comfert

They sound like you,re listening with ear muffs on

I bought the HD500's a month ago.After using them for a time I must say these phones are about as bad as it gets.I thought about buying a headphone amp for them,instead I researched a little and it seems that probalby would,nt have helped.So on the recomondation of Headroom I bought a pair of Senn,s 497,s . The difference was like night and day.Give a try there less money and sound a ALOT better

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Senn,s HD497

Lows, comfortable

Highs are MIA

These were the lousiest headphones I have ever heard. No highs, Its like they added a crossover frequency to remove everything above 2khz. Lows are strong. Get a decent set of headphones and put a pillow between them and your ear, that's what these sound like. These were purchased at newegg for about $70. I returned them the next day no problem. If you want some good cheap headphones, get the Koss KSC55 at newegg for about $15. Mostly I wanted to respond to the idiot who said they sound good for the price. Any set of $10 K-Mart headphones will sound much better.

price

breaking in takes long

I really like these headphones. After they are played in, its sounds less mushy, less bassy.

Comfortable

overall sound quality if you don't consider the price

It cracks me up that anyone would actually expect clarity, definition, and accuracy from a $70-$80 set of headphones. Maybe Sennheiser has too much of a hyped reputation for anyone to expect otherwise, but in the end you get what you pay for. The HD-500's are not a great set of cans, but in their price range they hold their own. If you're an audiophile expecting the best, why would you even consider a set of cans that cost less than $200? If you're a casual listener and don't care much for nuances and some distortion and better yet aren't going to crank up the volume while wearing these cans (which you probably shouldn't do anyway), the 500's will do the job. In fact, I noticed no distortion while listening to the 500's at moderate volume levels and at flat EQ levels & no extended bass. These cans do get annoyingly boomy and showy in bass, and I absolutely agree they have a muffled sound stage, but again - what the heck do you expect from $70 headphones? Perhaps I should take a listen to Grados in the same price range - and perhaps they will actually sound better. But will I expect them to be stellar in sound and performance as compared to a $300 set of audio-phile quality headphones? Heck no. I will not praise the 500's, but for the price they'll do the job.

Comfortable, well padded open design, lengthy detachable cord, decent detail in the midrange, perfect sound quality for slitting your wrists to

Overemphasized boomy distorted bass, dark and dreary sound, no highs whatsoever

Bad, bad, bad! I got these cans a year ago thinking that they would do what Senn said they would, provide good sound quality with a little extra umph in the lows. Well, compared to my 12-year old Sonys, the HD500s do have decent detail in the midrange. But, that's really the only positive thing I can say about the sound quality. Otherwise, I would call these cans a nice purchase if you're suicidal, because their overall sound is downright depressing. I suppose if you're lustfully eyeballing some razors, rat poison, sleeping pills, sharp metal impaling objects, or firearms, these headphones will be right up your alley. Yes, these cans do provide a nice push in the lows, but the bass is so exaggerated that calling it boomy would be a compliment. Supposedly, this tuning was designed to work well with hip hop and electric jazz and rock music and DVD soundtracks -- all stuff that I listen to quite a bit. Yet, sources that are bass heavy will distort if I put the volume even moderately high, which kinda defeats the purpose. When I first aired out my grievances on the message boards, I was told that I'm mistaken, Sennheiser's the best, I'm either either hearing things or I need to properly break in the headphones. Well, several months later, I still felt compelled to sniff auto exhaust after a lengthy session with the HD500s. Products like this just make me scratch my head. Did Sennheiser actually intend to make a headphone THIS gawdawful? I thought they were a reputable company and that I could count on at least decent sound quality. Maybe they do make other quality products, but the HD500 is bad enough for me to call their entire product line into question. On the positive side, the HD500s are very comfortable and have an excellent fit. The long detachable cord that connects on only one side is unobtrusive and another nice design feature. However, I don't buy headphones strictly for their ergonomics! Happily, I've since moved onto a pair of Grado SR-60s. They're ugly as sin and not the most comfortable cans I've ever worn, but the sound quality on those headphones is absolutely stellar -- stunningly good, actually. Considering that they cost less than the ill-conceived HD500 abortions, I'd say they're about as good a bargain as there is in audio.

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Grado SR-60

Very nice bass sakes the hell out of your ears.terb is kind nice.can wear thesefor a long time.

the huge problem is its not loud and when u can get it loud(on my reciver) its destrotes like hell not louder than my old 50 mm headphones.

(read below)

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Labtec 50mm headphone (very good very strong but fatiguing and its made bright.)

Sound, Price

A little flimsy

These are great sounding headphones. They are made to be used with computers/mp3 players/CD players etc.

By no means are they professional grade, but for the price, you can't beat them.

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S-570's, 580's and many cheap headsets

Comfort, ergonomics, suitable for most music types.

Slightly muddy vocals

I like the HD500, but i don't think it's suitable for everyone. I find it quite bassy (which i generally like), but it also tends to muffle the vocals. It takes a little getting used to but if you give it a chance you'll find the clarity to be very good. Having said this, alot of people will dismiss these headphones because it doesn't produce the kind of sound that's "in your face", so to speak. It won't blow you away, but i find that i can listen to these cans for long periods without listening fatigue.
The HD500 is not an audiophile headphone, but it's an excellent and solid entry level one that will satisfy most people looking for something that's great for both music and movies.

Lightweight, Fit well.

Cheaply made, Sound is muffled, bass distortion!

Thank God for Audio Advisor's 30 day money back guarantee! I was very disappointed in these. The only thing I liked about these is that they fit nicely to my head. Build quality is piss poor! Cheap plastic. My JVC headphones are at least 10 years old and sound a hundred times better. I had to turn the bass on my receiver almost all the way down to keep the bass from distorting, which defeats the purpose of these so called "bassy headphones". Needless to say, they are on their way back to Audio Advisor as I write this.

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JVC HA-D990

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I had demoed the Sennheiser HD 500 Fusion headphones at Circuit City when that superstore chain still allowed the buyer to demo headphones (but now, it won't). Though they sounded better than the Sony MDR-V600's they didn't sound nearly as good as other HD 5xx-series Sennheisers. Their tonal balance is on the dark side, with attempt highs, recessed mids, and slightly boomy bass. I found no surprises- good or bad- with the HD 500's, which makes them somewhat crappy (as opposed to the VERY crappy Sony V-600's).

If you are in the market for a pair of Sennheisers, and all you can afford are the HD 500 Fusions, please try before you buy. They just didn't knock me to the floor at all.

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Sony MDR-V600