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- Jan 17, 2003
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I now have in my possession two "mid-fi" open headphones in two of the favorite flavors in the Head-Fi community - Grado and Sennheiser. For the last couple of years my "high end" headphone was a Beyerdynamic DT 931. There are a lot of things I like about the DT 931, such as its clarity, detail and speed, (it's also quite comfortable) but it leaves something to be desired as it does not reproduce the highest frequencies well; they sound a bit harsh and exagerrated. It also seems to lack a bit of bass, and while I'm not a basshead, it is conspicuous by its absence.
As luck would have it, I am now in possession of two mid priced open cans - the HF-1 and HD 595. At one point I thought I could be happy with one decent set of headphones, but now that I've had both of these for a few weeks, I'm not sure how I could get rid of either one. The HF-1 and HD 595 provide the perfect counterbalance to each other.
The HF-1 provides a lot of the upfront detail that I want and is nowhere near what I would consider harsh. It is a great can for semi-critical listening. (I only say semi-critical out of respect for some of the truly world class headphones that are out there.) Vocals, especially female vocals, are sweet, clear, detailed and upfront. The entire frequency spectrum seems to be very well presented without an overemphasis on anything. The soundstage is small but instruments seem to have a lot of air between them. These cans are in your face, but not enough to get spittle on you and be annoying. You're with the band but you don't have to carry the equipment. The biggest drawback to these is they are not that comfortable. I don't really know what it is becaue when I first put them on they seem comfortable enough, but after about a half hour I need to take them off. Maybe as the bowls wear in they will get more comfortable (haven't tried washing them yet). .
By contrast, the HD 595 is much more laid back. There is a wider soundstage but instrument separation is not as clear. Vocals sound like a microphone cover was put on the mic. Emphasis seems to be on the low end with much more bass. Highs are there but seem to be a bit in the background. I wouldn't say it is veiled as some have referred to the Sennheiser sound, I would say it's smooth (but not dark
). They are also a very comfortable headphone.
Maybe it's because of the comfort of the headphone itself, but the Sennheiser has what I would call a comfortable sound. You just put them on and you feel like you are being covered in the music. Wrapped in a soft musical duvet. They are perfect for listening while working on the computer for fairly long stretches. They are so comfortable that I sometimes leave them on for quite a while even after the music stops playing.
If the HD 595 are good for a relaxing listen, the HF-1 provide the perfect opportunity to get more of the detail out of the music. Because these headphones are so different in their sound signature, and I enjoy listening to them both, I think I will be holding onto these for a while.
As luck would have it, I am now in possession of two mid priced open cans - the HF-1 and HD 595. At one point I thought I could be happy with one decent set of headphones, but now that I've had both of these for a few weeks, I'm not sure how I could get rid of either one. The HF-1 and HD 595 provide the perfect counterbalance to each other.
The HF-1 provides a lot of the upfront detail that I want and is nowhere near what I would consider harsh. It is a great can for semi-critical listening. (I only say semi-critical out of respect for some of the truly world class headphones that are out there.) Vocals, especially female vocals, are sweet, clear, detailed and upfront. The entire frequency spectrum seems to be very well presented without an overemphasis on anything. The soundstage is small but instruments seem to have a lot of air between them. These cans are in your face, but not enough to get spittle on you and be annoying. You're with the band but you don't have to carry the equipment. The biggest drawback to these is they are not that comfortable. I don't really know what it is becaue when I first put them on they seem comfortable enough, but after about a half hour I need to take them off. Maybe as the bowls wear in they will get more comfortable (haven't tried washing them yet). .
By contrast, the HD 595 is much more laid back. There is a wider soundstage but instrument separation is not as clear. Vocals sound like a microphone cover was put on the mic. Emphasis seems to be on the low end with much more bass. Highs are there but seem to be a bit in the background. I wouldn't say it is veiled as some have referred to the Sennheiser sound, I would say it's smooth (but not dark
Maybe it's because of the comfort of the headphone itself, but the Sennheiser has what I would call a comfortable sound. You just put them on and you feel like you are being covered in the music. Wrapped in a soft musical duvet. They are perfect for listening while working on the computer for fairly long stretches. They are so comfortable that I sometimes leave them on for quite a while even after the music stops playing.
If the HD 595 are good for a relaxing listen, the HF-1 provide the perfect opportunity to get more of the detail out of the music. Because these headphones are so different in their sound signature, and I enjoy listening to them both, I think I will be holding onto these for a while.
