Hey all, I posted a couple weeks ago about choosing between the Sennheiser HD558 and Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 80ohm. I finally have both in my possession and can only pick one -- my problem is there are issues with each that make it hard for me to just wholeheartedly go with one of the other
I'm pairing with the Fiio E11 and listen to EDM, chill/lounge, rock, alternative, R&B, jazz and will also be using for movies.
HD558: very open and airy sounding and I really like the clarity the balanced sound signature provides (at least vs. the DT770). The problem is the bass doesn't have the impact for EDM and music genres where deep rumbling bass you can feel is critical to enjoyment. I did the foam mod but I still feel the sound lacking for bass heavy tracks. The sound leakage is also a potential issue for my wife when she's trying to sleep next to me. Size wise these headphones are OK -- they are a little big but don't interfere too much with enjoying music lying down. I also like how you can also replace the audio cable with a shorter one with a 3.5mm plug without the huge adapter.
DT770: I am very happy with how wide the soundstage is for closed headphones. Isolation is a good benefit. Mids are a little recessed, but I like the warmth. Highs are OK, not too fatiguing yet. The bass is where I have a love/hate relationship with these cans -- awesome for EDM, chillout music with the sub bass rumble that you can really feel... too overpowering for other music types in my opinion. I think if I can find a way to tame the bass (is there a mod that can do this effectively?), I would probably go with the DT770, but only if. EQ'ing is not an option, at least that i know of with spotify and other streaming apps. The other downside is these headphones are huge -- hard to comfortably lie down with my head on a pillow with these.
Help!!