[AS1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by leng jai /img/forum/go_quote.gif Soundstage seems slightly wider in width, and the highs are better buts till grainy at times.

The slight grainyness is in the HD595. One of its few flaws. But still a great phone for it's price.

 

[penguindude]

The resulting of amping is the same with the 50ohms or the 120ohms version. The HD595 benefits greatly from a good SS or a warm tube amp. Out of the many headphones i've tried, it is one of the most responsive ones to an amp.

 

[MaloS]

Going to respond straight to the OPs first post.

HD595 is not as detailed as one might wish, probably sr-325 will be more detailed, but hd595 will have better soundstage and more comfortable sound.
It is responsive to some amplifiers, and very ignorant of others. For example - majority of the solidstate amplifiers will do nothing for it, although some warmer with stronger bottom end will help it out. In my experience though, it can respond drastically to tube amplifiers with more emphasis on the 'tube' sound and strong bottom end. Darkvoice 332 which I used with it for a while completely transformed it, night and day difference, from a somewhat anemic but relaxed headphone into a powerful beast for listening to metal/rock, with large soundstage and plenty of punch.

I do not know what your source is, but it is the most important upgrade when using this headphone though. E-MU 1616 back when I used it, with its integrated amp, produced some spectacular results with hd595, where the punch was the only thing still missing, while detail was great, especially for acoustic music.

 

[penguindude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaloS /img/forum/go_quote.gif Going to respond straight to the OPs first post. HD595 is not as detailed as one might wish, probably sr-325 will be more detailed, but hd595 will have better soundstage and more comfortable sound. It is responsive to some amplifiers, and very ignorant of others. For example - majority of the solidstate amplifiers will do nothing for it, although some warmer with stronger bottom end will help it out. In my experience though, it can respond drastically to tube amplifiers with more emphasis on the 'tube' sound and strong bottom end. Darkvoice 332 which I used with it for a while completely transformed it, night and day difference, from a somewhat anemic but relaxed headphone into a powerful beast for listening to metal/rock, with large soundstage and plenty of punch. I do not know what your source is, but it is the most important upgrade when using this headphone though. E-MU 1616 back when I used it, with its integrated amp, produced some spectacular results with hd595, where the punch was the only thing still missing, while detail was great, especially for acoustic music.

Yea, a tube amp can transform the HD595 into a beast, definitely night and day difference.

 

[jacdan]

I own 225s and had a pair of HD 595s. I had to return the 595s because of crackle in both drivers when encountering deep bass. On the same amplifier, same source (not computer based music/movies), the 225s handle the bass with no crackle at all. The Grados may not be perfect but I find them to be better all around cans and more interesting to own becuase of the changing audio qualities due to their swapapple pads. I must admit the 595s did have a fuller sound, probably due to the larger size of the drivers compared to the Grados but the Senns were the second pair of cans I had to return due to dissatisfaction. The others were the HD 280 Pro due to distortion.

 

[mwallace573]

Quote:

Originally Posted by majkel /img/forum/go_quote.gif From my calculations you need 180 ohms resistors for 120 ohm version of 595's however if you're happy with 75 ohms, that's OK.

My HD595 stock is at 120 ohms. I did have an extra 75 ohms added to the 120, not to make it 120.

Quote:

Originally Posted by penguindude /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yea, a tube amp can transform the HD595 into a beast, definitely night and day difference.

I completely concur with that statement. The first night and day difference I've ever experienced with an amp. I'm hearing OK Computer like I've never heard it before. Much more dynamic. I've listened to this album for years, and I'm picking out details that I've never heard before. Add me to team "You've never heard a HD595 until you heard it with tubes"!

 

[mirumu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mwallace573 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I completely concur with that statement. The first night and day difference I've ever experienced with an amp. I'm hearing OK Computer like I've never heard it before. Much more dynamic. I've listened to this album for years, and I'm picking out details that I've never heard before. Add me to team "You've never heard a HD595 until you heard it with tubes"!

It's true, the HD595 powered by a good tube amp sounds nothing like the HD595 powered by the typical solid state amp. I'm sure there are solid state amps that can drive them well too (I'm no tube elitist) but as of yet I haven't heard one.

 

[penguindude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mirumu /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's true, the HD595 powered by a good tube amp sounds nothing like the HD595 powered by the typical solid state amp. I'm sure there are solid state amps that can drive them well too (I'm no tube elitist) but as of yet I haven't heard one.

The Headfive can drive the HD595 pretty decently too. But tubes still rock them over it.

 

[MaloS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by penguindude /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Headfive can drive the HD595 pretty decently too. But tubes still rock them over it.

E-MU 1616 woops it for detail and transparency. Awesome improvement for soundstage position and instrument separation also, even the Darkvoice 332 I owned also fell short in those fields. 1616 did not have powerful bass though, just integrated and textured.

 

[penguindude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaloS /img/forum/go_quote.gif E-MU 1616 woops it for detail and transparency. Awesome improvement for soundstage position and instrument separation also, even the Darkvoice 332 I owned also fell short in those fields. 1616 did not have powerful bass though, just integrated and textured.

Try it with the new Little Dot MKIII and you will get the eargasm of your life.

 

[MaloS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by penguindude /img/forum/go_quote.gif Try it with the new Little Dot MKIII and you will get the eargasm of your life.

No I won't, I owned w5000 for a while which whoops hd595 relentlessly =]

 

[grndslm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by majkel /img/forum/go_quote.gif I look at the HeadRoom impedance graphs, find the lowest and highest value (usually the peak in the bass range) of the impedance and make it deliver the same power to the transducers.

Here's the HeadRoom impedance graph for KSC75:

Quote:

Originally Posted by majkel /img/forum/go_quote.gif The equation is then R = sqrt(Z_low*Z_high) For 50 ohm version you have to recalculate Z_low and Z_high using the 50/120 ratio. Actually this is the starting point because the calculated value might be a bit out of your focus.

Sooo.... I don't have to use the 50/120 rule since that's not the impedance options for the KSC75, right??

 

[grndslm]

That gives me R= 100, right??

Which means I should just use a 40 ohms adapter since it's already 60 ohms????

I'm guessing this is doing it right? Maybe I should just use the 75ohms adapter everyone else is talking about...

 

[mirumu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaloS /img/forum/go_quote.gif No I won't, I owned w5000 for a while which whoops hd595 relentlessly =]

Agreed, the W5000 is significantly better IMHO.

 

[majkel]

Quote:

Sooo.... I don't have to use the 50/120 rule since that's not the impedance options for the KSC75, right??

I cannot understand why you linked KSC75 impedance curve here. These are portable headphones and adding resistors to them will make your portable player unable to drive it loud enough. It's better to bump their bass using EQ.