[Skullkrusher]

First off, my first post and thread. Howdy, Head-Fi!
 
Right now, I'm the proud owner of a set of Sennheiser HD555s. I've had them for nearly two years now, and I love them to death. My first audiophile-grade headphones, I'd say. However, due to some... "battle wounds", they may reach an early grave (long story). They're still holding up fine, but I guess the construction of them is so-so.
 
     I've already done a decent amount of research, and I'm pretty sure I'll be getting the Ultrasone HFI-780s as my next headphone purchase. I am a large fan of electronic music as of late (Hardstyle, Hard House, Trance, etc), but I'm still a metalhead to my roots. Thrash, metalcore, melodic death, some deathcore, doom, sludge, and groove. And maybe even some older stuff along the lines of Black Sabbath every now and then. I know more than enough that these headphones pack some serious bass, but my main question is, how do they hold up with metal?
 
Thanks in advance!

 

[Skullkrusher]

Bump!

 

[Skullkrusher]

Place moves moderately fast for so late in the morning. =P

 

[HydroTurtle]

I'm getting these for Rap/Hip Hop but it seems like some people enjoy this pair of headphones with some Metal too.
 
Check out page 2 of this thread: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/423526/finally-hfi-780/15
 
Oh yeah, and welcome to Head Fi!  I always see people welcoming others with a "Sorry about your wallet" so........................        Sorry about your wallet!  I already spent a little less than $200 on here and I'm still pretty noob on here.

 

[nigeljames]

Although mine are ALO modded, so not talking from direct experience of the stock HFI-780's, I find that they are excellent for metal.
Fast,detailed,punchy,forward midrange and deep,tight,impactful bass. The HF's can be splashy and sizzly when new but after a long burn in (350+ hours) does settle down nicely. These are all characteristics of the phone so they will be the same on an unmodified version but at a lower level(I assume!)

 

[Azathoth]

Go for it! I found the HFI-780's visceral presentation to be quite Grado-like, very much suited for metal. I first auditioned the stock ones at a meet last year, and they surprised me with their excellent performance with the metal I played on them (Behemoth, Nile) - detail and dynamics were definitely there with substantial and taut bass that doesn't get muddy or sloppy.

 

[NapalmK]

Welcome to Head-Fi.
 
Yep they should do pretty well from what I remember. They have an aggressive presentation which definitely suits metal. I also agree with the posts above. They do tend to be a hate them or love them can though.

 

[Skullkrusher]

Thanks a bunch, guys. =D
 
At this point, I see absolutely no reason to not get these headphones according to what I've heard. The only thing that seems like a negative is apparently the soundstage isn't so great, maybe compared to my 555s, but I think these things will shine when I get them. =)

 

[HydroTurtle]

Another negative might be the comfort tooo

 

[Azathoth]

Hmmm I found them to be plenty comfortable with just the right clamping force. I agree the soundstage is nothing spectacular, but it doesn't have that congested closed-in feeling that closed cans tend to have.

 

[Skullkrusher]

Can anyone exactly attest to how the soundstage is on the HFI-780s compared to the HD555s? And for comfort, I think I'll sacrifice it for sound quality. Just hope it's not bad enough to get in the way of my habit of falling asleep with my headphones every night!

 

[Mr Joboto]

The 780 soundstage was very linear to me, couldn't feel the depth I do with my other headphones.

 

[nonsupremous]

One thing to keep in mind though is your 555's are open back.  They will naturally have a bigger soundstage than a closed back headphone.  That said, a headphone like the D2000 has surprisingly wide expansive soundstage for a closed back headphone.  My guess is because the drivers site quite a distance from your ear, so there's lots of space in there to work with. 

 

[desktophifi]

Quote:

Can anyone exactly attest to how the soundstage is on the HFI-780s compared to the HD555s? 

A bit lacking compared to the HD555's. Nonsupremous point is true. 

 

[Skullkrusher]

But overall, I'm hoping the sound quality is going to make this a worthy upgrade? I do kinda like to space out while listening to some trance, discern little bits of the music and hear it swirling around my head. I hope that's not impossible to do with the 780s. =P