Amazon prime exclusive deal.
Looks like cheapest it has been on amazon? Also looks like the lowest price ever for this ugly colour but hey, big discount might be enough for those looking for a new headphone and have these on their potential buys.
CamelCamelCamel.
I'm with you mate, noctua brown is lyf!
lol quite divided when it comes to that colour scheme. Loads of people think it's ugly - but perfectly content to use hideous RGBs in their machines.
Sennheiser HD 599 and HD560S. Both are 4.7 at Amazon, 8.1 and 8.3, respectively for neutral sound at Rtings, 84% and 92% sound quality score at Choice.
Both are rated fairly comfortable to wear, both are open-backed.
$149 and $300, respectively, current pricing atm at Amazon. Static Ice has $280 and $300. So I'd rate this a good deal!
HD 560S was $230 until last week, will probably bob up again on Prime Day (or a competing mid-year sale).
This is an OK deal, because while it's open back, and a reasonably pleasant sound signature, it's very weak on detail and resolving ability for what you get at the $150-$200 mark these days. Has solid imaging and a good soundstage, so it's an old gaming favourite, but again there are better options these days.
If you're not a competitive gamer, the alternatives just above this price point are the HIFIMAN HE400SE (or the Drop x HIFIMAN HE-X4 if it's substantially cheaper), the aforementioned Sennheiser HD 560S if you can net cashbacks, and if you are a competitive gamer, perhaps look at the AKG K612 Pro to trade extra warmth and some mid timbre for better imaging.
Another non-competitive gaming - and music/movie - above this again is the Drop x Sennheiser 6XX. You get stung with 10% GST now, but it's been regularly approaching $300, which is still one of the best deals in audio. If people want to scrounge, it'ill probably sneak below $290 heading into Black Friday sales.
If you absolutely refuse to get a decent amp/DAC stack, you're going to get the most mileage out of the HE400SE/HE-X4 and the Sennheiser HD 560S, with the latter preferred for competitive gaming.
Both are 4.7 at Amazon, 8.1 and 8.3, respectively for neutral sound at Rtings, 84% and 92% sound quality score at Choice.
**** me that's a waste of a sentence.
It’s jasswolf the true hero again. Thank you for the detailed recommendation.
What your suggestion for bass heads :)
Unless you're interested in bass texture alongside intensity, there's not going to be an open back in this range that you'll love. Boosting bass tends to introduce distortion.
Maybe the HIFIMAN HE400SE with EQ? The K612 Pro would also respond relatively well to EQ too. A sleeper option might be getting a HD 6XX and using a weight mod on the driver to change the bass texture, along with removing the enclosure foam (completely reversible). There's some guides about that sort of thing online.
Well above this, you might like the HIFIMAN Edition XS, and further to that you'd adore Mr Anan's Nan-6, but those are $550-$700 and $700 respectively.
@jasswolf: Thank you.
HiFiMAN Sundara any good for bass?
Currently using the v-moda crossfade 2 & Sony WH-1000XM3, both have decent bass.
@congo: Sundara isn't worth your time at $500 while the Edition XS exists at $550ish. EQ'ing a Sundara didn't yield anything impressive to my ear.
Closed backs are always going to have bigger bass, and both of those options are a bloated sort of bass. Try and demo the aforementioned options (use the HIFIMAN HE-6 as a substitute for the Nan-6) before buying.
@congo: Edition xs has good bass extension, but not or slam. If listening to electronic or heavy bass music, look elsewhere
I've been tempted by the He400s
but i see really good reviews for the Beyer MX300 series having stellar reviews
Ignore them, it's a modified DT 770, with the same issues with their house sound.
Are you after either of these for gaming? Look at the AKG K612 Pro and the Sennheiser HD 560S instead.
Hi Jass can you please recommend me a good DAC/AMP combo for the Drop x Senn 6xx? Its a tricky market to understand.
Ideally, Schiit Asgard 3 is a great amp for them, while the DAC side of things you can do ok with something like a Topping E30.
Schiit via used market for sub-$370 or new from the US (avoid the ones with an inbuilt DAC, they're awful).
Topping probably via AliE, but scout eBay and Amazon with current sales and cashbacks. I feel like sub-$170 should be achievable.
@jasswolf: Thoughts on the smsl audio m500 mkii (dac/amp)?
It's reviewing well which is why I ask
~$650
@tehsnrub: Not really across a lot of DACs and amps, but feature set seems fine if you're not interested in low latency bluetooth and future codec support (at least without a firmware update). Trying to guard against the impact of jitter due to sample clocks is a reasonable thing, but there are $30-$60 devices that should handle that.
Beyond that, it really comes down to individual chip implementations. Poorly implemented Sabre DACs are associated with what's called 'Sabre glare', where mids and treble can be slightly too aliased and there's some mild harmonic distortion that would be barely audible (if at all).
If you're after something that's hyper-detailed, it's probably it, but consider the rest of your setup - and whether that sharper edge to notes is for you - accordingly.
@jasswolf: cheers mate. I'm about to find out if I like sharp or warm…
My basic setup is changing, visiting a friend to test his planar headphones. I'll know later if I made a mistake! :-)
@tehsnrub: Haha good luck. Keep in mind I can't speak to any adjustable filters involved either, so trust subjective reviews that have a good record or a similar take to your own experience.
Fiio e10k
you must be allergic to sound quality
I bet you he owns Beats…
Is that necessary?
I guess most now consume music through rubbish streaming services and youtube that having a very high end dac amp and headphone becomes a moot point at a certain price level.
The Black/Anthracite ones are $129 from Amazon UK via Amazon AU:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Sennheiser-HD-559-Open-Headphone/d…
That's a different model!
Dude!
I just cancelled my 599 order to get this one then realised, and had to reorder my 599 again lol
That's HD559 not HD599, not the same model
559 is a big drop from the 599's quality, and the latter isn't even that good at this sales price now.
If you also bothered to check the price history (tick 3rd party), you'd notice this is a regular price. Cancel your order and get the 599 if that's what you can afford.
You good tivo?
For this price, this is pretty much the best you can get especially if you don't want to use a headphone amp. The DT 990 Pro's compete with similar profiles and comfort, but DT 990 Pros usually don't go this low and they need a headphone amp as you'll usually only find the 250+ ohm models for a lower price.
If you have a headphone amp, be careful. These are only 50 ohms and they do not like being driven by anything high gain. A decent low gain amp will work fine, including built in amps. These will even drive well from your phone if you still have a 3.5mm on your phone.
I have HD598 in this colour and they are awesome. I don't take them out or anything, I mostly just use them with my PS5 now, but they are really comfortable and sound good. I assume these are better.
Not a Bad price! Had these briefly but wasn't a fan. Bit too dark for me sound wise.
Ive had a few pairs and am currently on the 560s which I picked up for $230 recently. If you have a little more to spend then id suggest the 560s. It all depends on your setup and personal preferences though. Very subjective.
Personally I like the reference sound and good base extension (not quantity) on the 560s. For Gaming they have been great and loving music with them.
The PC38x & HD58X are on sale on Mass Drop too. Altho as jasswolf mentioned, we get stung with the GST now :/
Can vouch for the PC38X on Drop, great pair of cans for the price.
Bought this due to the colour and the 0.7kg clam force on your head (very comfortable, force >1kg will cause me headache).
Happy with the sounds so far!
I have 598 SE, probably don’t need these, but the colour has me tempted
My HD555's are 18 years old, still sound great powered though my LgV30 which is now relegated to a home 'jukebox' I beam to my chromecast audio connected to audioengine A5+. The sound quality is excellent.
Was always curious to try open back headphones. This is a good point to jump in and see how I like them. Thanks OP.
These really demonstrate the advantages of open back. The soundstage is decent and sounds very clear and airy. I'd say the only better open back headphones I've tried were the AD700.
Have had them for a few days now and I must say that I'm impressed with the open back sound. It's so much airier than closed back headphones. They are the second best pair of cans that I own after the B&W P7's. Definitely a good onboarding experience. In the future, I'll see what else is out there.
best headphones I've owned after about 4 years the earcups broke (the leather stitching inside) however they're super easy to replace they just pop out and replace with new ear cups. The pleather headband would be better if it was cotton but overall I can't fault these headphones.
You can throw these headphones around and step on it and it will still last 10 years plus. Just need to replace ear foam and pleather headband around the 5 year mark. Solid headphone.
I bought these years ago when I worked for a computer retailer and got special insider pricing.
It was not as cheap as this…
It's one of those purchases I never regretted buying, even though I barely use it now. When I do use it, I enjoy it to the full.
I find these great to use with both my guitar and bass for home practice, with modelling plug-ins via my focusrite scarlett headphone jack - or even a good bang-for-buck unit like the Nu-X Mg30 or my ampless bass rig based around a Darkglass Microtubes X Ultra.
Hi does this compare with the Sony 1AM2?
I was super disappointed that I missed this deal…. but looks like there are more back in stock!
back in stock
Can anyone tell me if the clamping force on these is lighter than the 6XX? I sold those on as they hurt my head (and also didn't like them that much).
The clamping force is definitely lighter. I have both
The clamp on these is extremely gentle, almost to the point that they can be a little loose.
Presumably now $20 cashback. You beauty
Are you sure? the max cash back i saw was 5%
4-6pm had 14% cashback.
I've had the 598 which is essentially the same thing for probably over 10 years now. Still going great.
Shame I missed the cashback!
Anyone had one of these ship yet?
Nope. Said 21th July when I ordered so probably on a slight back-order. Mine has initiated to the preparing to ship stage though.
Got mine yesterday, I brought it soon as it got restocked
Weird, mine said 14th July when I ordered and hasn’t changed to preparing to ship yet.
Mine just shipped.
![[Prime] Sennheiser HD 599 Ivory/Matte Finish $149 Delivered @ Amazon AU](https://files.ozbargain.com.au/n/54/710654.jpg?h=0cdbf42b)
I personally love the colours they use, but then again I like the Noctua stock colour too.
That aside these are really great for that price and they really go well with a good amp/dac. The really big benefit of these is how little they weigh, you almost forget you have them on most of the time, without a doubt the comfiest headphones I have owned.