[PurpleAngel]

A lot of people seem to talk about "The Sennheiser Veil". Can you explain what they mean by that?

 
Veiled, kind of like your at a music festival and everyone is very quiet, but your sitting in the far back row, so you clearly hear the music, but not the presence,
Presence being like those sitting at the front row, near the speakers and the sound going all the way to your bones (Grado headphones?).

 

[DefinitelyLegit]

Veiled, kind of like your at a music festival and everyone is very quiet, but your sitting in the far back row, so you clearly hear the music, but not the presence,
Presence being like those sitting at the front row, near the speakers and the sound going all the way to your bones (Grado headphones?).

So people use that term to say that Sennheiser headphones sound boring/lifeless?

 

[DefinitelyLegit]

Sounds like there is a cloth between your ears and your headphones.

You shouldn't have that issue with the STX or O2 or even good hybrid/tube amps.

You will have that issue with Fiio amps or those that are too warm.

What if I don't use an amp?

 

[milosingh]

You always need an amp. Even an iPhone headphone out has an amp, just not a powerful one.

 

[PurpleAngel]

So people use that term to say that Sennheiser headphones sound boring/lifeless?

 
Slightly on the boring side.

 

[DefinitelyLegit]

You always need an amp. Even an iPhone headphone out has an amp, just not a powerful one.

Yeah yes, of course, I was just referring to an aftermarket solution/external amp

 

[DefinitelyLegit]

Slightly on the boring side.

Which side do you sit on? I know some people really love Sennheiser headphones, but others despise them.

 

[Waldschrat]

When picture drinks, e.g. a good red wine, there are many good ones out there which differ in many ways. There are some that suit many dishes and you don't have to think too much about how you enjoy them, just open the bottle and enjoy, that's the Sennheiser. But then there are some wines which shine to specific dishes or need some time to "breath" and so on, that would perhaps be the Grados with their specific sound signature or the AKGs with their need for amping.
That's why I would pick a Sennheiser when I had to pick only one headphone. When you know you're going to get multiple phones you can cater them to your liking.
From my personal experience: when solely listening to music I pick my AKG but when the music is just a "background noise" I prefer my Sennheiser.

 

[DefinitelyLegit]

When picture drinks, e.g. a good red wine, there are many good ones out there which differ in many ways. There are some that suit many dishes and you don't have to think too much about how you enjoy them, just open the bottle and enjoy, that's the Sennheiser. But then there are some wines which shine to specific dishes or need some time to "breath" and so on, that would perhaps be the Grados with their specific sound signature or the AKGs with their need for amping.
That's why I would pick a Sennheiser when I had to pick only one headphone. When you know you're going to get multiple phones you can cater them to your liking.
From my personal experience: when solely listening to music I pick my AKG but when the music is just a "background noise" I prefer my Sennheiser.

That's a legitelly helpful analogy, thanks
I'm kinda new to this headphone game, so I'm still getting familiar with every brands specific features and stuff like that. On top of that, the m50s I have were the first "good" audio equipment I ever owned, so that just goes to prove how much of a noob I am xD

 

[Me x3]

Well, yes...
 
The Sennheisers HD518/HD558/HD598/HD600/HD650 are on the warm and soft side of things.
The Sennheiser Veil is pretty infamous indeed, because both HD600 and HD650 can sound really clear and resolving (not veiled at all).
 
The overall sound signature is relaxed, soft, mid-centric but clearly warm sounding.

 

[DefinitelyLegit]

Well, yes...

The Sennheisers HD518/HD558/HD598/HD600/HD650 are on the warm and soft side of things.
The Sennheiser Veil is pretty infamous indeed, because both HD600 and HD650 can sound really clear and resolving (not veiled at all).

The overall sound signature is relaxed, soft, mid-centric but clearly warm sounding.

I guess that makes them suitable for all music genres, right?

 

[Me x3]

I guess that makes them suitable for all music genres, right?

Yeah, sort of. In fact, suitable or not is more a matter of taste in my book.
I would say that makes them safe (little/no sibilance, the warm character helps bass light and overly compressed music, you can normally listen to them at higher levels, bright classical won't bother, sharp metal winds won't bother, etc.)
 
They are not clinical.
 
(HD518/HD558/HD598/HD600/HD650)

 

[DefinitelyLegit]

Well, yes...

The Sennheisers HD518/HD558/HD598/HD600/HD650 are on the warm and soft side of things.
The Sennheiser Veil is pretty infamous indeed, because both HD600 and HD650 can sound really clear and resolving (not veiled at all).

The overall sound signature is relaxed, soft, mid-centric but clearly warm sounding.

There's so much variety when it comes to headphones that it is really difficult to choose only one to buy. And with all the nuances and little flaws that even really good headphones have and the subjectivity that is implied in "audio quality", that just makes the choice even harder.
Hopefully in a month's time I'll be able to sell my m50s and buy another pair that I like way more
Thanks for all the help and recommendations you guys gave, this was my first post on head-fi and it's really great to see that everyone is so nice and ready to help a fellow audio lover

 

[PurpleAngel]

Which side do you sit on? I know some people really love Sennheiser headphones, but others despise them.

 
I own the HD558 (with the black rubber tape removed from inside the cups).
The HD558 headphones are the oldest headphones I have that I still like to use.
I like to think they are the kind of headphones you can wear for long periods of time, because their type of sound does not tax your eardrums.
Like to thing they are a jack of all trades type headphones, but not really an award winning type of sound, not really a fiesta type of sound.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DefinitelyLegit /img/forum/go_quote.gif

 

 

Thanks for the insight, I actually thought impedance was the only thing that mattered when it came to knowing if a headphone is easy to drive or not.

 

Anyway, I've been researching and I've came to the conclusion that the HD598, the K702 and the sr80i are the easiest headphones to find for a good price, here in my country.

Considering that I wouldn't be using these with an amp, at least not initially, what do you guys think would be the better overall choice, taking into consideration the type of music I listen too?

 

SR80i, HD598, then K702 a far off third place in terms of being easy to drive. Past that the considerations would be ergonomics, relative isolation, and whether you like Grado's sound signature. For what it's worth though most non-audiophiles I know can't tell the difference between an iPod earphone and a K7--, even on a proper amplifier, as the AKG doesn't really try to color the sound; by contrast Grados tend to have a midrange boost that appeals to some people, and makes for eye-popping percussion and sweet vocals (note that with a proper amp, AKGs and Sennheisers can have that percussion and their own way of prsenting vocals, ie, relatively transparent - it can be "sweet" if that's what it really sounds like).