Help me out on choosing a pair of headphones

[gEEkzz]

I'm considering HD555 , HD595 and PC-150. My major use would be Gaming and Music. A bit of movie sometimes.

Can you guys share with me your thoughts of the above headphones and recommend which one i should get.

My sound card : Audigy 2 ZS

 

[proxops-pete]

If you search for 595 on this forum, you will find out that it's not highly recommended. So among your choices, 555 would be the best one.

I have 535 (predecessor to 555, I believe) and it's quite a pleasant phone to use for practically anything!

 

[juni0r]

555/595 give you soundstage which the 150...doesn't really quite do

. Soundstage = important imo for gaming (and music, of course). Oh, and the 555/595 undoubtedly sound better. The 150 has a mic so if you care then you could get it (a pretty decent mic) but otherwise I'd say normal headphones have always been something I preferred more. If you have any more questions I can help out a bit since I've tested many of the popular gaming headsets out on the market.

 

[Imyourzero]

Quote:

Originally Posted by proxops-pete If you search for 595 on this forum, you will find out that it's not highly recommended. So among your choices, 555 would be the best one.

Ehhhhh...I beg to differ. The HD 595 comes very highly recommended by quite a few people on this forum. There are a few people who did not care for its sound, but it is very well liked by many members.

Additionally, the HD 555 is essentially a lower-end version of the HD 595. If one finds that he/she doesn't care for the HD 595, they probably will not like the sound of the HD 555 either. If you don't like the sound of the 595, your best bet is to look for a completely different headphone since the 555 would be very close in terms of sonic signature.

 

[Skarecrow]

The HD590 works very well unamped (you did not mention one), whereas I hear that the 555/595 are not as great sans amp. You get the sennheiser house sound if that's what you're looking or, and the 590s are dirt cheap now that the 595s are out.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skarecrow The HD590 works very well unamped (you did not mention one), whereas I hear that the 555/595 are not as great sans amp. You get the sennheiser house sound if that's what you're looking or, and the 590s are dirt cheap now that the 595s are out.

I beg to disagree with you there. The 590s are out, as well; I've owned a pair of them, and I simply didn't like the severely overbright treble and incoherent mids at all whatsoever on that 'phone. And the HD590 sounds much worse than even cheap crappy $10 Sony stock headphones when given less power than what a monster amp would deliver. I'd reckon that the HD590 requires at least 300mW per channel of input power just to sound OK; anything less and the highs and upper mids just become way overbearing and shrill. (And even with sufficient power, the HD590 isn't all that great anyway.) Most d**ningly, the HD590 is almost as inefficient as the HD580 or HD600, in my experience.

 

[Aman]

Yeah, where'd you get the idea that no one likes the HD595s?

I love my HD595s. They are the comfortable and realistic Grados. I've been waiting years for a can like them.

I'd recommend them easily.

 

[gEEkzz]

Thanks for the guidance. I think i would probably get HD595 !

By the way, what do you guys think of HD570s ?

 

[Skarecrow]

570s are among the most hated phones in here. They're not BAD, but they're bad for their price.

 

[juni0r]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle_Driver I beg to disagree with you there. The 590s are out, as well; I've owned a pair of them, and I simply didn't like the severely overbright treble and incoherent mids at all whatsoever on that 'phone. And the HD590 sounds much worse than even cheap crappy $10 Sony stock headphones when given less power than what a monster amp would deliver. I'd reckon that the HD590 requires at least 300mW per channel of input power just to sound OK; anything less and the highs and upper mids just become way overbearing and shrill. (And even with sufficient power, the HD590 isn't all that great anyway.) Most d**ningly, the HD590 is almost as inefficient as the HD580 or HD600, in my experience.

The HD 590 is fine out of an Audigy 2 if you use the speaker out on the PCI card--obviously it is better with an amp. The treble is fine for PC use, just use an equalizer to bring down those frequencies. It does not sound worse than $10 Sony stock headphones out of anything less than a monster amp; you don't need to exaggerate that much. Given this user's intended use, I'd think he'd be pretty pleased with the HD 590. The HD 590 delivers amazing soundstage for gaming (if you play in competitive PC gaming tournaments, it is usually light years better than what everyone else will be using) and it replicates most mainstream very well (it favors bass which is my preference). Having said all that, I guess the consensus is that you'd be better off spending your money on the HD 555 or HD 595 anyway.

 

[3lusiv3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by proxops-pete If you search for 595 on this forum, you will find out that it's not highly recommended.!

I think there have only been a couple of people that haven't liked them. Otherwise the Hd 595 have been well received.

 

[Natsuiro]

If you are looking to play games, perhaps the A500 or A900 would be what you are looking for.

 

[gEEkzz]

Thanks for all the help! I bought the HD555 yesterday!

It's very comfortable compared to my previous crappy PC headset..It also sound WONDERFUL! A happy HD555 user!

 

[Imyourzero]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gEEkzz Thanks for all the help! I bought the HD555 yesterday! It's very comfortable compared to my previous crappy PC headset..It also sound WONDERFUL! A happy HD555 user!

Glad to hear it! Welcome to the world of great sounding headphones! The HD 555 is for sure a comfortable headphone, and from what I've read it's nearly as good as the 595 at roughly 1/2 the cost. Enjoy! That's what it's all about.