Hello everyone.
Sennheiser HD 400 Pro vs HD 560S (my two copies) vs HD 58X Jubile (my latest headphones): (short) comparative listening impressions.
To begin with (pending the imminent delivery of the HD 58X ordered from massdrop), my copy of the
HD-400 Pro is a little more "bassy" with slightly less treble than my copy of the
HD-560S; it's (for me) obvious when listening; it sounds a little less clear and airy than the HD-560S.
The two Sennheiser headphones are reasonably neutral (and this can be understood concerning the tonal accuracy of the voices) and sufficiently defined (detailed) to appreciate both MP3 (YouTube videos) and Blu-ray audio (PCM audio tracks) and audio CDs (on a very good CD player); the difference in resolution can easily be understood depending on the medium used. The limiting factor in sound reproduction is most often linked to the quality of the recording (including sound compression), not to mention typical headphone listening (sound around the head), but in a non-claustrophobic way (open headphones, obligatory).
After receiving my new HD 58X, I was able to make a precise comparison with my HD 400 Pro, which then served as my reference headphone (my best headphone to date).
I translate here part of the comparison made between these two headphones that can be found in full on the French forum,
at the following link :
https://www.homecinema-fr.com/forum/post181129278.html#p181129278 (note: you can use google translate for non-French speakers).
After receiving my new HD 58X, I was able to make a precise comparison with my HD 400 Pro, which then served as my reference headphone (my best headphone to date).
Comparison HD 400 pro vs HD 58X (my two copies).
When listening, the
HD 400 Pro is clearer in tone, with a low treble level (4.5-6 KHz) significantly higher than that of the
HD 58X: this extra treble of the HD 400 Pro has the positive side of giving more clarity to the sound, which appears more spectacular, more airy, and also more dynamic in the treble; the legibility of voices is increased. In return (negative side), I agree with the opinion of Julien cleriensis (sound engineer) who qualifies this overrepresentation of the low treble of the HD-400 Pro (between 4.5 and 6 KHz) (and for my copy, even more my HD 560S) like a coloring that harms the timbres of the voices, overplayed and a bit artificial, a little thin too.
The other obvious tonal difference between these two headphones (at least to my ear) is that, somewhat surprisingly, the HD 58X (my copy) has more mid bass than my copy of the HD 400 Pro. ; the bass (like the bass guitar) are more present and "heavier" with the HD 58X than with the HD 400 pro, and you can hear it.
Otherwise, I listened quite a bit to the voices (female and male) on this Live concert (above), in different registers and different tones and even expressiveness (ranging from the purest lyrical singing to the most guttural vocal sound ), and my conclusion is that the timbre of the voices, both female and male, seem more accurate to me with the HD 58X (than with the HD 400 Pro); as already said, the HD 400 Pro overplays the voices a little in the treble, certainly in a more readable way, but also less credible by being leaner and probably less accurate in tone (for the timbre).
Last funny thing I noticed; in the first extract of the video below,
at time 3 minutes, we hear the explosions of fireworks (in the open air); well the explosions seem more believable to me (for the memory that I have of this kind of pyrotechnic events) with the HD 58X than with the HD 400 Pro (with a leaner and clearer tone for these pyrotechnic effects with the HD 400 Pro) .
Otherwise, in the second extract from the video below,
at time 4 minutes, the singer's voice seems more accurate to me with the HD 58X than with the HD 400 Pro.
Finally, I agree with René that the
HD 58X headphones are not spectacular headphones, in any case less spectacular than my
HD 400 Pro, whose over-representation in the treble will give a certain effect of over-definition, clarity, increased readability and even increased dynamics in the treble. It is probably the same with the HD 800 versus HD 800S.
Finally, going from HD 400 pro to HD 58X, well, it's a bit like going from HD 800 to HD 800S ...
PS: Some photos (attached) concerning this comparison of these three Sennheiser headphones.
A very nice trio of Sennheiser headphones: HD 58X at the bottom; HD-400 pro top and left; HD-560S top and right.
)
