[genericguy]

I'll start with a disclaimer that I'm a noob here, far from being an audiophile. I only have 2 real headsets right now, the Bose TriPorts and Sennheiser 590s. Since I've already reviewed the TriPorts, I guess that leaves me with the 590s.

The Reason
If you caught my TriPort review, you'll see that I'm a computer musician in search of cheap (<$300) headphones for composing music. I tried the Bose TriPorts, but found the spatialization far too weak (and vocals too recessed) for $150 headphones.

I had read good things about Sennheiser on this forum, so I decided to try the HD590s.

The Fit / Design
Compared to my Bose TriPorts and Sony MDR-600s, the HD590s really shocked me regarding size. The cone pads outsize my ears by a good 2/3", and leave me feeling like I'm wearing huge earmuffs.

The headphones are large enough such that I couldn't possibly wear them at work, and still look professional (I'm not a DJ).

Accessories
The HD590s come with an stereo 1/8" to 1/4" adapter.

Construction Quality
The construction quality of the 590s is quite nice.

Plenty of soft padding surrounds the ear cones and the bottom of headband. I am able to wear these cans for extended periods of time with little discomfort.

Surprisingly, the cones cannot be extended more than 1 1/2", which might be problematic for larger heads.

The 1/8" stereo cord is detachable, a nice touch. Audiophiles claim that custom audio cords have a higher quality than the stock cable that comes with the 590s. I look forward to testing this assertion soon.

I was a bit surprised that nearly every part of these cans are made from one-sided plastic. I had expected a bit higher quality for these phones, considering the $200 price. It also seems strange that so many people praise the 590's construction quality while cursing the Bose TriPorts, which are $50 cheaper. At least the TriPorts use two-sided plastic.

First Impressions
These headphones initially sounded great compared to pre-burned-in Bose TriPorts.

Following my earlier lead, I burned in the 590s for 72 hours. While there was some sound improvement, it was not nearly the extent of improvement that the TriPorts exhibited during burn-in. That might suggest that the 590s are naturally good cans.

I was immediately pleased by the clear treble and punchy bass, and excellent spatialization.

Sound Quality
In order to test the 590's sound quality, I performed tests on my home computer, work computer, and iPod. I made sure the treble and bass were set to neutral (which translates to the "Flat" EQ setting on the iPod.)

The iPod tests were performed without benefit of an amp. The computer tests took advantage of my Klipsch ProMedia's preamp.

Isolation
There is simply no isolation with the 590s. It really shocked me. My coworkers kept sending me instant messages, warning me that I would damage my hearing. After insisting a few times that the volume was not that loud, my coworker came over and tried them out.

It was at that moment that I realized that I could hear the music louder than he could (except for bass), despite the fact that he was wearing the headphones.

As a test, he continued to wear the headphones while I walked away. I was still able to hear the headphones at 50ft away...

So, in other words, don't plan to use these headphones at work, or while someone is sleeping in the same room.

Fortunately, I will be using these headphones solely at home.

Volume
These headphones need an amp to be fully appreciated. No question. My iPod can barely coax acceptable volume out of these cans.

Burn-In
As I mentioned earlier, I burned-in my 590s for 72 hours. Throughout that time, the sound was great and didn't vary much.

Spatialization
The spatialization of these headphones is great, and is one of the reasons I am returning my TriPorts in order to keep these. Extreme left and right channel sounds float about 2 inches past one's ear, as compared to the TriPorts, which constrict all sounds tightly within one's head.

This extreme spatialization sometimes causes a weak volume, if an amp is not used to drive the headphones. Fortunately, I use these headphones primarily plugged into my Klipsch ProMedia's satellite preamp.

Bass Quality
The bass quality is astounding when properly driven, and accordingly, is sometimes weak when not powered by an amp.

Sometimes there is slighly more interference within the bass than as exhibited by the TriPorts, but it's not very noticeable.

Mid-range Quality
The mid-range quality is also fairly nice, although vocals have a tendency to feel somewhat cold compared to the bass and treble.

Treble Quality
Trebles are amazingly clear with these headphones. The only disadvantage is that your coworkers (or whatnot) will likely hear the treble louder (but less clear) that you will. It's a bizarre artifact of Sennheiser's open air design for the 590s.

Overall Impressions
These headphones are great for dedicated listening, and I look forward to using them with my computer to compose music.

I'd also like to research the difference that premium cabling can make with regards to sound quality.

The disadvantages of the 590s are the extreme lack of isolation, and the need to drive these headphones with an amp in some cases.

Final Verdict
The headphones are great for casual listening, extended listening, television & DVD listening, and music composition. I would not recommend these phones for use at work, or with portable audio devices, though.

The quality of Sennheiser shines through with the HD590s.

 

[NewSc2]

hm, the whole isolation thing kinda got me..

sure my HD580's are open, but at 50 feet unless it's *deathly* quiet then nobody can hear it. In fact in a regular library setting with an air conditioner going it's hard to hear my HD580's at regular to low volume at about 12 feet.

Nice review though

welcome to head-fi!

 

[genericguy]

Thanks for the welcome.

It surprised me quite a bit as well.

When the headphones are on someone else, the treble is very audible, and the bass is barely heard at all. But when I put on the headphones, the bass is quite distinct, and the treble calms down.

My statement regarding 50 ft assumes an otherwise quiet environment, with the headphones at moderate volume levels. At 50 ft away, I can make out the general tune. At 30 ft away, I can make out the lyrics of a song. On the other hand, when I cup my TriPorts or Sony's together with a rubber band, I can barely hear them from 7-10 ft away.

I've also heard that the 590s have sharper treble compared to the 580s and 600s, I wonder if that's a factor.

 

[phonatic]

Thanks for the review!

If you get some 580s I would love to read your thoughts on how they are different from the 590s.

 

[jessica00]

i have these, i agree on how far their sound goes, my mom can hear it through a wall and a door sometimes if its loud enough.

good review

 

[OakIris]

I like my HD590s, find them comfortable and enjoy the sound. I've never used any other headphones, though, so I'm probably not a very good judge. I'll be getting my W1000s tonight; I'll see how I feel after trying them out!

I guess I haven't noticed the lack of isolation with the HD590 headphones - I only use them at home and my partner hasn't made any complaints! When I set the headphones down on my desk and step away a foot or so, I can barely hear them. I'll have to check this out further when I get home this evening.

I didn't notice the lack of volume, either. My computer soundcard seemed to drive the headphones just fine without the use of an amp.

Maybe my ears are just not very good.

 

[Trounce]

Quote:

Originally posted by NewSc2 In fact in a regular library setting with an air conditioner going it's hard to hear my HD580's at regular to low volume at about 12 feet.

That's a crock of beep. The 580s leak just as much as the 590s and in a quiet library at regular to low volume, it would easily be hearable unless your songs have no treble (such as some electronica music that is all mids and lows). Even at the lowest volumes I can hear my 590s, like small speakers, through thick wooden doors, over the "din" of an air conditioner.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

My view on the HD590 comes from a former HD590 owner who has since upgraded to the HD600: me and myself (in no way related to the Head-Fi member "myself aka me").

I thought I had liked the HD590 - but after hearing the HD580 (and eventually HD600), the HD590 sounded a bit shrill and incoherent both at once. The HD590 is a bit more comfortable to wear than the HD580 and HD600, however.

If I were Stereophile, I would put the HD590 clearly in Class D (and I MEAN Class D rather than Class C because it costs more than the HD580 and doesn't sound as good), while the HD580 and HD600 fully deserve their acclaimed Class B or better rankings.

 

[ooheadsoo]

I would disagree with Trounce 100% on this. I've never brought my 580s to my library, but with my Grados, I found I couldn't hear what I was listening to at about 18 inches because of the air conditioning. I'll grant you that I listened at low volumes, though.

 

[Achilles]

Nice review. I am also a fan of the HD590. It tops off the Sennheiser's retail price-performance curve.

 

[Vagamus]

I just got my pair about 2 wednesdays ago, i love em... took a little getting used to (running them without an amp for the time being... soon to change) coming from panasonic ht355's... but ultimately easy transition in the end

 

[DarkWolf]

Hey genericguy, it looks like we're in about the same boat. I have 590s, Klipsch PM 4.1 and I listen out of my computer with my Terratec DMX 6-Fire. (Soundcard.) I also have a Corda HA-1, but still need decent cables.

First of all, you might want to get a real amp. My 6-Fire's headphone jack seems to drive the 590's pretty well. If I weren't addicted to crossfeed, I think I'd sell the HA-1. (This might change with good cables, but who knows.) However, I just did a quick test out of the Klipsch headphone jack, and I found the distortion pretty quick, so I don't reccomend it with these cans.

I agree with most of what you've said though. I think the build quality is good. I wouldn't want to throw them in a back pack with no protection or anything, but unless you do something pretty bad to them, there is no reason they should break. They seem to made out of high quality plstic, and are suprisingly flexible. The lack of isolation is the reason I bought open phones. I need to hear anything important that happens around me, such as the phone, my people, and my dogs.

My biggest complaint about them is probably the vocals, which have a strange way of getting themselves into the background, making for a somwhat artificial feel for the sound stage.. But it's not too big a deal. My second complaint is that the bass is not as strong as I had hoped for, but maybe I was expecting too much from open phones.

At any rate, I'm eager to try new cables such as the Equinox, and to get some good interconnects for my amp. However, I seem to have had a slight disagreement with my money, and it walked out on me, so I won't be making any more upgrades soon. Maybe I'll hear a review from you.

 

[Beagle]

I've lived with the HD590 (HD is for Holy Darkness?) for a couple of months, and I have to say that, while the midrange is very pure and uncoloured, the top end sure is coloured and dark, and the bass very wooly and tuneless. Every recording sounds exactly the same throught these phones. For some odd reason the top end seems to sound a bit harsh yet dull at the same time. I can't explain it. And the bass has no definition at all. When I switch to the HD600 or K501, it's like opening the curtains and letting some light in. Yet that midrange is so wonderful. Rather frustrating.

 

[Stevt]

Mine sound exceptional. I put in Sgt Peppers last night and picked up details I never knew existed. Other pieces of music from Robbie Robertson, Enya, Santana etc. sound fantastic. I don't have any problems with them but then again I don't have a lot of experience with a lot of other higher end headphones. I might have to get a pair of 600's to compare. I'm waiting for the equinox cables to see what kind of effect that has and I'm wondering what kind of effect an amp will have on them. But I don't see how the sound I'm hearing can be improved but I guess I'm willing to blow my money to find out.

 

[jessica00]

get the amp before cables..cables are like...the last mile.