[absolutofft]

http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showt...?threadid=3400

I have been thinking of getting new headphones for a while as think these hd580's are a tad too laid back for my tastes. After reading the above review I think that the 501's are a good candidate, but I am a bit worried about the bass rolloff at 31.5hz.

I have never really considered the 580's to have particulary strong bass, apart from the 770's which have thunderous bass, which phones should I considering?

edit: powering them with a creek obh 11

 

[pbirkett]

Perhaps you should look into the Sony CD3000's, as I am assured they have very good bass - hopefully I'll find this out for myself soon.

Although I find the Beyer DT770 do have good bass, I find the amplifier used is critical to getting good sound from them. I had good results out of a Music Fidelity X-Can amp, but out of the Corda HA-1, that seemed to struggle a little with them, and out of a Rotel integrated, they are too warm and muddy sounding.

To my ears, the 580's are clearly better than the DT770's. In fact, ever since I got my Beyer DT531's, I have not been able to listen to the 770's, such is the gulf in sound quality IMO. And although I find the DT531 a little less laid back than the 580's, YMMV.

 

[lini]

absolutofft: I'm not sure about the K501 being a good choice for you, either. From my brief HD 580 experience, this Sennheiser seems fairly balanced with a bit of mid bass pronounciation, slightly warm midrange and fairly crisp highs. Going to the K501 should result and significantly less bass, crisper midrange and an airier, but not really punchier sound - so I'd also recommend to compare the Beyerdynamic DT531 and in addition the Philips HP890 and some Grado (you might like the RS-2...).

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[Canman]

Yeah, if you think the Senn's are too laid back, you probably won't like the AKG's. I found them to sound thin overall through the Audio Valve RKV in comparison to the Sennheisers.

 

[00940]

as much as i like the akg k501, i don't think they'll suit you. I had a look at the higher end beyer, like the dt931. A bit less laid back than the 580 and not as light in the bass than the 501. Price is fair. For far less laid back, look at the grado of course, beating a dead horse here.

 

[kuma]

Quote:

Originally posted by absolutofft I have never really considered the 580's to have particulary strong bass, apart from the 770's which have thunderous bass, which phones should I considering? edit: powering them with a creek obh 11

Getting a 'thudnerous bass' out of K501 takes an effort. It can be done bu the bass delivery is all together different from what you have now.

That said, Creek obh 11 with the power supply and K501 is a good combo.

Beyer DT 931 is also a good reco albeit it is different sounding from Senn. ( little more intimate and forward than Senn. but not as much as Grado )
I haven't tried it with Creek, tho, so, have NO idea how they pair.

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally posted by absolutofft http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showt...?threadid=3400 I have been thinking of getting new headphones for a while as think these hd580's are a tad too laid back for my tastes. After reading the above review I think that the 501's are a good candidate, but I am a bit worried about the bass rolloff at 31.5hz. I have never really considered the 580's to have particulary strong bass, apart from the 770's which have thunderous bass, which phones should I considering? edit: powering them with a creek obh 11

The Creek OBH-11 in combo with HD580s have a bass hump centered around 75 Hz, according to my ears and some tests I performed:

http://jusstuff.home.comcast.net/OBH-11.htm

(scroll down at the link above to the "frequency response" chart)

To put it another way, you're hearing stronger bass (not midbass, just lower bass) from the 580s than you would from a more neutral amp. Are you looking for a lot of bass?

As far as treble, the HD580s have a strong dip in mid-treble (around 7 to 9 KHz) responsible for their reputation of being laid back. The treble is not rolled off on top, just way recessed almost exactly in the center of the treble range and within a certain range of frequencies.

Just thought I'd give you this info. to possibly aid you in making a decision. I'd recommend you find a better amp no matter what, as according to both some tests and my ears, a maxed-out Meta42 basically stomps out the Creek OBH-11... it's just a lot more neutral and transparent across the board. The OBH-11 is pleasant and euphonic sounding, but really no better in most ways than the headphone jack on some mid-fi receiver or speaker amp -- the impedance at the jack is on the high side too.

 

[absolutofft]

Ok I've checked up on the different headphones recommended, it appears as though the 770 gets good and awful reviews. I am quite interested in this phone.

The 501's are ruled out because they are weak in the bass department, I don't want something which has less bass than the 580.

The 890's are very intriguing, they look really nice and are quite a reasonable price!

The 931's seem to be rather bright, sometimes I like to listen quite loudly and I don't want a phone that will be grating at higher volumes. I used to have Sony MDR V600's and they were quite a fatiguing phone for this reason.

After reading over several reviews and particularly this one http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showt...threadid=36743

I am leaning towards the 770 pro, they look to have good build quality which is VERY important to me as I was quite unimpressed with the build quality of these 580's.

Is there anything else I should consider before buying the 770 pros?

 

[N@Z]

Yes, might I suggest, you look into changing the stock cable with a replacement cable like say the Clou Red. Which should address the laid back sound & lack of bass. The DT770pro will have an initial WOW factor having the 'larger than life' bass but as you get used to the sound you might notice as I did that the DT770 has recessed mids.

The drawback with the replacement cable is that it cost nearly as much!

 

[tom hankins]

I agree with canman's thoughts on the K501. They seemed to be a little thin sounding through my amps as well.

 

[waffenschmidt]

Man, I think you really need to think about what you're looking for and be more precise before anyone here can help. You've gone from considering the AKG K501 to the Beyer DT770. I have the AKG K401s and have not heard the DT770s, but from reading lots of reviews here and from my other experiences (I have the Senn 580s, Etys, etc.) I think you've gone from one end of the spectrum to the other.

Your profile doesn't really say anything, so we don't know what else you've listened to. If you really haven't had much exposure to a variety of headphones, I suggest keeping an eye on the For Sale forum and checking out some options. AKG K401s and 501s come up frequently at reasonable prices. DT770s do occasionally. If you're smart about it, you can pick these up, use them for a few months and re-sell them for practically the same price. You might lose $5 or $10 plus the price of shipping, but the experience will be invaluable.

Or, go the Headroom 30 day return policy to do the same thing with new phones, but keep an open mind and give each set the full 30 days.

It sounds like you've already written off the AKGs, but the tight and accurate (but un-emphasized) bass you'll get from these cans (and Ety ER-4s) is an acquired taste. Personally, I've come to like it.

 

[hempcamp]

Quote:

Originally posted by absolutofft I have been thinking of getting new headphones for a while as think these hd580's are a tad too laid back for my tastes. After reading the above review I think that the 501's are a good candidate, but I am a bit worried about the bass rolloff at 31.5hz.

I don't think you'll like the K-501, it's not a bass-heavy pair of cans.

Try the K-401. A little less refined than the 501, but more bass. Similar texture (soundstage) and presence.

--Chris

 

[waffenschmidt]

Still, though, I don't think most (any?) people would call the AKG K401 bass-heavy. But that's my point; I'm still not sure what absolutofft is looking for.

Being concerned about bass rolloff with the AKGs is one thing. Considering the DT770s, famous (infamous?) for their thunderous bass, is a whole different ballgame.

 

[absolutofft]

I thought I already said but I'll say again, I want a phone that is a bit less laid back than the 580's with equal or greater bass with good build quality and a high comfort level. I don't want to get a new cable for the 580's because I intended to sell the 580's to pay for the new headphones.


Quote:

Originally posted by waffenschmidt Man, I think you really need to think about what you're looking for and be more precise before anyone here can help. You've gone from considering the AKG K501 to the Beyer DT770. I have the AKG K401s and have not heard the DT770s, but from reading lots of reviews here and from my other experiences (I have the Senn 580s, Etys, etc.) I think you've gone from one end of the spectrum to the other. Your profile doesn't really say anything, so we don't know what else you've listened to. If you really haven't had much exposure to a variety of headphones, I suggest keeping an eye on the For Sale forum and checking out some options. AKG K401s and 501s come up frequently at reasonable prices. DT770s do occasionally. If you're smart about it, you can pick these up, use them for a few months and re-sell them for practically the same price. You might lose $5 or $10 plus the price of shipping, but the experience will be invaluable. Or, go the Headroom 30 day return policy to do the same thing with new phones, but keep an open mind and give each set the full 30 days. It sounds like you've already written off the AKGs, but the tight and accurate (but un-emphasized) bass you'll get from these cans (and Ety ER-4s) is an acquired taste. Personally, I've come to like it.

 

[waffenschmidt]

Don't get me wrong; I'm not trying to give you a hard time. Just trying to be helpful. I'm not sure I can even help you, since my taste leans more toward accuracy and controlled bass, but with the information you've given I'm not sure anyone can.

Less laid back than the Senn 580s. That encompasses about 80% of the headphones regularly discussed here.

Equal or greater bass than the Senn 580s. That's a little more helpful, although there is significant disagreement about what "great bass" really means.

Have you listened to any other headphones besides the 580s that people might be familiar with? What did you like or dislike about them? What kind of music do you listen to?