[burgunder]

So these are open phones right?
Here in Denmark they are actually cheaper than both the K81 and HD485, that I have been contemplating to buy, but perhaps I should try this instead. Oh and I did BTW fnd a high res picture of the phones.

 

[erlik]

These are indeed open phones, I forgot to mention that.

If you can find a shop that has a demo model you should give it a listen.

I don't know about the new HD485, but it is much better than my old HD457 from sennheiser (forgot that one in my sig).

I have not had the oportunity to listen to the new senn 4X5 line or the K81, so I can't give a comparison.

However they are better and clearer than the Beyer DTX900, which is the beyer equivalent of the 485 (the top of the "street circumaurals" line).

The 485 (and DTX900) are more like the top phones designed for portable (non amplified) use. The Philips is the other way around, it's a full "home" hifi headphone to which they have given a low impedance to accomodate portables.

The Philips seems a bit bulkier too, so if portability is important that's something to consider.

These however give very good clarity and extension for the price, so if you are not a basshead you should definitely put these in your possible headphones / must listen to list.

 

[Tachikoma]

Quote:

Originally Posted by erlik Since there aren't many treads about these I'll give my opignon. First for a full sized hifi headphone they are quite cheap: I paid around 90€ shipped, however I had to order in germany because I couldn't find a reseler in Belgium. They arrive packaged in a nice box, with a stand and a 4 meters cable. The cable connects to the phone with a 2.5 mm jack (single entry), with a 3.5mm jack on the other end. The cable also has a "twist" system to lock the cable in the phones and avoid accidental disconnects (al least on the headphone side). A gold plated screw in adapter is also provided if you need a 6.3 mm plug. The headband has a spring based adjustement system. The good is that the headphone pretty much adjust itself to your head automatically and stays well in place. The bad is that the pressure is a little more than what I would like, and I don't know about the durability of the springs. I found the confort to be slightly less than the senheiser and beyers I have tried, but still quite good, it doesn't detract from the listening. My only real buff is that the fabric covering the earpads can get irritating on long listening sessions. Also the earpads don't seems to be user replaceable. Sound wise these are very good for the price. The first impressions that I have are clarity and precision. It is actually easier to recognize instruments with this than my Beyers DTX900 (my former top headphone). Also as mentioned before by dvw female vocals are quite good, this phone gives me the impression that the singer is right in front of me. They have quite good bass extention (the 50mm drivers probably helps there), but they don't emphase the bass much (altrough it is definitelly present and clear). If you want deep bass it's good, if you want a lot of bass it's not that great. Highs seems clear and detailled, Mids are maybe slightly weaker than the bass and highs but not much. Soundstage is quite good also (the drivers are angled, apparently that helps). They play OK out of my Ipod headphone jack, but I find the sound better out of my PA2V2 (but then that's the case of almost all of my headphones). I think they are a good bargain if you can get them for less than 100€. I would say they are in the same league as the senn 515 / 555, but I only had the oportunity to listen to the senns in the shop (less than ideal condtions) so it's difficult to make a definitive comparison. Clearly they are now my best non portable general purpose headphone. I'll still use my senns HD212 pro for dance tracks that benefit for a huge bass boost, but these are better for classical, vocal, pop and even rock thanks to the clarity they deliver.

Less than 100 euros? o_O I could ship them to you from Malaysia for no more than 50 euros, new even.

 

[erlik]

Well, everything is more expensive in Europe!

We pay a criminal amount of VAT, import duties etc... Also a lot of manufacturers up their prices when selling in Europe.

For exemple in the US you can find the koss KSC75 for about $15, while the cheapest I found was around €40!

In the US a 30 gb ipod will cost you $299 + about 5% sales tax, in Europe it costs €329 (close to $400), admitedly with all taxes included (around 20% on headphones).

If you managed to bypass the import duties you could maybe set up a nice little busisness by selling headphones from lower priced countries trough ebay

I looked there first for my 895 too but there where none on offer.

 

[retro]

These are realy great cans with great detail and clarity but to get the best out of them you have to be careful with what amp you use them with and they are made of good quality so for the price they are of exelent value!

 

[norseman8485]

Can anyone post more reviews on these cans? Especially comparisons to other cans. Can't believe these are cheaper than the K81djs I just bought, it'll be a hoot if they sound better. Then I'll have an excuse to buy these too...

 

[EyeAmEye]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bossnass15 how does this compare to the HP1000?

I assume you are referring to the Philips HP1000 and not the Grados, right? If so, they don't compete with the 1000's at all. The 895, atleast to me, is overly bright. The HP1000 does not share in this. Both are pretty clear and have nice soundstage, but the HP1000 is a few notches above in both regards. The HP1000 is better with the fine details as well. The only advantage the 895 has is looks. Comfort level is about equal, although the 895 is heavier. Both have a detacheable, single-sided cable. Both can do a good job driven straight from portables, but benefit from amping.

 

[Drakemoor]

All i will say is that i've owned SR225's, DT880's and i'm still using the my trusty HP890's today. Basicly they have no real flaws except for being less detailed than better phones and are great headphones to start with

 

[aliquis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by halcyon Also widely available in Europe now between 70-90 euros. I'm tempted to pick a pair to find out.

That is kind of weird, since Teknikmagasinet often is quite expensive:
599 Swedish kronor = 64.2335744 Euro (and that includes our 25% VAT)

Nice price anyway, would be intresting to hear how they are against other phones, 180 sek cheaper than the AKG k81.

 

[aliquis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by erlik Well, everything is more expensive in Europe! We pay a criminal amount of VAT, import duties etc... Also a lot of manufacturers up their prices when selling in Europe.

So true, DS lite is ~ $220 here, $130 in the USA I think...
Anyway buy german stuff like the beyers then

Quote:

Originally Posted by erlik For exemple in the US you can find the koss KSC75 for about $15, while the cheapest I found was around €40!

http://www.prisjakt.se/produkt.php?p=21545
They are actually just 124 sek here in Sweden, 124 Swedish kronor = 13.2971005 Euro Quote:

Originally Posted by erlik In the US a 30 gb ipod will cost you $299 + about 5% sales tax, in Europe it costs €329 (close to $400), admitedly with all taxes included (around 20% on headphones). If you managed to bypass the import duties you could maybe set up a nice little busisness by selling headphones from lower priced countries trough ebay I looked there first for my 895 too but there where none on offer.

 

[will75]

I have the 890s and love them. They are one of the most beautiful set of headphones around in my opnion and they are comfortable as all get out. Huge soundstage and decent sound. Worth way more than the $50 they sometimes cost. Easy to drive to.

The problem as many know is the sides crack at a critical point on almost every single pair. It is a serious design flaw. But, to me it is still worth getting them, just epoxy them ahead of time or replace that area with some wood or metal brackets.

 

[m1k3-tets1]

Do HP890 and SHP895 have the same drivers?
TIA

 

[]|[ GorE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by m1k3-tets1 Do HP890 and SHP895 have the same drivers? TIA

No,different driver design.

 

[m1k3-tets1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ]|[ GorE No,different driver design.

Thanks A LOT for yr feedback, GorE!
I 'd really appreciate some more details (if it's not too much trouble). Did u take both 895 and 890 apart? Or maybe read about the driver differences somewhere? In a Russian HP forum I read that the 895 driver design became quite close to top Senns (I mean, almost "open" on the outside, a hole in the magnet and a bigger voice coil). Any comments? Too bad I dont have that huge HP890 box anymore. It had a nice picture of of the driver design and could be good for comparison. I searched the web all over but couldnt find any.
All in all, 895 IMO is a huge improvement in sound even over my good ol' HD590 (that took $140 outta my wallet). The overall balance is way better than with 590s: no shrill highs, the mids are presented a lot better, bass extention and punch are exeptional. No bump in the midbass.
I also slightly modded my 895s by fixing the cups in a position to exactly fit my head size, so comfort is no longer an issue.
I liked 'em sooo much that I got me another backup pair (in my home town they are $40 only).
Again, 10x and waiting for feedback.
P.S. Plz excuse my English, its not my mother tongue.

 

[]|[ GorE]

I am too lazy to post photos of their frequency response graphs.But i will say that the HP890 has a v-shaped curve while the HP895 are about 3 db higher in volume from 2-15 Khz than from 20hz to 1 Khz.Above 2 Khz,there are irregular by 3 db here and there.