[soltari1]

I currently own a pair of hd-497's and after a great deal of lurking have decided to upgrade to something in the $120-$180 range. Just from reading other similar posts it would seem that the 580's are the best deal at this price point if you already like the sennheiser sound. (though I would like to try a pair of sr-60's at some point just to hear the difference) I am a little concerned that people feel they are laid back, because of my musical tastes. The spread goes as follows:
30% - funk, fusion, electric jazz, jam bands (tower of power, herbie hancock, phish)
30% - accoustic jazz, bluegrass, flamenco (coltrane, bela fleck)
30% - random classic rock, blues (clapton, led zeppelin, allman bros, muddy waters)
10% - punk and pop (clash, early elvis costello)
Also plan to use them unamped until such a time as I can afford a decent one.

Secondly I have to make about 4-6 airplane flights a year and the noise sometimes intrudes over the music. Its not that big of a deal since they are only about an hour long and I could always sleep, but they got me considering a pair of canal phones. Is the ER-4S comparable to the 580 unamped. If not, is it at least better than the 497?

I know that many people will recommend the a900s, but to me closed is only important if the headphones are small and portable and they are on the high end of my price range. If I am going to get a headhone I'd prefer to get one that is cheaper so I can invest in an amp to go with it. Still if you all think that the 580 will be too laid back and the ER-4S is not up to snuff then I will consider it.

Thanks in advance

 

[JohnRich]

what source(s) will you be using with the 580s? They need a fair amount of power to sound their best. Much the same is true with the ER4S, although the ER4P would work well for your flights out of almost any portable player.

For your tastes in music the grado sr-60 would probably sound better than either the HD580 or the Ety ER4S if you won't be using an amp.

 

[soltari1]

I plan to run it off of an audigy 2 zs (I'm a gamer and a college student so at the moment I can't to do better). Will the SR-60 be an improvement to the 497? Also about how much would a decent amp cost? If I do get an amp how are the ER-4S compared to the 580s?

 

[TenaciousO]

If you will be using the headphones on the plane, you will not want to get any kind of grados since they leak too much. However, since you're considering putting the cash down for the er4s, you could purchase the sr60 for home use and something like the shure e3 or ety er6i for isolation. Combined, it should be about the cost for the er4s.

 

[JohnRich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by soltari1 I plan to run it off of an audigy 2 zs (I'm a gamer and a college student so at the moment I can't to do better). Will the SR-60 be an improvement to the 497? Also about how much would a decent amp cost? If I do get an amp how are the ER-4S compared to the 580s?

ok, well that makes things easier. In my quick test the audigy 2 will run both pretty well, although they both sound better with an amp. Which is better probably depends on whether you'd like to hear the little details in music better or whether you'd like the bass to thump more noticably. The ER4S has very accurate bass and goes deep (if you have a proper seal) but the HD580 will make your head resonate more. If I was picking one or the other I'd go for the ER4 every time as its more versatile for portable use and won't annoy people with leakage in shared environments. Worth looking at the ER4P + S converter cable if you choose them. The cable design of the ER4P works better portably and seems stronger.

Not heard the 497 so I can't comment on the comparison with SR60. The SR60s arguably sound as good or better than an unamped HD580 for rock or anything else where the soundstage is intentionally compressed in production; the 580s will do better at imaging/positioning for accoustic music etc

 

[daycart1]

The Etys are comparable in overall sound quality to the HD580, but sound VERY different! So this is a tough call. I find myself preferring the Senns except for when I must use the Etys (e.g. portably or in bed).

 

[soltari1]

Daycart1, aspects of the sound signature makes you prefer the 580 to the ER-4S? Any other opinions on these two phones?

JohnRich, do you like the sound signature of the ER-4S better than that of the 580 or do you just prefer their portability and isolation?

 

[JohnRich]

Soltari1,

They are both good; the ER4S allow you to hear more details, the HD580s let you 'feel' the bass more and can be more fun with some music. Both will perform well, so I'd choose based on how portable you will need to be, and whether you need isolation.

If you don't need canalphones for the isolation/portability then full sized headphones will be the better choice. You won't find any canalphones that are as comfortable for extended use as supra-aural headphones unless you go the custom earmolds route.

In theory your choice ought to be fairly easy if you are happy with your current sennies but want improved sound; the 580 will give you a jump in the quality of sound over the HD4xx range. Further up the Sennheiser range past the HD580 the benefits of greater spending aren't really there unless you can source them from higher quality equipment.

 

[zachary80]

Quote:

Originally Posted by soltari1 Daycart1, aspects of the sound signature makes you prefer the 580 to the ER-4S? Any other opinions on these two phones? JohnRich, do you like the sound signature of the ER-4S better than that of the 580 or do you just prefer their portability and isolation?

soltari1, I tried out both of those headphones when I was upgrading from the hd497's Both sounded very different from the hd497s; it seemed like there were too much highs at first. I decided I like the hd580 better than the ER4P for a couple reasons. One, If you are not moving around the hd580's are much more convinient. Two, the Ety's almost sounded hollow to me. Not an echoey hollow; I think it is what some members refer to as sterile.

 

[BANGPOD]

soltari1 --

Without an amp indefinitely? ER-4P
Without an amp until later? ER-4P with S adapter
Have an amp right now? HD-580 / ER-4S

The last one is a tough call, but I'll give you my take:

The ER-4P is pretty detailed with more bass response than the ER-4S.
The ER-4S is extremely detailed with better/less bass than the ER-4P.

The P to S adapter will give you the best of both amped and ampless sound.

The HD-580 is not as detailed as the above, but tends to be more musical.
The HD-580 has more bass than the above and is also an open headphone.

Being open allows for outside noise to get in and a bigger soundstage.

The HD-580 is considered the jack of all trades, while...
The ER-4P/S (IMO) is only good for select types of music.

All of the above are generalizations and are not as arbitrary in reality.
Also, the above concerns my observations in my system alone.

Take everything I said with a grain of salt...

BANGPOD