[jonandabby]

The background - My wife keeps yelling at me to KEEP THE VOLUME DOWN, and I guess I'm hard of hearing or something. (Maybe it is the 20 year old Advent Speakers I LOVE that just have a hard time staying quiet enough for her

....) So I've decided that for a belated X-mas present I want headphones. If I had to estimate, I'll be using it 90% of the time to watch DVD's (LoTR Expanded set arrived last week) or play XBox games (Halo's rocket launcher is not popular in my house right now). Comfort is a BIG factor - I tend to watch late at night after the kids are asleep, and 2 hrs will go by before I decide that I have to go to bed....

Some information:
1) My receiver is an Onkyo 601. I called their tech line a while back, and they indicated that they would recommend a headphone amp for e.g. the Sennheiser 580 (because of the 300 impedence).
2) I borrowed a 590 on my system and liked it.
3) Since I don't think I'll listen to music much through the headphones, I don't really plan to get a headphone amp.

Here are my questions:
Given that my main need is a good replacement for my Advent speakers when I'm watching Frodo get mugged by Gollum (and not really to listen to music),
1) Do I want open or closed headphones?
2) Is the HD 280, 590, 595, or 580 the right choice? Is there a better choice in the non-Sennheiser brands (e.g. Ultrasone 650)?

 

[Helter Skelter]

You said you enjoyed the borrowed HD590, perhaps you just answered your own question. Amazon has them right now for about $150.

I have the (more expensive) HD595s, and though I primarily listen to music, I think they do very well with movies and games as well. They're also some of the easier to drive cans in the Sennheiser lineup, so using them out of your reciever will be no problem. They're also really comfortable.

These are both open headphones. Sound will leak out. Not enough that it should be heard in the next room, but enough to possibly be a bit obnoxious to someone sitting next to you. On the other hand, open designs generally mean a marked improvement in overall sound quality. Sound will also leak in. This can be a good thing, it means that unless you've reallly got the volume cranked, you should still be able to hear the phone ring or your wife calling for you.

I happen to prefer open designs in most cases, and especially at home.

 

[jonandabby]

I liked the 590's, but not enough to rush out and buy them (smile). I was looking before the 595's came out, so part of my hope in this thread is to get some focused feedback on the 590 v. 595 for DVD and game usage. I've seen the 590 v. 595 threads for music, but haven't seen much on them for movies.

I don't think the leakage will be a problem. I tend to watch when everyone is asleep upstairs. The minimal amount through the headphones shouldn't wake anyone up, I don't think.