[joe_seattle]

Hey everyone. I'm pretty new to really great sound and headphones, but I've been trying out as many different models as possible and reading a bunch of reviews and discussions on this site.

Right now I have the Bang & Olufsen Form 2s - they have many of the qualities that I really like: clear mids, balanced and present low-end without being boomy, great articulation with vocals, and quick response. They also tend to be a bit bright in the upper range, and are not so comfortable after an hour. They have zero sound-stage or spatial imaging. All in all, I could have done worse for $99. When I bought them almost a year ago, I also tried the PX100s but didn't like them as much.

So now a year later I am looking for something more comfortable with a fuller sound. I know I will need to invest in an amp too. From what I have read, it seems like the HD595s might be a good choice. I tried these at a local store and enjoyed them, though its always hard to be sure when you have just a 20-30 minute listen. The bass response was deep, but clean. The mids were buttery, but not so far back. They were very comfortable overall.

I have tried quite a few different Grado headphones and initially liked the sound, but my interest has decreased as I have read more and listened to others. The 325i was big, lush and present, but some of the high notes made me flinch. They seemed like a great pair of headphones for 30 minute sessions, but too bright for long-term use. I have not tried any Beyerdynamic phones and can't find any in Seattle. Reviews would suggest that they may be a good match for me, except for the possibility of some brightness. I guess it's a delicate balance to have crystal clear, present vocals without being too "peaky." I also did a quick try-out of the AKG K701 - my first impression was that they were great sounding, but somewhat boring.

My music tastes stick mostly to rock with an emphasis on solo vocals - Beatles, Carpenters, Blondie, the Cure, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Elvis, Erasure, Sinatra, Michael Buble, Judy Garland, New Order, Queen, REM, U2.

I would appreciate any suggestions. Thank you!

 

[donunus]

order the alessandro ms2i. they are the more neutral/less bright counterpart of the grado 325i's

 

[fld777]

i personally recommend the HD600 for the type of music you listen to. Its great for long listening session. Good luck

 

[majkel]

I'd agree with the previous recommendations and add the Beyerdynamic DT880 (preferably Pro) '05 edition. They won't be bright as their predecessors have been told.

 

[Robgo]

I'm not sure if the beyer dt-880s would suit his tastes. They're very laid back and have a pretty huge soundstage to them. I found that with rock music they were a bit boring. They're very analytical headphones, clinically so, with a massive soundstage that doesn't lend itself very well to fun sort of music. With rock music I would want to turn the volume up higher because the soundstage is so deep and reserved but when I would do that the highs would be too loud and sibilant when I turned them to a level where the music felt 'fun'. I guess it sort of depends on what your interests are. I think the beyer dt-880s would make very good all-around phones for music + gaming + movies if music wasn't your main focus.

Using my 650's I would say they really shine for older rock music, pop music, typical sort of music. I can't really find much fault in them for other forms of music either except for very poorly recorded stuff. I've never heard the 595's but I liked the Sennheiser 650's out the box without hearing them previously or with any burn in. They aren't as clinically analytical as the beyer dt880s but they're more enjoyable headphones to me. Their soundstage isn't as big, bass is deep but not overly muddy, muffled or anything. Something with the mid-highs is lacking I would say and I wouldn't mind if the soundstage was just slightly bigger so I'm trying to find an opamp to help with that (also bought a tube buffer) but I think they're very nice otherwise.

 

[ZarakiSan]

Owner of the Dt880's 2005 250Ohm version here. While I don't have an amp, I can only comment on basic sound (VERY detailed, and great with female voices), and I can tell you something else.

I wear glasses, and these, for as long as I like. an occasional shift forward or backward makes me capable of doing 24-hour shifts of these if I want to, they're lucriciously comfortable. I am about to get romantic about their fit!

 

[Jaska]

I'd go for the HD-650s and never look back. I don't own these, but I do have the HD-580s. I recently spent a couple of hours in a hi-fi shop listening to a very good assortment of headphones, and as soon as I landed on the Sennheisers, I basically couldn't let go of them. I must have listened for about 90 minutes straight with these, and I would say without hesitation that they're the best all-around headphones I've ever had the pleasure of using.

Somehow I get the feeling that I'll soon be parting with about €300 for another pair of headphones I don't really "need."

 

[hughwi]

I have recently bought a pair of HD650's, and on comparing them to my friends DT880's, i would agree with the sentiments of fetalgoat, the DT880's are brilliantly analytical, i would say that with your "emphasis on solo vocals" you may find that you like the DT880's, however, they are neutral. I personally like a slightly warmer sound, hence the 650's.

 

[marillion64]

beyer dt880 and senn hd600 are both a good choice for the music you like, the beyer is a litte bit more on the bright side but that could be fine with some rock recordings

 

[Gradofan2]

Get the SR225s, or RS-2s, or RS-1s, or AD2000s... unless... you're going to invest in the right sources and amps (see my signature for examples).

The Senns are great... but... only with the right sources and amps - they're much more demanding of investment in your set up. You will not be pleased without that - unless, of course, you like a dark, slow, veiled, almost muddy sound.

 

[joe_seattle]

Thank you everyone for the great ideas and info. It certainly seems like the HD650 could be the way to go as long as they are properly powered. Would they be able to sound good with my ipod (30 gig video) connected to a Headroom amp or maybe the Little Dot III or IV? I don't want to spend a million bucks, but I could manage the HD650s with a solid amp if the result was excellent sound. Settling is always settling after-all.

What about something like Ultimate Ears? It does seem like the DT880s have a love/hate fan-base much like Grado.

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by joe_seattle /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thank you everyone for the great ideas and info. It certainly seems like the HD650 could be the way to go as long as they are properly powered. Would they be able to sound good with my ipod (30 gig video) connected to a Headroom amp or maybe the Little Dot III or IV? I don't want to spend a million bucks, but I could manage the HD650s with a solid amp if the result was excellent sound. Settling is always settling after-all. What about something like Ultimate Ears? It does seem like the DT880s have a love/hate fan-base much like Grado.

Don't know about these options.

I can only speak to the set ups I have (or have had) - the Senns are almost incomparable with these. I can most highly recommend the DV332 amp, and Monarchy M24, or Cal Audio Delta / Alpha or Sigma II, or MH CD25 1+ sources.

You'll be quite pleased with something similar, or better.

Otherwise don't spend the money.

 

[zipdisk]

The 650s have an impedence of 300 ohms, so I would imagine a headphone amp would be recommended. If you're budget is stretched, you might go with the 600s. They sound very close to the 650s, and you may or may not tell a difference between them. I myself prefer the Beyers, but it's entirely personal preference.

 

[joe_seattle]

What would be a good option for the HD650 on the lower price end of things?

 

[subtle]

When you say "options" for the 650, are you referring to amplifiers?

If so, what do you consider "the lower price of things"? What's your total budget for headphones and amplifier combined?