[Little J040]

Yeah ive had the 595s for a while, but they shocked me today when i put them on. Not really sure if it was a good shock for a few reasons. Firstly for my own sanity i was listening to some type of opera, (5th element soundtrack), and one part of the song scared the living S*** outta me. I took them off to see if someone behind me had said something but my door was closed.

Jesus, i thought i was hearing something that someone said to me, wow.

Another thing i noticed tonight is that the sound stage of these cans seems to be not quite "up front" compared to what i assume grados are. I felt like i was half way back in the rows of a concert. I havent decided if i like that or not, they sound more like speakers than anything, and i just noticed this

 

[Gigabomber]

I think that my 595s need more burn in cause they have a very in the ears soundstage feel compared to my alessandro ms-2is

 

[Little J040]

Yes, i would agree that they do take a lot of burning in but they have definately opened up a lot for me as of late, i think i like the newer sound now

 

[apostate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little J040 I took them off to see if someone behind me had said something but my door was closed. Jesus, i thought i was hearing something that someone said to me, wow. Another thing i noticed tonight is that the sound stage of these cans seems to be not quite "up front" compared to what i assume grados are. I felt like i was half way back in the rows of a concert. I havent decided if i like that or not, they sound more like speakers than anything, and i just noticed this

Had that happen quite a few times. Especially when watching movies with them.

All of the Grados I've heard (60,80,125,225) have a much more upfront sound which is very engaging, kind of pulls you in to the music. However, to my ears, they have very little soundstage* compared to the 595s. All of the sounds are immediately around you. Unimpressive for classical but acceptable for the most part for blues or rock.

*Cymbals appear to be the worst for me with the bowls. They always sound right in front (due to the focus on high frequencies the bowls seem to have perhaps?) which is makes it sound kind of unnatural to me. Not an issue with the flats since the highs aren't as pronounced.

Ant

 

[Little J040]

So do you think that the 595 soundstage is better off then in grados 80,125, and what not? I Never really found rock music on my 595s very aggressive and was just wondering how the two differed

 

[jh8331]

It must be quite a thrill to keep getting a new experience from the same headphones. I will keep that in mind for my future purchases. However, from my desk here at work I can't help to wonder; Could the voice have been some sort of ghost?

 

[apostate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little J040 So do you think that the 595 soundstage is better off then in grados 80,125, and what not? I Never really found rock music on my 595s very aggressive and was just wondering how the two differed

To me the soundstage is night and day between the two. I think part of that may be due to the Grado presentation which kind of puts you in the band vs. the 595s being more like about 5th row at the concert. Being more "laid back" than the Grados seems like it allows the 595s to build a more appropriate spatial presentation of the music (not sure if the angled drivers have anything to do with this or not).

I don't really like to listen to classical on the Grados because to me it sounds like they are trying to put an orchestra on a 10'x10' stage. The Senns do a much better job IMHO of making it sound like you are listening to an orchestra. On the other hand listening to something that is in an intimate setting (like a jazz club) is very cool with the Grados and fits very well with their presentation.

Just my opinion, for my ears, and my mind's interpretation of it so it's only worth what you paid for it.

Ant

 

[Little J040]

Yes they are worth what i payed for them

. I love em, but im just curious about the other options out there. Depending on my moods, i may listen to ambient, or opera, where other times im in rock\trance moods. Itd be nice to have a different set that excel at one area or another, although the 595s in my oppinion do so well at being balanced. Who knows, probably just a case of me wanting to Covet more audio goodies

 

[apostate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little J040 Who knows, probably just a case of me wanting to Covet more audio goodies

I can understand that. I have my eyes set on Sony SA5Ks, Senn 650s, AKG501 and 340s and Beyer 880s right now. Not as replacements, as alternatives (ok, I may not keep ALL of them) and I've only had my 595s for about three months and my Woody 225s for a couple of weeks. Choices are good and it's a lot cheaper than having 2 or 3 sets of high end speakers.

Ant

 

[Aman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by apostate To me the soundstage is night and day between the two. I think part of that may be due to the Grado presentation which kind of puts you in the band vs. the 595s being more like about 5th row at the concert.

Hey there, let me give you an update:

Headphones don't have the capability of giving you a length-position in the sound stage! Only depth and width. Saying otherwise is INCORRECT!

You're perceiving this because Grados are closer to your head, and HD595s are further away. Grados shoot a more narrow soundstage into your ear than the HD595s do. The shape of the HD595s soundwave is less powerful but more wide. This only gives the correct perception of how spread the instruments are - the "air", if you will.

 

[apostate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aman Headphones don't have the capability of giving you a length-position in the sound stage! Only depth and width. Saying otherwise is INCORRECT!

The "row" analogy is not uncommon and provides an easy reference that most people are familiar with. In the passage you quoted it was intended to suggest the soundstage was wider with a greater degree of separation between instruments in an easily relatable way.

For what it is worth the Dolby Labs and Lake Personal Surround appear to disagree with respect to producing 3D imaging with headphones. I haven't heard anything with it yet so I'll reserve judgment on how it compares to a speaker based surround system until then.

Ant