will be using just the rotel rc-1070 for this btw

[David Meek]

I'm thinking the $300 price may be for the 600 model (if you can still find them) which has been superceded by the 650. Here's one site I found with Google:

Sennheiser 600

Oh, my opinion? This is a no-brainer if you can swing the funds! These are awesome headphones.

[autio]

try a search on amazon I got this http://www.amazon.com/gp/shops/index...=AYHFHEWUY07Z4

[Alaric]

peterS , you have a pm.

[Alaric]

peterS , you have some stored PM issues!

[whoaru99]

I have Senn 580 cans that sound pretty good to me. However, I think they are discontinued now. Perhaps you can find a NOS pair. I got mine NIB from authorized seller for $140 shipped.

[Joey_V]

would anyone be so kind as to pm me where they can be found for $300
thats shockingly low...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sennheiser-HD650-Stereo-Headphones-HD-650-BRAND-NEW_W0QQitemZ250116879422QQihZ015QQcategoryZ40137QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

There you go. I bought from them before. Brand spanking new... :T .

[peterS]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sennheiser-HD650...QQcmdZViewItem

There you go. I bought from them before. Brand spanking new... :T .

yes i am leery of counterfeits but if you say they are good i may go that route


well i went back and got to listen to the 555, 595, 650 on a real source (not the xm radio fed rats nest) and there were in fact substantial differences between the 595 and 650

unfortunately the "best price" was 499 on them which is the new retail price anyways- despite explaining that i had found them in the low $300's

i am conflicted as i was in the $100 range and the 555 seem good but the 650 are very good

defiantly cannot see my self paying $220-250 for the 595's when the 650's can be had for so cheap

[peterS]

oh yeah thank you all for your advice and pms !

[Joey_V]

Dude...

You got one set of ears, one chance to do this right. Just go for the 650s. The $299 pair on ebay is legit.

The 650s are better balanced, the 555 are not as comfy, not as balanced and put unnecessary emphasis on the vocals.

[Joey_V]

BTW, I had the 555 then I upgraded to the 650.

[peterS]

trust me i want them now... the 555 and 595s are no longer in consideration after today

i may get the 580's for half the 650's price though as money is a factor

does anyone have input on using the rotel rc-1070 with these as a headphone amp is out of the question for a while (i may build one down the road though)

thanks again

[Pookie007]

I have a couple sets of headphones. I use a lower priced set for work and travel and a more expensive set with a headphone amp at home. I think it is easy to see the advantages in headphones that cost $200 - $400 more than your target range. If you have stretched your budget to the Senn 580 headphones I would also look at the Grado 225. They are both in the $200 range. The Grado's sit on the ear instead of over the ear. I found the Senns to be more comfortable with a very nice sound. The Grado's sounded a little more open on the high end, but some find them a too open on the high end. If you want to return to your original budget, you could look at the Grado SR80 as a comparison.

Before I blew my budget on headphones that exceed my preferred price range, I would take another look at the source electronics. the 650s are a great headphone, but is you listen to a XM broadcast or an Ipod, you won't get to hear what you are paying for. So you spend an extra $300 for the 650s and next thing you know, you are in the market for a headphone amp.

In my opinion, 650's are not twice as good as the 580s but they are twice the price.

[riceaterslc]

I have Senn 580 cans that sound pretty good to me.

x2. i've been using them for nearly 10 years now and have never had any problems. i've listened to one of the 600 series models, cant remember exactly which one, and it was IMO marginally better but not worth the price of buying a new pair.

[Joey_V]

trust me i want them now... the 555 and 595s are no longer in consideration after today

i may get the 580's for half the 650's price though as money is a factor

does anyone have input on using the rotel rc-1070 with these as a headphone amp is out of the question for a while (i may build one down the road though)

thanks again

You're in luck.... as I had the RC1070!

LOL!

It's a pretty good amp... but I also bought a HeadAmp GS-1 Class A amp.... and that cost me $800.

The 580 is pretty good... but just go for broke and never have to get another pair of headphones again. I know.... I'm a bad egg. :lol:

[peterS]

x2. i've been using them for nearly 10 years now and have never had any problems. i've listened to one of the 600 series models, cant remember exactly which one, and it was IMO marginally better but not worth the price of buying a new pair.

so conflicted...lol

[peterS]

interesting

http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=249&graphID[]=255&graphID[]=237&graphID[]=243

http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=1&graphID[]=249&graphID[]=255&graphID[]=237

[Joey_V]

interesting

http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=249&graphID[]=255&graphID[]=237&graphID[]=243

http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCom...&graphID[]=237

Caveat -

How the microphone measures FR for headphones is not nearly as reliable as when measuring for speakers.

[peterS]

the bass response looks much better on the 650 vs the 580
so i pulled the trigger and bought the 650 from vinyl junky

[peterS]

can anybody explain whats with all the after market xlr balanced cables?
is this just if the amp passes out balanced and these merely convert it to +/- or what

[dknightd]

Probably a good decision. This way you won't have to sell the 580 when you decide to upgrade.

If you have a balanced headphone amp, then some people think the 650 sound better driven in "balanced" mode (you can do that since they don't have a common ground).
Many people think they sound better that way, but I have not tried it.

[peterS]

i have found that the plugs for the 650 are impossible to find aftermarket
is it safe to assume that the plugs on after market wires are just spliced from stock cables?!

[Joey_V]

i have found that the plugs for the 650 are impossible to find aftermarket
is it safe to assume that the plugs on after market wires are just spliced from stock cables?!

COngrats on your new 650s! And now... I think it's time for you to visit HeadFi.

They can answer your questions there.

Sincerely,
Former HeadFi member/addict