o.k so the dn-hp500s arrived yesterday and ive been listening for an accumulated 1 and a half hours aprox.
ive been listening with my creative zen 32gb unamped but i will put my impressions of the phones when amped with my ickle fiio e3 in my next post.
firstly, the build quality is great, sturdy hinges, hard plastic, thick cable. the cable is also coiled for about a quarter of its length, allowing it to stretch up to 3 meters. they have a nice healthy weight to them and they are very comfortable. my old hd228s were more comfy but the clamping force was next to nothing, where as the hp500s will grip enough to stay put, but are still very comfortable.
the outside noise is still quite prominant even when on about 70% volume but the sound is trapped very well inside the phones, only leaking when getting up to about 80% which is unnessasary anyway as they are powered fine at 70%.
as for the sound; the hp500s excel in the mids, with viola, voice and guitars coming through with impact and clarity. the bass is clear and defined but does not over do it, it is powerful but doesnt drown out the other instruments. the highs are very will defined but seem a little harsh to me, maybe this is down to the fact that ive only ever used sennheisers before, i dont know.
I listened to faust arp by radiohead and was blown away by the violin and guitar. i have to say that the phone has lots of energy and is quick and precise.
overall this is a great phone, and i can use it at about 60%/70% volume and still have a very reasonable volume. they look great, sound great and seem very durable.
AKER