[Lunchbox2]

Hey everyone, I've had my hd-595s for a few months now and I've found that they are really sharp and bright on a lot of vocals. I listen to a lot of hip hop and I find that often the male vocals are so sharp I have to turn the volume down to the point where it is hard to pick out details (the way I'd like to) from the music. Any suggestions for other headphones better suited to hip hop, reggae, and classic rock? I'm using a soundblaster live 5.1>receiver>LD MKIII but I don't think that is the issue. I find the sound the same if I go soundcard to MKIII. any and all ideas short of changing headphones would appreciated.

 

[blessingx]

Have you digitally EQed?

 

[Raez]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blessingx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have you digitally EQed?

x2

 

[scytheavatar]

The HD595s are brighter than the other Senns, but I wouldn't call them a bright phone, your ears must be very sensetive. And they are not the phones for you if you want to pick up details. I'll suggest that you look at the D2000.

 

[Lunchbox2]

thanks scytheavatar. I don't want to digitally EQ because that means i'm cheating the phones. I want a pair of headphones that can naturally take what i'm throwing at it, and don't have to degrade the SQ by digitally EQing them. but I understand that it would be an option aside from getting new phones.

 

[1Time]

The sound card is the source of the brightness. Use a warmer source to confirm. Try listening straight from your receiver, which probably is warmer than the sound card.

 

[Tiemen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scytheavatar /img/forum/go_quote.gif The HD595s are brighter than the other Senns, but I wouldn't call them a bright phone, your ears must be very sensetive. And they are not the phones for you if you want to pick up details. I'll suggest that you look at the D2000.

Eek, OP is complaining about "really sharp and bright on a lot of vocals", and you are recommending D2000

Those are painfully bright, harsh, sharp and sibilant on vocals.....

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tiemen /img/forum/go_quote.gif Eek, OP is complaining about "really sharp and bright on a lot of vocals", and you are recommending D2000 Those are painfully bright, harsh, sharp and sibilant on vocals.....

Do you mean with your equipment? Surely the D2000 has not gained popularity by sounding this way to many others.

 

[Tiemen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Time /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do you mean with your equipment? Surely the D2000 has not gained popularity by sounding this way to many others.

If you do a little search, you will find a lot of complaining about the D2000 treble. The problem is, there are so many fans of this Denons shouting out their enthousiasm, that people are buying them, and then found out the faults.
I think it's fair to give a counter opinion.
BTW: have you seen Ludoo's signature? It's this: “My denons could have cut wood in half, and headfiers call it smooth and slightly rolled off on top.” —Kabeer in IM

 

[WittyzTH]

From my exp. D2000 is for sure brighter than the 595.

I guess many people prefer them because they love how they sound quite similar to HD650 but on the much brighter side.

That's why some of them mod it to tame the brightness to bring them more balanced.

 

[Menisk]

I'd agree with trying a different source. If that doesn't help you'd probably love 650s. Deep awesome bass and they're nice and dark.

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tiemen /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you do a little search, you will find a lot of complaining about the D2000 treble. The problem is, there are so many fans of this Denons shouting out their enthousiasm, that people are buying them, and then found out the faults. I think it's fair to give a counter opinion. BTW: have you seen Ludoo's signature? It's this: “My denons could have cut wood in half, and headfiers call it smooth and slightly rolled off on top.” —Kabeer in IM

Oh, I've read such complaints and that's in part what's kept me from buying a D2000. Yet it remains fairly obvious that many are enjoying their D2000, unmodded, or modded one way, or modded another way, and with this source and amp, or some other source and amp. And yes, I have seen that signature. I recall wondering if it referred to the D1001, D2000, some other model, or all of them. And then I pretty much dismissed it since I understand the associated equipment with and without various mods can make substantial differences.

 

[scytheavatar]

Man, some people's ears must be made of something thinner than tissue paper if they think that the D2000 is bright... because the D2000 are certainly dark by nature and if you think that they are bright I'll like to know what phones outside of the Senns and the Audio Technica closed backs are darker and smoother than the D2000.

 

[Tiemen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scytheavatar /img/forum/go_quote.gif Man, some people's ears must be made of something thinner than tissue paper if they think that the D2000 is bright... because the D2000 are certainly dark by nature and if you think that they are bright I'll like to know what phones outside of the Senns and the Audio Technica closed backs are darker and smoother than the D2000.

Yes, they are dark by nature, because of the overwhelming bass. But still they have sibilant and harsh highs. That makes them sound so weird to my ears.
Depends of course on the recordings and type of music you're listening to.
With some music, I didn't had any problems with the D2000. But most of my pop and rock collections is sounding too sharp already, and that makes a bad match with the D2000.

Smoother sounding closed cans: Kenwood KH-K1000, Beyerdynamic DT150, AKG K271/272, GermanMAESTRO GMP 250.
Not that they are dark, but they have a smoother top end.

 

[glac1er]

A stock D2000 is brighter than HD595. Not a good choice for the OP.

Although I think the D2000s are one of the best affordable closed headphones, their highs isn't the smoothest and rather dependent on recordings. I don't have as much issue with bright but smoother headphones like DT880 '03 and ER4S. At the same time, the D2000 aren't quite the treble monsters like SR325i and DT990.