[chadbang]

I guess I've been listening to my PX100s alone for three years. Now these HD580s seem really right. I'm having to seriously roll back the treble on my Marantz to enjoy them. Funny thing is, as there are a million posts on the web, I must have kept turning up posts that said the HD580 weren't bright. Luck of the draw. Some recordings manage to past must (strictly audiophile stuff like Nora Jones, The Boatman's Call (does this album sound bad on anything?), but I'm really finding them bright on most material. Sigh. I'm almost tempted to say the PX100 are more enjoyable to listen to while at work.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Oh wow, I came in here expecting that it was all a joke topic.

Yikes, well, what can I say...just don't try any Grado headphones then, if you think that the HD 580 is a bright 'phone!

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

Maybe the Marantz is at fault? Did you try connecting them to something else?

 

[Rickio]

The HD580's are not really bright.
maybe you need burn in and if you had equaliser set for you other can's flatten it out.

Unless something is wrong with them?

 

[chadbang]

I'm trying to figure out why these are killing me. I'm using my 5.5 gen iPod as a source. I have two Marantz recievers and the sound is the same from both, so I'm eliminating a problem. Setting everything to flat, these phones are bright with zero bass - tizz busters. They're brand new (about 12 hours use), but I can't imagine THAT drastic of a burn in happening. I mean, they suck. I've had HD600s I loved and I thought they were suspose to be so close too each other. Not this pair. How could a PAIR of drivers be defective? I'm baffled by how thin these sound. I have to pump the bass on the iPod eq using the "latin setting" (Which I hate to do because the bass occasionally distorts) and then roll down my treble knob on the marantz to 7 o'clock, basically all the way! Then they're bearable (pretty good, actually). Are these some of those phone that are going to make ever compression artifact and bad recording sound like garbage? Methinks I blew it.

 

[Zorander]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chadbang /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm trying to figure out why these are killing me. I'm using my 5.5 gen iPod as a source. I have two Marantz recievers and the sound is the same from both, so I'm eliminating a problem. Setting everything to flat, these phones are bright with zero bass - tizz busters. They're brand new (about 12 hours use), but I can't imagine THAT drastic of a burn in happening. I mean, they suck. I've had HD600s I loved and I thought they were suspose to be so close too each other. Not this pair. How could a PAIR of drivers be defective? I'm baffled by how thin these sound. I have to pump the bass on the iPod eq using the "latin setting" (Which I hate to do because the bass occasionally distorts) and then roll down my treble knob on the marantz to 7 o'clock, basically all the way! Then they're bearable (pretty good, actually). Are these some of those phone that are going to make ever compression artifact and bad recording sound like garbage? Methinks I blew it.

Wait. Did you use these straight out of the horrible headphone out of the 5.5G iPod?

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chadbang /img/forum/go_quote.gif I guess I've been listening to my PX100s alone for three years. Now these HD580s seem really right. I'm having to seriously roll back the treble on my Marantz to enjoy them. Funny thing is, as there are a million posts on the web, I must have kept turning up posts that said the HD580 weren't bright. Luck of the draw. Some recordings manage to past must (strictly audiophile stuff like Nora Jones, The Boatman's Call (does this album sound bad on anything?), but I'm really finding them bright on most material. Sigh. I'm almost tempted to say the PX100 are more enjoyable to listen to while at work.

Then avoid the SA5000 at all cost unless you want a sun burn..

 

[blessingx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chadbang /img/forum/go_quote.gif I guess I've been listening to my PX100s alone for three years.

There's your problem.

 

[1Time]

The PX100 has been compared to the HD650 in tone or character, so it makes sense to me the PX100 could be considered warmer than the HD580.

You may see a difference in your HD580 after burn in. I usually listen to streaming online music from Shoutcast with WinAmp through my SoundBlaster Live! card (low-fi), and I have to adjust the treble settings down to get a balanced sound with my HD580. I don't remember having to do this with my Chaintech AV-710 sound card though, which had a much warmer sound. I always thought Marantz receivers had a warm sound to them. I think it's pretty much accepted that the HD580 is a little peaky in a few of its higher frequencies. As for it being warm or not, I think the source has a lot to do with that. For example, I doubt those using an E-MU 0404 with the HD580 would consider the HD580 warm sounding cans, probably more neutral than anything.

 

[chadbang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blessingx /img/forum/go_quote.gif There's your problem.

I love those can, BlessingX!

(original design, not the terrible aluminum coil progeny. I think it was Mbriant who said the new issue are voiced like every $10 set of Sonys)


I havent listened to them solely out of the iPod. I've also listened to them through my Marantz 600OSE (known for warmth) and still found them peaky and sterile (the bright side of neutral). I will play with them and for the first time, devote serious attention to burn in. Hell, I'm ready to throw them off a building top if they'll lost some of that sizzle. I know one thing about them, they are seriously accurate phones. Very sensitive to the slightest eq adjustments. And when I get them (guiltily) dialed into to where I like them (full-bodied, rich with warm bass, sweetened treble) then they sound fantastic. Warm, dynamic and detailed. But I sure feel like something is wrong to listen to them un-EQed! I AM going to state that excellently recorded music sounds just that - wonderful on the HD580s. Exemplary. The price of that? Average (and that means most) recordings sound like hell. I've never heard hiss and distortion like never before on some recordings. I remember people complaining about distortion on Nora Jones first album, I was like, Huh? Now I know. Honestly, forgiveness is a virtue in my books. If every album in the world was recorded like Monk's Dream, yeah, these would be great cans. But you wanna listen to some Queen? forgettabouttit!

Man, if the HD650s share characteristics with the PX100 - what was I doing fooling around with these?

.

 

[Jaska]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chadbang /img/forum/go_quote.gif Some recordings manage to past must (strictly audiophile stuff like Nora Jones, The Boatman's Call (does this album sound bad on anything?)

I would try basing your listening on some other material. Norah Jones' Come Away with Me album is recorded/mixed/mastered badly in my opinion, as is Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' The Boatman's Call. I like both of these albums a lot, but with any revealing headphones, imperfections and anomalies can be easily spotted.

 

[blessingx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chadbang /img/forum/go_quote.gif Man, if the HD650s share characteristics with the PX100 - what was I doing fooling around with these?

Hmmm cause they're better.

Seriously give your ears time to adjust. I know you've been around the block, but from someone who preferred the HD650s, but downgraded as they were my secondary cans, I've recently heard the HD650s again and they felt like a downgrade from the HD580s. Plus the bang for buck is about 100x better. And on many recordings the difference between them is slight to not noticeable.

 

[chadbang]

I'd venture those are REALLY GOOD recordings that you don't notice much difference. As I've said, with excellent recordings the HD580 sound great: ones that lack any trace of a "studio" processed sound, but rather sound like nicely tube mic'd recordings with good ambience. As far as the other 95 percent, I sort of hate them. Oh well, they're at sennheiser for a new band right now, then it's to the auction block.Thanks for your input.The answer is there is no one answer to what people hear from their phones. People will shout out stock opinion "Sennheisers are all dark!" "Grados all bright!" But it varies from listener to listener. I've since found dozens of reviews and post where some owners say that they found the HD580 "bright' "harsh" and one reviewer "one of the most aggressive cans I've owned." So there's no one stock answer you can give recommending cans. But I appreciate your sympathy!

 

[tjumper78]

i thought they had plenty of bass. not as much as the hd650 but it gave me plenty of bass. it did sound a little harsh compared to hd650 but not as harsh as grado sr325i. and i thought some burn-in would take some of the harshness away.

 

[Chrysoberyl]

Yes,HD580 are bright.Nobody can convince me of the opposite.Of ,course,then you have Grados...