[Neo1275]

Well I finally got tired of the "cheap" cans I've been using and need a new set. I am currently looking at three sets that I need some opinions on. The Sennheiser HD495, HD535, and HD570. As you can tell by my choices I'm on a budget and am looking to spend $150 or less. I use my cans exclusively on the computer powered by the Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum Live Drive. I use them for games mostly, but also for watching DVD's and listening to MP3's. Comfort is important for me since I use them for several hours at a time. Also if you know of any other headphones in my budget and are good for what I use them for, please let me know. Thanks for your help.

 

[Gluegun]

Open or closed?

 

[tangent]

I had the HD-525s once. I was upgrading from Koss TD-60s at the time, and I thought the sound difference was incredible! Little did I know that I had a long way to go towards perfection. Still, if you don't know any better, the low-end Senns in the 5x5 line do sound good, and they certainly meet your comfort goal. The problem I have when them now is that they sound clouded compared to my current cans. I imagine the -535s are better, but probably not much more.

I currently have the HD-570s, and they're a bit of a mixed bag. If anything, they're more comfortable than the -525s, and they're certainly a lot clearer on top and with a lot more bass. However, these cans are "bright" -- high notes can be piercing with these cans. With the right music, you don't notice this problem, but with treble-heavy music, they can be downright painful. Now, coming out of an Audigy, you might not notice, since it probably has a bit of high-end rolloff. Plus, you can use your player program's digital EQ to add some treble rolloff if you need it. The 570s are only a disaster with high-end sources, which tend to not have tone controls or EQs, and also have full treble range.

 

[Neo1275]

I would say open since noise is not really an issue for me. My PC is alot quieter since I got rid of the Delta fan on my CPU. Also I should mention that I don't have an amp and don't plan on using one unless it's necessary.

 

[Gluegun]

Take that $150, and buy a Sennheiser HD495 and a JMT Altoid amp (send a private message to JMT....)

There aren't a whole lot of 'really great for gaming/easy to drive/great sounding' open headphoens out there; one generally has to sacrafice the 'easy to drive' bit, looking at the Sennheiser HD495, the AKG K401, etc.

or you could sacrafice the 'really great for gaming' to make it 'merely good for gaming' and get the Grado SR-80's.

 

[reynman]

Check this recent thread out:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...&threadid=5038

My vote in that thread was for the Beyer 250-80, but it is a closed can. I'd still give those a try.

Regards - reynman

 

[kpxgq]

do u know if the livedrive has a built in amplifier?

 

[slindeman]

Here is the list of headphones I've used for gaming (mostly Unreal Tournament) on my PC: Koss KSC-35, KSC-50, Grado SR-125, Sennheiser HD545, HD570. Of those, the best by far were the two Sennheiser models.

The HD570 is the most comfortable, I often have worn it for 4-5 hours of gaming without any discomfort at all. My 570's don't have the piercing highs that other's have compained about, probably just because of driver variance. I've listened to other 570's (at a local electronics shop) that were brighter, and the consensus is that they are bright, so I guess I got lucky or something. Mine have too much bass, on the other hand, which is ok for gaming but not good for music. The HD600's sound like they have no bass at all in comparison.

Also the single entry cord is quite handy. These are what I currently use for gaming on my PC and for watching TV/Movies.

The HD545 is quite comfortable also, and I can go 3-4 hours without any discomfort. These headphones are much more balanced and sound better for music. The bass is slightly weak, which may or may not bother you for games and movies. It's only weak in comparison to something like HD600, but much better than almost any other $100 and under headphone. I prefer these over the HD570s for everything, including games and movies. I now use these at work for music. HD525/535/565 are similar models to the HD545. HD525/535 have pleather pads instead of velour, so they might not be as comfortable. You could always order velour pads from sennheiser for the 535, the cost is probably $20-30 I would guess.

The Grados and Koss' aren't nearly as comfortable or convenient (short cords that also easily get tangled), nor is their imaging good enough for serious gaming. For music, here would be my ranking HD545 > Grado SR-125 > Koss KSC-35/50 > HD570, and for games/movies it would be HD545 > HD570 > Grado SR-125 > KSC-35/50.

Of the three on your list, at retail prices, I would be tempted to buy the HD495s even though I haven't heard them, because the price is so good right now. If I were to buy used or refurbished (ubid.com) however, then I would choose the HD535, which can be bought for $50 or so.

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

The Sennheiser HD495, HD535, and HD570. As you can tell by my choices I'm on a budget and am looking to spend $150 or less. I use my cans exclusively on the computer powered by the Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum Live Drive. I use them for games mostly, but also for watching DVD's and listening to MP3's.

I wouldn't get any of those for your use, to be honest. For use out of a sound card, for gaming, music, and movies, I would go with the Beyer 250-80. I recommended these to a friend for similar use, and he's been smiling ever since

They're just a bit over your limit, but I think you'll be happier...

http://www.headphone.com/layout.php?...tID=0020112508