Headphone advice - Sennheiser HD 558 - any good?

Steinberg Lounge
#1

Hi gang,
I’m just about to buy some new headphones (I work mostly on my tracks with headphones) and I was considering buying a pair of Sennheiser HD 558

Does anybody have a pair of these and if so, can you give me any advice on them. I tried them out today and they sounded amazing. My budget is around GBP £150

Thanks in advance

Neil

#2

Grado Grado Grado

They sound too bright initially but after 30/50 hours of use they’re perfect. You can’t get high fidelity with closed headphones, no matter how much you pay. Grados are open, responsive, detailed and warm. The bass is accurate which may not please the “bass heads”.

#3

Thanks - yes, I was considering the Grado’s…any particular model? Are they hard wearing enough? I do look after them but they WILL get hammered with lots of use from me…

I was using some Bose QCs but the build quality was crap - I went through 4 pairs in 5 years…

Thanks

Neil

#4

Haven’t you answered your own question here?

I use Senn Hd280’s (I think that’s the model number) and I like them. Really, Ithink anything with the Sennheiser name on it is going to be good.

#5

Sennheiser HD515 here, been using em for over 5 years already and they still sound awesome. Build quality is great as well.

#6

My Grado Sr60’s are going strong after 16 years and sound like new. They don’t give the impression of being particularly robust but they’ve survived a lot of abuse over the years. I couldn’t recommend them highly enough. Aesthetically they’re unimpressive and the low pricepoint (SR60is are about GBP90) will not impress people who believe you need to part with a couple of hundred quid to get decent headphones.

#7

Are you referring to the effects of “ear fatigue” here, or some sort of “working in” period of the phones itself?

#8

Twilightsong asked

Are you referring to the effects of “ear fatigue” here, or some sort of “working in” period of the phones itself?

It’s the “working in” period I was referring to. Some folks reckon Grados need 100 hours of use before they arrive at their best, but since they start off so well it doesn’t really matter!

#9

I’ve had a pair of AKG K702s for a few months now… yeah ok they’re a bit over budget, but i found they needed a good 100hrs burning in time to calm down initially and then more subtle changes became apparent over the next couple of hundred or so… most people seem to think between 100-400hrs for a full burn in… seems about right for the case of my own cans… can HIGHLY recommend them too if you can spare the extra dollar :smiley:

#10

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. I’m going to check all of those models…

Invaluable, thanks a lot guys

Neil

#11

Hi there.

As always I’ll recommend these: I’ve used them since 1998 or so.
http://europe.beyerdynamic.com/shop/hah/headphones-and-headsets/studio-and-stage/studio-headphones/dt-770-pro.html
And please do take the people that says you can not mix with closed phones with a grain of salt or three, they most likely haven’t tried these puppies

Kim :wink:

#12

Yeah, I don’t understand that assertion either :question:

#13

K702 are AKG reference.

#14

Thanks brains for your insightful contribution (Say - 130 posts already) :neutral_face: :neutral_face:

Kim said

And please do take the people that says you can not mix with closed phones with a grain of salt or three, they most likely haven’t tried these puppies

Just in case anyone thinks it was me who said that - what I actually said was

You can’t get high fidelity with closed headphones, no matter how much you pay.

…which I stand by! You can do a rough mix with any decent headphones, but for plain non-critical listening openness and fidelity, Open vs Closed - no contest! If I couldn’t get Grados, Beyer would certainly be my second choice, I had a pair of semi open Beyers for years (can’t remember the model number) and I was extremely p*ssed off when they died. Grados came to my rescue. I think the Sound on Sound review that omitted Grado rendered the whole exercise pointless. It’s like leaving BMW out of a What Car? review of quality cars!

#15

I’d vote for the Sennheiser HD 280 pro model which I have used for a number of years. I just noticed you can pick them up for less than $100 on Amazon. Comfortable and rugged enough and usable to the extent that headphones will take you. I need to hear my mix through my monitors every now and then to be sure I’ve got levels and EQ right.

Michael

#16

Wow. I just read the customer reviews of the SR60’s on Amazon and am quite impressed with how much laud and praise these get.

http://www.amazon.com/Grado-Prestige-SR-60i-Padded-Headphones/dp/B0006DPMU4

#17

I’m hoping to buy a Focusrite VRM to go with my new AKG 702 headphones.

#18

foolomon said

Wow. I just read the customer reviews of the SR60’s on Amazon and am quite impressed with how much laud and praise these get.

…and don’t the bad reviews seem very extreme? Almost as though a Sennheiser rep wrote them! :unamused:

#19

Don’t get too disappointed when you hear them straight out of the box brains!
You can expect to give them AT LEAST a good hundred hours burn in, mine changed dramatically after this and more subtly over the next 200hrs or so… well worth the money though!

#20

I’m worried if I play my rubberized drumkit after midnight people will still hear it and come bashing on my door. :blush: