Does everything well, and has smooth/relaxed sound, unbeatable performance/price ratio.

None

These are hands down best value in high end cans available today for use with proper amplifacation (not directly driven by portable CDP). No weakness, just beautiful music,
very comfortable. Previous reviews say it all.

You can significantly improve this already great product by upgrading stock connecting cord. Headroom sells Clou
red/blue jaspis cables for $90/120 each. They are thicker/stiffer, similar to TV coax cable, improve sound in several respects. The treble/midrange become slightly more open/detailed but still silky smooth, the bass has noticeably more depth/impact making the overall sound more dynamic. Highly recommended upgrade, I use the Blue Jaspis.

Similar Products Used:

Grado RS-2, SR225....Sony MDR V900....Senn 495

outstandingly accurate -- studio reference quality. Truly delivers exactly what the source is offering.

outstandingly accurate -- highly 'analytical', so they're unforgiving on shrill sources (which means: so many CD's!). This can be overcome with a euphonic headphone tube amp (like the Musical Fidelity X-CANS) or some judicious EQ...

I seriously doubt anybody doing a double-blind test of the 600's and 580's could tell them apart. These are the same 'phones wrapped more cheaply than the 600's. I've used both extensively, and there's NO differences that I can hear.
Believe me, I wanted to hear some difference! I dropped almost $300 on the 600's, while the 580's are now available on closeout as low as $150. I suspect Sennheiser is discontinuing the 580's because consumers figured out there was no need to buy the 600's.
Get 'em while you can!

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser HD600, AKG electrostatics -- And the 580's are sonically indistinguishable from the 600's!

Sound: Revealing, detailed, excellent high - low frequency reproduction. Wonderful with choral music. Comfort: You forget your wearing headphones.
Conclusion: If you got the bucks go for it, a no brainer.

Nice cans! Most I've tried were murky, lacked definition or had poor bass response. HD580's seem nice and flat with good definition and even frequency response. Only phones I've ever used that come close to sounding like my speakers. Picked up a set of Koss Pro 4/x phones on a sale table for $25.00 once that were amazing in that they had such good treble and midrange, but you had to cup your hands over them and press them tightly to your head to get the bass to come anywhere close to the HD580s, and they still lacked the overall clarity of the 580s. Considering the price differential they were a good value at the time, but I'd have to agree that the Sennheiser's are the first cans I've ever actually enjoyed or didn't find lacking (but then nobody's volunteered to give me a set of HD600s, Grado RS1s or electrostatics to compare them with either).

These are absolutely wonderful headphones. I didn't really appreciate just how good they were until I went looking for speakers: I was listening to $2K speakers and realizing that they fell short of the sound quality of my 580s.
$300 may seem a bit steep for headphones, but if you plan on using them much at all, it's worth every penny. I think that these headphones are easily the best audio purchase I've ever made.

(I also think that these headphones could be the basis of a great budget system. Buy a CD player with a good headphone output -- I've found that the one on the Panasonic DVD-A110 works quite well -- plug these in and voila; wonderful sound (and DVD capability!) for under $700.)

I often hate reading ads' in magazines. Always are they looking to get that buck I worked too hard to get. I read one ad about this one place that just specializes in headphones and amps. They had the much touted Sennheiser HD-580 for the cheap seats price. How could I resist? I purchased them for $250.00. I read in "Stereophile",that they were great phones. A "long time reference to John Atkinson". I said,that's nice,and big f-----ng deal too. Well,low and behold,if the darn things didn't just sound terrific. Great bass extension,and a midrange that won't tire you. The highs' just fine thank you. They are comfy with the velvet head band,and ear cups. My oh my, I could wear these for hours. I am wearing and listening to them as I write this review. What a terrific way to ease out of the riggors of a long painful day of work,and just let the music flow through these "magical" phones. My AKG k240s',while a workhorse,and been with me for almost 16 years and still going,just don't do it for me like the HD-580s' do. I never tire and get the dreaded "ear-burn" like other phones. I had some Koss ones,and they were boomy,and fatiging. Great for rock,but too heavy for classical and jazz. And they were only good for about half and hour before I wanted them off. The HD-580s' all day long,no problem. My one and only caveat is,that the cable attachments at the ear cups are on weak side of design. Sennheiser will fix under warranty. So,there it is,great sound,great comfort,and a price that won't stop your heart. They will however stop your worries with their great sound. Enjoy.

I just obtained a 2 year old pair of Sennheiser HD-580s from Ebay, which was a very good thing, because they retail for $349 on AudioAdvisor, and they are worth every penny. I have been listening to them for the last few days, and I have never heard a better headphone. Sure, the HD-600 is probably better, but the -580 is one of the best dynamic headphones in the world. Clear, detailed, beautiful. My source is a CAL Icon, an extremely detailed player, and I have Mirage 595is speakers, which also have very good resolution. But I have not heard anything quite as clear as the HD-580s. As one of the other reviews has it, you will grow to hate those clumsy players, because they are quite audible. As I move through my CD collection, I keep on starting in surprise at a new passage, or a detail, or some melodic or harmonic line that was not audible before I bought these headphones.
Well, they aren't perfect--they aren't speakers, and because of the headphone configuration, they are a bit funky with the soundstage--you have to think harder. But, in terms of what you can buy for $300 dollars, or actually $199 for refurbished ones, there is nothing finer. I think everyone should get a pair; they will certainly change your mind about headphones.

Overall, I think that they are far superior for classical music. They lack a punchy base, instead featuring a controlled, melodic base, extending down all the way to 12hz, if you belive Sennheiser. But, the detail is what makes them keepers. These incredibly precise cans allow you to hear wavering tone, missed attacks, and the best non live strings I have heard in a while. And--they are very comfortable.

Get yourself a pair. And I'll be saving for the Orpheus....

I just purchased the HD580's yesterday. I got home, ripped open the package and proudly informed my wife that she wouldn't have to deal with all of my "loud music" any longer. I had faith that my new investment would serve me well. I pulled out an album (yes, I still listen to mostly vinyl) that would most likely get a "please lower that" response from my wife and placed it on the turntable. I put the volume at a pleasing level for my taste and delicately cued the first song. Wow!!! what sound!! I thought as the guitar opening played. Then the bass kicked in,,,,,,, Shit!! Did I get defective headphones? Unfortunately I did not. I tried out another pair at Circut City (What Morons!! But thats another story) and low and behold, same result. I won't continue to say how much these headphones suck, because they really don't. The overall sound is really GREAT. One just has to be cautious of the volume while playing music with a steady bass. Comfort level is incredible. I could wear them for hours upon end, NO PROBLEM. DO I recommend them, Definately. But with some BASSic caution.

I've had my Sennheiser 580s for a few weeks now. I cannot imagine why I waited so long to buy a pair. My friends think I'm weird for spending $200 on headphones, but considering that they perform as well as any speakers costing 10 times as much, and are portable to practically anywhere, I think I made a prudent purchase.
The 580s have very good resolution-I can hear things in recordings that I've owned for years that I never noticed before. Some of these things aren't so good, however. If your recordings are poorly mastered, you WILL hear it. On the other hand, well engineered CDs can reach their full potential. I think that if you want to train your ear to recognize what a high-resolution, neutral, uncolored transducer sounds like, the 580s are the least expensive way to do this. When I've collected a little more cash, and want to begin speaker shopping, I'll have my reference. I know it's not a perfect comparison, speaker to headphones, but it's an easy compromise to make.

580's are fine peace of work - nice detail, depth and resolution; I would also note great comfort of these phones. But, I tell you what, if you ever try HD600 you'll never put 580's back on. Difference is very clear (especially on the high end) even without headphone amp. Save some money and get 600's, you won't regret it. 4 stars with small "-" (to value the gap with 600's)