[Nachiket]

 
Hi guys, I want an 'open' set of cans for rock/Classical/acoustic music. Comfortable for long listening sessions. I am not a basshead. I stay in India and so I cannot try out or audition many headphones here, however I do understand(have heard) what decent sound is like.
I searched a lot, but could not find anything except the HD595 in the $150 range.I may be able to raise my budget to like $200...
On a seperate note, are the HD595s available on Amazon ($150 approx) genuine or fake ?
 
Thanks in advance for your advice, will be invaluable to me.
 

 

[sridhar3]

I'd keep an eye out for used headphones.  AKG K702, Sennheiser HD600, Beyerdynamic DT 770/880, Audio Technica ATH-AD900 could potentially fit that price range if you're able to get a good deal.  Shure SRH750 DJ fit your price range, but are closed.

 

[Nachiket]

  Thanks Sridhar, the 702s and the HD600 will come...but later. I think it will be a better learning curve from HD595 upwards. And secondly, I am a bit sceptical/freakish about anything used. Just wanted to make sure that  I was not mising on any 'obvious' choice in that range. I am assuming that I will be getting genuine HD595 on amazon....

 
 
 

 

[nullstring]

Firstly, the hd555 can be converted to the hd595 using a simple mod.
 
Secondly, Although I've never heard the hd555 or hd595, I wouldn't really recommend them. They just don't seem to be as good as others in the range.
 
I would wait until you get your ATH-m50 for a while before getting more headphones. If you really want to get another one.. I would consider:
 
Denon D2000
ATH-AD700, ATH-AD900
SRH840
Grado SR60, SR80, SR125, SR225
Allesandro MS-1
 
Need an amp:
DT880
HD600
 

 

[Nachiket]

Thanks a lot nullstring, that helps. Just some doubts : I had finalized on the AD700 b4 the HD595, but heard they are lacking in bass and are a bit loose on the head.I really want to go for the AD 900 but do not see many head-fiers buying them. Not sure about their fit too. Plus headphone.com did NOT have Freq response graphs (not that they are most imp, but can be a good indicator for someone who cannot audition cans b4 buying) for the AD 900. Still in doubt...may be I'll wait. Cause frankly, I hope to buy something in the range of 350-450 $ in the coming 1-2 years. But that will need an amp, so again it will be pushed back by a year. I want to fill this gap of 2-3 years and I do not see the ATH M50 doing it. That was the whole point in buying another headphone...not TOO expensive yet fairly decent set of open cans. Should I pick the AD700 then ?
 
 
 

 

[nullstring]

Quote:

Thanks a lot nullstring, that helps. Just some doubts : I had finalized on the AD700 b4 the HD595, but heard they are lacking in bass and are a bit loose on the head.I really want to go for the AD 900 but do not see many head-fiers buying them. Not sure about their fit too. Plus headphone.com did NOT have Freq response graphs (not that they are most imp, but can be a good indicator for someone who cannot audition cans b4 buying) for the AD 900. Still in doubt...may be I'll wait. Cause frankly, I hope to buy something in the range of 350-450 $ in the coming 1-2 years. But that will need an amp, so again it will be pushed back by a year. I want to fill this gap of 2-3 years and I do not see the ATH M50 doing it. That was the whole point in buying another headphone...not TOO expensive yet fairly decent set of open cans. Should I pick the AD700 then ?
 

AD700 is definitely a keeper in my opinion.
 
However, I would wait until you get the m50's before ordering anything else.
While you may not be able to fill a 2-3 year gap with them, I don't see any reason to order another set before you get any use out of them.
 
Also, once you get your first real headphones, you'll be able to understand what you want better.. and then you can read reviews of the AD700 and see if they sound appealing.
 
 

 

[Tacoboy]

I would say go for the ATH-AD700s, at the price you can't go wrong.
I'm getting a used Beyerdynamic DT 770 80-Ohm in a day or two
Something to compare the ATH-AD700s to.
What will you be plugging the headphones into?

 

[morph2k4]

I own a large variety of headphones in the 200 dollar range, and I have to say the 595's remain one of my favorites.  The details are just the slightest bit sharper than anything else in the range, and the comfort is far and above anything else I own.  The fit is not loose, but they could sit on your head all day and you would barely feel them.  I highly recommend grabbing the 555's for 70-80 bucks and doing the mod.  Its probably the best you can do in the price range for classical and acoustic.  They are not for bassheads, but they still pack enough bass to sound reasonable with electronica.  For classical and acoustic, they are perfect, and they're not half bad for rock either.
 
My ~100$ end headphone picks by genre (that I listen to):
 
Classical - Sennheiser 595
Acoustic - Sennheiser 595
Rock - Grado SR-80
Electronica - Denon D2000
 

 

[linuxid10t]

If anyone is still reading this thread, the modded HD 555 and the HD 595 are NOT the same.  The HD 595 will always give you better quality.

 

[Nachiket]

Hi,
     Even I always thought the same, and so I opted for the HD595 in the end. And I am happy with the same. I guess that the headphone design is pretty similar to the speaker design in the sense that the same driver can sound wonderfully different in different cabinet designs !
 
Quote:

If anyone is still reading this thread, the modded HD 555 and the HD 595 are NOT the same.  The HD 595 will always give you better quality.

 

 

[wind016]

Quote:

Hi,
     Even I always thought the same, and so I opted for the HD595 in the end. And I am happy with the same. I guess that the headphone design is pretty similar to the speaker design in the sense that the same driver can sound wonderfully different in different cabinet designs !
 


 

Just go for the HD598. They are $175 at J&R by phone.
 

 

[ACDOAN]

Quote:

Just go for the HD598. They are $175 at J&R by phone.
 

Wind016 really likes the Senn HD598.  Never heard them but they look soooo sexy.
 

 

[wind016]

Quote:

Wind016 really likes the Senn HD598.  Never heard them but they look soooo sexy.
 

I think they look like a wannabe-Lexus in headphone form. HAHA!
 

 

[ACDOAN]

Quote:

I think they look like a wannabe-Lexus in headphone form. HAHA!
 

I think the two tone color is awesome comparing with the QJ's " mauvais gout" neon green.

 

[linuxid10t]

I am not sure, but the drivers might also be binned even though they are the same item.
 
Quote:

Hi,
     Even I always thought the same, and so I opted for the HD595 in the end. And I am happy with the same. I guess that the headphone design is pretty similar to the speaker design in the sense that the same driver can sound wonderfully different in different cabinet designs !