the most comfy phones i've had on my ears!

Absolutely the most comfortable 'phones i've had on my ears. I just got them this week after a chap sent me an email as i was bidding for a pair on eBay , notifying me of a site selling them for £59.99 (cheers, David!). I'm mighty, mighty chuffed with them - they sound bloody awesome! Go and get a pair from Empiredirect now before they're all gone !!!

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sennheiser HD-445 (how crap do these now sound? they did anyway but NOW...)

Good bass, natural midrange and treble

Perhaps lacking a little 'life'?

Got these for half price (£100) mail order. Not really disappointed. One of few headphones on the market that can 'do' bass. But not bass like Technics DJ Headphone bass-more tightly controlled, good floorstander type bass. Still with me?
Listen before you buy. I reckon some GRado 125s might be better at the price.

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Grado SR80; Beyer DT811; Koss Pro4/AA

They simply sound neutral.

None

It doesn't take long to realize why so many reviewers raved about the sound produced by the HD580's. They are clean and true sounding with excellant dynamics throughout the frequency range. The all important midrange is complimented by solid, well defined bass and smooth treble, without undue emphasis at any point in the frequency spectrum. The difference in sound quality between the HD580's and the Sony MDRV600's is very noticeable, and an A-B comparision quickly points out the virtues of the HD580's.

Sennheiser appears to be discontinuing the 580's, so I would encourage anyone who wants the best at a significant savings, to shop around while they are still available.

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HD 570's, Koss Pro 4AA's, Sony MDRV600

Smooth sounding, very comfortable, comes with the DSP PRO as a free bonus

The headphones are good. The DSP Pro feels well made, but sound quality is only fair.

The HD-580s are very comfortable to wear, and the sound is smooth and relaxed. For headphones these are good traits. I can wear these for hours without fatigue, however... I just came back from another live music event and as always am reminded that live music is dynamic, loud, and has a tremendous amount of energy across the entire frequency spectrum. It has been less than an hour since the live event and at the momment the HD-580s sound vapid/insipid. My Klipsch KLF-20s with Paradigm Servo 15 come much closer to sounding like live music; the dynamics and intensity of the midrange is "there". That said, the sound of live music isn't necessarily a desirable trait in a headphone where what I want is a detailed, yet sweet and pleasant sound. These headphones are without a doubt the most comfortable and non-aggressive sounding headphones I have owned.

The DSP PRO is well made, but the sound is at best fair. As a headphone amp the PRO distorts the high frequencies and lacks the power to really drive the HD-580s. As a Dolby ProLogic decoder the DSP Pro is better than no Dolby ProLogic decoder, but the sound is far from high fidelity. The high frequencies are grungy and noisy. Bass is lacking, and the effect just doesn't measure up to a good 5 speaker setup. For free though the DSP Pro is an OK toy.

I give these a 5 because they do what headphones should do. They are comfortable. They are light weight (adding to the sense of comfort). The are smooth and relaxed sounding, good traits for a pair of headphones. Bass sounds very much like the KLF-20/Paradigm-Servo15 set up, tight and tuneful, though of course there is no physical sensation (no fault of the headphones).

Puts you right in the audience

None so far

I bought these by accident while listening to a CD in a shop in Holland while on holiday. I was so amazed at the sound that I asked the assistant about the headphones. He mentioned that I was listening through 580s and that if I was interested they were on "special" as they were discontinued.
My interest raised, I tried every other headphone in the shop as a comparison (they had the full range of Sennheisers) and there was no doubt that the 580s were miles ahead of the others, except the 590s which were on a par but significantly more expensive. The 570s for instance had a subtle "curtain" between the music and my ears which was lifted immediately I returned to the 580s.
They are crystal clear but without being fatiguing and are startlingly realistic. If you listen to "Jazz at the Pawnshop" you can hear every glass being "tinkled" and the waiters moving around and the effect is really awesome - like being there.
I have to say, though, that you most definitely need a good quality headphone amp or a headphone socket which is of good quality. My CD player just did not do it justice and made it sound very ordinary. I had to buy a separate amp and the sound is now as I heard it the first time.
The ear pads do make your ears very hot as others have reported and the band is very tight to begin with. However, if you put the headphones over the armrest of your chair overnight a couple of times (my armrest is wider than my head) it will loosen up and will not be as hot.

I suggest that if you are looking for a pair of high quality phones and if you can get them at the ridiculous price which I did or even close don't hesitate if you might be thinking of the 580s.

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Sennheiser 414s, Koss Sporta Pro.

Accurate,open,detailed sound.Excellent soundstage and depth.

For me, none at all. Will lack the "slam" factor for rock

These cans have the best depth and soundstage of any I have ever heard. The space between the instruments and the different layers of the recordings are so well defined and reproduced with such "air" around them. It compares well to many high-end speakers in this regard.The bass is deep and laid back compared to the Grados, and does lack some punch and dynamics, but it's VERY SMOOTH and never overtakes the balance of the reproduction as I find the Grados and AKG's often do with some material. The mid's are very flat and perhaps a touch recessed, but display excellent detail. The highs are extended, very smooth, and also show great detail. They allow cymbals to sound natural and "shimmer", not spat at you with harsh overtones. I agree these phones excel with classical, accoustic jazz, and recordings containing less none-amplified and electric instruments. But,they are so very smooth and offer such a open and spacious soundstage that many rock, blues and electric jazz recordings will still sound very good.(I do however prefer the Grados for their extra punch and detail on most rock and new-age jazz recordings). Last of all, these are with-out the most comfortable cans I have ever had the pleasure of wrapping around my noggin. You can forget you have these on after a while. These sure a great buy right now- find yourself some before they all gone, you won't regret it!!!

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Grado SR-225,SR-80,Akg K340 electrostatics. (all owned)