[Blasyrkh]

hello to everyone, i'm new here, and i'm italian.

i need to upgrade my Sennheiser 497 (the most expensive cans i ever bought) to something much more audiophile.

i'm gonna explain "my" meaning of head-fi audiophile: cans that can emulate good speakers.
1- wide spatial reproduction, huge soundstage, good stereo image
2- NO american sound (i.e. colorations on highs and lows)
3- high detail and flat frequency response
4- they should be able to deal with difficult passages (obviously)

point 1 is the most important for me (when talking about headphones), and i've never heard a really good soundstage out from a phone (my 497 are 0 soundastage for me, it's only my immagination or they definately are without ss??). so i would like you can tell me a pair of cans that got a strong ss and spatial r. (if they exist).

i would like cans that are flat in freaquncy response, and without any kind of colouration (ok, maybe just a little bit it's ok too). in this field i like quite much my 497 (also for the details)



i read the thread about senn 595, and i think they are the best choice for me (600 and 650 are too expensive, 595s cost 170€), beacause they don't have colourations and are the best in soundstage (you said grado have 0 ss right?). hd555 maybe are not suited for music with their "surround emulator", then i thiink they got an unreal soundstage.
i listen to many kinds of music... metal, jazz, classical, blues are the most listened
any suggestions?

thanks to anyone that will help!

PS sorry for my english

 

[Blasyrkh]

hey cmon, noone can help

 

[drarthurwells]

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=131971

 

[digicom_t1]

It's a little tough to give you a good answer without knowing your current gear and what you aspire to upgrade to. However, some of the phones mentioned thus far (HD-650, Sony SA5K, etc) will not suit you unless you have a suitable source to drive them with and have a larger budget to play with.

If I'm reading your post correctly, you are only interested in upgrading your head phone at this time and looking to spend not more than about $200 (170 Euros). Have you tried a pair of the Senn HD-580's? They list for about $200 or less here in the States. I used to own a pair before upgrading to other more expensive phones. I recently had an opportunity to try these again and was pleasantly surprised. See this link:

http://www5.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=119877

I think these will be an improvement over your current headphones and give you a taste of what the higher dollar headphones are like. Too, it fits in your current budget and may allow you to begin saving for more upscale CP Player and headphone amp gear. Of course by then, you may be in a better financial position to check out the more expensive phones and possess gear that is better able to drive them.

Be sure to read my impressions of the Onix CDP, MG Head amp and HD-580 combo. This was a sweet sounding set up suitable for the type of music you mentioned you liked. A set up like this would be a good entry into audiophile quality at less than $1000 US. For another $200, the Music Hall CD-25.2 (w/ 24bit/192K DAC) and good used or new amp (SR-71, MGhead, Woo Audio3, PPA etc.) will take you to yet another level!

The point is, the HD-580 will satisfy your current needs and go with you up the upgrade ladder for quite while I think.

By the way, Headphones are different than Speakers. I've never heard a set of headphones ( at least those under $4,000) that replicate what you hear with a good speaker, under $4K, set-up. This is not a criticism, just a fact. I spend more time listening to headphones than my speakers and I'm actually enjoying and listening to more music than I did prior to getting a good headphone set up. Not everyone in my house appreciates my choice of music or the volume levels I prefer to listen at. Careful matching of headphone and source gear, cables, interconnects, etc., can come close and be every bit as enjoyable as a good speaker set up - just different.

Ciao !
-------- Tom

 

[Blasyrkh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by digicom_t1 It's a little tough to give you a good answer without knowing your current gear and what you aspire to upgrade to. However, some of the phones mentioned thus far (HD-650, Sony SA5K, etc) will not suit you unless you have a suitable source to drive them with and have a larger budget to play with. If I'm reading your post correctly, you are only interested in upgrading your head phone at this time and looking to spend not more than about $200 (170 Euros). Have you tried a pair of the Senn HD-580's? They list for about $200 or less here in the States. I used to own a pair before upgrading to other more expensive phones. I recently had an opportunity to try these again and was pleasantly surprised. See this link: http://www5.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=119877 I think these will be an improvement over your current headphones and give you a taste of what the higher dollar headphones are like. Too, it fits in your current budget and may allow you to begin saving for more upscale CP Player and headphone amp gear. Of course by then, you may be in a better financial position to check out the more expensive phones and possess gear that is better able to drive them. Be sure to read my impressions of the Onix CDP, MG Head amp and HD-580 combo. This was a sweet sounding set up suitable for the type of music you mentioned you liked. A set up like this would be a good entry into audiophile quality at less than $1000 US. For another $200, the Music Hall CD-25.2 (w/ 24bit/192K DAC) and good used or new amp (SR-71, MGhead, Woo Audio3, PPA etc.) will take you to yet another level! The point is, the HD-580 will satisfy your current needs and go with you up the upgrade ladder for quite while I think. By the way, Headphones are different than Speakers. I've never heard a set of headphones ( at least those under $4,000) that replicate what you hear with a good speaker, under $4K, set-up. This is not a criticism, just a fact. I spend more time listening to headphones than my speakers and I'm actually enjoying and listening to more music than I did prior to getting a good headphone set up. Not everyone in my house appreciates my choice of music or the volume levels I prefer to listen at. Careful matching of headphone and source gear, cables, interconnects, etc., can come close and be every bit as enjoyable as a good speaker set up - just different. Ciao ! -------- Tom

thanks a lot for your answers! first i want to underline a thing: i know i'll never get a headphone that "emulate" speakers, i just want something that goes as near to a speaker as possible, possibly with good soundstage and spatial reproduction that is really really difficult to find in cans and that is for me one of the most important thing inthe audiophile world.

talking about cans i've never tried expensive ones, so i don't know how they feel, my best are these 497 (that as i mentioned they have 0 soundstage for me). my home setup is ONKYO 602 + 2 wharfedale 9.6 + wharf. CM + 2 wharf 9.5 as surround. source for music is my computer digitally connected to onkyo.

wich is the difference between 580 and 595? 580 costs 20euro more than 595, and from what i read, 580/600 have a veil, that i don't know what is it

 

[warpdriver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blasyrkh wich is the difference between 580 and 595? 580 costs 20euro more than 595, and from what i read, 580/600 have a veil, that i don't know what is it

The 580 and 595 are less "veiled" than the 497 in my opinion. The 595 is a more lively sounding headphone with more apparent highs, and a more sparkly sound.

As for soundstaging, all headphones don't really do a good job, but the 580 is better than the 497 in that regard, but if you really want some degree of soundstage, invest in a headphone amp with some kind of crossfeed processor which will even out the soundstage a bit.

 

[Blasyrkh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by warpdriver The 580 and 595 are less "veiled" than the 497 in my opinion. The 595 is a more lively sounding headphone with more apparent highs, and a more sparkly sound. As for soundstaging, all headphones don't really do a good job, but the 580 is better than the 497 in that regard, but if you really want some degree of soundstage, invest in a headphone amp with some kind of crossfeed processor which will even out the soundstage a bit.

thanks for the tip, but for now i can't buy an amp, i have to use my cans with onkyo. about soundstage: which one is better, 580 0r 595?
are you saying that 595 is brighter than 497? for me 497 is too much bright...