[Keisuke]

Hey everyone, I only started to read head-fi forums for the past month now and you guys really got me into purchasing a high priced headphone, which is bad lol jk. Now before I bust out my wallet on my first pair, are there any reason why I shouldn't buy the HD 580s? Any other brands or models that you guys would like to suggest?

I don't want to spend something very high priced such as CD3000 because its outrageous even though you guys said its worth every penny, but I don't have that much cash to burn. My price is about 200 USD or 275 CDN since im a Canadian citizen.

Btw, I like the boomy and bassy sound so try and take that as a consideration when giving a suggestion.

Thanks in advance.

 

[dj_mocok]

but if you dont have the proper source and amp, you WILL be spending more than CD3000 worths of money to really bring out the HD580.

 

[Zoide]

I guess one reason would be that you'd need to spend money on a headphone amplifier to drive them. They wouldn't sound well out of your average headphone out.

 

[dj_mocok]

i assume you will be using the headphone for your portables and stuffs ?

boomy and bassy ?
about boomy, what the guys here will tell you is stuff such as DT880 will boom the hell out of you, but i dont know whether it needs an amp or not...

actually, i think its not boomy, its bassy i think...
boomy = bad low frequency reproduction, no ?

 

[mxs1030]

HD 580/600/650 has a laid-back sound signature (probably not what you're looking for. ), and require a amp to really bring it to it's full potential ( nm that $10k worth of equipment BS ^_^). So if you're planning to go the 580/600 route, prepare to purchase a amp down the road. The ATH-900 is *the* headphone you should look into, I can't attest to the sound quality, but there are dozens of satisfied ath-900 users on these boards that can.

 

[Rodent]

I'm quite sure that he's not saying he wants a bad sounding pair of headphones but one with good and lots of bass, which basically isnt the hd600.

 

[Zoide]

I still don't understand what exactly does "laid back" mean. I have HD580s and definitely enjoy it with non "laid back" music like punk rock (ie. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes).

Also, I read somewhere that the ATH900s are great for jazz, etc but not that great for rock. Can anyone confirm this?

In that case the ATH900s would be "laid back" (if that's what I've understood laid back to mean)...

And I must say that, properly driven, the HD580s (and by extension I suppose the HD600s too) do not lack bass at all. In fact, the 580/600 headphones are often cited as having strong bass, especially in canalphone threads were people always talk about how the ER4P/S lack the 580/600s great bass.

Then again, I've only listened to the 580s, which I own. My opinions about other cans are based on what I've read at Head-Fi.

 

[Keisuke]

wow, so many replies already, thanks. I'm using it for an all around thing, PC, portable, tv and such. In terms of not using an amp for 580, does it sound weak? Or do I really have to spend an extra 100-200 for a good amp just to see the 580 full potential?

Also what is a good headphone that sounds good right out of the box without using an amp?

 

[mxs1030]

Err, I should have mentioned in my other post that the ATH-900s sound great unamped, and right within your budget ($200 from audiocubes.com). Not portable though...

 

[elliot]

I think that, before suggesting something, you have to consider several things. I'm sure I might miss some, but here are a few:

1. do you want open or closed back?
2. can your equipment power high-impedance headphones? if not, are you willing to buy equipment that can, along with your headphones?
3. what will your intended use be for these headphones? portable? home? what? What kind of equipment do you intend to use them on?
4. we already know you want emphasized bass response.

 

[kcaesthete]

I think the Sennheiser 580's are not worth listening to without an amp. Most portable sources don't have the power to drive them to a decent listening volume, and even if they did, there would be a lack of presence.

My Beyerdynamic 250-80's work fine without an amp, and have good (though not boomy) bass. Their 250-250 model, which is a little more refined, requires an amp.

Why don't you start out with Koss KSC-35 or Porta Pro/Porta Pro 2, and no amplifier. All of these Koss models have great bass and are cheap to start. As long as you don't need closed headphones, these are the perfect starter setup. once you have a better idea of what you will ultimately want (which may change over time), you can add to your collection.

 

[elliot]

Portable headphones with closed back well within your budget might be the Sony V6/7506 or Sony d66sl Eggos.
Some less portable, closed back, and more power-hungry headphones with supposedly awesome bass (i havent actually heard these yet) are the Beyerdynamic dt-770's. Make sure you get the lower impedance versions since you don't have the equipment to power 600 ohm headphones or whatever.
I'm not sure what open-back headphones have good bass response. My Sennheiser hd-590's have pretty good bass, I think, and although they need more power than the sony's, you should be able to use those without an amp.
I hear that grado headphones have pretty good bass too.

 

[andrzejpw]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keisuke wow, so many replies already, thanks. I'm using it for an all around thing, PC, portable, tv and such. In terms of not using an amp for 580, does it sound weak? Or do I really have to spend an extra 100-200 for a good amp just to see the 580 full potential? Also what is a good headphone that sounds good right out of the box without using an amp?

You won't get anywhere near the full potential of the 580s with a 200 dollar amp. Still, the full potential of the HD580s really isn't that much

. There are better phones that you can get. Grado SR-225 with flat pads (www.toddthevinyljunkie.com) are some great phones that would benefit from a relatively cheap amp later. And with those, you're already light years beyond what the sennheisers sound like. If you don't want an amp, the Ultrasone HFI650 is quite good at a reasonable price (around $150, iirc). I can't speak for the AT900s.

 

[Taurui]

You shouldn't get the HD580 because they sound boring and veiled without amp, and if you get a good amp, you've already spent so much money on them ... there's better for less, imho

For example the Ultrasone HFI-650. Works great without amp, works great with amp.

-Taurui

Edit: For bassy sound, the HFI-700 DVD would probably be better. Don't expect a boom box though - they have actually a midrange that doesn't need cloaking with bass. The only reason people like boomy bass is, imho, that their cheap speakers sound crap in midrange and highs so you don't actually wanna hear anything else than boom boom boom ........ as soon as you have quality sound, you'd probably be more and more leaning towards a neutral sound. But that's just my opinion.

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keisuke Now before I bust out my wallet on my first pair, are there any reason why I shouldn't buy the HD 580s? Btw, I like the boomy and bassy sound so try and take that as a consideration when giving a suggestion.

You shouldn't buy the HD-580s because you like the boomy and bassy sound (and HD-580s do not have this sound). Does that answer your question?

P.S. welcome to head-fi, and please check your wallet in at the door...