krc2
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2007
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Well after all the Head-fi researching and question asking I decided to trust my ears and put theory into practice!
Got a chance to listen to all of these for quite a while with selections of music that I like through a nice solid state amplifier at Tom Lee Music.
I am still looking to try some more (their last K501 JUST sold an hour before I arrived so I couldnt listen to them) and I'd love to hear other recommendations.
Disclaimer: I'm a novice, just getting into Mid and Hi-Fi, but I trust my ears
The HD650s:
Very nice cans. Started with some orchestral music and it sounded fantastic. Moved into some electronic music, which was beatifully presented, but I really did notice the darkness that people mention from these headphones. I was impressed, but not WOWed.
The HD595s:
These I liked right from the start. They fit nicely on my head, and as I ran through the routine I found myself quite ENGAGED in the music, something that I didnt notice in the HD650s. The 650s were almost too laid back for some of the more energetic music I was playing. I noticed the Senn signature sound, and also could detect the 'veil' that people speak of. The soundstage was wider than I anticipated, yet I did feel that it was intimate. The 595s were no slouch on electronica, and although I felt that they too were a bit laid-back, I felt more engaged. The highs and mids sounded fantastic, and when I put on some female vocal tracks I thought "wow, I am impressed! I think THIS is what I was looking for!"
The K701s:
That is until I put these on. I was blown away by the amazing detail. The soundstage was much larger, and the mids and highs were everything I had been told. When I put some female vocals on, I was almost sold right there. That was the sound and definition I was looking for.
BUT, they didnt have the bass I enjoy. It was there, and very well presented and precise with deep extension, but it didnt fill in the bottom as much as I enjoy.
I swapped these and the HD595s quite a few times while demoing other music. I felt as soon as I put the 595s back on that they sounded veiled and muffled in comparison, but as soon as I switched tracks I was happy with the 595s again. They had more of the engaging feel again, the 701s were quite analytical. Until I put on the 701s , etc.
The K271s:
I grabbed these off the rack and though I'd give a closed can a try. Well, this made me realize that I really think I like the AKG mids and highs. This had some of the feel of the K701 in the vocals, but without all the precision. It was still very detailed, but the soundstage was much more closed. But it had bass, and nearly the perfect amount. I was actually VERY impressed with these! They were fun, engaging, and sounded great.
The MDR-7509:
I tried the Sonys (while I was also still switching back and forth through the other sets) and found that they had a similar sound to other Sony products. The lower mids (around the level of bass-guitar) was quite pronounced. I didnt like them too much.
Conclusion:
Oddly, out of all of them I found that I'd probably choose the K271! I really enjoyed the sound of the closed cans. But the K701s were stunning, and the soundstage and mids/highs of those is the sound that I want to get.
I'd like to try a set of A900s and wonder how they'd compare.
Suggestions? Any thing else I should look into? Perhaps the K501? I feel like I would be very satisfied with the HD595s, but after listening to the K701s (and K271s) I realized that I love the way AKG do mids and highs and thats close to the sound Im looking for.
Got a chance to listen to all of these for quite a while with selections of music that I like through a nice solid state amplifier at Tom Lee Music.
I am still looking to try some more (their last K501 JUST sold an hour before I arrived so I couldnt listen to them) and I'd love to hear other recommendations.
Disclaimer: I'm a novice, just getting into Mid and Hi-Fi, but I trust my ears
The HD650s:
Very nice cans. Started with some orchestral music and it sounded fantastic. Moved into some electronic music, which was beatifully presented, but I really did notice the darkness that people mention from these headphones. I was impressed, but not WOWed.
The HD595s:
These I liked right from the start. They fit nicely on my head, and as I ran through the routine I found myself quite ENGAGED in the music, something that I didnt notice in the HD650s. The 650s were almost too laid back for some of the more energetic music I was playing. I noticed the Senn signature sound, and also could detect the 'veil' that people speak of. The soundstage was wider than I anticipated, yet I did feel that it was intimate. The 595s were no slouch on electronica, and although I felt that they too were a bit laid-back, I felt more engaged. The highs and mids sounded fantastic, and when I put on some female vocal tracks I thought "wow, I am impressed! I think THIS is what I was looking for!"
The K701s:
That is until I put these on. I was blown away by the amazing detail. The soundstage was much larger, and the mids and highs were everything I had been told. When I put some female vocals on, I was almost sold right there. That was the sound and definition I was looking for.
BUT, they didnt have the bass I enjoy. It was there, and very well presented and precise with deep extension, but it didnt fill in the bottom as much as I enjoy.
I swapped these and the HD595s quite a few times while demoing other music. I felt as soon as I put the 595s back on that they sounded veiled and muffled in comparison, but as soon as I switched tracks I was happy with the 595s again. They had more of the engaging feel again, the 701s were quite analytical. Until I put on the 701s , etc.
The K271s:
I grabbed these off the rack and though I'd give a closed can a try. Well, this made me realize that I really think I like the AKG mids and highs. This had some of the feel of the K701 in the vocals, but without all the precision. It was still very detailed, but the soundstage was much more closed. But it had bass, and nearly the perfect amount. I was actually VERY impressed with these! They were fun, engaging, and sounded great.
The MDR-7509:
I tried the Sonys (while I was also still switching back and forth through the other sets) and found that they had a similar sound to other Sony products. The lower mids (around the level of bass-guitar) was quite pronounced. I didnt like them too much.
Conclusion:
Oddly, out of all of them I found that I'd probably choose the K271! I really enjoyed the sound of the closed cans. But the K701s were stunning, and the soundstage and mids/highs of those is the sound that I want to get.
I'd like to try a set of A900s and wonder how they'd compare.
Suggestions? Any thing else I should look into? Perhaps the K501? I feel like I would be very satisfied with the HD595s, but after listening to the K701s (and K271s) I realized that I love the way AKG do mids and highs and thats close to the sound Im looking for.