[Luvya]

Just got my Senn 580 last week. I used 3 days to break in this baby. I thought the bass would come alone once it's broken in, oh well...the bass is just not there. Anything below 200hz doesn't seems to exist. The phones still sound EXCELLENT with classical music!! But sometimes I do want more bass in the music

Ok, I don't have an amp and my source is bad (SB live!) but I don't think things will change much with amp and source. I up the bass level but the bass just sound more muddy instead of more puchy

I don't know what I should do...I really want a little more joice on the bass in this baby!

 

[Guyferd]

Erm..
first of all I wanted to say " get a new phone", but I soon realise that your source is abit poor ..
What you should do is to replace your soundcard to santacruz or audigy.
Then get yourself some meta42 or cha47 from DIY guys here in the amp section.. that is ard $100 depending on how maxed out you want your amp to be.
Then go and break in your phone somemore. 3 days is usually not enough. I usually give my phone 1 week to break in( with 24 hr of bass heavy music+some pop , trance and classical in slightly louder volume).

Nah.. then tell us the result
RIght now the main culprit I can tell you is the source. You have to do something about it otherwise the hd580 will not shine. The live is abit harsh sounding and too grainy for the headphones..

 

[purk]

I second Guyferd's comment. You source is a weak link, b/c Senn HD-580 needs great source to sound great. Garbage in Garbage out. You might want to ask Duncan for his comment. It took him forever to like his HD-580, but once he upgraded his source....it is now his no. 1 phone.

Purk

 

[Luvya]

A good source will run me $500 or more.....I don't have that kind of money

I think I am hopeless now

 

[taoster]

right phone for the right job.. HD580 isnt it for your case.

even with good source and amp, the HD580 isnt a BASS-HEAVY amp. it's controlled, precise and accurate.(do they all mean the same thing?? LOL)

 

[andrzejpw]

Luvya: you can get good sources for under $200! The Denon 370, sony ns500v, and sony ce-775 all fall under this category!

Believe me, like duncan, I had a love hate relationship with these phones. Now, its just love!

 

[Guyferd]

If you are that type of person who uses computer all the time and do not have the cash to buy a separate cd player and ur music is all stored in mp3 format, I would suggest getting a new soundcard. Audigy or santacruz can be had for under $100.

Of course, getting a dedicated cd player will give even better sound and resolution. That is if you have the cash. Sony Ns500v is under $200.

 

[NewSc2]

yeah, I second the TB Santa Cruz. If you look around, you can pretty easily find it for under $50. (check those hot deals forums)

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Scratch the SB Audigy from your soundcard list. It uses the same crappy analog output electronics as the SB Live!, so you get no bass and harsh highs - the same as with the Live!.

 

[Kubernetes]

Yeah, I have to agree with the others. First off, the bass will develop more in your phones as you break them in. When I owned the HD580s, it took a while before the bass really came through--up until then I had the same reaction as you. Second, your source is crap. Even when the bass comes through, it's going to sound flabby and bloated because that's just what comes out of SB products. Getting a decent, dedicated source that blows away the SB Live (or any computer cdp) would not cost you that much. And hey, you've chosen a headphone that requires good electronics, so you might as well accept that and pay a little more, live with crappy sound, or sell the phones.

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by Luvya Just got my Senn 580 last week. [snip] Ok, I don't have an amp and my source is bad (SB live!) but I don't think things will change much with amp and source.

Problem #1 (temporary): You just got them last week. They'll loosen up a bit with use.

Problem #2 (more serious): Your source is horrible

The HD 580 take what you give them.

Problem #3 (more serious): You don't have an amp. The HD 580 really do require a lot of power, especially to provide good bass.

So... either you need to get a good source and a decent amp, or you have the wrong headphones

A pair of Beyer DT250-80 are more appropriate for what you have right now, IMO.

 

[slindeman]

Quote:

Problem #3 (more serious): You don't have an amp. The HD 580 really do require a lot of power, especially to provide good bass.

That's the most serious of the problems. Driving the HD580 from the soundcard is about the worst way you could treat the HD580s.

I wouldn't own HD580 without a dedicated headphone amp. However, the amp doesn't have to cost that much to do the HD580 proud. HD580 sounds very nice with all of my sub-$100 amps, especially with the META42. So if you can afford it, I would suggest trying the HD580 with an amp before giving up on it and getting a different headphone.

 

[wallijonn]

as a stop gap, connect the SB line outs to your home stereo amp. then see if it sounds better. for little money, visit your local pawn shop, trading post, or ebay.

 

[Luvya]

Ok, I want an amp and I think I can afford $100 on that. But portability is not mainly what I am concerned with. It seems to me that every sub-$100 amp are made for the purpose of portability rather than quality of sound. I could be wrong though.
How does Meta 42 sound with 580 compare to say CHA 47?
BTW, if I want to order one from JMT or ERIC, what are the variety of things I should inform them? What does it mean when people say "maxed out"? Isn't it the same amp?

 

[Fred00]

I run my HD580s through my NAD C370 stereo-amp, but I would never have them connected directly to the soundcard. As you said, the bass would be non-existant. With the phones connected to the NAD C370 it really sounds good (I don't know how much better it would sound with a "real" phone-amp, though...) and the NAD has discrete tone-controls that can be used without mudding the mids. This is very good if you want a little more punch sometimes (although I prefer to listen with the "source-direct"-option enabled). I guess it all comes down to what kind of source and amp you use. The 580s can sound thin, but coupled with good equipment they will give you enough bass an go really deep. Good luck!