[soltari1]

I am looking to upgrade from my hd-497s to something in the $200-$350 range. (I also have about $400 for an amp/better source) My tastes are fairly varied and I have a tendency to crush on a particular genre for a while before moving on to something else. I need a phone that can handle everything from punk rock to ambient, something that can let me rock out to the Pixies, but still handle Steve Reich or Philip Glass. I have been pretty satisfied with hd-497s for rock, but wouldn't want anything that is noticeably more distant. I really like the hd-497s soundstage even if it does get a little congested every now and then. The quality of the bass is very important to me as I love Phish and Mike Gordon tends to play lots of very low notes.

I have mainly been looking at the Sennheiser HD 580/600/650, Sennheiser HD 595, Grado HF-1, Grado sr325i, and the Alessandro Ms-2i.

I wouldn't mind sticking with Sennheiser as I my have 497s have done very well, but every once in a while i notice they are a tad distant. Unfortunately I am uneasy about Grado's abilities to handle classical music and ambient. Any help would be appreciated

 

[jagorev]

My personal upgrade path was from HD 497 to HD 600, and I've been tremendously happy with it. The 600s make the 497s sound positively anemic by comparison. Beautiful sound. Especially if you've got $400 to spend on amplification, you will have no problems getting some serious performance out of the 600. It can seriously handle any kind of music and source material, and make it all sound good. Very realistic soundstage and extension. It can sound distant and 'polite', though, so maybe you could consider the Beyerdynamic DT 880 or the HD 595 for a more lively listen. The 600 is also a better deal than the 650s for basically the same performance.

 

[fante7]

The DT880 is certainly a well-balanced headphone - it can't really be pigeonholed into a being headphone for a specific genre. Give it an audition if you can.

 

[soltari1]

Jagorev: How do the hd-600 handle things like punk rock or grunge?
Fante7: What do you like better between the dt-880 and the hf-1 in your sig?

 

[Svperstar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by soltari1 Jagorev: How do the hd-600 handle things like punk rock or grunge?

Sony MDR-SA5000s sound fantastic with Nirvana/Pearl Jam etc, I highly recommend them for any fast music. For a lot of very minimal ambient though they can be far too brutal and revealing.

 

[Blasyrkh]

here a vote for hd595 and dt880 (maybe dt880 over 595, but i prefer hd595) if you listen to lots of genres.

use the rest for amp and source

 

[fante7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by soltari1 Jagorev: How do the hd-600 handle things like punk rock or grunge? Fante7: What do you like better between the dt-880 and the hf-1 in your sig?

In general, I prefer the DT880 by a good amount, and I am not sure whether I am keeping the HF-1. It is too fatiguing with the bowl pads and I am currently playing around with the radioshack flat pads. However, the flat pads make the bass boomy and the highs are less present but still a bit harsh, and the soundstage collapses. On certain recordings, the HF-1 sounds perfect, but it sounds off to me on most. Some examples of where I prefer the HF-1 are Led Zeppelin and early Opeth.

I pretty much only like the HF-1 more than the DT880 on heavy metal that isn't very well recorded. Also, I've found that with the particular tube I'm using in my Millett(the 12AE6A), I get better bass impact and dynamics which makes the DT880 do well on metal.

Also, I do have a HD497, which I used for a year and a half, so I actually have the most experience with it of any headphone. With the DT880, the congestion will almost disappear, the soundstage is leaps and bounds better, and the bass is very well extended and tight. You will have no problem hearing the lowest bass notes clearly. The quantity of bass seems fairly recording-dependent in general - it can be a little bass-light at times but not in general. It is less distant than the HD555, and supposedly a lot less distant than the HD580/600/650.

I will also say that the Alessandro MS-2i probably does not have the soundstage you're looking for.

 

[noorudeenshakur]

HD 650...check out eBay they are in your range. Last weeek they had a blow out sale at 280.

Good luck

 

[soltari1]

I just had a thought. Am I better off buying one headphone that is a jack of all trades or should i buy two $150 dollar phones? One for relaxed music and one for things that need more punch.

 

[jagorev]

Quote:

Originally Posted by soltari1 Jagorev: How do the hd-600 handle things like punk rock or grunge?

I think the hd-600s sound really powerful and impactful with any kind of rock music. Not so much bass that your ears explode, but just really powerful and tight. Their weakness, if any, is that the upper midrange or treble is a little unenergetic (violins and female vocals can sound a little dull). So I think you will be quite happy with grunge and punk - in addition to the detail, resolution, and incredible soundstage, they really do make you want to headbang with rock or grunge or metal.

EDIT: In response to the question about a 'jack of all trades', I rate the HD 600s as a 'master of all trades'. They do pretty much everything (except for being closed or portable, heh) incredibly well. Whatever genre you listen to, it will be among the best headphones in the world for that purpose. And they will be doubly rewarding when you set them up with a decent amp; this improvement is not so apparent with a lot of other 'phones.