Eagle_Driver
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2001
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I had reviewed the Sennheiser HD 280 PRO, HD 497, HD 590 and HD600 before - but that was on rock and jazz music CD recordings, which tend to suffer at least somewhat from the crappy processing that has been used to make those recordings "sound good" on crappy audio equipment. And I didn't use any classical music recordings at all because the only such recordings that I owned back then were those early-1980's "full digital recordings" issued by the big-name labels - primarily CBS Masterworks (now Sony Classical) - that obviously have suffered from that lossy digital compression (Sony Classical has NEVER been renowned for audiophile-quality digital recordings).
It changed very recently with the purchase of a classical CD issued by someone other than CBS/Sony, Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture (DSD version) (Telarc CD-80541). The earlier Telarc 1812 Overture release (CD-80041) was renowned for challenging the capabilities of audio systems that were state of the art 20 years ago - so it's no surprise that the newer DSD release (and its SACD counterpart, as well) will test the true capabilities (or crappiness) of today's "high-end" audio systems.
I have already known that the portable CD player/portable amp setup used in this shoot-out (a Sony D-EJ1000 mated to a Headroom Total Airhead) is at best capable of mid-fi sound, so I tested the four non-earbud Senns (HD 280 PRO, HD 497, HD 590 and HD 600) with the Telarc CD. As an added measure, I threw in a pair of Sony MDR-V6 headphones into the mix. Here are my results:
Sennheiser HD 280 PRO:
These headphones sound rather typical of the better closed headphones: slightly "over-punchy" bass, slightly recessed mids and slightly peaky highs. I just cannot recommend these - or most other closed headphones - for classical music listening.
Sennheiser HD 497:
These headphones may be better than nearly all of the other headphones that list for $70 or less MSRP. But in this shoot-out, they're the worst of the bunch. Boomy bass, recessed mids and highs, overall muddy sound... Blech! (At least that's how my particular sample sounds.) I wonder how Sennheiser can get away with designing its newer low-end headphones for pop or rock. But that equalization sure isn't kind to classical music.
Sennheiser HD 590
I gave these a second listen, having been spoiled by the sound from my HD 600's. Overall, my opinion of these headphones still apply: They're good, but not good enough for their $200 price. The bass doesn't go deep, it's a bit muddy, the mids are recessed, and the highs are peaky. Why would Sennheiser USA market these as "audiophile headphones" when I consider them to be "high-end headphones for the average Joe"?
Sennheiser HD 600
These are my latest full-sized headphone "toys". My jaw dropped when I listened to that 1812 Overture through these headphones. Bass that's deep without being boomy or muddy, mids and highs are coherent without being overbright or honky. And these are one of my two favorite headphones right now (the other being the Etymotic ER-4S, which I'm using less and less due to the fact that I now work less than two miles from home). I can imagine that the sound quality will only get better with an amp and/or cable upgrade.
Sony MDR-V6
I was very surprised that these classic closed Sonys acquitted themselves very well for their type on classical music. The mids are a bit less recessed/honky than the Sennheiser HD 280 PRO's, and the bass a bit less boomy (but still slightly so). If there's one significant shortcoming of the MDR-V6's, it's the obviously recessed highs (especially the mid-treble). If I were listening to only classical music, and if these were my only headphones, then I can live with their sound (knowing that there still is better out there).
Conclusion
Overall, for classical music, I'd rank these five headphones as follows:
Sennheiser HD 497 < Sennheiser HD 280 PRO < Sony MDR-V6 < Sennheiser HD 590 < Sennheiser HD 600
It changed very recently with the purchase of a classical CD issued by someone other than CBS/Sony, Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture (DSD version) (Telarc CD-80541). The earlier Telarc 1812 Overture release (CD-80041) was renowned for challenging the capabilities of audio systems that were state of the art 20 years ago - so it's no surprise that the newer DSD release (and its SACD counterpart, as well) will test the true capabilities (or crappiness) of today's "high-end" audio systems.
I have already known that the portable CD player/portable amp setup used in this shoot-out (a Sony D-EJ1000 mated to a Headroom Total Airhead) is at best capable of mid-fi sound, so I tested the four non-earbud Senns (HD 280 PRO, HD 497, HD 590 and HD 600) with the Telarc CD. As an added measure, I threw in a pair of Sony MDR-V6 headphones into the mix. Here are my results:
Sennheiser HD 280 PRO:
These headphones sound rather typical of the better closed headphones: slightly "over-punchy" bass, slightly recessed mids and slightly peaky highs. I just cannot recommend these - or most other closed headphones - for classical music listening.
Sennheiser HD 497:
These headphones may be better than nearly all of the other headphones that list for $70 or less MSRP. But in this shoot-out, they're the worst of the bunch. Boomy bass, recessed mids and highs, overall muddy sound... Blech! (At least that's how my particular sample sounds.) I wonder how Sennheiser can get away with designing its newer low-end headphones for pop or rock. But that equalization sure isn't kind to classical music.
Sennheiser HD 590
I gave these a second listen, having been spoiled by the sound from my HD 600's. Overall, my opinion of these headphones still apply: They're good, but not good enough for their $200 price. The bass doesn't go deep, it's a bit muddy, the mids are recessed, and the highs are peaky. Why would Sennheiser USA market these as "audiophile headphones" when I consider them to be "high-end headphones for the average Joe"?
Sennheiser HD 600
These are my latest full-sized headphone "toys". My jaw dropped when I listened to that 1812 Overture through these headphones. Bass that's deep without being boomy or muddy, mids and highs are coherent without being overbright or honky. And these are one of my two favorite headphones right now (the other being the Etymotic ER-4S, which I'm using less and less due to the fact that I now work less than two miles from home). I can imagine that the sound quality will only get better with an amp and/or cable upgrade.
Sony MDR-V6
I was very surprised that these classic closed Sonys acquitted themselves very well for their type on classical music. The mids are a bit less recessed/honky than the Sennheiser HD 280 PRO's, and the bass a bit less boomy (but still slightly so). If there's one significant shortcoming of the MDR-V6's, it's the obviously recessed highs (especially the mid-treble). If I were listening to only classical music, and if these were my only headphones, then I can live with their sound (knowing that there still is better out there).
Conclusion
Overall, for classical music, I'd rank these five headphones as follows:
Sennheiser HD 497 < Sennheiser HD 280 PRO < Sony MDR-V6 < Sennheiser HD 590 < Sennheiser HD 600