[JeffB1961]

hello folks , first post here . been lurking for a few weeks here and other www places learning some about different opinions and recomendations about headphones . im 47 and used to be really into music a lot as a kid and even did sound/pa for a few bands and a theatrical dinner theare show of Maude and did sound for the last of the tommy dosy big band some 30 odd years ago .

anyhow time has gone by and i have more time to relax now and i want to get some nice headphones . im thinking about $100 or so for something pretty good , maybe ,,,,, just maybe a upper limit to $150 IF.. i found a really good deal/sale on something kinda special . anyhow , im thinking the grado 80i or 125i is going to be the cleanest thing around but as much as i do want clarity it has to be comfortable . something that i could wear for 3 or 4 hours watching movies or listening to some music , seventies and eightys stuff .. van halen , molly hatchet , atlanta rythem section , kansas , rush , chicago , styx , supertramp , stealy dan . lol i thing you get the idea .

. i do have a nice 5.1 home theater setup (pioneer and polk) with a 5o inch plasma . nothing great to some , but it makes me happy , hehe .

anyhow im kinda focused on the sennheiser 555 and the AT ath ad-700's . my concern about the 700's is that it appears the cups dont pivot to allow it to compress evenly around the ears forming a optimum seal on everyone . however it apparently is a wee bit to a bit cleaner than the 555's . the 555's seem to be a lil bassier or fatter in the bottom according to the reviews . but no one ever says the 555's are muddy or that the 700's are shy in the bottom end . im thinking a simple adjustment of a tone or equalizer controll could compensate either way as long as the clarity remains .

so why not just go listen and buy them ???? i have a bad back and a knee that needs replacing and dont want to go tour the city in search of the perfect headphones .... for me . i was hoping you guys might let me know if ive got two real good choices in mind or if theres something better in my budget that i might want to consider . im in richmond va so probally most everything is available for me to check out .

thanks for the great forum !!

 

[rayk]

I'm pretty sure AD700s will be a lot more comfier then the HD555s, not to mention probably better sounding. You only need get a good seal when using canalphones, open headphones with soft pads will sit optimally on most people.

 

[donunus]

go for the ad700s. had both and preferrred it over the 555s

 

[lucky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donunus /img/forum/go_quote.gif go for the ad700s. had both and preferrred it over the 555s

^

 

[dweaver]

HD555 was very tight for me and bothered me quite a bit, the AD700 on the other hand literally fell of my head.

For sound I found the AD700 to simply be in a league WAY above the HD555, it had way better highs and midrange with tighter punchier bass (the HD555 bass was not as deep while being boomy at the same time), the sound stage of the AD700 was also much larger. So if you have a large head the AD700 is great.

For myself I ended up picking up a pair of Philips HP910 (available off Ebay for around $40US shipped), it is not quite as nice as the AD700 for sound (I really liked the midrange and highs of the AD700) but it's close and has more bass, I think it's way better than the HD555 (very close to the same quality as the HD595 IMO). From a comfort perspective it is light years ahead of the HD and AD phones as it does not clamp hard or require an oversized melon, plus it's shaped to fit the head better. BTW the build quality of the Philips is not as good as either the HD or the AD phones which accounts for it's lower price but SQ wise it's really is not a bad and at less than half the cost of those other guys I can afford to replace it if I need to. One last point, I found it to be easier to drive than the other guys as well which means I can use it with my PC and my Ipod Touch 2G without an amp which is also a bonus.

 

[yourstruly]

I have the AD700's and HD600's. I've heard the HD595's. I can safely say that AD700's are more comfortable than both of them. I had misgivings about the AD700's fit too, as you can see in my post history. I can safely say that, unless you have an abnormally small head, they should not be a problem. Keep in mind also, that these are open phones. They do not need a perfect seal to sound their best.

I think the bass issues are exaggerated. It all depends on what level of bass you are used to. If you listen to mostly classical/jazz/low-fi stuff, an amped AD700 will produce levels of bass that you are used to. It just doesn't produce bass like say, at a club or rock concert.

Either way, I'm sure both are excellent phones and you can't go wrong.

 

[JayB18]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donunus /img/forum/go_quote.gif go for the ad700s. had both and preferrred it over the 555s

x3

I also found the HD555 to clamp quite a bit making them uncomfortable for me.

 

[JeffB1961]

LOL ... well ...... my head is 24 1/4 inches measuring just above the eyebrow , across the top of the ears and evenly to the back . i think ive got a big head . ill not go any farther on that one . hahahahahaha
anything else besides the 700 that i may want to consider ?
thanks for the speedy replies .

 

[WittyzTH]

just nothing but another vote for AD700.

 

[jonathanjong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BOOTYMONSTER /img/forum/go_quote.gif but no one ever says the 555's are muddy or that the 700's are shy in the bottom end .

Actually, lots of people say 700s are shy in the bottom end. And as you've seen, some say the rumours of the lack of bass are exaggerated. Dunno.

 

[Nick 214]

Wow, I may be the only person who prefers the 555s in this case... I think they are very comfortable, and I personally love the clamping force.

(ramble)

However it is possible that I just do not like the AT sound signature.. I did let go of my ATH-W100s..

However my 555s have been well modified and always used with a proper amp..

(/ramble)

NK

 

[WittyzTH]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick 214 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wow, I may be the only person who prefers the 555s in this case... I think they are very comfortable, and I personally love the clamping force. (ramble) However it is possible that I just do not like the AT sound signature.. I did let go of my ATH-W100s.. However my 555s have been well modified and always used with a proper amp.. (/ramble) NK

and your W100 was so sad and commit suicide after owned by other member.

*sob* *sob*

 

[kostalex]

AD700 sounds way better even if unamped. And it is one of the most comfortable cans (I tried about 40-50 fullsized cans).

 

[JayB18]

You could also consider the Alessandro MS-1 or Beyerdynamic DT440. The AD700 will beat both in terms of soundstage and comfort though.

 

[pi3guy]

My head is 21 in across the eyebrow and the ad700 fits me fine. if your head is bigger then it should be even more comfortable. the earcups do pivot about 15 degrees in each direction from center. I tried my friend's hd555 and it also fit me fine. at first I kept feeling pressure in my jawbone near my molars(my face is somewhat angular), but now the pads must have changed shape or I just go used to it because I can wear it for hours.
The ad700 is a little loose and even walking around you feel the phones moving a little. Also, the ad700 has a fuzzy material, which does not irritate at all. they feel like giant pillows around your ears. The hd555 have a smoother material kind of like those stress gel balls.
I think the senns are a little harder to drive loud than ad700. I don't think there is a big difference in bass quantity but I'm just a noob in sq department. The senns may also leak less than the audio technicas.