Recently acquired Sennheiser HD595

You won't get a huge bass improvement through either burn-in or amplification, those are just somewhat bass anemic headphones performing as expected.

Generally with headphones in this price range without an amplifier, to get a higher quantity of bass they have to be closed, both the other headphones you've compared to are closed headphones. HD595 are open-end headphones and will have much better soundstage and separation, but just won't have the bass kick of the other ones.

I tend to hate most headphones when I first get them too, and the 595s were the most initially disappointing. I also hated the IE8s at first too (but now adore). I picked them up clearence (no box but awsome price) from work as my first real cans (after moving through IEMs - CX95 to IE7 to IE8) and they just wern't satifying compared the IE8s. However with time I learnt their strengths and now absolutly LOVE them. They have a beautiful soundstage, very comfortable (better than HD600s in these areas) and wonderful mids and highs. Bass is less prominent but still enough, and EQing can really bring it out. Just moved to a HD600 and Little Dot MKlll combo and while they were a big improvment all round, I still enjoy my 595s through my walkman while walking round the house. They dont sound alot better through the tube amp IMO so they are great for moving between sources such as gaming and from DAP when I dont want to tethered down by an amp.

Keep listening to them.

I bought the HD595 a couple of months ago. I just returned them.

I bought it, at first, with the intention of using them for gaming with an Astro Mixamp. They worked fine for this purpose. The HD595 sounded clear and detailed enough. Then I started using them primarily to listen to music through my setup. It sounded pretty good at first. Then I found my HD580 which I had lying around unused for 10 years. The difference was too big to ignore. Music sounded just as clear but fuller across the whole frequency range. The HD580 definitely had more bass authority. I went back to the HD595 and it sounded way too thin, as if the sound had collapsed in on itself, for lack of better description. Then I bought a AKG K701 and, although it had a different sound signature than the HD580, also was in a different league than the HD595. I have bought a lot of Senn gear in the past from cheapo usb headsets to IEMs to noise-canceling phones. I listened to the HD595 a lot in the two months I owned them. The bass never got better. I really, really wanted to love the HD595. But, after hearing the alternatives, I just could not find a place for them in my collection.

I noticed you said you were listening unamped. In this case, the HD595 may be one of the best choices for you. They are very easy to drive and I feel they sound substantially the same whether heard through a dedicated headphone amp or from the headphone out of my iPhone 4. The HD580, on the other had, sound like mudcakes wrapped around my ears when unamped (which is the reason I initially shelved them for a decade prior to recently rediscovering them again). If you feel like you might invest in a decent headamp in the future, the HD595 does not fare so well in comparison to what else is out there.

Still, the HD595 is a terrific bargain at $165. They are light and super comfy. Plus, you probably have some of the best sounding headphones for that price point.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gogi 

Thanks for the responses guys...I think I might return these and go for a closed headphone...I've already gotten complaints from roommates regarding the sound leakage.

 

Also, igotnojob, I'm thinking about buying an amp around the 100ish mark...which headphones have you gotten into, and which do you recommend ? I'd like to get the most out of them (i have to admit I do enjoy a fair amount of bass) with a semi-decent amp.

I am only just getting into this head-fi/high end audio thing like you but I'm happy to share what I've learned so far. Do yourself a favor. Regardless of how far you want to take this hobby, whether it be buying one headphone or eventually getting an elaborate setup, buy your headphones first. Then buy other gear like amps to match your phones. I think headphones will make the greatest perceivable differences in actual sound quality while amps and DACs will refine that sound. Keep in mind that with some headphones, there is a ceiling in terms of SQ that you will not reach unless you have the right equipment to back it up. Such is the case with harder to drive headphones like the Beyerdynamic 600 Ohm cans or even the AKG 701/702. That is what makes the HD595 good for someone who will not/cannot invest in better support gear. The HD595 is already near its SQ ceiling from an ipod signal. So, although a $400 Sennheiser HD650 may have a much higher potential ceiling than a HD595, without the proper source and amp to drive it, the sound quality may sound much worse than a HD595 from an ipod. That has been my experience anyway with my HD580. 

I don't have a closed can (unless you count my IEMs which I don't). But I have heard good things about the Beyer DT770 and its bass. Beyer also makes a semi-open design called the Beyer DT880. Plenty of reviews on these forums. They are not much more than the HD595. Amazon gives you 60 days to try them out. If you don't like them, you can return them minus return shipping. As far as ~$100 amps, I don't own any but Little Dot MKI+ and Nuforce Icon gets a lot of mentions here.

Personally, I bought a AKG K701 to complement my HD580 phones. They are more geared toward classical/instrumental listening, IMO. I won't get another pair of headphones until I can afford to move up to the big boys, HD800, Beyer T1, or LCD-2. I use a portable iBasso DAC/Amp for on-the-go listening and a Matrix M-Stage SS amp for my desktop. I have ordered and am awaiting delivery of a Woo Audio WA2 tube amp. I've upgraded all of my music files from terrible 128-bit mp3 and aac files to lossless FLAC, ALAC, and some 24-bit files.

Just remember that you can take this as little or as far as you want and if you can be happy with a simple setup for not much money, more power to you. FWIW, the difference between a pair of white Apple earbuds and the HD595 is on par with the difference between the HD595 and a system costing thousands. Diminishing returns will play a part in this at the lower end of the price scale.