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Have a sip of water and arrange your rear comfortably onto your IKEA chair, it's time to enjoy the Sennheiser headphone – the HD 530. (But if you don't own them, you can buy a pair for the current going price of 10–30 euros used.)
 
The HD 530 – images here – were released in the late '80s as an upgrade to the HD 540 and to provide an affordable companion to the HD 560. Relatively neutral, the HD 530 seem to have found adoption in studios and appear to have been popular given the number of pairs in circulation. An updated version, the 530 II, followed some years later and will be ignored in this thread.
 
Initially, I found the HD 530 (600-ohm version) relatively detailed with good tonality but being a bit too bright and somewhat loose in the bass. To help mitigate these issues, I did a simple-ish mod by removing the cups entirely, converting the HD 530 to more closely resemble the HD 600 in its physical form. The result is a slightly faster sound, with a somewhat better-behaved bass and a treble less eager. Still bright, but good for non-pop-y music.
 
I find this HD 530 in its modded form comparable to the AKG K 701, both having a slightly elevated mid-bass and some exaggeration in the treble, but with relative neutrality in the mids. Detail retrieval I thought about the same, though giving a slight edge to the K 701. See the graphs below, see them well.
 

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Sennheiser HD 530, modded​	AKG K 701​

 
The modded HD 530 here has a smoother decay and less coloration.
 
Another, more detailed review of the HD 530 (300-ohm version) conducted by Mr. wyki can be found here.
 
In sum, the HD 530 are an excellent dynamic headphone for the price of a Grado adapter cable, and will likewise grant one entry into this most exclusive of clubs.

 

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Membership in this club is of course not limited to those who post in our thread here - by virtue of owning the HD 530 you have become a member. Let's thus survey what our members around the world have been up to.
 
The HD 530 is found succesfully holding its own in this comparison against the HD 650. In another comparison, now facing both the HD 650 and the MDR-7506, the HD 530 wins.
 
On the 16th of May 2007, a person opined that the HD 650 was indeed a step backwards in comparison to the HD 530, while a man without proof tried to convince people that the HD 650 was as good as the HD 530. And while discussion ensued regarding the HD 800, a fellow among the posters rightfully took the time to appreciate the HD 530.
 
Neutrality is a theme with the HD 530 as well. 'Naturalistic colors,' says this man. A thing of beauty, according to this French guy. And the verdict of Jeremy: 'best natural mid range'.
 
The HD 530, to the point: 'great', 'fine'. Somewhat more rambling is this review, finding the HD 530 simply an audiophile headphone. Mr. ansgar agrees by giving his warm recommendation for the HD 530 somewhere in this thread. A Finn chimes in with an expletive to further praise the HD 530.
 
Availability of parts since purchase in '94 is a noted plus.
 
'THE best headphones are Sennheiser HD-530'.

 

[vid]

A comparison between the HD 530 (600-ohm version) and the AKG K 240 DF, both praised for their neutrality but neither truly being so.
 
Intending to help out a minority routinely ignored in reviews, I collected for this comparison a playlist exclusively of black metal.
 

1. Ulver, I Troldskog faren vild​
2. Burzum, Hvis lyset tar oss​
3. Mütiilation, Through the Funeral Maelstrom of Evil​
4. Nargaroth, Black Metal ist krieg​
5. Warloghe, Once More Against the Light​
6. Bilskirnir, Revenge​

 
The songs were listened to first on the DF, then on the 530. I tend to favor an EQ of some  -dB around 3 kHz on the 530 to combat brightness, but disabled it for this comparison.
 
Summarizing the differences between these two headphones is simple. Move your eyes across the text below to find out.
 
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I've performed a comparison: HD 530 (600-ohm version) against KWH HOK 80.
 
In other words, West German dynamic vs East German planar magnetic.
 
Neither phone was unmodded.
 
For the comparison, I again rounded up a playlist for the benefit of a minority overlooked, a playlist in brief of Finnish freeform.

1. Alek Szahala, Xochitlán​
2. Alek Szahala, Pink Magic​
3. Substanced & Alchemiist, Permission To Die​

 
Feed the letters below into your brain to find out more.
 

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I've performed a comparison: HD 530 (600-ohm version) against Beyerdynamic DT 990.
 
I've chosen to amuse the minority made up of my own self and for that have chosen a single album of acoustic music to make up the playlist.

1. Ulver, Kveldssanger​

 
Below are related meanings to plug into your conscious.
 

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[vid]

Modded my HD 530 a bit further by replacing the baffle foam piece with a disc of wool fabric. Tames some treble.

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Moving on, I've performed a comparison: HD 530 (600-ohm version) against AKG K 250.
 
The playlist was an album of Japanese post-rock.

1. Toe, The Future Is Now​

 
Follow closely.
 

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[vid]

I've performed a comparison: HD 530 (600-ohm version) against Yamaha HP-50.
 
Both phones were modded.
 
This time, like last time, I chose a playlist of post-rock.

1. Mice Parade, Do your eyes see sparks​
2. Mice Parade, Mary anne​
3. Mice Parade, pretending​
4. Mice Parade, currents​
5. Mice Parade, warm hand in farmland​
6. Mice Parade, steady as she goes​

 
Choose below and have meanings of your own.
 

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[vid]

I've performed a comparison: HD 530 (600-ohm version) against Sennheiser HD 600.
 
This album has my fancy and was chosen as the playlist.

1. Devastations, Coal​

 
Figured out related thoughts below.
 

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[coolcat37]

Will your thoughts ever return?

 

[usedaheadfiluke]

Hi, I've owned my Sennheiser HD530 since new. Recently, i was listening to the sweet sounds of Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother suite on vinyl in a "DARK" room, through the HD530. When the time came to flip the record, my left foot entangled with the HD530 audio cable and pulled the left ear-cup from the headband.  I thought the ear-cup would simply clip back into its position to the headband.... Nope!... the ear-cup connector snapped and resides nicely in the headband.
 
  Ive tried every commercially available "SUPER" glue (my ass)  to try and reattach the bits ...Nope! ... nothing i've use will bond the plastic thats used to make the HD530 casing.  I'm hoping someone out there may know and recommend a glue, that can bond that particular plastic. Alternatively i'd be happy to purchase a working or non working pair of HD530 or purchase a single ear-cup for parts. (fingers crossed). 
 
 Thank you! to take the time to read my post.
 
 It appears i dont have the privileges to upload my photos!  If you’d like and want to see my photos showing the damaged ear-cup connector, i’d be happy to email them.
 
 Cheers

 

[coolcat37]

Well if I correctly get your problem, your headband is screwed ? Correct? In that case it wil lnot hold with superglue, I tried this myself. Apparently the cheap Sennheiser HD202 has an headband in which your lovily HD530 will clip into...

 

[usedaheadfiluke]

Nope! headband is perfect, its the lug on the left ear-cup thats broken away and remains attached to the headband. That lug is what I'm trying to glue back to the ear-cup casing.
 
I did check out your recommendation for the HD202.  Yes, i see how it can work to replace the HD530 headband.  My headband is in perfect condition, i need a complete ear-cup, left or right it won't matter which one!  

 

[wyki]

An interesting suggestion on the headband.  Mine is not broken but it is distinctly loose.  Do you mean that the whole HD 530 earpiece snaps out of its old headband and into that of the HD 202?  Thanks.

 

[Storydog]

Has someone tried out the velourspads of the HD 560 on the HD 530?
What are the sound differences?
 
In my collection I have since Spring a HD 530 (300 Ohm).
Of course changing the pads are a good Idea.  
 
Here in Germany the regular imitation leather for the HD 530 are costing 20,90 € and the velour pads for the HD 560 so 32 - 33 €.
 
It is worth the invest?  
 
My HD 530 II that I have longer, got last year the new imitation leather pads.
I hope there are still friends for the HD 530/HD 530 II.

 

[wyki]

I have replacement velour pads on my HD 560 but pleather pads on my HD 530.  The HD 560 is rounder than the somewhat oval HD 530, and I don't know whether the same pads would work on both.  Possibly -- it is not a large difference -- but I am not sure .  I use the HD 560 in my higher end system and my HD 530 with my old laptop and a Muse Mini USB DAC ($24!) and am astonished how good it is.