[gshan]

I just pulled the trigger on brand new HD590s off ebay, and I hope that I made the right choice. I was looking for fairly detailed, fatigue-free sound with a pretty good amount of bass. Good comfort will also be a big plus for me.

I know that a lot of people might say HD595 would have been a better choice, but I don't mind giving these a chance. If things turn sour, check the FS/FT forum.

Good luck to me

--

Question: What exactly does removing the driver foam do for the 590s?

 

[crazyfrenchman27]

Very comfortable headphones, and I don't mind the sound.

They sound very different from both the HD5x5 and HD580/HD600/HD650 line.

You should enjoy them!

-Matt

 

[gshan]

Thanks Matt. I just got my HD590s at work today. I'll post some impressions tonight.

 

[psyco1]

Give'em a good long burn-in, in my experience, it really helps this phone.

 

[sgrossklass]

Speaking of burn-in, I vaguely remember that a long, long time ago when my 590s still were fairly new I listened to some bass test tones and found them to reach not a lot deeper than 50..60 Hz or so. Mind you, that was out of the headphone out of my crappy old Technics midi system, but these days they'll go down to 35 Hz with ease (and probably deeper, I'm just not hearing it).

I haven't tried removing the foam over the drivers, but imagine that this would bring out the highs, which is something these cans don't really need. (In fact, they like to see a somewhat higher output impedance, 100...150 ohms should be fine.) Besides, you'd better do a proper burn-in before trying any mods.

 

[gshan]

Thanks. As both of you suggested, I'll give it a good burn-in. Maybe 4-5 days.

 

[pbirkett]

A lot of folks on here hate the HD590.

I've never heard them...

But I wouldnt mind hearing them - according to some they have impressive bass and airy treble, different to most Senn's so i suspect most people would enjoy them.

 

[catscratch]

I don't know about an airy treble... more like an overly bright, energetic treble. Good detail, yes, but not really all that airy.

Still, I liked these cans when I had them, a whole lot. They have a very "V" shaped response, with a tipped up bass and treble and a recessed midrange, which doesn't lend itself well to rock and vocals, but does very well with electronic and acoustic music.

I must second the importance of burn-in. At first, the treble sounded downright harsh and strident, the bass was boomy, and the midrange was lifeless and hollow. With burn-in, the treble settled down to where it is merely tipped-up, the bass is not quite as boomy though it still has less resolution than many dynamics and nearly all electrostats, and the quality of the midrange had improved quite a bit. The stock cable is really the Achilles' heel of these cans - if you ditch it and get something better (Equinox or Headphile cables are probably best, but you can DIY one to save costs), you will fix nearly everything that's wrong with these cans. Then, you'll have a very solid, reliable performer, with a forward, aggressive, decidedly non-Sennheiser-like sound.