Help a Developing Audiophile (555 v 580 v 595)

[StudentDoc]

Well I finally have to cash to buy my first set of higher end cans. I've read as many reviews as I can find and I've narrowed it down to one of the Sennheisers'. Right now I can get the 555, 580, or 595 at close enough prices that I'm asking you to judge them as if they all cost the same. Or maybe another set if one comes to mind when you read this (around the $130-160 area).

Such being the case, I'm looking for every day use and they all sound like they fit the bill comfort-wise. They will be run from a pc soundcard (Audigy Live) and I'll also buy an amp (recommendations also appreciated).

I'll admit that one of my biggest uses will be first person shooter type games. Positional audio / noise separation is the name of the game here. How do they stack up comparatively? I ask this, not because it is more important, but because it isn't commonly addressed in reviews (in relation to games).

My next biggest use is motion picture soundtracks (such as Braveheart, Schindler's List, etc) with a good bit of classical mixed in. These are the things I listen to while I study and relax. I've heard the soundstage for both the 580 and 595 are exceptional, but does one excel in this area?

I also love watching dvd's, and I would assume if one set excels in the above areas, it would do well here too. If this isn't the case, please help the new guy out and give me an idea why.

I appreciate any help in advance. Thanks!

[asstro]

For game positioning, a 555/595 would be your best bet, while 580's would be better for music. Other headphones recommended for games are Beyerdynamic dt770's, but their bass would be overpowering for classical music. You might also want to consider the Audio technica a500/a700/a900 line as they are recommended for gaming and are also said to be well balanced for all types of music, and have the side benefit of being closed so they will block out external sounds.

[audiofreak7]

Movies, Games, and Classical Music.

Translation: HD555

[larryminator]

I would go 580.

Closest to 650 and better overall.

[audiofreak7]

Originally Posted by larryminator

I would go 580.

Closest to 650 and better overall.

HD580 sounds bad unamped.

[StudentDoc]

This is sort of the problem, I keep getting different answers. I know it's a good bit subjective, I was just hoping that one of those would be more recognized for what I was needing. Any more opinions would be wonderful...

[ZackP]

he said he wants to buy an amp.

[StudentDoc]

Originally Posted by audiofreak7

HD580 sounds bad unamped.

I still plan on getting an amp, so please take that into consideration.

[jink]

I used the 595s for 2 and half years both at work at home. I used them both amped and not amped. The 595s blew me away in their performance, I never thought I woulid need anything better. I used them for movies, games, and music and they excelled at every task. Recently I saw the $130 580s at amazon, and picked them up. The first 30 seconds of the 580s plugged in (no amp) made me decide to ditch the 595s. Plugged into my go-vibe, and the sound gets absolutely amazing. I stayed late at work just to listen to some more tunes. Their musical performance is just awesome. I did notice the sound stage is dramatically different than the 595s, less open, which I assume would be bad for games (I haven't tried out the 580s in games yet).

595s were my entry to the headphone world and are the reason I am so into this hobby and enjoy music as much as I do. The 580s take that experience and make it 10 times better.

Bottom line? If you are getting an amp and want lush more confined sound , pick up the 580s. For a multi purpose headphone that is amazing while giving you a sense of a massive soundstage, try out the 595s. I do find the 595s to have much less impactful bass, they sound anemic compared to the 580s.

[happyangryhappy]

I aggree. If you are going to get an amp, go for the hd580 particularly at their current low prices. I own the 580's, 595's and had the 555's and by far the 580's are my favorite of them. Right now they are the lowest price of the three, but when amped - even from a good reciever - they sound by far the clossest to sennheisers higher offerings. Basically if you want an all around headphone that can be used from most any source get the 595's, but if you want a can that will sound really good out of the box and will scale up greatly with better amping go for the 580's.

[mADmAN]

Originally Posted by asstro

For game positioning, a 555/595 would be your best bet, while 580's would be better for music. Other headphones recommended for games are Beyerdynamic dt770's, but their bass would be overpowering for classical music. You might also want to consider the Audio technica a500/a700/a900 line as they are recommended for gaming and are also said to be well balanced for all types of music, and have the side benefit of being closed so they will block out external sounds.

x2 on the ATs

[MaloS]

There are few selects like me who choose hd595 over the others, it depends on your tastes really.

I find all the others to have too much bass and I like the more up front but still with a soundstage flavor of the hd595, its really great for rock. You will also find a few experienced people commenting on hd595 (with proper source/amp) producing far more realistic bass when used for movies, and they are quite awesome with games...

just my opinion.

[hwc]

Student Doc:

It's not as complicated as everyone makes it out to be. The older model HD580 and the newer model HD595 use slightly different versions of Sennheisser's best drivers. The HD-555 uses a less expensive, slightly lower performance driver. So, if the budget allows, you should go with the HD-580 or the HD-595.

The HD-580 was introduced in the mid 1990s. The HD-595 was designed to replace the HD-580 a couple of years ago. However, the HD-580 was so popular that it is still in production, for now.

The difference in the 580 and 595 drivers are assembly details: how the wires are attached, etc. The HD-595 driver requires less hand assembly. The big difference is that the 595 uses drivers made by Sennheiser in Ireland, but the actual headphones are made in China. The cost reductions associated with that allow somewhat sleeker tooling and a more comfortable design.

Sonically, both headphones are recognizable as Sennheissers and are more similar than different -- as you would expect from essentially identical drivers.

There are two key differences. The most obvious is that the 595s are much more efficient, the result of a 50 ohm impedance versus 300 ohms. This allows them to be driven directly from an iPod, although they still benefit from an amp.

Sonically, the one "knock" on Sennheissers (for some people) is that they tend to be a little "warm" or "mellow" or "laid back" compared to some of the brighter, more aggressive sounding headphones. With the HD-595s, Sennsheisser has moved to slightly brighter, more lively sound. When you compare the freq response graphs, the older 580s have a broad rise in the bass region (say from 50 to 200 Hz. This is the main reason for the "warm" sound. The 595s do not have this slight bump, but extend somewhat lower in the ultra deep bass (significanly more output than the 580s at 20 Hz.

I believe that the second reason for the difference in sound is the impedance. A higher impedance headphone interacts with an amp to provide more bass. You could achieve a similar effect with the 595s by inserting a resistor in the headphone cable.

Finally, the 580s have more damping than the 595s. Specifically, they have a thin foam pad between the drivers and your ear. The 595s have a totally transparent fabric (like panty hose material) between the drivers and your ears. You can make the 580s brighter by removing the foam or, conversely, make the 595s slightly mellower by putting a foam pad between your ear and the driver. Those kinds of little "packaging" details make a sonic difference when you are talking about identical drivers positioned so close to your ears. There are also some slight differences in the damping and design of the housing behind the drivers that may contribute to the slightly more forward sound of the 595s.

I don't buy the notion that headphones are "better for music" or "better for DVDs" or "better for jazz" or "better for rock" or better for "vocals" They are either accurate reproducers or they aren't. Both the 580s or the 595s are extremely accurate reproducers. Assuming adequate amplifier power, either will sound great with any source material -- music, games, movies, etc.

I am a very satisfied 595 owner. They are lively without being fatiguing. They are simply outstanding in the midrange: vocals, acoustic piano, acoustic guitar, drums. I have experimented with making them mellower with the addition of the foam. They are really pleasant that way, but after a month I pull the foam out and really like the liveliness.

I'm sure I'd be very happy with the 580s, too.

Hope this helps. You really can't go wrong either way.

[StudentDoc]

I guess it's still between the 580s and the 595s, just as I figured it would be. While I'm deciding that, are there any good amp recommendations (<$100)? Doesn't have to be portable, since all of my listening will be at home.

I appreciate the opinions so far, it's been helpful.


*Thanks for that well thought out response hwc

[porschemad911]

Originally Posted by jink

I used the 595s for 2 and half years both at work at home. I used them both amped and not amped. The 595s blew me away in their performance, I never thought I woulid need anything better. I used them for movies, games, and music and they excelled at every task. Recently I saw the $130 580s at amazon, and picked them up. The first 30 seconds of the 580s plugged in (no amp) made me decide to ditch the 595s. Plugged into my go-vibe, and the sound gets absolutely amazing. I stayed late at work just to listen to some more tunes. Their musical performance is just awesome. I did notice the sound stage is dramatically different than the 595s, less open, which I assume would be bad for games (I haven't tried out the 580s in games yet).

595s were my entry to the headphone world and are the reason I am so into this hobby and enjoy music as much as I do. The 580s take that experience and make it 10 times better.

Bottom line? If you are getting an amp and want lush more confined sound , pick up the 580s. For a multi purpose headphone that is amazing while giving you a sense of a massive soundstage, try out the 595s. I do find the 595s to have much less impactful bass, they sound anemic compared to the 580s.

Haha, that's pretty much exactly what I did with my K501. Great headphone the HD595 though.