I was thinking of purchasing a pair of these as a choice for an ampless headphone but I was wondering how much sound leakage they produce as I haven't handled an open headphone before. Is it dramatic? I think I'd prefer a closed headphone but these seem pretty appealing so I thought I'd check how bad they leak. Are the suitable for hard rock? I heard that without an amp, the bass might seem a little weak. Don't think I'd want a grado because I prefer circumaural.
From what I know of Sennheiser's open headphones, they leak very badly. Perhaps even more than AKGs. Were it not for the sound leakage issue, I would probably own the HD 595.
They certainly do leak quite a bit. Not as much as my Grado SR-80s but anyone in the same room or maybe even the next would easily hear what you're listening to. Personally I don't consider them suitable for hard rock but I'd say opinion on this is generally split down the middle. Yes, the bass is on the weaker side without an amp, personally I'd recommend an amp since they really do improve quite a lot with one.
While I've not heard them personally I wonder if the Audio Technica ATH-A900 might be a better choice given your preferences.
Originally Posted by Jaska /img/forum/go_quote.gif From what I know of Sennheiser's open headphones, they leak very badly. Perhaps even more than AKGs. Were it not for the sound leakage issue, I would probably own the HD 595.
So you haven't heard Sennheiser headphones and you're making an estimation on their sound leakage??
Some Sennheisers leak more then others. The HD650 is as open as the k501/601/701. The HD595 actually leaks the least. As to whether it's still a problem.....other people down the hall probably won't hear you, but if someone is close to you, they will be able to hear your music.
If that sounds too open for you, then closed is the way to go. Unfortunately, AT A900s might be the only closed headphones that might be suitable for hard rock. IMO, they just sound too closed off and recessed to be good for hard rock though.
You can follow a tune from across the room when the amp is set to what I would describe as a moderate volume. They do leak a lot, as with most open Senns, but unless you're taking them out for walks I doubt it would be an issue. As for bass, yes it does lack quite badly without an amp. With a good amp in the line, the bass is present (but not overpowering) and tightly controlled. For me, that's perfect but YMMV.
The leakage on the HD595 isn't all that bad really. It is about on the same level as the KSC75. It definitely leaks less than the Grados I have tried in the past (HF-1, SR325).
Edit: Woah, three posts in the time it took me to type that. I'm not that slow, am I?
I don't really listen THAT loud, but at moderate listening volumes, anyone directly near you can easily tell what you're listening to, but it's not too bad compared to Grado's as people have said.
Either I'm deaf or I listen at low volumes (that contradicts doesnt it?) but to me 595s leakage is nominal. I listen to music in a quiet environment too. They certainly can't be heard more than 5-10ft away (casually atleast).
Originally Posted by Jaska /img/forum/go_quote.gif From what I know of Sennheiser's open headphones, they leak very badly. Perhaps even more than AKGs. Were it not for the sound leakage issue, I would probably own the HD 595.
HD650s leak ALOT more than the HD595s. The 595s arent that bad compaired to others, as they are angled, closed back, and there is 2 layers of crap covering the driver.
great phone. they leak, but not as bad as you might think unless you like to listen to your music really loud. my grado sr325i's leak way more. they sound like loudspeakers compared to my 595's.
HD595 are not that leaky compared to many open headphones (Grado and Senn's own HD580/600/650 series comes to mind).
Of course I'm just reiterating what everyone here just said but to my experience they don't leak more than a couple of feet... and even then it's hard to discern what you're listening to. Of course I tend to keep my volume level maybe a bit lower than most (clocked at around 82 db on average when I had my sound meter).
You will be able to hear everything around you though... no isolation to speak of.
Unamped from my Rio Karma (didn't have the Zune at the time) the sound was a bit bland for me. When amped it was decent for classical and pop... not so much for the heavier rock (which admittedly I don't have much of). Back when I had one I kind of thought it did passably on everything and didn't fail in any particular regard... but wasn't all that impressive if you're looking for a hard and fast sound.
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