[BrightmanLuvr]

I am ready to get into high end (i.e. audiophile) headphones.

I have been reading reviews and comments.
I do not want to get a headphone amp, due to the cost involved and the lack of portability this solution affords.

I have therefore decided that in my price range, given the options available on the net etc., the HD-590 is the best bet.

I can get
a pair of manufacturer refurbished HD-590 for $119 + $10 shipping from an online vendor) with a 1 year warranty from Sennheiser
OR
a pair of NEW HD-590 for $149 + $10 shipping (from a different place than the refurbished pair described above)
with ironically only a 6 month warranty from vendor (NOT from Sennheiser).

I am leaning towards the new set for $30 more, since even though the "refurbished" pair is probably also new, but just can't be sold that low, or was simply a customer return, I wouldn't be able to tell if something was not quite up to spec.

The only reason the $30 makes a difference, is that I can get
refurbished 580s for about $70 or $80, so the $119 is easier to justify to myself than $149...

What are your suggestions?

I chose against the 580s for three main reasons:
1) The double cord (prefer the comfort of a single cord, which won't get in the way as much
2) problems with sounds dropping out in some units (due to cord design?).
3) The fact that it supposedly needs a good headphone amp to be driven properly.

Anyway, thanks for any assistance you can provide
to a newbie in the field of audiophile headphones.

 

[purk]

Hi,
Welcome to the board and sorry for your wallet. Anyway, I would suggest you to pick up the HD580 for that money (I have both 580 and 590). Sennheiser HD-580 is very well regard here. It has everything that the HD-590 has to offer, plus greater fidelity. I would suggest that you save that 30 or 40 dollars from the HD-590 and invest in headphone amp. My advice is to pick up the Cmoy amp (great amp for beginner) from Mr. Tangent. The price should be in the range of 60-90 dollars. This combo (senn 580 and Cmoy) will floor you. So, 160 dollars for a killer headphone system....I don't think you will regret that extra 30 bucks.


About the cord problem on the HD580, don't worry about it too much. Treat it with good cares, and HD-580 will last you. I don't have any problem with my Senn HD-580(6 months of heavy use). Moreover, though the Senn HD-590 is a more efficient phones (120 ohms VS 300 Ohms on the 580). The 590 also require some sort of amplification (i.e. Cmoy) to sound its best. So, invest wisely and get the Senn HD-580 with Cmoy or META42 amp.

Purk

P.S.
Where did you find the refurb. Senn HD-580 for 80 dollars? Will you share with us.

 

[sTaTIx]

Purk, I believe the man said that portability was a priority and he did not want the extra hassle and costs of a headphone amp.

However, if portability is a concern, and if BrightmanLuvr intends to use his headphones outside, I'm not sure if the 590 is a very good choice either. It's every bit as bulky as the 580 or 600, and that's very bulky. Also, it's open-air, so it leaks sound in and out quite a bit. If you need headphones to be used outside, they must be closed, as well as small. Perhaps a pair of Ety ER6's would fit you more? They're small and they isolate very well. They're in your price range too. Just a suggestion.

 

[purk]

statix,

Thanks for correcting.

Anyway, HD-590 is still not good for portable application. I'm sure that your portable source will have a hard time driving these phone. I recommend you to look for something lower than 80 ohms in impedance rating. Senn HD-590 is not that efficient. How about Sony MDR-V6 or Senn HD-280. These latter mentioned are sealed design and provided good isolation. The V6 is not that bulky like the Senn HD-280 pro and sounds great from about every source. It also has coil-cord. The price is also cheap (60-80 dollars), though, it is very tough to find the V6 on the online retailer lately.

By the way, I forgot to mention that you definitely can enjoy your HD-580 or HD-590 if you willing to invest 60 dollars in this Super Mini amp by "Fix up."


Purk

 

[Eagle_Driver]

I may be in the minority here, but I can't recommend closed headphones in outside situations which you must hear outside sounds, such as walking, jogging or bike riding. Closed headphones are okay for use inside a noisy plane, train or bus, however.

So, headphones that are to be used during walking or jogging outside should be open-air, unless the user is operating a lawn mower while walking outside (in which case closed-back headphones - but not sealed canalphones - are preferred).

That said, the Sennheiser HD 5##/6## series headphones are a bit too bulky to use as an 'outsidephone' - though I have no problems whatsoever using them during walking.

 

[LTUCCI1924]

HI: If portability is of your main concern with no amp then I would suggest the koss portapros. The portapros sound great and sound much bigger than they really are and fold into a very small package. Also the new mini amp by fix-up is very interesting and is very small. Most of the big headphones sound best with a headphone amp or a stereo receiver.

 

[BrightmanLuvr]

Well, first of all, I just tried to post a LENGTHY reply,
but the submission hung and then I got "server not available"and everything I had typed was lost!!!
I also had problems last night with this site taking forever
to open posts.
All my other usual sites load very quickly, so I don't know what it is, but it seems to be site-specific.

I don't have the energy to retype everything right now
(at least this time I am typing the entire reply in Notepad
first, so I don't lose it again).

Anyway, I unfortunately didn't read your replies before making my decision (NOT that I made the wrong decision, but I don't want people to think I asked a question and then didn't bother to read the replies).
The reason being that I thought I had deleted my original post last night, but apparently the deletion didn't go through;
although I am happy now that it didn't.

I ended up getting the mfr-refurbished pair of HD580
phones. They were only US$71 + about $11 shipping.
The reason I didn't get the 590s
was that I actually decided earlier today that I would not
get new phones after all, since it was probably an impulse buy and that I might not use them that often.
However, I rethought things through somewhat and then on an impulse (although I had done my research in advance), I decided to compromise (between getting the 590s and getting nothing at all) and get the 580s.

The reasons being that the 580s seem to be regarded by many as better than the 590s!
So how could I justify getting the 590s for more.
In addition the 580s and 600s seem to always be compared, and
are said to be quite similar.
Also, at a number of places the 580s are actually a bit more expensive or only a few dollars less than the 590s, attesting to their quality and popularity.

I could have actually afforded the 600s, but that would just have been overkill for my non-audiophile needs. It is even harder to justify getting 600s over 580s when the 600s sell for over three times the price I paid for the 580s...

As far as the portability issue goes, I will use earphones for my MP3 CD player.
The 580s will actually be for home use only.

NOTE: I bought some new Sennheiser MX-500 earphones last night after seeing them online and being surprised at how well-liked they were for under $20!
I can't wait to get them.
I already have middle of the line Sony Fontopia earphones for my portable, but I want to try the Sennheisers and see how they compare...
One is often happy with what one has, until one hears something new that, in some cases, blows the old equipment away.

Thanks again for all your opinions and helpful feedback!!!

PS: We shall see if the 580s meet my needs without a dedicated headphone amp.
If not, I will consider getting an amp, assuming I use the phones enough...

 

[purk]

Hi,
Can u share with us where did you purchase the HD-580 for that price? Thanks. I really appreciate.

Purk