[LowLatency]

Hello,

I've been a lurker for a few years now, such a valuable resource for info!
Although now I finally have a question.

I previously used head-fi to make a decision on my last pair of headphones, the Sennheiser HD 555. They were the first reference cans I brought and thoroughly enjoyed their sound signature through my setup since I got them in '09. They have recently suffered the fate of the infamous headband crack, to the degree where the cup as completely fallen off.

So now I'm looking for some new cans.
My setup was and still is: FLAC / CD > foobar / ASIO > M-Audio 24 96 > Pioneer A-109 amp (source direct) no EQ anywhere in the chain.

I found the soundstage and separation amazing with the HD 555's, bass was very tight and controlled, mids were clean and enjoyable, highs were great too and not bright or fatiguing. A very relaxed and controlled sound.

I listen to a lot of electronic music.. Acid, Electro, Drumfunk, Ambient, Jungle, Dub Techno, IDM etc..
But also Jazz, Funk, Soul, Blues, Rock, Classical, Punk and Metal and on and on.

Would the K620 pro's fit with this setup as they look fairly neutral and controlled, although I'm slightly worried about my amp not being able to drive them sufficiently.

My budget is around £150 so I've also been looking at K550's which don't look as neutral and seem to have brighter highs but are easier to drive. I would have probably gone for the HD 558's if it wasn't for the build quality.

Any other suggestions? I much prefer a flat clinical sound with a wide range and rely on good mastering than a bass heavy phone.

Many thanks

 

[PurpleAngel]

I previously used head-fi to make a decision on my last pair of headphones, the Sennheiser HD 555. They were the first reference cans I brought and thoroughly enjoyed their sound signature through my setup since I got them in '09. They have recently suffered the fate of the infamous headband crack, to the degree where the cup as completely fallen off.
So now I'm looking for some new cans.
My setup was and still is: FLAC / CD > foobar / ASIO > M-Audio 24 96 > Pioneer A-109 amp (source direct) no EQ anywhere in the chain.
I found the sound stage and separation amazing with the HD 555's, bass was very tight and controlled, mids were clean and enjoyable, highs were great too and not bright or fatiguing. A very relaxed and controlled sound.
Would the K620 pro's fit with this setup as they look fairly neutral and controlled, although I'm slightly worried about my amp not being able to drive them sufficiently.
My budget is around £150 so I've also been looking at K550's which don't look as neutral and seem to have brighter highs but are easier to drive. I would have probably gone for the HD 558's if it wasn't for the build quality.
Any other suggestions? I much prefer a flat clinical sound with a wide range and rely on good mastering than a bass heavy phone.

Chances are the Pioneer A-109's headphone output has a high impedance, so the AKG K612 Pro 120-Ohm headphones would seem to be a better choice over the K550 32-ohm headphones.
Chances are the A-109 uses the same amplifier to drive the headphone that is uses to drive the speakers, so power should not be a problem.
Personally I like the build quality of my HD558s.

 

[LowLatency]

Thanks, I figured that would be the case. I'm hoping the K612s won't need much more volume than the HD 555s to the point of distortion/background noise. Didn't realise that the K550's ohms were so low, figured they'd be in the 50-60 range. Regarding the HD 555s build quality, they were decent minus the hairline size crack that grew. Everything else was rather solid.

Just wondering how long have you had the HD558s and have they started to crack? As they are still an option I'm considering if the problem has been fixed. I've just read that Senn have possibly fixed the problem on models made after 2012 with a more rubbery plastic on the problem area that connects the headband to the cups.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Thanks, I figured that would be the case. I'm hoping the K612s won't need much more volume than the HD 555s to the point of distortion/background noise. Didn't realise that the K550's ohms were so low, figured they'd be in the 50-60 range. Regarding the HD 555s build quality, they were decent minus the hairline size crack that grew. Everything else was rather solid.

Just wondering how long have you had the HD558s and have they started to crack? As they are still an option I'm considering if the problem has been fixed. I've just read that Senn have possibly fixed the problem on models made after 2012 with a more rubbery plastic on the problem area that connects the headband to the cups.

I've had my HD558s for a few years, no problems or cracks with them.
I've have not seen a lot (if any) reports on cracking in the past 2 years.
Check here.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/573899/sennheiser-hd518-hd558-hd598-appreciation-thread