[MorrisL]

Somebody at work is selling a barely used pair of HD518 for really cheap. Auditioning it before buying isn't an option because he has to make a long commute to bring it from his father's house. And I wouldn't like to change my mind about buying it even if I'm not pleased with it. So, I have to trust the experience of those who heard them and make my mind about it.
 
Now, I recently  bought PX100 ii and I'm not sure I buy the hype about it being on par with HD650 and all. Its appreciation thread will have you believe it cures cancer. It's got a nice warm signature but I was wondering if it'll make HD518 redundant. I want both to be used connected to the laptop, unamped and intended for comfortable use for long hours.
 
Thanks for your thoughts. 

 

[GREQ]

It's not on par with the HD650 - that's just nonsense.... mostly...
 
Get the HD518 for cheap if you can. It is an upgrade over the PX100 ii. 
All these small on-ear headphones simply can't do 'soundstage' - the sound always just comes from inside your head.
 
Never compared the 650 and 518 directly so I don't know how big the difference is.. I just know I liked both of them.
But the px100>518 is a bigger jump than 518>650. 
To me it's less about resolution and more about sound presentation. Full-size, open-back sennheisers all have GREAT overall sound presentation. 

 

[kramer5150]

Definitely go for the 518, it will image and set the soundstage better than the PX100II.  Unless of course your preference is for a more closed in sounding image.  The 518/558/598 are really comfy, I wear my 558 for hours continuous with no breaks.

 

[MorrisL]

Thanks guys! A strange thing happened yesterday. I bought the 518 and was about to walk out when he said he had another headphone that I might be interested in too. He then reached under the table and pulled out a brand new, still in the box pair of HD600. This guy knows nothing about headphones and this is all his deceased neighbor's stuff that his wife has asked him to sell. He said the wife bought it as a present for the husband but he died before amazon ever delivered it. He showed me the receipt with a $330 price tag. So, I talked him down to $200 and pick that up instead of the 518. 
 
The only other full-sized pair I have now is the DT990 pro. I think I'm gonna sit down tonight and do a long and serious AB test.

 

[GREQ]

That's quite the discount.
You'll probably find the HD600 to be infinitely more relaxing than the DT990, but occasionally you'll probably want the more detailed aggressive DT990 for rock music or similar stuff (if you are so inclined) 

 

[kramer5150]

  Thanks guys! A strange thing happened yesterday. I bought the 518 and was about to walk out when he said he had another headphone that I might be interested in too. He then reached under the table and pulled out a brand new, still in the box pair of HD600. This guy knows nothing about headphones and this is all his deceased neighbor's stuff that his wife has asked him to sell. He said the wife bought it as a present for the husband but he died before amazon ever delivered it. He showed me the receipt with a $330 price tag. So, I talked him down to $200 and pick that up instead of the 518. 
 
The only other full-sized pair I have now is the DT990 pro. I think I'm gonna sit down tonight and do a long and serious AB test.

Very cool...  the 990 and 600 are a good complimentary set IMHO.  They both have different strengths and weaknesses.

 

[MorrisL]

The funny thing is I was expecting for HD600 to be an improvement over my 990s, but after a long AB test, I think that not only they are on par, 990 actually has the edge with its wider, more realistic sound stage. As far as the shrill 990 highs, the 600 actually wasn't much warmer. Even though I bought it for record cheap, I still feel like an idiot for getting it.
 
P.S. I use Presonus Hp4 as my amp (multiple channels come in handy for quick AB switches).

 

[GREQ]

   Even though I bought it for record cheap, I still feel like an idiot for getting it.

Don't worry about it. 
I wish I had only 2 headphones to worry about! 

 
Yeah, both headphones are essentially based on 30 year old designs.
The HD600 driver is essentially the same recipe as the HD540, and the original DT990 also came out around the same time in the 80's.
 
From my perspective you've gained knowledge, experience, wisdom and will certainly break even if you so chose to sell it on. 

 

[MorrisL]

  Don't worry about it. 
I wish I had only 2 headphones to worry about! 

 
From my perspective you've gained knowledge, experience, wisdom and will certainly break even if you so chose to sell it on. 

Oh, yeah. It's been really interesting.
 
I am surprised how the $300-plus HD 600s are always talked about as being the greatest price-to-performance headphone in the world, while the 990Pro's, which can often be had for as little as $150, are held to much lower standard. Not to mention the build quality difference between the two. And with all the talk about headphones above HD600 coming with huge diminishing returns, I've basically lost my interest in any upgrade. It might be all that a vibrating copper wire coil on a membrane can do to reproduce sound. Might as well end the journey right here.

 

[GREQ]

 
I am surprised how the $300-plus HD 600s are always talked about as being the greatest price-to-performance headphone in the world, while the 990Pro's, which can often be had for as little as $150, are held to much lower standard. Not to mention the build quality difference between the two. And with all the talk about headphones above HD600 coming with huge diminishing returns, I've basically lost my interest in any upgrade. It might be all that a vibrating copper wire coil on a membrane can do to reproduce sound. Might as well end the journey right here.

Sometimes I feel the same way about my vintage DT990. 
It's the only headphone I own that I feel does everything right and nothing wrong - sound, build quality, price/performance. 
It certainly gets more head-time than any of my other headphones since I use it at the office.
 
You'll be making a wise choice ending it here. 

 

[MorrisL]

  Sometimes I feel the same way about my vintage DT990. 
It's the only headphone I own that I feel does everything right and nothing wrong - sound, build quality, price/performance. 
It certainly gets more head-time than any of my other headphones since I use it at the office.
 
You'll be making a wise choice ending it here. 

 
Definitely. The HD600 has made me appreciate DT990 more than I ever used to. And your own praise of this phone, looking at the list of headphones you own, is quite significant.
 
I'll fool around a little more to see if 650 might be better (I like dark signatures) and also look around for a nice closed pair, and then I should be out of here. Otherwise, this is getting crazy. Reading about headphones should not take this much of our time.