Aliceinbassland
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Thanks for the insight, I will pass on them for now... If I find a set for cheap I'll try them out.
The Sennheiser HD580 Impressions Thread
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homesicalien
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The funny thing is you can easily find some guys here who will tell you that HD 560 Ovation (first version, not Ovation II) are the headphones to appreciate most. Just check out the HD 540s thread.
abby normal
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the 600s were just so much more expensive at the time I got my 580s that I just decided to stick with the 580s as they were sufficiently transparent for me to do my remastering work.
vhsownsbeta
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Looking for an HD580 in good condition. PM if available, thanks.
holden4th
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They're amazing phones when amplified correctly and don't come up for sale very often. Good luck and I hope you find some.
vhsownsbeta
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homesicalien
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Finnaly bought 2nd second version of HD 580 (early "made in Ireland" from ~1998). I didn't even need to compare with previously bought 3rd version (late "made in Ireland" version before introduction of version with white drivers). It's just like they were two different pairs of headphones. What the newer version suffers from, older one excels in - I mean mainly treble and coloration. Shy treble vs pleasant and accurate one. Veil vs tonal balance. A bit muddy bass vs very deep, faithful enough bass. Funny how much confusion the variety of 580 versions brings to reviews, opinions, ratings, Are they veiled? Are they as good as HD 600? Well, depends on which one you have.
Bob A (SD)
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This version stuff confuses me. Box says mine are made in Ireland and were bought in December 1993 from Headroom. Serial number is 191xx. Flat "HD580 Precision" nameplate. So what does that make them? Second version?
homesicalien
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I'm not entirely sure which is which either. From what I know, there are four:
- Made in Germany - very hard to find, probably sound is closer to classic HD 540 and HD 560
- Early Ireland made with flat name plate - my previous post
- Mid Ireland made with raised name plate - my previous post
- Late Ireland made with bright driver screen and raised name plate - this is the one I know least about, I mean how they sound.
I'm not saying the 3rd one is a bad pair of headphones. It just has significantly different sound characteristics to the 2nd one, not suitable for me.
There's a lot of information about HD 600 driver versions too. My guess is one HD 580 and one HD 600 version share the same driver.
My point is, the differences are not minor, they are not negligible. You don't need to compare under laboratory conditions. They are obvious.
- Made in Germany - very hard to find, probably sound is closer to classic HD 540 and HD 560
- Early Ireland made with flat name plate - my previous post
- Mid Ireland made with raised name plate - my previous post
- Late Ireland made with bright driver screen and raised name plate - this is the one I know least about, I mean how they sound.
I'm not saying the 3rd one is a bad pair of headphones. It just has significantly different sound characteristics to the 2nd one, not suitable for me.
There's a lot of information about HD 600 driver versions too. My guess is one HD 580 and one HD 600 version share the same driver.
My point is, the differences are not minor, they are not negligible. You don't need to compare under laboratory conditions. They are obvious.
holden4th
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If you don't have the box, can you find the serial number somewhere on the headphones themselves?
Bob A (SD)
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funkymartyn
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Two pair of 580 on ebay uk tonight, one pair £90 still bidding, and the other £50.
funkymartyn
500+ Head-Fier
You got me thinking now, my box in roof space, so ill check later for number.But i picked mine up new Jan 2003 from a uk hifi shop in the winter sale... Dont know which version i have. They have the raised HD 580. Precision tab on both sides.......?
Whats this about the Late version having bright driver screen ?
You dont mean the grey covers do you ?
Whats this about the Late version having bright driver screen ?
You dont mean the grey covers do you ?
homesicalien
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I posted this before, but here we go...
The thing about bright and dark drivers is really about bright and dark drivers' screens. Drivers themselves differ too, but that's another topic.
2nd and 3rd versions have dark drivers' screens. Different, but both dark:
2nd version:
3rd version:
Probably I shouldn't go so far, but there's possibility this is what the difference in sound is caused by.
This is how the bright driver's screen looks like (4th version):
The thing about bright and dark drivers is really about bright and dark drivers' screens. Drivers themselves differ too, but that's another topic.
2nd and 3rd versions have dark drivers' screens. Different, but both dark:
2nd version:
3rd version:
Probably I shouldn't go so far, but there's possibility this is what the difference in sound is caused by.
This is how the bright driver's screen looks like (4th version):
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