[sebb]

Here is the story of this upgrade:

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=120629

An important point was my music and source: 192+ kbps MP3 on iRiver H140 and laptop. No amp. So efficiency was an important issue.

So, first thing when I took the 555 out of the box was to plug them into my laptop and iRiver player... Alright, no problem, it works well. It is actually quite close to the efficiency of the 497 (it's even better when plugged into my NAD amplifier...

). This being said, no way to really get "kicked" by the bass. Therefore, decent amping is required (my NAD amplifier does the job well).

Second point not requiring burn-in: comfort. Completely different size category. 497 is supra-aural, 555 is circum-aural. Although I didn't keep them on for more than 15 minutes, I can already state that the comfort of 555 is better, because the ears are not at all in contact with the pads. This contact indeed was the fatuiguing point with the 497. More info after more extensive listening.

Sound before burn-in. First of all, I'm not an audiophile, and all the technical terms you guys use to qualify sound are just like chinese to me... So far, I didn't make any comparison on my player and laptop, only on my NAD amplifier connected to a Phillips CD player. I feel this set-up is exploiting a decent part of the 497 and 555 capabilities (at least more than the iRiver and laptop do). Overall, the 555 sound better than the 497. Especially in the bass regime. Less difference in the mids and highs, but I suppose this will change with burn-in. I would say the sound of the 555 is "fuller", "warmer", "less agressive", "cleaner" (the funny thing is that I chose the 497 over the px100 because the sound of the first was warmer...). Very high volumes don't make my ears hurt, like is the case with the 497. The circum-aural geometry of the 555 obviously plays a positive role in this sound signature... The biggest difference was with the song "Wild", from Seal: very clean and rapid percussions, great on the 555, and very powerful when listened through the NAD amp. I felt the kick without uncomfort of loud sound... Other music, with more vocals... not impressed... waiting for more burn-in... That's it so far, burn-in is on its way (FM radio at quite loud volume). I will make some more tests after ca. 50 hours burn-in.

 

[rx7_fan]

I have the 555 also and I think they need to be burned in at around 200+ hours to show their true potential.

 

[Murdoch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rx7_fan I have the 555 also and I think they need to be burned in at around 200+ hours to show their true potential.

Yeah, mine are approaching 200 hours and I can attest to that.

 

[sebb]

This time I compared the 555 and 497 on my laptop. I know it's a crappy source, but probably not the worse (it's not a first-prize laptop

).

Very concentrated A/B with different types of music (currently "Die Zauberflote").

Comfortwize, no doubt, 497 and 555 are not playing in the same categories. 497's comfort is an "issue", 555's comfort is an "asset"... Listening to music for more than 1 hour won't be a problem anymore. To me, this point is sufficient to justify the upgrade from 497 to 555. It's really day and night.

Soundwize, it's less obvious (remember: tests on my laptop...). I can't notice any significant change with burn-in, but that's in line with other reports: 200 hours are needed... Some more patience needed. The sound of 497 and 555 actually are pretty close IMO. Same type of sound, same signature. Still, I can hear a difference: the 555 do "a little" better overall, they sound warmer and their sonic boundaries are more extended. but in order to clearly hear this better performance, I need to carefully listen to "difficult" music, as the soprano pieces of the Zauberflote. For "easier" music, both perform similarly, the 555 have more warmth, linked, IMO, to their circumaural geometry.

Conclusion so far: comfort only is sufficient to make my purchase of the 555 a very good one. Soundwize, still waiting for complete burn-in. Better than 497, yes, but not "way" better (on my laptop !!!).

Next update upon 200 hours burn-in...

 

[Murdoch]

Yeah, they shine with a good source. If you can get access to a decent home cd player you should, asap.