[Bob A (SD)]

  Secondary question: did the baffle material itself change over time, similar to the colors? These baffles certainly feel the same to me when I run my finger over them, driver differences notwithstanding.

If memory serves there were some minor changes to the material. 
 
You might want to have this article in your "back pocket" when you rebuff that seller.  Tyll shows the different drivers cups/colors but doesn't mention the fabric differences though.   http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/very-important-sennheiser-hd-580-hd-600-and-hd-650

 

[saxon48]

  If memory serves there were some minor changes to the material. 
 
You might want to have this article in your "back pocket" when you rebuff that seller.  Tyll shows the different drivers cups/colors but doesn't mention the fabric differences though.   http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/very-important-sennheiser-hd-580-hd-600-and-hd-650

Ah! I remember reading that article a while back. I certainly will refer to that if the seller gets at all hostile. My thanks for all your help and kind words, Bob!

 

[Bob A (SD)]

I certainly will refer to that if the seller gets at all hostile.

Ear pad options:
 
I cited the factory ear pads earlier.  Here are some alternatives / comparisons:
 
Sennheiser OP Disc 1 #050635 ear pads      $42.80 (+$6.50 S/H)     32mm thick  fairly firm
Brainwavz HM5 Velour Memory Foam           $22.50                         30mm thick  TBD
Generic Chinese eBay ear pads                  ~$10  to $15.00              25mm thick  fairly soft
 
I decided to order a pair of the HM5 pads and use the mounting ring from my Chinese pads currently on my HD580s.  I'll be curious to compare them to my 4 month old HD600 Sennheiser pads for firmness, etc.
 
I also opted for the velour HM5s over pleather or hybrid as they most closely resemble factory ear pads and should have the least amount of impact on SQ.
 
 
 
On a different note, any resolution with the seller yet?

 

[saxon48]

On a different note, any resolution with the seller yet?

Sorry for the delayed response, just finished up with finals!
 
After some back and forth, we're going to do a single-driver swap. The seller had another pair of 580's on hand with the 'black and white' drivers (he remains adamant that this is a regular occurrence; not sure if he is stupid or thinks that I'm the stupid one

), so I've already sent in the white HD600 driver on my set in exchange for the black HD580 driver on his set... also getting a partial refund for my troubles! All in all, I'd say things turned out well. I'll report back over the weekend with listening impressions of a hopefully far better-matched pair of drivers.

 

[Bob A (SD)]

Glad to hear he finally responded.  Now to hope that the black screen drivers are a close match

 

[Bob A (SD)]

I decided to order a pair of the HM5 pads and use the mounting ring from my Chinese pads currently on my HD580s.  I'll be curious to compare them to my 4 month old HD600 Sennheiser pads for firmness, etc.  
I also opted for the velour HM5s over pleather or hybrid as they most closely resemble factory ear pads and should have the least amount of impact on SQ.
 

Received the HM5 velour pads today and after cutting up the Chinese pair to salvage the rings did the deed.  Very nice.  Feels thicker than the "new" style Senn factory earpads on my HD600s. SQ seems uneffected too.   I'm a convert! 

 

 

[Charliemotta]

 

I decided to order a pair of the HM5 pads and use the mounting ring from my Chinese pads currently on my HD580s.  I'll be curious to compare them to my 4 month old HD600 Sennheiser pads for firmness, etc.  
I also opted for the velour HM5s over pleather or hybrid as they most closely resemble factory ear pads and should have the least amount of impact on SQ.
 

Received the HM5 velour pads today and after cutting up the Chinese pair to salvage the rings did the deed.  Very nice.  Feels thicker than the "new" style Senn factory earpads on my HD600s. SQ seems uneffected too.   I'm a convert! 

 

You mean like these?    
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Replacement-Ear-Pads-For-Sennheiser-HD545-HD565-HD580-HD600-HD650-Headphone-/151618847095?hash=item234d300177:g:-0oAAOSwBahU1IQx

 

[Bob A (SD)]

   
Quote:

  You mean like these?   

Yup... same style but bought on Ebay.  You salvage and use both the clear ring and the dark one with the lip when installing the HM5s.
 
Added a shot with the HM5 velours on my HD580s next to the quite new HD600s.  Click on it for a larger view where you can see they're thicker than the factory pads.
 
 

 

[audiojun]

nice I am thinking about getting hm5 hybrids as well.

 

[Bob A (SD)]

I listed my HD580s* ahead of my HD600s in the "rank your headphones" thread.  And the more I listen to both, the more I'm thinking the HD600s are redundant here.  Both are great but....   Maybe I should sell them.   Mmmmmmmmm.......
 
* w/HD600 grills, NewFantasia 2m cables, and HM5 velour earpads

 

[JoshMo]

Looks like I am only 20 years late, but I think this is a great headphone. Bit less bass heavy than the HD650, slightly smaller soundstage, but overall amazing what this ol bird can do,
 
Purchased used off Ebay for $130, new ear and head pads direct from sennheiser $70 inc shipping, short money for the best sounding < $200 headphone I've ever heard.

 

[abby normal]

I have both the 580 as well as the 565 model, and the latter is [compared to the 580] less transparent, a bit more prominent in the midrange, a tiny bit less extreme treble, a bit mellower on difficult material [poorly recorded, comparatively harsh-sounding recordings such as 78 rpm records], somewhat more sensitive, I can use the 565 on an mp3 player (barely) but definitely NOT with the 580. I needed the 580 model because I needed maximum transparency, I needed to be able to "hear into" a recording all the way to the back wall, so to speak, in order to do audio restoration work. I do the work with the 580, evaluate the work with the 580 but listen to the finished stuff on the 565, it is more musical-sounding to my ears.

 

[i20bot]

  I listed my HD580s* ahead of my HD600s in the "rank your headphones" thread.  And the more I listen to both, the more I'm thinking the HD600s are redundant here.  Both are great but....   Maybe I should sell them.   Mmmmmmmmm.......
 
* w/HD600 grills, NewFantasia 2m cables, and HM5 velour earpads

I got the 580's last year and the 650 earlier this year.  Been using the 650s for a bit now but just went back to the 580s and I'm actually liking the 580s a little better.  It's more natural and airy and not as dark as the 650.  It's not quite as refine and sparkly as the 650 but you're not missing much.
 
How does the 600 compare to the 580?  Was thinking of settling with the 600.

 

[Bob A (SD)]

  How does the 600 compare to the 580?  Was thinking of settling with the 600.

Many say they are quite close and they are but they also have some significant differences which may be seen in this frequency plot from BiilP.  His comment along the top is spot on.  Kinda like the 3 bears and porridge.  The HD580 is just right. 

 

 

[cs098]

Yeah what I heard corresponds with the graph, the 580 while has a similar tone to the 600 (so it's not nearly as laid back as the 650) the 580 has a bit more bass.
 
Not laid back, dark and boring like the 650 but not too bass lite like the 600. So yeah just perfect. The 600 is a tad more airy tho and the 650 has that warm euphonic lushness.