Sennheiser 555s, or...??

[D_Brasted]

Hi,

After the replies to my thread about getting Sennheiser 485s, and some more research, I'm now more interested in the Sennheiser 555s. They appear to have a more balanced frequency response, which I prefer, as well as being touted as some of the most comfortable headphones to wear for long periods.

However...

I'd like your input on any other options I should consider. I'm wondering about the "openness" of the 555s - I'll be wearing them a lot at home, and don't want to a) disturb others in the room and b) be disturbed "too much" by e.g. the TV. Thus I'd consider closed headphones too - except they must be both comfortable to wear and non-fatiguing to listen to for long periods. My friend's Sony MDR-7605s are nice cans, and isolate well, but they were pretty tiring for my ears after only a relatively short time.

I'd prefer circumaurals, but if someone recommends some biggish supra-aural headphones then I'll definitely consider them. The most important things for me are sound quality and comfort (for the price). I'm not a basshead, but I like good bass and crisp, clear mids and trebles (but not harshness - I'll be listening for long periods).

My budget's around £55, and I'm NOT going to be using an amp, so they need to be pretty easy to drive. I'll mainly be using them with my portable CD player and possibly my computer (onboard sound).

My current headphones are a well-worn pair of Panasonic RP-HT030s (see http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=Panasonic+RPHT030) - I'm guessing these are kinda "closed", but if they're considered "open" then the 555s are probably fine regarding isolation.

Thanks.

 

[lay-z-boy]

I've not tried enough sets nor know enough about 'phones to give 100% solid advice on headphones but I have been through enough sets to know that open back doesn't isolate you from your surrounds, and nor does it isolate your surrounds from you.

Closed doesn't totally lock you out from your surroundings but it does a very good job of it. I have been told many to 'keep it down' with audio on my open backs but on my (now broken) sony v700's I could sit next to someone in the back of a car with the music cranked up and they would struggle to hear anything coming from the 'phones.

The general feeling about the 485s vs 555s is the 555's sound 'fuller', the range broader than the 485's and it has tighter bass.
Either way you go the set you buy should be a great move from the ht030's

 

[Hxc]

I'd look at Audio Technicas which I've found to be better in terms of comfort and quality than the equivilant Senns. Sound quallity is subjective, however. The comfort is mainly due to the 3D wing system, which means you can't feel anything at all on the top of your head, and only slight pressure from the phones holding onto the sides of your head, I've had them on for 8 hours plus easily.

Crisp clear mids? Go for the ATs, they excel at mid ranges with a nice backing bassline.

Import them from AudioCubes, got my Audio Technica A900s from there and they came within 2 weeks direct from Japan

A500s fit nicely in your budget and would still be just about alright if you got caught on import charges (rare).

EDIT: just saw you wear glasses from the other thread. The sheer size and pressure that Audio Technicas put on the side of your head may make them less comfortable if you wear glasses. Unsure though.

Senn 555s are still very very good phones, I just prefer ATs.

 

[Phil99]

I don't have any real experience of other headphones so can't compare them to anything really, but I have a pair of 555 and I'm finding them to be excellent. Very comfortable, you forget you're wearing them after a while (I also wear glasses and it's not the slightest of issues with these)

The open nature of these headphones could be an issue for you if you don't want to disturb people in the same room, they do leak a fair amount of sound.

 

[MrP77]

yep the only issue I've had with my hd 555 is that they DO disturb other people, however I tend not to be disturbed they do an alright job of blocking out extraneous noise

 

[D_Brasted]

Well I finally got the chance to try out some of the Sennheiser headphones with my portable CD player (the very helpful guy in the shop let me plug the Sennheiser display post thingy into my portable!). I love the sound of the 555s, and pretty much didn't like any of the others (HD 465, 485, 515, 280), whether for their sound or because of comfort issues such as my ears getting too warm and/or fatigued too quickly.

Now I have a dilemma - I definitely love the 555s, but they might be too open. For example, my family often watch TV in my room while I'm sitting at my computer (also in my room) and I don't want to disturb them with my headphones.

Any suggestions?