HOT! Sennheiser HD580's for $120 on NEWEGG - Price Drop to $105 Shipped!

[Kwad Guy]

I seriously doubt that you will be able to hear ANY difference between the HD580s and the HD600s. The only
real difference is that Sennheiser supposedly goes to greater lengths to "exactly" match the left
and right side drivers in the HD600s. Generically speaking, the drivers in the HD580 and HD600 headphones
are IDENTICAL. (Matching accounts for small variance in the generic drivers).

We are talking a very small difference, the kind of difference very few people could
hear in a blind A/B study.

So the answer is: I would say the new HD580s at $126 shipped are a better deal for almost anyone
than the refurbished HD600s for around $186 shipped.

Kwad

 

[GoSharks]

Originally posted by: 2a
okay, i still have the question about the logitech z-560's 1/8" headphone output being able to drive the 580's, but now i have another question too.

they probably could drive it, but im sure that it will not to their full potential. that amp is meant for you everyday cheap 32ohm headphone, not a 300ohm audiophile set.

 

[exisle]

Originally posted by: iluvdeal

Originally posted by: Mears
For your Slim-X I would definately take a serious look at GRADO SR60s. Despite what others may say, your Slim-X won't have nearly enough juice to give the HD580s justice.

More importantly, the HD580's are not portable unless you really like attracting attention that is.

heh I doubt any portable device could power these headphones anyway.. I've tried a minidisc player and a portable mp3 player, they could power them but you couldn't get the volume to a level you'd like, and also I'm sure it would kill the batteries before you can say dead.

 

[corinthos]

KwadGuy et al.,

How are the "sponge" cushions that press against the ears? I had a pair of Beyerdyamics with something like that and the adhesive that kept one of the sponges/cups together wore off and the cushion became loose in one part. I could lift it off of the cup. Also how is the build quality of the rest of the unit? Btw, what's the detachable plugs by the cups for? Thanks.

 

[Snuffaluffaguss]

Just pick up the 280's and they sound great, I am using my z=560's to drive them, I haven't had time to try them direct from the sound card, but they rock!

 

[StrongBad]

I JUST got the Sennheiser hd-212 pro's I ordered from Tiger direct... $39.99 + 8.50 for 2nd day Airborne Express = 48.50 shipped.
I previously ordered them from Amazon... waited for 3 weeks... they said I'd have to wait for another 2 weeks... maybe longer... I canceled that order.
From Tiger Direct, I ordered them on the 18th and got them on the 21st!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NICE JOB TIGER DIRECT!!!!!!!!!!

They are AWESOME... They have great isolation and the definition is really tight. I highly recomend them.

 

[Kwad Guy]

A note to anyone who ordered the HD580s from Newegg:

There's now a link to a Sennheiser rebate for those HD580s on Newegg's site...The rebate is for $20 and
is valid for anyone who bought them after 11/15/02 (which is basically anyone who ordered on the basis
of this thread...).

So the price for these great headphones just dropped from $125 shipped to $105 shipped AR...

Kwad

 

[Jenova314]

i've had my 580's for about two years now and i love them. one thing i'd like to say is that i think these sound just fine without headphone preamps. if anything, those just make them louder since that's all they could possibly do (they can't really make the sound any cleaner or sound any better than what already comes out of the source). anybody who tells you that these headphones sound like absolute crap or makes it seem like they are worse than $10 headphones without the preamp, are just full of it. these usually come from so-called audiophiles who insist on being different and special and believe their ears are infinitely superior and more picky than the rest of us. i drive the 580's with my archos mp3 player and they sound fine, and the volume i can obtain is already beyond damaging. the sound quality is a only a little bit degraded (negligeable) compared to when i hook it up to my sony receiver (400W); the main difference is the sony is able to drive it much louder. if you guys are like me, i'm sure you will be able to appreciate how great these sound with or without the preamp.

 

[airduct]

these are oos now...and they raised the price to 125 + s/h. i didn't make in on time... hopefully they'll be back in stock soon

 

[airduct]

oh, I wonder why the rebate works? i thought they weren't authorized dealers...

 

[ivan2]

nice deal, too bad i just brought a pair of sony v6...

 

[chanfo]

Originally posted by: Jenova314
i've had my 580's for about two years now and i love them. one thing i'd like to say is that i think these sound just fine without headphone preamps. if anything, those just make them louder since that's all they could possibly do (they can't really make the sound any cleaner or sound any better than what already comes out of the source). anybody who tells you that these headphones sound like absolute crap or makes it seem like they are worse than $10 headphones without the preamp, are just full of it. these usually come from so-called audiophiles who insist on being different and special and believe their ears are infinitely superior and more picky than the rest of us. i drive the 580's with my archos mp3 player and they sound fine, and the volume i can obtain is already beyond damaging. the sound quality is a only a little bit degraded (negligeable) compared to when i hook it up to my sony receiver (400W); the main difference is the sony is able to drive it much louder. if you guys are like me, i'm sure you will be able to appreciate how great these sound with or without the preamp.

A dedicated headphone amp doesn't just make the sound from the 580 louder. That's a very naive statement. If all you've heard driving the 580 is from the archos mp3 player (which by the way has one of the worse headphone outs) and the Sony receiver then you have not even reached the maximum potential of the 580's. Get a real headphone amp and be prepared to be astonished.

 

[dawks]

How well does a turtle beach santa cruz power these puppies.. and what sort of options are there for just plain old headphone amps.. any such monster?

 

[chanfo]

Originally posted by: DaZ
How well does a turtle beach santa cruz power these puppies.. and what sort of options are there for just plain old headphone amps.. any such monster?

Don't know about the santa cruz but from the Audigy its drives it to sufficient loud levels. You would be happy if volume is your main concern. But of course there's more to it than just loudness. The details, precision, seperation, musicality and low end are not there if driven from any sound card.

IMO the minimum headphone amp to be used with the 580/600 is in the $300 range. Examples which I've owned in the past are the MG Head OTL and Meier Corda HA-1. However once you start with these amps you start wanting to get better because you will find that even these amps are deficient in some respects. The MG Head missing the details and the Corda the low frequencies. Thus to be totally satisfied with the 580/600 you really need to spend upwards of $800 and getting something like an Audio Valve RKV or Headroom Max to name a few.

If you never intend to get a headphone amp I recommend not getting the 580/600. Instead try something like the Sony V6, Senn 280pro, Grado SR60, or Beyerdynamic 250-80 with the Beyer's being my favorite. However if you think that in the future a headphone amp may be in order than by all means get the 580/600 now. Like I said they sound decent from a good soundcard. Then later get an amp when you want more out of it.

 

[kimchee411]

Originally posted by: chrisjor
Vhat is this "library" you speak of? Do "librarians" no like musik?

Actually this is a timely post....I am looking for an awesome set of headphones which will work with my Slim-X and my Onkyo home system (w/adapter). What headphones are the best on Earth below $200? Sennheiser..Grado..you tell me.. I will buy!!

In the under $200 price range your best choice would be the Grado SR-225. As most of the replies to this post have stated, you will need a decent headphone amp to get good sound out of the Senns - this is obviously not going to be an option with the SlimX. Grado labs headphones look cheap and retro, but their sound quality is phenomenal. Midrange and treble are amazingly crisp and detailed with good bass extension. I bought the SR-80s for $90 and I was so pleased that I sold my NAD C350 integrated amp, Axiom M3Ti speakers, and Sony SCD-CE775 SACD player because the sound quality from the SR-80s is so good that keeping an expensive audio system wasn't worth it being on a college budget. Some might say that the treble is a bit bright, but the 225s apparently have a more neutral and natural sound with even more detail and stronger, tighter bass. I always use my SR-80s with my Thinkpad and they sound great.

Go to www.goodcans.com for some head-to-head reviews of some Sennheiser and Grado Labs models.

 

[corinthos]

Why did Newegg put up the rebates... maybe the Sennheiser site's list isn't updated?

 

[DestruyaUR]

The HD600s are 205 brand new shipped at Newegg with a 50 dollar rebate - which is a fantastic deal if you want slightly better build quality than the 580s. But as it is with the 580s, you definitely need to give these babies some power to make them shine.

 

[mikeford]

I have the HD600, and love them, but day to day tend to use whats handy either old HD520 or the new ones Tiger had that deal on HD400.

The HD600 really really are good. The Grado people (who pay full price) often prefer what the Grado sound like (more bass etc), but the Sennheiser gives you exactly what is in the signal both good and bad.

Now this may seem like a weird concept, but having listening to many top headphones, there is no one BEST headphone. Dynamic, electrostatic, etc the top phones each have there own kind of sound, and it drops to personal preference and type of music to pick the one that best suits you.

BTW if you are carefull with the volume setting not a bad choice is to hook the headphones up to your speaker output using a current limiting resistor on the common ground lead.

A real headphone amp though does 3 things, lots more current so the tiny IC in your reciever isn't being worked to death, more volume, and special "headphone" circuits that sort of blend the left and right signals to mimick natural hearing via speakers etc. (you get much less of the whole band is playing inside the bounds of your head).

 

[Thump553]

[Q/]IMO the minimum headphone amp to be used with the 580/600 is in the $300 range. Examples which I've owned in the past are the MG Head OTL and Meier Corda HA-1. However once you start with these amps you start wanting to get better because you will find that even these amps are deficient in some respects. The MG Head missing the details and the Corda the low frequencies. Thus to be totally satisfied with the 580/600 you really need to spend upwards of $800 and getting something like an Audio Valve RKV or Headroom Max to name a few.

If you never intend to get a headphone amp I recommend not getting the 580/600. Instead try something like the Sony V6, Senn 280pro, Grado SR60, or Beyerdynamic 250-80 with the Beyer's being my favorite. However if you think that in the future a headphone amp may be in order than by all means get the 580/600 now. Like I said they sound decent from a good soundcard. Then later get an amp when you want more out of it.[/quote]

I don't totally agree with this. I own a pair of 600's and use them daily on my computer. I have a homebuilt headphone amp that cost under $100 that runs them fine. Go to the DIY forums at headwize.com and hunt for info. If you build it yourself I suspect it would cost $40 or so, but I'm incompetent at that.

 

[Kwad Guy]

Newegg has raised the price on these to a whopping $200!!!!! I just suggested a friend check out
Newegg for a pair, and when he told me they were $200 I thought he was looking at the HD600. Nope,
$350 for the HD600s, $200 for the HD580s. I haven't seen a price go up like that at a place like
Newegg in a long time...

Kwad

 

[Chadder007]

Originally posted by: Kwad Guy
Newegg has raised the price on these to a whopping $200!!!!! I just suggested a friend check out
Newegg for a pair, and when he told me they were $200 I thought he was looking at the HD600. Nope,
$350 for the HD600s, $200 for the HD580s. I haven't seen a price go up like that at a place like
Newegg in a long time...

Kwad

Yeah, just noticed that too....WTH happened??
Just to put in my word though....Koss > anything else UNDER $50.
I guess Ill go with a Grados pair though, I want something nice with a thump that won't need an amp.

 

[lwlee]

For listening to a portable music source (ie without an amp), I went with the Sennheiser 497. It was recommended by headphone.com. They also recommend the Grado SR60 but the 497s are better looking. These are the best headphones with low impedance (32 ohms). It's easier for a walkman to drive the phones.

The HD580/600 have higher impedance (300 ohms) hence the need for an amp to make them sound good. Headphone.com has one of the lightest amps for sale. It's still the size of a VHS tape but it's the closest thing to a portable amp that there is.

 

[Luden]

Bah.. Newegg fails me. I should of ordered them with the 2k of stuff I got from them last week.

 

[ivan2]

another good pair with low impedance is the sony mdr-v6, which i think its still available from millionbuy for like 70. it beats my crappy senn hd490 by a mile and its build to last, very solid construction that's made in japan. closed type though.

 

[myztikal47]

Seems like they have removed it ...