[cmirza]

Okay, I've had my Headfive now for a few weeks and its had time to burn in and I've had the time to let the sound sink in. I'm pretty happy with the setup, except for with my HD580s. I use my HD580s as the 'soundstage' and 'accuracy' headphones, but the warm sound of the Headfive and the laid back sound of the HD580 doesnt pair well to me. So, I'm thinking of replacing the HD580s with something brighter and more aggressive sounding, and setting a $200 cap on the replacement. My first choice is the K601 which most say has a great sound stage with a bit of a bright edge. There seems to be alot of praise for the K701/Headfive combo, and since the K601s seem to be K701 minus some of the detail, they seem like just what I need. My second choice is the HD595, which from what I've read are like a 'brighter' HD600, which is just what I'm looking for, but they probably lack the refinement and detail of the K601s. I've also heard some praise for the HD595 combo. A third option I've been considering is sending my DT770s for the Darth Beyer treatment. This should bring up the mids and help balance out the sound of the DT770s, but they probably still won't be the most balanced headphones, even recabled.

Thanks for the help.

 

[donunus]

add the dt880 and ad900 to the list of options

 

[cmirza]

I tried the A500s before and I'm not a fan of the AudioTechnica sound. I'll look into DT880s though.

 

[donunus]

the A series is a different sound from the AD series so trying the a500 is probably not saying anything

 

[Andrea]

I seriously doubt that the HD595 should lack detail and refinement as compared to the K601... and maybe it's the opposite for the refinement part.

What is almost certain is that the HD595 will have the fuller bass and the more musical, passionate tonality (with the right pairing, and the Headfive seems to promise that).

 

[Audiofiler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donunus add the dt880 and ad900 to the list of options

agreed, and the pre '05 DT-770 Pro too..

 

[cmirza]

I have a pair of DT770 Pros (80ohm). They are nice bass headphones, but are not the most balanced headphones.

 

[Solude]

Coming from the 580 and wanting more forward and dynamic presentation... Beyer 990 '05e comes to mind, as do Grado 225 if you can put up with the discomfort. The Senn 650 and more so the Beyer 880 wouldn't really do it for you.

 

[Hi-Finthen]

I had the same experience with the/my H5 and the HD-580>traded up & tried the HD-650s and both just did not do it for me with the H5; Far to dark, distant and syrupy bass, to my ear with the H5...

>I next tried the AKG-701s & they were/are just fantastic, so they replaced the 650s....

Go for the AKG-601s and enjoy the synergy & your music you expected with the first pairing.... The H5 is
wrm tonally and the AKG high freq.s present well together in my experience!

 

[Andrea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hi-Finthen Go for the AKG-601s and enjoy the synergy & your music you expected with the first pairing.... The H5 is wrm tonally and the AKG high freq.s present well together in my experience!

Great synergy is reported with the HD595, as well

Bad synergy is indeed reported with the HD650

 

[Meyvn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmirza Okay, I've had my Headfive now for a few weeks and its had time to burn in and I've had the time to let the sound sink in. I'm pretty happy with the setup, except for with my HD580s. I use my HD580s as the 'soundstage' and 'accuracy' headphones, but the warm sound of the Headfive and the laid back sound of the HD580 doesnt pair well to me. So, I'm thinking of replacing the HD580s with something brighter and more aggressive sounding, and setting a $200 cap on the replacement. My first choice is the K601 which most say has a great sound stage with a bit of a bright edge. There seems to be alot of praise for the K701/Headfive combo, and since the K601s seem to be K701 minus some of the detail, they seem like just what I need. My second choice is the HD595, which from what I've read are like a 'brighter' HD600, which is just what I'm looking for, but they probably lack the refinement and detail of the K601s. I've also heard some praise for the HD595 combo. A third option I've been considering is sending my DT770s for the Darth Beyer treatment. This should bring up the mids and help balance out the sound of the DT770s, but they probably still won't be the most balanced headphones, even recabled. Thanks for the help.

The HD595 are NOT brighter than the HD600. They're just more forward and aggressive.

 

[VR6ofpain]

The K601 has a larger soundstage than the HD600 IMO. More open and airy.

 

[kaushama]

I think DT880 is a well balanced can with nice details! It is not laid back at all.

 

[luvdunhill]

I had a pair of HD-580 paired with a Creek OBH-11 + Elpac PS, and honestly, this was a very forward sounding, bass heavy combination! I'm not sure if you'd be interested in trying a Creek amplifier out, but I was very impressed with this combination.

 

[cmirza]

Anymore thoughts on the K601? Would a K701 be worth the extra $100?

Really, I'd like a 'forgiving' K701, I just don't need the 'last 5%' if it costs an extra $100. From what I've gathered, the K601 is essentially a K701 without the last bit of detail. I'm just about confident enough to go through with the K601s, but just need a little more input.