[elnero]

Hey that wasn't a comment on the quality on my part. I've never seen or heard them myself so I can't comment. I just wanted to point out that the probable reason Snufkin doesn't carry them himself is he had a bad experience with the quality before he became a dealer himself.

I've never seen Snufkin shamelessly promote products he carries nor have I ever seen him diss products he doesn't carry. He has tried to be nothing but be helpful to people on the forum and only really started selling headphones locally in Australia because they were so damn hard to find there. IMO to imply that Snufkin is doing anything other than trying to help or give sound advice is just downright silly.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally posted by elnero Hey that wasn't a comment on the quality on my part. I've never seen or heard them myself so I can't comment. I just wanted to point out that the probable reason Snufkin doesn't carry them himself is he had a bad experience with the quality before he became a dealer himself. I've never seen Snufkin shamelessly promote products he carries nor have I ever seen him diss products he doesn't carry. He has tried to be nothing but be helpful to people on the forum and only really started selling headphones locally in Australia because they were so damn hard to find there. IMO to imply that Snufkin is doing anything other than trying to help or give sound advice is just downright silly.

Point taken elnero, it's just that Snufkin didn't mention any of the headphones good points and only the bad things he has experienced with them. I'm not here to upset anybody but the HP890's I have on my head at the moment are possibly the best built pair of modern headphones I have seen and the thought of them falling apart seems very unlikely. Maybe Snufkin had an earlier design or maybe the plastic reacted to the Australian heat?
If they cracked due to frequent use then they must have sounded pretty good to be subject to such usage?

Since last night these phones have really opened up and the bass is the deepest I have ever heard.. I doubt there is any headphone that could go deeper than these, it's as if there's 2 18 inch woofers connected to your head!

Fantastically dynamic, fast, lovely midrange, toe curling deep bass, wide soundstage. I'll probably regret saying this but here goes:

These phones knock the pants off the AKG 501, Senn HD600, Senn HD590, Senn HD535 and Grado SR80 and they do it by quite some margin. For rock music and jazz they are simply unbelievable. Track 2 ( CD1) of Roger Waters "in the Flesh" CD nearly made me jump out of my skin when that glorious bass kicked in... it was like being at the concert again!

I'll probably crawl back to my K501's for a listen after listening to every CD in my collection through the HP890's but that ain't going to be for quite some time.

These headphones are a thrill a minute... real fun! They probably will crack under the pressure of the seriously low bass they produce.

£49 ? you cannot be serious! I paid 5 times that money for the HD600's and can't remember them ever bringing this amount of aural ecstacy.

Fantastic.

Pinkie.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Jan Meier's review of the PHILIPS HP890 copied from the Headwize forum. Jan sells headphones as well as designing amps. I'm glad that Dr. Meier also finds these headphones to be extraordinarily well built.

Jan Meier's review:

"When I got my first boxes with Philips headphones I thought WOOWW!! These boxes looked great. Very thick and sturdy cardboard and a window that can be closed with a cardboard flap that shows its contents. It's so much better than all those cheap Grado, Beyerdynamic, AKG and Sennheiser boxes. The only boxes that feel better are those of HD600, CD3000 and the like. However, these phones cost considerably more than the $100,- of the HP890.

More joy came up when I started to unpack this phone. The finishing was exquisite. Big blue-velvet earpads, a beautiful self-adjusting headband and a high quality one-sided cord that is connected to the phone by a small 3.5 mm stereo-plug. Most amazingly; all parts seem to be mechanically connected by little screws. No cheap snap-in locks!

As a little extra there's also a nice looking headphone stand added to each HP890.

All in all, mighty impressive, showing love for the smallest detail.



The HP890 is a very big headphone. In size it's very similar to the Sony CD3000 but it's an open system. Inside the drivers are slightly angled (similar to that of many Sony headphones, probably to improve soundstage. Its size made me a little bit mistrusting. The larger the phone, the larger the surfaces, the stronger mechanical resonances and the lower the comfort level.

To start with, however, comfort level was extremely high. The pads are not equally thick at the circumference (like they are with most other headphones) but ergonomically shaped. Thus pressure is optimally divided and you can wear these phones for hours and hours. These phones are big but that's only a problem if you take a look at the mirror.

Sonically these phones are a real hit. Out of the box they seemed a bit harsh and muddy at the low end but after a decent break-in they really started to shine. Tonally very close to the HD600 but with a slightly stronger treble these headphones were pure joy. The bass wasn't as clear and tight as that of the DT931 and that of the HP910 (to be discussed later) but could well stand against that of the HD600! Harry and I (and Harry's girlfriend Barbara) had the impression that it would be very difficult to tell the differences between HD600 and HP890 if we wouldn't have had the opportunity of a direct A-B comparison. The HD600 goes a little bit deeper and is slightly warmer (more recessed hights) but differences were surprisingly small. The HP890 shows a slight edge of hollowness (similar to the HD590) but is a phone that all the three of us enjoyed tremendously."

Jan Meier

 

[muzikk]

I still remember the same enthusiast you shared receiving your AKG 501 2 weeks ago. I hope this one will last longer or will it be some new Beyers next week?

Anyways I also have the HP890 but I am currently enjoying the Grado Sr325 I just got from another Headfier . The philips are great headphones and just unbeatable for the price (got mine for 69 US$), higher priced top of the line phones should take example from philips by providing headphone stands instead nice cases. Hell! for the price they should provide nice cases and a headphone stand!!!

 

[muzikk]

Holly *%&@! Came back from the gear for sale forum and you just put your AKG on sale, are the HP890 that good to your ears? You were praising those cans 15 days ago! I was considering buying some AKG 501 although I never had the chance to try them, well I am having some second thoughs now.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Deleted... too much beer.

Pinkie

 

[PinkFloyd]

Deleted due to more beer.

Pinkie

 

[wallijonn]

from the pictures I have seen, there appears to be two different flavours of HP890s; they look different (and no, I am not thinking of the HP910).

 

[muzikk]

I know what you mean and thats why I am asking if the HP890 are that good to YOUR ears and your gear, I am perfectly conscious that all the opinions here are based on each individual. I was just really surprised that you made such a harsh decision by selling your AKG 501 that you highly praised 2 weeks ago because of the philips. Having 2 pairs explains it. I enjoy mine but am leaning more to the Sr325 these days for some music. Besides the sheep mentality, these forums encourage you try all the headphones until you find those cans meant for you (this is the part where your wallet cries). I was a happy man for years with my portapros until I bought those philips and found this website.

 

[muzikk]

Wow, too much Guinness I suppose or did you just take off your thread on selling the AKG 501?

 

[Snufkin]

Quote:

Originally posted by PinkFloyd I notice you don't sell the Philips headphones on your website Snufkin, I'm always a bit wary of shops who don't sell a particular headphone yet seem to be experts on the negative aspects of the headphones they don't sell! I note you didn't mention the sound quality? Apart from the brittle plastic, loose headbands, fast wearing pads etc etc I trust you will concede that these headphones are a true giant killer in the sonic department? Unless you have a head the size of a medicine ball and are prone to throwing headphones about I can see no reason why they should start to crack or fall to pieces? Time will obviously tell and if they end up self destructing in a few months I'll send them back to Philips. As to Philips not supplying spare parts, There is a company called Dutch West Tel: 01434 323232 who tell me they can supply replacement "parts" for the HP890 although they may take 14-21 days as they will be on special order. Pinkie.

I understand that it might sound a bit wrong that I dislike a headphone that I don't sell, but my philisophy is to not sell gear I don't believe in - I don't want to break forum rules by posting this so hopefully it's not out of line, but here's my reasoning

When I first got the HP890 (before I was a dealer) I thought they were great, first impressions were pretty good and I think I even went so far as to say they sounded very similar to the Beyer DT770pro, I recommended them to a lot of people around the place and I still recommend them now and then

Later on down the track I gave a bit more time to the Beyer DT231 and DT531 (again before I was a dealer), I began to like the DT231 more than the HP890 (smaller, more comfortable, lighter, smoother sound). Then the problems started popping up with the HP890, my friends were asking me where to get replacement earpads, replacement cables and complaining that the headphones didn't survive a drop from their desk (1m drop onto carpet breaking the arms where the screws are

) so I spoke to the supplier about it and they said they were getting a few back with broken arms, loose headbands, plus replacement pads and cables were unavailable (at least here in Australia). The loose headband issue isn't a big head thing, it's just the way they work - they hang on your head from the headband so it stretches over time.

I can technically supply the HP890s, but I don't like the lack of replacement parts and build quality issues that I've had people mention (plus had first hand experience with myself) - it's nothing to do with the sound, I just don't feel comfortable supplying a product that I can't really stand behind 100% - Koss headphones are borderline for me, I can't get replacement pads for the KSC-50 locally for example.

In terms of sound, they're ok - I still have my pair to benchmark new headphones against (if it costs $200 and sounds as good as or better than the HP890 it's a good start). In terms of ~$120AU headphones go they're better than most of what's available out there, in fact they stack up very well. I prefer the Beyer DT231 myself, but I can understand why others would prefer the HP890 (more bass, wider soundstage for example). They're easy to drive, so they're a good choice for computer users, they have ample bass, reasonably good midrange and slightly bright treble that can be tamed by burn-in, I spent a few months listening to the HP890s and nothing else, the day I got my DT531s and tried them out was the day I retired my HP890s though. They sound better, they're more comfortable and I'm not worried about a 1m drop onto the floor breaking them (plus replacement pads are easy to get).
I'd probably classify the sound of the HP890s as sharing similar characteristics to many far more expensive headphones, sort of like "here's a demo of what high end headphones can sound like" without actually being one... it's hard to describe

I've tried them from several different amps and sources as well.

Bottom line; they're not a bad headphone as long as people know the possible pitfalls they may encounter

I still recommend them to people now and then, I'd just rather not sell them myself - there are a few places here in Oz that sell them that I regularly send people to if they really want a pair.

BTW mods (Jude), if this post is out of line (being that I'm a dealer) I'll understand if it's deleted, I just wanted to explain my stance on the HP890s

 

[Buddha]

I believe I was the first head-fier to bite the bullet and actually purchase a pair of 890s. I sold them after about 12 months of moderate use with zero problems and no visible signs of wear.

In other words after a years use in a rather hot climate they remained in perfect condition.

Perhaps Snufkin is referring to problems arising from the wear and tear meted out by the young "LAN Party Goers" that bought these by the truckload here in Oz...

 

[Snufkin]

Buddha - Lots of people out there buy the HP890s because they're cheap, have blingbling +5 factor and have a lot of glowing reports (especially here at head-fi), target audience = teenage computer users

The earpads on my pair started to wear after about 2 months of use, the thin fuzz disappeared in places to be replaced by a slightly rough plastic mesh, so I'm guessing after lots of use it would get even worse.
The headband issue isn't limited to gamers, a few of my friends that bought them have experienced it, not in a major way but just enough for them to blame me

If you treat them right I expect they'd last a long while, I'm just saying they LOOK better built than they actually are.

 

[PooJou]

Quote:

Originally posted by Snufkin I spent a few months listening to the HP890s and nothing else, the day I got my DT531s and tried them out was the day I retired my HP890s though. They sound better, they're more comfortable and I'm not worried about a 1m drop onto the floor breaking them (plus replacement pads are easy to get).

If i could afford AUD $220 or so for a headphone i woulda got the beyers - but considering i can get two pairs of the hp890 for less

The DT531 is like what the HP890 should aspire to

 

[Mallow005]

I abuse my 890s to no end, dropped them more times than I can count, ripped the cord from them (accidentally), throw them around, hell, I keep them on the floor. I used to keep it hanging on my chair but they kept falling off. I inspected the the arm and there are indeed small cracks on them, doesn't look serious though, I've had them for about 10 months or since meier started carrying them.

I guess it's because I don't use these as my primary headphones (and don't treat them as such either). But I do use them for all my computer audio, and I use the computer for most of the day usually. But man, it sounds like people really used the hell out of these.

The thing that finally broke for me was the cord. I accidentally ripped out the cord multiple occassions when I stepped on the cord or something while they were hanging on my chair. I guess it loosened the 2.5mm plug and I finally snapped it last week. Looking for a replacement with Cyanide.