[nicholars]

  Out of curiosity, outside of the stock pads and the Alpha Pads, has anyone else tried any other pads?
 
It sounds like Angled Pads seem to address the somewhat excessive bass, and perhaps it is worth opening the cans up to apply Dynamat.
 
 
+1
 
I agree with this.
 
I have always viewed the optimal performance at low volume as a good incentive to protect one's hearing (this headphone does seem to distort more at higher volumes).
 
For a closed headphone, this pair of cans is pretty awesome at watching movies and playing games - the high soundstage (for a closed headphone there are times it approaches some open cans) is good for gaming and it is closed, which prevents distractions like a loud GPU at high fan speed. It's also pretty good for most film soundtracks. Equally important, it's very comfortable, which can be important for long gaming sessions.

 
Mm like I said before, if you can own ONE pair of headphones under £400 these would be it.

 

[CyberAthlete]

   
Mm like I said before, if you can own ONE pair of headphones under £400 these would be it.

I don't want to derail the topic too much, but many people suggest that the HD 650 and the Shure SRH 1540 make a good set to own. And I agree with that statement to an extent except the HD 650 are just much harder to drive and having two separate sets of sources to drive each can doesn't make for the perfect pair. In my opinion that is.
 
I've also heard (not experienced) that amps for high impedance headphones don't work well with low impedance headphones. There is a tendency to distort them. This is what I've gathered from reading so let me know if my claim is incorrect. So given that someone is a first time buyer, and has not experienced these nuances and been able to experiment, i am not sure if diving into a low and a high impedance headphone together is the best outcome.

I always buy my headphones in pairs, and I only ever keep a pair at a time. One Closed, One Open. I think  the HD 700 will be a better partner with the SRH1540 only because it should be easier to drive and doesn't need as much power as the HD 650 to get the most out of it. And therefore those who have sound cards or portable players should get more out of both without having to go crazy trying to find the perfect amp/dac + headphone combo.
 
My headphone journey (in pairs):
Sennheiser HD 555 + AT m50s, then
Sennheiser HD 598 + AT-A900x, then
Sennheiser HD 650 + Shure SRH1540
 
Future:
HD 700 + who knows

 

[CyberAthlete]

Forgot to mention:
 
Tracks used for the review:
Jay-Z: Empire State of Mind
Pearl Jam: Alive
Def Leppard: Animal
Michael Jackons: Billie Jean
Bruce Springsteen: Streets of Philadpelphia
Morgan Page: Believe (fav track from that album)
Frank Sinatra: Fly Me To The Moon
Ludovico Einaudi: Divenire (from the album "Live in Berlin")
Pink Floyd: High Hopes
The Lord of the Rings: Concerning Hobbits (From "Fellowship of the Ring")
The Shawshank Redemption: Compass and Guns
Kings of Convenience: Misread, and Gold In The Air Of Summer (two from one of my all time fav bands)
http://grooveshark.com/s/Gold+In+The+Air+Of+Summer/6GBDIh?src=5

 

[Delance26]

  I don't want to derail the topic too much, but many people suggest that the HD 650 and the Shure SRH 1540 make a good set to own. And I agree with that statement to an extent except the HD 650 are just much harder to drive and having two separate sets of sources to drive each can doesn't make for the perfect pair. In my opinion that is.
 
I've also heard (not experienced) that amps for high impedance headphones don't work well with low impedance headphones. There is a tendency to distort them. This is what I've gathered from reading so let me know if my claim is incorrect. So given that someone is a first time buyer, and has not experienced these nuances and been able to experiment, i am not sure if diving into a low and a high impedance headphone together is the best outcome.

I always buy my headphones in pairs, and I only ever keep a pair at a time. One Closed, One Open. I think  the HD 700 will be a better partner with the SRH1540 only because it should be easier to drive and doesn't need as much power as the HD 650 to get the most out of it. And therefore those who have sound cards or portable players should get more out of both without having to go crazy trying to find the perfect amp/dac + headphone combo.
 
My headphone journey (in pairs):
Sennheiser HD 555 + AT m50s, then
Sennheiser HD 598 + AT-A900x, then
Sennheiser HD 650 + Shure SRH1540
 
Future:
HD 700 + who knows

While I do not know much of the technical aspects of using a powerful Amp on low impendence headphones I can comment based on my experience.  I currently use the E09k as an amp for my 1540's and I notice no distortion.  In fact it seems to add more depth to the sound-stage.  It also tightens up the bass giving it a nice impact but not bloated in the sense that it overshadows the subtle details.  As many, including myself, have stated the 1540 is one of the more versatile headphones out there.  I regularly listen through either my 1540 or my DT 990 pro if I want a more open sound with some more sparkle.  They are also a good pairing in my opinion.

 

[Delance26]

  Out of curiosity, outside of the stock pads and the Alpha Pads, has anyone else tried any other pads?
 
It sounds like Angled Pads seem to address the somewhat excessive bass, and perhaps it is worth opening the cans up to apply Dynamat.
 
 
+1
 
I agree with this.
 
I have always viewed the optimal performance at low volume as a good incentive to protect one's hearing (this headphone does seem to distort more at higher volumes).
 
For a closed headphone, this pair of cans is pretty awesome at watching movies and playing games - the high soundstage (for a closed headphone there are times it approaches some open cans) is good for gaming and it is closed, which prevents distractions like a loud GPU at high fan speed. It's also pretty good for most film soundtracks. Equally important, it's very comfortable, which can be important for long gaming sessions.

I also agree I will use this for gaming, even added a mic (antlion modmic) to mine so if I want I can make it a really high end gaming headset.  It is actually pretty impressive the amount of details present in these headphones at low volumes, however I don't notice any major distortion when at higher volumes, but this could be all subjective to a degree as everyone defines "loud" differently.

 

[WhoIsThis]

Another problem is that for gaming, the recordings are often not of the highest quality (Ex: FLAC). For that reason, a good set of cans has to be very "forgiving" of bad recordings and make pretty much everything sound good.

 

[nicholars]

   
My headphone journey (in pairs):
Sennheiser HD 555 + AT m50s, then
Sennheiser HD 598 + AT-A900x, then
Sennheiser HD 650 + Shure SRH1540

 
You have a nice combo with the 1540 and HD650, don't think it will get THAT much better at any price. You will prob find the HD700 harsh / sibilant compared to that combo.

 

[CyberAthlete]

   
You have a nice combo with the 1540 and HD650, don't think it will get THAT much better at any price. You will prob find the HD700 harsh / sibilant compared to that combo.

Thanks mate. I'll wait till Axpona next month to try out the HD 700 in person side by side with the HD 650 before I jump on it. That's $500+ I can use else where too...

 

[FatBox360]

  I've also heard (not experienced) that amps for high impedance headphones don't work well with low impedance headphones. There is a tendency to distort them. This is what I've gathered from reading so let me know if my claim is incorrect. So given that someone is a first time buyer, and has not experienced these nuances and been able to experiment, i am not sure if diving into a low and a high impedance headphone together is the best outcome.

 
I get a hiss with my SRH1540 on my Vali but nothing on my Asgard or Fiio E17.  No hiss with my HD-600 on the Vali and it sounds sublime.

 

[rmoody]

   
I get a hiss with my SRH1540 on my Vali but nothing on my Asgard or Fiio E17.  No hiss with my HD-600 on the Vali and it sounds sublime.

Mine also hisses slightly on a Vali. Nothing on the Magni 2 Uber. Still sounds amazing on the Vali to me. I'm just waiting for Jason to announce the Vali 2 Uber. Hey, I can dream.

 

[FatBox360]

 
Mine also hisses slightly on a Vali. Nothing on the Magni 2 Uber. Still sounds amazing on the Vali to me. I'm just waiting for Jason to announce the Vali 2 Uber. Hey, I can dream.

Oh yeah - it sounds good on all the stuff I've tried so far, Vali included.  I think it sounds better on Asgard, and I'm wondering if that's just hybrid-tube vs. solid state.  Likewise, I prefer the Senns on the Vali to the Asgard, but they sound wonderful on everything that I've tried (which isn't a ton, but still).
 
I'd immediately upgrade to Vali 2U if it became available, I'm enthralled enough with the Vali so far.  Though I'd do the same for Asgard 2.
 
I'll have to search back for it, but has anyone tried the SRH1540 with a Valhalla or Lyr?

 

[nicholars]

Try out the NAD D1050 with the 1540, sounds great to me, 100% clean headphone amp even if you crank the volume to unlistenable levels! and it increases the lower mids and makes the treble smoother (compared to xonar STX). Cheaper than the more expensive Schiit stacks and you get a very nice dac and a 1w headphone amp. They usually will knock 10% off in a shop so you can get it for about £350-£370.

 

[FatBox360]

I'll see what I can do.  Funds need to be replenished.  Hopefully someone will have one I can check out next month at the Chicago meet.

 

[kimvictor]

I say HD800 over HD700! HD700's are great for what they are going for now though. Probably closer to SRH1540's sound sig(except brighter).

 

[CyberAthlete]

Couldn't resist, bit the bullet and pulled the trigger on the HD 700....will compare them when I get them.