Azsen
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2005
- Posts
- 15
- Likes
- 0
Hi all,
I've currently got a pair of Sennheiser HD515s in which the foam in the earpads and headband have completely disintegrated. The headphones still work but I don't think you can replace the pads so it looks like I'll be buying a new pair. They've had about 5 years of daily use so I suppose that's not too bad.
At the moment I use the HD515s primarily with my laptop for games, music, movies and TV. The sound card is just an onboard Realtek ALC861 HD Audio device. My music library is all my CDs in FLAC. The range of music is hard rock, rock, alternative, pop rock, hip hop, trip hop and electronica/techno. I like a bit of bass but HD515s don't provide that much. I also have some Sennheiser IE6s for use with my iPhone 3GS when I'm out and about. So you can see not top end stuff. I doubt I will get much value out of buying super expensive headphones with just using a laptop for source.
I'm hoping to spend around 300 NZD (New Zealand Dollars). Not sure where the majority of everyone else is from but that's equivalent to 231 USD / 165 EUR / 231 AUD / 144 GBP.
So what's the next best model up or upgrade I could get? I was thinking along the lines of HD555 (NZD 170) but will it make much of a difference? The surround reflector thing might make movies and games better. Then there's the HD595 (NZD 270). Would it be worth it though with my setup or do I definitely need an amp? Prefer it if I didn't need an amp (extra cost). Also there seems to be newer models of these out like the HD558 and HD598 which seem to be exactly the same specs wise but $180 more expensive.
What's that all about?
Then again I read a mod a while ago on this site that you could do to the HD555s and you take out these foam pads inside the earpieces and it makes them sound like the HD595. Is it worth just doing that or will that be a bad experience?
Any other brands that are better than Sennheiser?
Many thanks
I've currently got a pair of Sennheiser HD515s in which the foam in the earpads and headband have completely disintegrated. The headphones still work but I don't think you can replace the pads so it looks like I'll be buying a new pair. They've had about 5 years of daily use so I suppose that's not too bad.
At the moment I use the HD515s primarily with my laptop for games, music, movies and TV. The sound card is just an onboard Realtek ALC861 HD Audio device. My music library is all my CDs in FLAC. The range of music is hard rock, rock, alternative, pop rock, hip hop, trip hop and electronica/techno. I like a bit of bass but HD515s don't provide that much. I also have some Sennheiser IE6s for use with my iPhone 3GS when I'm out and about. So you can see not top end stuff. I doubt I will get much value out of buying super expensive headphones with just using a laptop for source.
I'm hoping to spend around 300 NZD (New Zealand Dollars). Not sure where the majority of everyone else is from but that's equivalent to 231 USD / 165 EUR / 231 AUD / 144 GBP.
So what's the next best model up or upgrade I could get? I was thinking along the lines of HD555 (NZD 170) but will it make much of a difference? The surround reflector thing might make movies and games better. Then there's the HD595 (NZD 270). Would it be worth it though with my setup or do I definitely need an amp? Prefer it if I didn't need an amp (extra cost). Also there seems to be newer models of these out like the HD558 and HD598 which seem to be exactly the same specs wise but $180 more expensive.
Then again I read a mod a while ago on this site that you could do to the HD555s and you take out these foam pads inside the earpieces and it makes them sound like the HD595. Is it worth just doing that or will that be a bad experience?
Any other brands that are better than Sennheiser?
Many thanks