So it’s been a couple of weeks now since I picked up the HFi-580s and I thought it time to give my impressions. For reference the cans have been tested on the following:

 

Apple iPad 1^st Generation 16GB Wifi Model

 

Samsung Epic 4G Android Phone

 

Creative Fatal1ty Professional PCI-e Entertainment Profile, no FX,  through Behringer Xenyx 1202FX Mixer through Foobar 2000 ASIO Playback

 

My comparison is going to be against my previous cans, Shure SRH440s w/ 840 pads. I will not be drawing comparison to the Monoprice cans, as I haven’t used them enough to draw an educated opinion. So let’s begin.

 

Packaging: The package for the HFi-580s is straight forward cardboard. In the box is the included S-Logic test CD, the cans themselves, warranty information paperwork and a screw on 1/4^th adapter. This adapter also fits the 440s screw on tip which is nice. It’s nothing fancy, but it gets the headphones to you in one piece.

 

Comfort: The HFi-580s are a relatively comfortable set of headphones. The pleather on the cans as well as the headband is rather stiff on initial unboxing. After use the pads do soften up a bit and become more comfortable however neither the pads, nor the head band pad are as soft as the 840 pads on my Shure’s. They aren’t an uncomfortable set of headphones, but the clamping force as has been mentioned in other reviews can be somewhat fatiguing. Over all I’ve been able to listen to these headphones for several hours with only short breaks to relieve the pressure the clamping for creates. Overall I still prefer the comfort of the 440s, but the memory foam pads do add to that.

 

Sound Quality: For reference I used the following CDs to test these headphones critically, though other casual listening will be taken into account –

 

Daft Punk – Alive 2007 320kbps MP3

 

Radiohead – OK Computer 320kbps MP3

 

Eric Claption – Unplugged – 1000kbps FLAC

 

Metallica – Ride the Lightning – 320kbps MP3

 

Deadmau5 – 4x4=12 320kbps MP3

 

The most critical of these was Alive 2007 as I feel it plays to these headphones strengths the most.

 

Bass & Lows: In a word, fantastic. They have an ability to produce bass I’ve not experienced in a headphone before. I’m not even sure what the proper term to describe the response these headphones give in the bass department. Bass signatures I’d never noticed before made themselves startlingly apparent. Parts of Alive 2007 I didn’t even know existed shone through with a lovely, vibrating resonance. Bass lines from Ride the Lightning that sometimes get hidden beneath the guitar sections present themselves in full force. If you want a pair of cans that have an authoritative punch these will likely suit you. However this color to the sound does have a tendency to detract from….

 

Mids: The mids in the HFi-580 are recessed. This is typical in closed cans to begin with, but the bass can occasionally overpower the mids in tracks. If you happen to have a CD that is poorly mastered to begin with (Brandon Boyd – The Wild Trapeze, which is already blown out from a bass perspective) it is completely unlistenable with these headphones. These are phones that you could certainly lose something on mid centric music. Eric Clapton – Unplugged certainly loses a step when compared to my Shures. I can’t imagine how many steps these would lost to something like a set of Grados (Though hopefully soon I’ll get to find out) The bass doesn’t completely wash out the mids for standard rock music, but I still prefer my 440s for genres more mid & high focused. Speaking of Highs..

 

Highs: The highs on the 580 are solid. They extend well, and there’s a hint of sparkle. OK Computer was a great CD to listen to through these as there is such diversity in how the songs are composed. The mids are still recessed of course, but the highs shine through and are complimented well with the ample bass. In my comparison the 440s extend a little further than the 580s, but not by much.

 

Burn In: Some swear by burn in, some don’t. I would say these phones definitely benefit from it. I mostly burned in while listening because I wanted to see how the sound changed. The mids definitely picked up more as I listened more but as mentioned several time still take a back seat to the bass & highs. The bass also extended further as I listened more. They certainly benefit from some burn in, and from the other reviews I’ve read it’s likely mine will continue to change through more use as I would estimate I am only at 100 hours so far.

 

Overall: The 580s are a joy to listen to if you’re looking for something with a nice bass focus that still delivers a good high end response. They fared best for me with Electronic/Dub/Hip Hop albums but have a nice presence for rock as well. If you’re looking for a set to listen to classical music or something acoustic or very vocal driven I’d probably recommend something else. I debated a long time before I ended up with these, but they’ve proven a lovely compliment to my 440s. If you want thundering bass at a good entry price I can’t recommend the HFi-580s enough.

For 20 bucks, it isn't a bad piece of kit. Nice little volume boost, added bass kick to my SRH440s. Really can't go wrong if you want something tiny, portable and have a bass light set of cans or IEMs.
 
The only con I really have with it, is that the volume down button is VERY close to the headphone out jack. If you have a set of phones that have a large plug the minus button can be hard to hit. Other then that it's a nice little starter portable amp. Now it lives in my car, to boost my phone going into my AUX in jack, which is very quiet.

Stepped up to a CMOY OPAMP 2227 from my FiiO E5. Definitely a nicer volume boost, also adds some bass to my already booming HFi-580s. Fun little amp to have on the go for a good price. Haven't compared it against really high end stuff though, so can't say if it's a great audio quality booster. But for 25 - 45 bucks, they're a nice way to power cans that need it, or give a little kick to ones that don't.

For reference, I am using these with the SRH840 Pads, powered through a Creative X-Fi Fatal1ty Titanium & Behringer Xenyx 1202FX Amp/Mixer.
 

So lets go!

 

First off, Comfort. A lot of impressions said they felt these headphones were heavy, or the headband was painful. I've been wearing mine hours on end since I got them and I haven't experienced any discomfort with the headband, or the weight though to be fair I am used to wearing a PC Headset most of the time and they usually run heavy. Also the SRH840 Pads make a huge difference in the pad comfort. The memory foam makes them squishy and feel like they're not even there.

 

Isolation: Again the 840 Pads help with this, but they isolate outside noise to the point my wife has had to come to the top of the stairs in the office and pound on something before I can hear her at all. She was not pleased she had been screaming up the stairs and I couldn't hear her.

 

Sound Quality: AMAZING. This is my first pair of professional headphones but they are so crisp and crystal clear it's hard to believe. The Highs and Mids ring true even over the ample bass. I know there are a lot of people who seem to feel this set is lacking in the bass department. I am not a basshead, but I have listened to several bass heavy albums (the Dubsteb Saved My Life mix CDs, Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday, The Marshall Mathers LP, Dre - 2001) and there was plenty of bass to go around.

 

They also fair very well with quieter pieces (Iron & Wine - In The Reins, Crosby Stills Nash & Young - So Far, Andrew Bird - Live in Montreal). With Andrew Bird - LiM I could actually hear as he hit the pedals to start and end loops of violin pieces. I could hear every snicker and whisper from the audience. I could even hear him quietly counting time to himself between loops. I'd never been able to hear that on any set of speakers or headphones I own.

 

They're also a great set for rock (Foo Fighters - Wasting Light, Incubus - If Not Now, When?) Vocals shine through heavy guitar with no distortion and no single part drowns out the other. Every aspect of the music seems perfectly balanced at all times.

 

Overall I couldn't be happier with these headphones, and can't wait until I can afford a pair of phones that will make these sounds bad. Thanks again to the community here for helping me make a great decision, and I'll be updating this with impressions through my Samsung Epic 4G w/ FiiO E5.

 

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My FiiO E5 Arrived, and I'm listening to the 440s with the amp right now. I know the E5 is a very entry level amp, but even for the 20 dollars, the little nudge in volume and bass that this amp gives really makes these cans shine even more. Mids and Highs are more defined, and bass has that added THUMP that seemed to be missing before. I'm glad I picked this up as a starter amp, and I'll certainly be picking up the cmoy omap2227 amp I want asap! If a starter amp like this helps, I can't wait to hear a decent amp power these cans. It just makes me want the 840s that much more. Soon...

 

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Edit: So after some more listening I think I'd revise this a little. They're definitely a fantastic set of of full cans but they certainly have a specific purpose. I've found them to be most enjoyable with acoustic & vocal pieces. They suit rock music okay, but I don't think I'll continue to use them for anything with an emphasis on bass (Dubstep, Hip Hop).

 

The bass response is very sterile, or dry I guess would be a good way to put it. It's there, it just isn't impressive, even with the extra pads.