[acs236]

I've been using my 580s for about a week and half at work now, listening through a META42 and a PCDP. On the commute to work I use the Ety 4s's through the same META42 and PCDP.

Overall, I enjoy the sound of the 580s. I find them smooth, pleasant, not at all fatiguing and very comfortable. HOWEVER, compared to the Etys they sound as if I'm listening to them through a sock. That is, it sounds as if the sound is being impeded or muffled. This is the complaint comment I have about my 280s, but I think to a lesser degree.

It doesn't surprise me that I find the Etys clearer. I believe a lot of people have said that they are exceptional in this regard.

To other 580/600 users, particularly those who also listen to Etys, have you noticed something similar? Do you think the 580s need more breaking in time? Replacement cables? Or is this just part of their general sound? Should I get my ears cleaned?

 

[Vince]

Hi acs236,

I had the exact same feeling about the 580/600 Headphones when I checked them out at the HeadRoom WOH Tour here in Detroit. I was all set to get the 580s based on what people here say about them. But after I heard them for myself and compared them with other cans, I definitely thought they had a muffled sound. I'm not sure if this is what people mean when they say the 580/600 has a "laid back presentation." Now that may change with replacement cables and a better source, etc. But the stock 580/600 headphones didn't do it for me. I ended up with the ER4P with the 4S converter cable and couldn't be happier.

A headphone I really liked that sounded clear as a bell was the Beyer 831's. They had some Kenny Burrell (jazz guitarist) playing through them and they were heavenly. But I got the Etys because I needed a portable setup.

Vince

 

[dhwilkin]

A replacement cable will go a long way towards making the 580s clearer.

 

[grinch]

Quote:

Originally posted by dhwilkin A replacement cable will go a long way towards making the 580s clearer.

the cardas cable makes an amazing improvement. i have a spare clou red i'll sell to you if you'd like. it'll give you a taste of what is to come (and i'll let it go pretty cheap).

i used to feel this way too, but after using the clou red (and now the cardas) for a while, the sound is much clearer. since you already have proper amplification, this is what i'd recommend if you want better sound.

 

[acs236]

I've been looking into a replacement cable. Of course, most replacement cables (Cardas, Equinox) cost more than I paid for the 580s! Such is life. It's curious though why Sennheiser couldn't include a better stock cable. The Ety cable couldn't have cost that much -- it's seems very similar to the cable Headroom includes with their Airhead.

I do wish I can listen to them before I made the plunge, but I don't think any store carries 580/600 replacement cables in the NYC area (anyone?). It seems as if a Headroom order might be my best bet.

 

[TaffyGuy]

my first audiophile phone were 600's, so w/o being broken in at all when i first put them on i basically had an eargasm, but now I'm very accustomed to their sound.

I just got some ER4P and 4S and i'm currently choosing which to keep, and they do have an amazingly natural and clear sound, but I think the Senn's have some clear advantages over them, and I only have the stock cable, and still don't have an amp as good as the meta42 (very soon...)

I think that even with the meta, the bottleneck of that system could easily be the pcdp, IMHO. the best fact against this argument is that the ety's sound good to you, which to me seem even more source picky. But even though you listen out of the meta, the meta is listening out of the crappy amped output on the cd player, and I'll tell you that those Senn's really really reflect the source.

Maybe you should do an a/b with your portable setup with a home setup that has a decent dac or something and see if that gives you any breakthroughs. $150 interconnects for $150 cans doesn't exactly add up for me... perhaps someday I'll be at that point, but I'm not sure if either of us are yet.

 

[acs236]

I listened to the CD that I had been using on my PCDP on my home theater system. My home system is not great by any means (for those curious, the speakers are KEF Q55.2s). The sound quality out of it was closer to the 580s in regards to what I described as a slightly muffled sound. Interesting... However, I do hope to upgrade the cable someday on the 580s.

 

[fyleow]

The same thing happened to me, the 580s sounded like total crap when I first heard them, even with proper break in. This after I was using the Grados and the 497s which tend to have a more aggresive sound. Now I'm used to it though and when I switch back I find that I enjoy the 580 sound better. Stock cables btw, with a META42.