Just got my new D-33 working and plugged in my old HP170s. I was immediately impressed with the clarity and cleaness of the sound. The bass was tight, I'd never head the bass riff from Jet - Are you gonna be my girl sound better. The treble was a little tinny, but this was more than made up for by the solid midrange.

Being this impressed with how my el cheapo Philips sounded I couldn't wait to plug in my HD497s (sadly the best headphones I currently own, but I'm looking to change this VERY soon ). Anyway, to put it simply, my Senn's sucked! They simply sounded muddy and muffled. Midrange seemed to be completely dominated by the bass, which although was actually quite great couldn't make up for the other inadequacies. It required me to really crank the volume before the midrange started coming through.

Now, I consider myself a headphone newbie, with little experience in comparing headphones. However, to untrained ear the sound was like night and day. The Philips sounded clear and bright, with brilliantly tight bass, especially with bass boost enabled (which surprisingly had no negative effect on midrange). The Senn's were simply boring and considering the music I was listening to, Jet and Rage Against the Machine, is simply inexcusable. I've heard Sennheisers are laid back, but these are laid back to the point of falling over (excuse lame pun ).

Anyone else have thoughts on these two headphones?

EDIT: For those of you unfamiliar with the Philips, they are a closed 'phone costing around $AUS50, while the Senn's cost $AUS150.

I've owned the Philips ($9 on sale) and heard and purchased for others the Senns. The Senns are a little harder to power adequately, but not that difficult. The Philips are surprisingly good for the price, but tinny/hollow sounding. Can't remember the top or bottom, but midrange was decent (again for price). But the Senns do almost everything better - better across range balance, better articulation, better soundstage, actually make for humanoid heads (rotates... imagine that), etc. The HP170s are more dynamic, but it seems a tad forced. Don't get me wrong I really like the HP170s, would recommend them easily, and consider them better than most sub-$50 phones, but I don't consider them to be quite in the 497 league.

Perhaps I was just impressed by the difference in sound (it's been years since I threw on the 170s) rather than any improvement.

It sounded to me like the 497s were producing a better sound, it just couldn't get out (if that makes any sense). I also felt the difference in distance between the drivers and my ears caused a distinct difference in sound quality. Has anyone found the 497s sound better iwth thicker pads?

D33 has no problem to power your HD497. However, it's by nature a relatively slow player, with good soundstage and midrange, a trebble a bit down and a bit too strong midbass.

It's possible your philips better matched the curve, the HD497 I used to own were not the best suited to this cdp. Actually, it was quite ok with the AKG k401.

Sounds like you have made an earnest comparison, thanks for your impressions, I found them very interesting. I have both. I like both a lot. Due to a fateful little impulsive buy at Target (yes, I paid the full $20), I was co-founding member of initially-much-ostracized and now-defunct Team HP170, before HP170s were, well, respectable around these parts.

The HP170s really do sound good, it's a very puzzling sort of thing to experience.

So.... Getting out is what it's all about! Go with what you like! Pleasure is pleasure, and it's a short life....

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My HP170 has been lying around ever since I got my KSC35, HN100 and MS1.

It sounds so "unnatural" compared to my other phones. I think bright is the word to use. Isolation is also pretty bad.

Maybe I got a defective one? Everybody seems to like it.

Naw, I tested out the HN100s, and I have the KSC-35s and SR60s (reportedly a notch below the MS1s).... I agree completely, your other headphones sound better! But you are really hitting the cream of the value/performance crop there...

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