The Sennheiser HD580 Appreciation Thread

[seeberg]

Alright, as if there weren't enough appreciation threads out here on HeadFi, I felt the need to make one for a pair of cans that IMHO deserve it. Sennheiser HD580's. I got mine used, and they came in the mail today, and I was floored with the kind of sound they made.

The same impact hit me when I first heard SR60's- seriously, I think I found the sound I've been looking for, short of doing dual balanced XLR Cardas/ Equinox/ Zu on these bad boys. But why should I? I'm completely content with their sound, and it sounds so right to my ears. articulate highs that are of essentially perfect brightness(not too much, not too little), silky smooth mids, and tight, full bodied bass are what my ears hear from the HD580's in such a way that I've not heard in any other can I've had the pleasure to own.

BTW, I'm pretty sure my pair are burned in, as they are used (they should be nice and ready by now, right?)
I also find them to be as comfy as my SA1000's, which I also find to be as comfy as the SA5000's when I tried them. And that is COMFY, lemme tell ya.
Additionally, I like the idea of a modular headphone that is DIY upgradeable and repairable in most cases.

I believe this will be THE can that I spend most of my time with as I write my second major novel, a sequel in a series written to some great music deserving of a sound this natural, this listenable, and this great. As I am soon to go on hiatus to perform this arduous task, I look forward to the smooth sound these cans deliver to help the time go by and the pages to be filled with my best work yet.

At present I amp mine with a Z-Audio Epsilon(which I should get around to reviewing soon enough, but let's wait until I hit the 100 hour mark on that), which surprisingly despite it's modest gain on its volume knob, can drive HD580's quite well, and gives them just the right amount of volume without ever being too loud for my ears. Oddly enough though, I find that if I had to, I could easily get by without an amp for these. But I'm picky, I want the best these 'phones have to offer, so that's why I have some real muscle behind them.

So let's hear it! Post your impressions on these all time bang for the buck first class cans!

,
Abe

(BTW, aren't the current defects with the retaining springs for HD580's also present with HD600's and HD650's?)

[JJ3810]

Everybody should audition the 580s. I love them. I gave up my 595s and Grado 225s for them and haven't looked back. With the bass boost in my PPA I like them better than my 650s. Funny thing, I just bought them because I thought Sennheiser might be discontinuing them and I figured I'd wished I had I gotten them when I had the chance. I still hear those rumors from time to time. Even with the 600s, it'd be a shame if these ever went out of production.

[seeberg]

Originally Posted by JJ3810

Everybody should audition the 580s. I love them. I gave up my 595s and Grado 225s for them and haven't looked back. With the bass boost in my PPA I like them better than my 650s. Funny thing, I just bought them because I thought Sennheiser might be discontinuing them and I figured I'd wished I had I gotten them when I had the chance. I still hear those rumors from time to time. Even with the 600s, it'd be a shame if these ever went out of production.

I was under the impression that Sennheiser discontinued them a while ago. Have they?

,
Abe

[Zorander]

Congrats' on your fine choice.

I love my HD-580 too and certainly far prefer it to my Grado (which is also good, in a different way).

[ahmose]

The 580s are certainly one of the best bang for the buck cans one can get.
IMHO, i don't think an upgrade to the 600s makes much sense for me. I couldn't discern much differences between the 580s and the 600s, if any at all.
The 650s is a different story though. The 650s will be my next upgrade

[Arainach]

Originally Posted by seeberg

I was under the impression that Sennheiser discontinued them a while ago. Have they?

,
Abe

They're still on Sennheiser's Site and sold New at places like Amazon, so I suspect that they're still in production. They use the same drivers as the HD600, so it's not like it's a huge extra cost for them to produce them.

The HD580s were my first true High-Quality Headphone Purchase. For $105 shipped, I am unaware of anything better in existence. The sound quality is fantastic, the detachable cord is very nice, the build quality feels solid.... These are truly stunning phones. My only "complaint" about them is that they are true Open Phones, and other people can hear what I'm listening to, so I'll be adding a pair of closed phones/IEMs/canalphones (To Be Determined) to my collection over the next few months for that purpose. For home use, however, it's really tough to beat these.

[zhenya]

I brought my 580's home from my local dealer last winter. They were the demo model, they offered me a good price on them, and said "Take them home for a week, we'll give you a full refund if you don't want to keep them." Well, they never went back. I sincerely enjoyed my SR-60's, and even having listened to other headphones, I thought the forward Grado sound was what I liked. How wrong I was. While I still appreciate how good the SR-60's are, I now use the 580's for 99% of my home listening, which, coincidentally went up by an order of magnitude after their purchase. They are so smooth, lifelike, and comfortable that I just want to keep listening and listening. Somehow even though the Grado's are fun, I never listen for as long with them.

[noah11]

The Sennheiser 580s are what got me started in all this headphone stuff. I bought new for a $150 a little under two years ago. I remember I was first listening to them straight out of the onboard audio jack of my computer, and even then I thought they sounded wonderful. Well about $500 and two years later I'm still lovin them, can't wait until I can afford a pair of 650s.

[Thaddy]

It's about damn time this thread was started!

2 years ago I also jumped into this hobby by buying a pair of used HD580's, along with the Oehlbach cable. I absolutely loved the sound, and was floored by the noticeable differences as I went along the source/amp upgrade path.

Even though I've got the bigger brother of the HD580's now, I still have a soft spot in my heart for the HD580's

[PFJ]

My first hi-fi headphones as well. Had them all through university (6 years now!). I've owned both Grado 225's and Etymotic ER-4's, and both have been sold. The 580's beat them both for sound quality IMO and add comfort and convenience. For my ears they also sound great amped or unamped.

The only problem, as mentioned, is the sound leakage, so when sharing an office or in noisy environments have to go with something different. Plus they are not exactly portable. I've found the D66 eggos work well as a enclosed, small '580 lite'.

[sassysound]

I'm glad you are enjoying the 580 I've broken them in nicely over 1 year.

James

[gsferrari]

The HD-580 was my first hi-Fi headphone as well. I dont consider the Sony MDR-V300 that I had before as Hi-Fi

What a nice introduction to the world of hifi!!

I sold it to upgrade to the HD-650 but it sure was a fantastic headphone for the money. Pair it with a MG Head amplifier for best results

[FaRKle]

Love my HD580s. Got'em used for $103shipped and been lovin them ever since! Getting an amp for them soon too.

[micaela]

I too love the 580's. I had only had MS1's & e3c's before I got them & when I first tried them I remember thinking - WOW - this is wonderful! Since then I bought a pair of woodied 600's & MS2's. I thought I would sell one of these - probly the 580's - but I just can't do it! I like them too much! So I'm very happy with this lineup for now. They just do everything well.

[AML]

I love my 580s too. I bought them used off a headfier about 4 months ago, and now have them amped through a PIMETA. I will never part with them, i love them too much.