[SunshineReggae]

Quote:

HD650 are by far the most overrated. The fact they're still $500 shows Senn knows how to toy with the audiophile market. They belong in the $200-$300 segment with the K701s and Beyers DT range.

how do you feel about the hd600?

 

[blueangel2323]

Anything from Xears. I bought a pair of N3i based on all the hype and I found them unlistenable. Nothing but overpowering midbass (and I'm a basshead!). The mids were so recessed that I could barely hear them at all. They were boomy even compared to the worst of the Beats line! To be fair, they sounded somewhat decent after some VERY dramatic EQing.
 
Then they broke after a few months, and I got the XE200Pro as a replacement because they didn't make the N3i anymore. They had slightly less midbass compared to the N3i, but still unbearably boomy, but these had the additional problem of the harshest, most exaggerated treble you could imagine. I wanted to turn up the volume to hear the non-existent mids, but at the same time I also wanted to turn down the volume so the treble wouldn't hurt my ears.
 
Never again, Xears, never again.

 

[extrabigmehdi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dleblanc343 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

For me, and the way I think it's supposed to be interpreted, is the ability of driver movement to decay quickly.

All right ,  the hd800 is certainly enough fast to handle fast & complex passage.
It's good for an analytical listener, that want to listen carefully all little details, in let's say, classical music.
But I  think , that for some reason , it doesn't provide to the brain, the necessary "cues", to get excitement from fast music, such like psytrance, or metal.
Quote:

The drivers on the SRH 940 are good, but they are very similar to the SRH 840 ones except with better soldering and has a much better dampened chamber.

Well, there wasn't any proof of this. Did someone unmount the srh840 & srh940 and compared the drivers ?
 
Quote:

 The 940's aren't faster than the 800's, they just have more treble attack, just like many of the grados or beyers out there. They are more direct and the fact that the driver doesn't breathe because of the closed cup causes the highs to stagnate inside the chamber and feel like there's a lot of "detail".

I must be liking "treble attack" then. The hd800 is able to sound harsh, when the musical content is, however, never in a way that  I find exciting.
Most of the time I  actually find the hd800 treble smooth, I'm perhaps sometimes even missing what you call "sharper glare".
 
Quote:

I hear up to 15.5khz with the 940's and clearly up to 17khz and very faintly up to 17.5khz with the HD800's.

What you are doing is a hearing ability test.  Most likely both headphone are able to reproduce freq up to 21 khz.
Last year , I've done a test with the srh940, and I  was able , with much difficulty (abx test for the proof)
to reach 18 khz. I've done this time the test with the hd800, and I  can reach 17 khz. Perhaps with a lot of difficulty 18 khz, I  don't have the patience (unless I  got some hearing loss).
Please be aware , that to do properly the test, no aliasing must occur during the playback.
The hydrogenaudio website , provide samples & instructions  that would help to do a proper test.
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=93733&st=75
 
Quote:

I found the HD598 to be lifeless and dead. That is being compared to SRH940.

I'm interested by opinion of hd800, by "non sennheiser fan" (tired of the mindless raving) . You didn't like the hd598, which is a good reason to ask,  if  you liked the hd800.
I got an experience with the hd595, they are unexciting, but I appreciate, that they can be quite relaxing too, while listening ambient or lounge music. They are also perfect to relax, while playing games.

 

[streetdragon]

There is no damping material in the earcup of the srh940 when i disassembled it, just the plastic shell you see outside. (can provide pics if you want)
The HD598 may not be exciting as the srh940 but they are the relaxing and laidback type of headphones, so when i want simple plain fun i take out my alessandros.

 

[tseliottt]

Quote:

how do you feel about the hd600?

 
Haven't heard them, sorry. Should be similar from what I've read.

 

[jwusoccer]

Quote:

ATH-M50 

. Seriously a very overrated headphone, very average to me. 

+1. The first time i heard it i had very high expectations. However, i was not blown away in the least. The bass was way too loose and the mids were too recessed.

 

[elwappo99]

Quote:

HD650 are by far the most overrated. The fact they're still $500 shows Senn knows how to toy with the audiophile market. They belong in the $200-$300 segment with the K701s and Beyers DT range.

 
I 100% agree with this statement. I do like the HD650 sound, but they definitely belong in the same ballpark at the DT880 and K701. They are definitely not worth while at the $500 asking price. Sennheiser is becoming incredibly strict with the prices across the board as well, which is a great reason to not purchase their products. 

 

[kimvictor]

Quote:

I'm interested by opinion of hd800, by "non sennheiser fan" (tired of the mindless raving) . You didn't like the hd598, which is a good reason to ask,  if  you liked the hd800.
I got an experience with the hd595, they are unexciting, but I appreciate, that they can be quite relaxing too, while listening ambient or lounge music. They are also perfect to relax, while playing games.

Well, subjectively, I thought it was spectacular. Wide sound stage, great detail, placement, and more. However, I thought that soundstage was bit too much. It sounded a bit unreal for me. Beside that, I liked the overall sound sig. But I would not have minded more aggressiveness.

 

[kimvictor]

Quote:

+1. The first time i heard it i had very high expectations. However, i was not blown away in the least. The bass was way too loose and the mids were too recessed.

+1 Perfect description of how I felt.

 

[b3wannabe]

Ok, my two cents on this one:
 
1. Grado SR80i - too shrill and uncomfortable for me. I hesitate to buy any other Grado as a result, but look forward to my first meet to sample some higher-end models in their lineup.
 
2. V-Moda Crossfade LP - I burned these in for like 500 hours because I couldn't believe how crappy they sounded (anyone want to buy a pair?) I find them WAY too bass heavy, to the detriment of everything else. Look cool and feel comfortable, though.
 
3. Sony XBR-500 - huge pillows for earpads, and again too much bass for me (YMMV)
 
4. I've auditioned the HD700's and Senn Momentums in the store (brought my own music and portable amp) and thought both were overrated (I know many people like these a lot, however, so maybe I'd need more time with them).
 
For calibration of my tastes:
 
1. I like the HD650's but think they fall short of what I'd want for the price, so in that sense are overrated IMO.
 
2. I thought my M50's were boring until I played them on a little tube amp with matched Mullard tubes. They came alive and were dynamic and exciting. Go figure .. couldn't get that sound through other amps. (it was HiFiMAN EF2A, so not an especially high-priced model as far as tube amps go)
 
3. I love my AKG K702's. Again, I almost trashed them (meaning, stuck them in a closet) when I got them until I got over 300 hours on them. Then they blossomed and I became addicted to the sound stage. One of my top two favorites. Hate the headband, though, and wish they'd change it or come out with a simple, attractive mod.
 
4. The HD598 is my other top favorite ... so comfortable and forgiving; sounds do good to me on a WIDE range of music. Good value. I go back and forth on the style, but you cannot beat the fit/comfort. 
 
5. I also like very much the DT990's Pro 250. So much so that they spoiled the DT770's for me.
 
6. I have the LCD-2 r2 and HE-400's, which are quite nice on some songs and setups, but too non-descript, too often.When they're 'on,' though, they smoke!
 
 
So, in terms of overrated, I'd say those that over-emphasize the highs (Grado's) or the lows (V-Modas and XBR's). Guess my taste runs toward the mid-range, slightly warm, (or) slightly dark, slightly V-shaped, flat / neutral. I find the K702's have the right amount of bass for my tastes.

 

[fengwei007]

It all depends on personal preferences I guess. I've been using Grados for over 12 years, started from an SR60, now I have MS1, SR225i and RS1. I feel very comfortable with these on, and I don't feel any of them are overrated, actually I like these Grados better than the Sennheisers I've had (HD800, HD650, HD600, HD598, HD558, HD25-1 II, Amperior). These Grados are easy to drive, they sound great w/ whatever I tried: iPhone, iPod, or full sized desktop system. 
 
Out of all the headphones I've had (other than the Grados and Sennheisers I listed above, I've also had a few Beyers: DT880/600ohm, DT770Pro/80ohm, T1), the most overrated headphones to me is the DT880/600ohm. They sounded too plain and unexcited to me, and I just didn't like what I heard  from these, musics or movies. Ended up I sold them soon after I had them. 
 
I'm keeping my Grados plus a pair of T1, that's all I need for headphones. 

 

[stacker45]

I find surprising when someone says that the Grado SR80i are uncomfortable, they're light as a feather and come with ''comfie'' pads that rest gently on your ears.
 
As far as sound goes, i'm wearing them as i write this, and at about $100, i find it hard to imagine being able to get much better sound quality than these, without spending considerably more.
 
At the risk of ruffling a few feathers, i would have to say that, the Senns HD600 are the most overrated headphones that i have heard. In fact, i use to owned them, right up until i had the chance to compared them to Grado's RS1, and found the RS1 were letting me hear a lot more detail in the music, almost like a veil had been lifted. That's when i knew that the Grado sound was for me. I sold my HD600, and never looked back.

 

[penmarker]

Quote:

Anything from Xears. I bought a pair of N3i based on all the hype and I found them unlistenable. Nothing but overpowering midbass (and I'm a basshead!). The mids were so recessed that I could barely hear them at all. They were boomy even compared to the worst of the Beats line! To be fair, they sounded somewhat decent after some VERY dramatic EQing.
 
Then they broke after a few months, and I got the XE200Pro as a replacement because they didn't make the N3i anymore. They had slightly less midbass compared to the N3i, but still unbearably boomy, but these had the additional problem of the harshest, most exaggerated treble you could imagine. I wanted to turn up the volume to hear the non-existent mids, but at the same time I also wanted to turn down the volume so the treble wouldn't hurt my ears.
 
Never again, Xears, never again.

So I googled Xears since I've never heard of that brand, and I immediately saw this IEM model.
 

 
It looks suspiciously similar to my $7 Cliptecs.
 

 
And yea they are hella boomy. Sounds like you only have woofers on your speakers and no tweeters. Ok probably a very weak tweeter but you catch my drift.
Avoid like a plague

 

[fengwei007]

Quote:

I find surprising when someone says that the Grado SR80i are uncomfortable, they're light as a feather and come with ''comfie'' pads that rest gently on your ears.
 
As far as sound goes, i'm wearing them as i write this, and at about $100, i find it hard to imagine being able to get much better sound quality than these, without spending considerably more.
 
At the risk of ruffling a few feathers, i would have to say that, the Senns HD600 are the most overrated headphones that i have heard. In fact, i use to owned them, right up until i had the chance to compared them to Grado's RS1, and found the RS1 were letting me hear a lot more detail in the music, almost like a veil had been lifted. That's when i knew that the Grado sound was for me. I sold my HD600, and never looked back.

Seems our likes are quite similar  I couldn't get used to the sound of those Sennheisers either, but just love my Grados, they are the most comfortable headphones among all I've tried.
 
You know what, as I'm typing, some guy is on the way over to take my Amperior  After that the last Sennheiser I'd have is the IE80, which I really enjoy for movies w/ my iPad3. 

 

[dleblanc343]

Quote:

But I  think , that for some reason , it doesn't provide to the brain, the necessary "cues", to get excitement from fast music, such like psytrance, or metal.
- That's definitely not the kind of headphone I would use for those genres though when there are planars like the HE-6 (which I prefer to the HD800's most oftenly), so I can understand your disappointment.
Well, there wasn't any proof of this. Did someone unmount the srh840 & srh940 and compared the drivers ?
- Yes, I repair them once in a while at the audio shop where I work at. The driver build is identical, but the materials are different therefore change the sound. The 940's have a reddish tint on the magnet and the diaphragm is a bit less springy. And the plastic mold of the headphone enclosure is different.
 
I'm interested by opinion of hd800, by "non sennheiser fan" (tired of the mindless raving) . You didn't like the hd598, which is a good reason to ask,  if  you liked the hd800. I got an experience with the hd595, they are unexciting, but I appreciate, that they can be quite relaxing too, while listening ambient or lounge music. They are also perfect to relax, while playing games.
- The way I see it with Sennheiser is that the lower end products are very poor in comparison to their competition. Their earbuds aren't great at all, but I haven't tried the IE800. The HD598's are okay, but they are kind of colored and overly mid-bassy. I am by no means a Sennheiser fanboy, but I admire two of their products very much; and they happen to be the HD600 and the HD800.