[zodeus]

Hey all, I've never owned a decent pair of headphones before and I'm looking to get a pair soon. I mostly listen to Trance and Rock. After reading over the many posts on this forum I'm even more unsure then I was before. Here is a list of the ones I'm thinking about.

Sennheiser HD595 - $155
Audio Technica A900 - $180
Beyerdynamic DT770/80 Pro - $250
Sennheiser HD600 - $240

 

[SilverPilot]

See if you can find the Sennheiser 580. They don't need an amp unless you go portable--which you shoudn't.

 

[ichiboy]

I disagree, if you aren't going to be running an amp 595's are a much better choice than 580/600's. They sound pretty good driven straight from a source, 580's take a bit more power to shine.

 

[milkpowder]

The DT770/80 is a solid choice if you like bass. They're piss easy to drive and sound good out of just about anything. Some complain about recessed midrange and highs, but I actually thought they sounded relatively balanced. I can even enjoy classical music on them (albeit not ideal)!

No experience with the HD595 or A900, but have had the HD555. Liked them at the time, but in retrospect, merely a stepping stone to the IMO much better sounding HD580/600/650. Based on the way the HD555 sounds, I wouldn't get the HD595, but I'm not basing this on any personal experience at all so feel free to completely disregard this. The sound is a bit too distant, recessed and not in your face enough for any real enjoyment.

The HD600 is a great headphone, but like SilverPilot already mentioned, the HD580 is better value. I have not compared the two directly, but based on separate experiences, the HD580 didn't sound too different (I did have HD600 grilles, HD650 cable on the HD580 though). I can imagine the HD600 being great for trance because it has pretty decent bass and nice treble for those eerie, metallic synthesised bits, but for rock, it might be too accurate sounding (similar to the K701). You might not get the most enjoyment out of the music even though you're hearing it the way it is supposed to sound.

Anyway, my two cents...

 

[captainzoli]

I have the a900s and the 595s and I can say that they are both good headphones that are easily driven without an amp. I like them both very much and if you went with either of those, you wouldn't go wrong.

 

[ericj]

You can get the 770 pro/80 for $150 on ebay all day long and under $200 at Guitar Center most days of the week.

 

[SilverPilot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ichiboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif I disagree, if you aren't going to be running an amp 595's are a much better choice than 580/600's. They sound pretty good driven straight from a source, 580's take a bit more power to shine.

I have the Senn 555 and the 580. The 580 does not need an amp from my X-fi soundcard. I'm pretty sure the 580 is better than the 595 too unamped.

 

[ueyteuor]

Dude, you list the dt770/80 at a wrong price... well maybe you mean the newer ones, but the 2005 version, brand new on ebay they sell for 150

 

[zodeus]

Yes i was referring to the new model DT770's

 

[upangel180]

I'd consider the dt990's over the 770's unless you need isolation (which I dount, since you've listed the HD 595).

I have both the 595 and the 990, and I've found that the 990 gets a LOT more play time on my system......even though the 595 is no slouch.

The 990 (and probably the 770 as well) do require a decent amount of juice to run, so if you do go this route, I'd strongly consider an amp.