[H]ot Sennheiser HD555 @ $94 shipped

The Red said:
The AD700s are here!!! (early)

Ok... heres my comparison.

The ATH-AD700 have more clarity but lack the HD555s warmth... the clarity will bring out any flaws in your tracks, receivers or sound-cards. I noticed theres a hiss thats only noticeable with the AD700s coming from my Creative Audigy 2 ZS. I am not sure how to fix it but I think it has to do with the increased clarity and not a problem of the headphones. The hiss sounds like the kind of hiss you'd find in a car tape-deck or while playing blank vinyl but not as pronounced. But I still believe this is not the AD700s fault.

I have read no-where that the AD-700s need a break-in time, but I'm willing to wait. This hiss however is getting quite noticeable on many tracks... I'm not sure exactly what to do, perhaps seek out a better sound card but which... or it could be the source... who knows...

The fit is awkward, they are bigger yet feel lighter than the HD555s... they have an awkward fit and can fall off my head much more easily than the 555s... the cups are huge and get warmer but are very comfortable, even more-so than the HD555s, which is hard to believe. I just really really really wish they could press a little tighter on my head... it feels so light that I can throw them off with a wave of the head.

Bass is clearer but a little weaker than the 555s, which is a bit of a turn off, but clarity can make up for parts of that as you can feel the full range of amplitude of the bass instead of have it leave you deaf half-way through the first bass boom and unable to make other highs out.

In conclusion: ATH-AD700 = clarity (to a fault), HD555s = warmth (to a fault) ... I think I might keep both now, hard to make up my mind.
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Thanks for sharing your honest opinion of the two headphones. I'm a bit concerned about the AT's fitting now! time will tell.
 
I got my AD700's this morning. They do not fit me very well no matter how I put them on if I tilt my head down they fall off. Sound Quality at this point does not matter because they do not stay on my head at all. I don't think I am going to be able to use them. I should have got the 555's instead :(

I think I will try to send them back or else try to sell them without too much of a loss.
 
Have you tried adjusting the 555s? The only possible reason I can fathom beyond that is how your head may be grotesquely deformed, akin to this -
.


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removed picture o_O

--KK
 
Justintoxicated said:
I got my AD700's this morning. They do not fit me very well no matter how I put them on if I tilt my head down they fall off. Sound Quality at this point does not matter because they do not stay on my head at all. I don't think I am going to be able to use them. I should have got the 555's instead :(

I think I will try to send them back or else try to sell them without too much of a loss.
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Do you have a small head?

Try putting an elastic band around the wings to tighten the grip of the headphone. ala:

15757285du.jpg


elastic hairbands look (and work) a lot better than regular rubber bands.
 
I'll give the rubber band idea a shot. The wings barley touch the top of my head right now. They are comfortable, but having to hold my head still so they don't fall off kind of sucks. I thought they would work well for watching movies and I like to recline when doing so. If I tilt my head forward or back they fall off or at least shift around loosely.

I do have somewhat small head but nothing crazy small, although it's sometimes are to find hats or sunglasses that look right when I wear them.
 
Justintoxicated said:
I got my AD700's this morning. They do not fit me very well no matter how I put them on if I tilt my head down they fall off. Sound Quality at this point does not matter because they do not stay on my head at all. I don't think I am going to be able to use them. I should have got the 555's instead :(

I think I will try to send them back or else try to sell them without too much of a loss.
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Yea, I tried to give a heads-up about this in my review (no pun intended). My head is medium to large and they still feel like they can fly off with a simple quick turn of the head towards someone. The clarity cant be beat at this price range, but it doesn't take a genius to recognize that they dropped from $250 into the $100 range because so few people could wear them, and I shouldn't have to mod them with rubber or hair bands just so they stay on my head.

On the upside, if you're in a cold room during long winter play-sessions or they break, they make the most awesome-looking and comfy earmuffs out there!
 
I've really never heard about anyone having fit issues with any of the AD headphones, and they are quite popular over at headfi...you guys must have really, really small heads. My head is pretty...normal sized, I guess? The headphones are supposed to sit slightly loose and not push into your head as that is how they are designed (and therefore why they are so comfortable).

The red, you put it quite harshly when you say "mod them with a rubber band"-it's hardly a big deal at all, and it significantly increases the clamp of the headphone, making them easier to wear for people with small heads.
 
Oh man, my head isn't THAT small. LOL. But I do wear a small/med hat size. I'm not some kind of freak or anything, just to clarify haha.
 
The Red said:
I noticed theres a hiss thats only noticeable with the AD700s coming from my Creative Audigy 2 ZS. I am not sure how to fix it but I think it has to do with the increased clarity and not a problem of the headphones. The hiss sounds like the kind of hiss you'd find in a car tape-deck or while playing blank vinyl but not as pronounced. But I still believe this is not the AD700s fault.
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Is it possible the AD700's are lower impedance than the 555's? You could try wiring up an adapter to add some more resistance (like 50 ohms) to the cans.

On a side note, the 555's are amazing cans, however, if you really want to hear them perform, get a headphone amplifier. I'm currently using a SOHA tube/opamp hybrid amp for my 555's and they sound awesome. Some times I like to have myself a little toke and just lie there for hours listening, you'll hear your music like you've never heard it before :D
 
Citizen _insane said:
Is it possible the AD700's are lower impedance than the 555's? You could try wiring up an adapter to add some more resistance (like 50 ohms) to the cans.

On a side note, the 555's are amazing cans, however, if you really want to hear them perform, get a headphone amplifier. I'm currently using a SOHA tube/opamp hybrid amp for my 555's and they sound awesome. Some times I like to have myself a little toke and just lie there for hours listening, you'll hear your music like you've never heard it before :D
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mine had this problem too. I went into the sound properties and changed the recorder device from Mic to SPDIF or any other plug and the hiss went away. It was strange because even with the mic muted I had a hiss untill I changed the record device....Already posted int he other forum but the rubber band trick works awesome I am very happy now!
 
Justintoxicated said:
mine had this problem too. I went into the sound properties and changed the recorder device from Mic to SPDIF or any other plug and the hiss went away. It was strange because even with the mic muted I had a hiss untill I changed the record device....Already posted int he other forum but the rubber band trick works awesome I am very happy now!
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I'm trying to fix it, but its not working, I think its the source though.

Citizen _insane said:
Is it possible the AD700's are lower impedance than the 555's? You could try wiring up an adapter to add some more resistance (like 50 ohms) to the cans.

On a side note, the 555's are amazing cans, however, if you really want to hear them perform, get a headphone amplifier. I'm currently using a SOHA tube/opamp hybrid amp for my 555's and they sound awesome. Some times I like to have myself a little toke and just lie there for hours listening, you'll hear your music like you've never heard it before
Click to expand...

I dont have experience building amps, so the SOHA remains out of my reach atm, just never tried. I cant find it for regular sale anywhere, just places that tell you to build it with $50 worth of parts.
 
Wow, I just got my HD555 in the mail. I bought it when they had two left in stock. Absolutely amazing sound.
 
badass! .. they sound awesome with the X-Fi XMusic that I just picked up from the deal a couple posts up.

un-amped I kind of liked the HD555s better than my ATH700s hooked up to my PC... but after I gave in and dropped the $100 on a Mister-X amp (from head-fi.org), the amped ATH700s became better to my taste, and I was willing to sacrifice fit and comfort for that clearer sound.

I dont know if its allowed to plug in a FS here, but just in case someone wanted a 1-time better deal.. I'll sell my HD555s @ 80 shipped, and they're past the break-in to boot so the sound is very warm and pleasant :) ... no scratches, dents, or breaks of any kind... they were loved :D I got all good Heatware under this name, and good e-bay under black_iria.

Just hit me with a PM or EM to mnitko (a.t) gmail . com
 
Troub said:
Are these that much better that the 485 ones? It's a $35 difference and Iam trying to choose between the two. Thanks!
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I have the 465's and the 555's, I bought the 465's initially, then realized that I made a mistake and went back for the 555's. The 465's sound fine, the 555's sound a little better, more clear, but also much more comfortable. The 465's smash my ears into my head and hurt after a while. No problem with the 555's. I also paid $95 or slightly less when I purchased a year ago. Consider your audio source if you buy anything more than the 555's, if you are like me and listen to MP3s, that will be your bottleneck.
 
The 555's need to be burned in for like 30 hours. They will only sound great after burn in.
 
Just out of curiosity, how do these compare to the HD-280 PRO's?

I tried playing Bioshock with my 280's and the sound kept cracking.
 
FishHead said:
Just out of curiosity, how do these compare to the HD-280 PRO's?

I tried playing Bioshock with my 280's and the sound kept cracking.
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Depends. Some will prefer the 280 over the 555. The HD555 leaks sound, while the HD280 is much more isolated (this is by design, of course). I personally think the HD555 is slightly more comfortable, in addition to looking nicer and sounding somewhat cleaner.

First, though, open up your headphones. Make sure it's clean, especially the driver (even a strand of cat hair can kill your sound quality), and ensure that all the wires are properly connected. Second, if you're using any modifying software (like equalizers), make sure they aren't set out round of range for your headphones.
 
Headphone.com has these for $99 + shipping if amazon ever goes out or stops it.
Add the code 'HD555' at the checkout. It's how I got mine about 6 months ago.

Amazing headphones, but too open for anything but home use.
 
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