[Steve999]

Oh, you want a somewhat forward but well-balanced phone with dead neutral mids and killer lows.

Well, you can consider the usual entourage of "high priced prima donna sissyphones" and god knows what kind of amps or cables they purportedly "mate" with.

(Those are the CD580s' words, not mine, they always are rambling on about how they can "take any high priced prima donna sissyphone on the planet," they always want to "tangle" with my "high priced sissyphones," they go banging on their earcups and yanking on their "sissycables," I've had to keep them in separate piles, though they will hang with the V6s ["I respect their bass"] and the HP170s ["not some high-priced sissyphone"]. )

Or you can get a pair of Sony MDR-CD580s for about $65 off the net, and just plug 'em and play 'em, anywhere, anytime.

 

[Hiker]

Hey Steve
Im curious to know whether you like your CD580s more than your HD497s. I have the latter and find them to be quite decent for the price. Are the CD580s that much better?

 

[D-EJ915]

heh, the CD580/CD780 definetely have the most bang for the buck!!...

low cost - easy to drive - good sound

 

[Steve999]

I like my HD497s a lot. But I like the CD580s much better. IMHO, the CD580s have deeper low bass, more natural mid-bass, and more prominent and neutral mids. The HD497s probably win in the upper treble category, which is just about perfect on the HD497s, but a little bit overdone on the CD580s. But this is a minor quibble and a matter of comparing perfectly balanced highs (HD497s) to excellent but slightly strong highs (CD580s), IMHO.

The HD497s were my first head-fi headphones, and I do feel they have excellent sound.

Quote:

Originally posted by Hiker Hey Steve Im curious to know whether you like your CD580s more than your HD497s. I have the latter and find them to be quite decent for the price. Are the CD580s that much better?

 

[clintf]

Hi Steve, soon I will be forced to buy these since you seem to really like them while being relatively inexpensive ($55 at etronics). They sound like interesting headphones.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Interesting.

(Though I own a pair of the "ultimate high-priced prima donna sissyphones"...)

 

[Steve999]

I guess the warnings for the Sony CD580s are 1) they are big and look funny (though I find them quite comfortable) and 2) they are nicely balanced but high impact, aggressive, forward-sounding, solid bass and solid highs phones (though I don't find them fatiguing). (Still great for classical though, 'cause they're so nicely balanced!) They're not sissyphones. They're put your dukes up and let's get it on phones.

I have my share of sissyphones. Nothing against sissyphones and the people who love them.

Quote:

Originally posted by clintf Hi Steve, soon I will be forced to buy these since you seem to really like them while being relatively inexpensive ($55 at etronics). They sound like interesting headphones.

 

[clintf]

Quote:

Originally posted by Steve999 2) they are nicely balanced but high impact, aggressive, forward-sounding, solid bass and solid highs phones (though I don't find them fatiguing).

Sounds good to me.

Might be a good alternative to the HD580 sound.

They're big and dorky, but do you feel they are comfortable?

 

[Steve999]

I do find them comfortable, very comfortable. They're a little on the heavy side (9 ounces or so), but they were obviously made with great attention to comfort. They have a very unusual design, with earcups but soft cloth pulled taught over the front of the earcups, so they rest on your ears. Substantially more comfortable than the HD497s and even the HD580s, at least for me.

Quote:

Originally posted by clintf Sounds good to me. Might be a good alternative to the HD580 sound. They're big and dorky, but do you feel they are comfortable?

 

[D-EJ915]

it's a weird feeling though, the earpads are like those spongy, mesh-type covered balls that they sell at compusa...they're spongy, but feel good none-the-less.