[wab]

Today I auditioned some higher-end headphones, the Senn HD600, Beyer DT990 (250 Ohm), DT831, DT931 and AKG K501. I also took my beloved Sennheiser HD495 with me.
Needless to say I really enjoyed those headphones, some more than others. The HD600 is really really musical and neutral, the DT990 is musical but somewhat boring and the DT831 and DT931 are very nice but a bit bright. I didn't like the K501 at all, they have this weird soundstage that somehow appears to be at your feet or something. Don't really know how to describe, just really artificial.
Now how does the HD495 compare? Not bad at all! At least they are very balanced, just like the HD600. There is a bit less detail than with the more high-end cans (about the same as the DT990 tho), but overall they don't sound a lot worse than those.

The main issue here is:
I think I enjoy my music as much on the HD495 as on the high-end headphones. What's the use of spending lots of money on expensive headphones when they do not give me a lot more musical enjoyment? Sure, hearing every little detail is lots of fun, but is that what it's all about??

Argh! I dunno, thank you for reading

 

[coolvij]

Wow......maybe I should put the next headphone upgrade off till......nah....what am I thinking.

wab - get detailed, but un-musical, cans for HEARING details.....if you're ever in that mood.

Keep your 495s for "musicality"

 

[Braver]

hehe, I know what you mean man. it's all about enjoying music. and now that you've heard em all (I've pretty much heard every can as well) and still enjoy your cans, why upgrade?

I want to upgrade my source. why? my stereo makes a bit of mechanical noise when playing a disc and I want a 5 disc changer. and I'm building an amp to take care of the crappy internal amp. DAC upgrade? why?

headphone upgrade? got to try some symphonic rock with Stax's, but otherwise, no need for it. yeah I want ot buy the 600 some day, but seriously, thats waaaaaaay down on my list.

really, when you got some half decent stuff, getting better stuff costs a whole damn lotta money!

 

[Tim D]

Dunno...maybe you shouldn't.

I gotta say, that new Ety thing drive me nuts. I already know its not going to be the most convenient phone, and isn't going to be cheap. But if it even offered the "slightest" improvement over a 4S phone in terms of sound...it'd drive me nuts. And I would bypass any other full-sized phone that may be cheaper or more convenient and go straight for another pair of duplicate little earphones that might be slightly better...

Heh, hopefully the new version is just a efficient compromise between 4S and 4P...but still.

Course this is only with my Ety's...I don't mind that I have the MS-1 and could stick with this pair of Grados forever.

Heh, it doesn't take a genious to know that its all about relativity...oh wait. Audio satisfaction is a state of mind that is based on relativity. If you believe in this...than you can consider an upgrade, to actually be a downgrade of everything else.

 

[legoman]

life is suffering
suffering comes from the desire to upgrade

 

[Xander]

I still don't understand that artificial soundstage thing...

Is there some digital processor built into my left ear-piece or something?

 

[Xander]

Quote:

Originally posted by wab Today I auditioned some higher-end headphones, the Senn HD600, Beyer DT990 (250 Ohm), DT831, DT931 and AKG K501. I also took my beloved Sennheiser HD495 with me. Needless to say I really enjoyed those headphones, some more than others. The HD600 is really really musical and neutral, the DT990 is musical but somewhat boring and the DT831 and DT931 are very nice but a bit bright. I didn't like the K501 at all, they have this weird soundstage that somehow appears to be at your feet or something. Don't really know how to describe, just really artificial. Now how does the HD495 compare? Not bad at all! At least they are very balanced, just like the HD600. There is a bit less detail than with the more high-end cans (about the same as the DT990 tho), but overall they don't sound a lot worse than those. The main issue here is: I think I enjoy my music as much on the HD495 as on the high-end headphones. What's the use of spending lots of money on expensive headphones when they do not give me a lot more musical enjoyment? Sure, hearing every little detail is lots of fun, but is that what it's all about?? Argh! I dunno, thank you for reading

Cus, theres more detail, better overally everything, and only one of them has a sound-stage big enough to accomodate all the instruments and sounds without sticking it in one big blob inside your head.

 

[KR...]

Quote:

Needless to say I really enjoyed those headphones, some more than others. The HD600 is really really musical and neutral, the DT990 is musical but somewhat boring and the DT831 and DT931 are very nice but a bit bright. I didn't like the K501 at all, they have this weird soundstage that somehow appears to be at your feet or something. Don't really know how to describe, just really artificial.

That about sums it up. The HD600 are great, I love them. Those AKG's sure are ****. I haven't auction the rest, so I can't say. If you are happy with your headphones, then by all means stick to them! You don't have to get a high ended headphone if you don't feel that it's worth it. It's all about the music after all. Have fun and enjoy yourself!

 

[Xander]

Yeah, those AKGs, they are ****.

You guys just cant handle it when you hear the music the way it was put on the CD.

Boring.. No bass.. No highs... The instruments, they come from too many places, make it stop, make it stop! Pfft.

 

[KR...]

Well, the AKG 501 are crap, I haven't heard any other headphones from AKG so that doesn't go for them. From what I have read, I don't remember reading any bad reviews about the K1000, so maybe those are the one good AKG headphone, but I can't comfirm that since I never heard them. At least AKG make great Mikes.

 

[Xander]

I swear it must be the equipment you guys are listening on..

I have to say, these things sound WORLDS different on different amps. Sansui, Sony CDP, CDROM drive, Laptop, Soundcard..

I just heard them recently on a OBH11... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, you guys have to be on CRACK to think they sound bad. Maybe you're just still too used to severely colored sound and 2-dimensional sound stages...

 

[wab]

Xander, give it a rest man. I auditioned those headphones on a Creek OBH11 and Marantz CD6000OSE, so I doubt it was the source. You like the AKG's, I don't. I personally think that's kind of cool, I like auditioning stuff and try to find what I like best.

Anywayz, I will probably buy a Sennheiser HD580/HD600 or maybe the HD565 sometime in the future. But right now I am happy with my HD495's. I will also pick up those Philips HP550's blr wrote about for portable use and finish my DIY über-cmoy.

 

[Xander]

Eh? Give what up? If you guys dont like the AKG's it's fine with me.. But arent we supposed to talk about headphones here anyway? I mean.. If I stopped telling everyone how great the AKG's were, then I wouldent be doing my part...

 

[Braver]

you're doing your part a tiny little bit too well tho

 

[Xander]

Those who dont like the AKGs will be assimilated.