[earphiler]

Listening to HD595 I just got from Amazon and UDAC2. I was using HD555's before, older ones that were broken in. At the highest volumes, HD595 bass is muffled. Don't remember my HD555's doing this.

Is this just all because its a new pair of headphones? What's going on?

 

[Kevin Brown]

Maybe they need to be burned in.  Just listen a bunch more, and maybe things will change.
 
But also, maybe the new ones are harder to drive, and you're running out of current at higher volumes.  Bass would then suffer as this takes the most power.

 

[ShooTa]

im using hd558s which i have modded into the psudo 598s by doing the foam removal mod
now i had a similar experiance with the bass originally - however now 2 weeks after the mod - both my ears and also burn in has cleared it up
the bass is now crispy and defined - yet clearly leaving the mids and the highs well alone.
so fingers crossed after the burn in - 1 week - and if you can pink noise it in a closed/padded box over nights. your problems should be fixed.

 

[desktophifi]

Quote:

Maybe they need to be burned in.  Just listen a bunch more, and maybe things will change.
 
But also, maybe the new ones are harder to drive, and you're running out of current at higher volumes.  Bass would then suffer as this takes the most power.

This makes sense, listen for the first 50 hours and you will notice some improvement. 

 

[earphiler]

thanks guys, i read about burn in but wasn't sure it made that much of a difference. i read similar things on hd595 when i googled muffled bass and other headfi threads came up.
 
i forgot, i used to have hd555's too (before borrowing my dads to test drive my UDAC 2-HP which I love, same as UDAC2 but $30 cheaper and no RCA outputs just headphone out -- fine for my needs) but forgot about the break in thing i suppose. Maybe that was back when I didn't care about audio quality nearly as much as I do these days.
 
These HD595's look better, are more comfortable, and when I heard my roommates broken in pair, sound clearer and snappier than HD555.   

 

[Kevin Brown]

Quote:

im using hd558s which i have modded into the psudo 598s by doing the foam removal mod

 
 That's funny.  Same as the 555 to 595. 

 

[TimPrice]

I remember mine distort at very high volume, but they sound the best until that point.
Cheap sound anyway.

 

[pp312]

Quote:

I remember mine distort at very high volume, but they sound the best until that point.

 
I hope that very high volume is an occasional rather than regular thing. If not, I can certainly advise you on the delights of long-term tinnitus if you'd like to hear about it.

 

[desktophifi]

Quote:

Quote:

I remember mine distort at very high volume, but they sound the best until that point.

 
I hope that very high volume is an occasional rather than regular thing. If not, I can certainly advise you on the delights of long-term tinnitus if you'd like to hear about it.

Don't damage your hearing by listening at high volumes, seconded. 

 

[AuralRelations]

When I got my 595s I was initially disappointed.  Then I burned them in for weeks and all of a sudden, the sound opened/cleared up.  Just give it some time.  Let them play when you're not listening to them to burn them in.