HD497 vs PC150 (the verdict!)

[lilpoopypants]

First off, I purchased the PC150s.. simply because I was in need of gaming cans and that is the primary use. So having a mic came before good sound.


I listened to the 497s in person, and they are great, but not my preferred style of sound. Its very airy, like a concert. It almost puts you to sleep. Which is a good thing and a bad thing.
But as far as tone and range they are very good. But not as up-front and bassy as I like. I think most would prefer more bass, personally. Esp for impact within games and music.


But from a textbook standpoint, it has great sound. Just not what I want from $50 headphones.

My tastes lie more along Grado and Koss headphones. Direct, in your face with a lot of sonic impact.



Now, on the other hand, I feel the PC150s are probably the best headset on the market. For a number of reasons, their sound quality not being one of them.
They are known to have a limted high range, and bass, its what you'd expect for $30-50 headphones.
In the Sennheiser world of headphones, the 497s trump them.

But I dont like Sennheiser sound anyway, so going with the mic version is no loss for me.



I think it depends on what you are looking for in sound. What your preference is.
If you prefer well rounded sound, but heavy on the bass (though not drowning out the rest of the sonic details that is) then for general use headphones I'd look elsewhere.

Mainly in the direction of Grado.

But for gaming, I made my choice, and that is to start off with the PC150s.. see if the Senn-sound grows on me and go from there.
It should be noted that the PC150s are SEALED headphones, so you are going to get more isolation than with the rest of the Sennheiser line. The 497s leak a lot of sound, as do most open headphones and are not ideal for use in a room with other people.
It is really pretty bad even with that lower end pair.. I dont want to imagine the 595s or similar cans.
They leak badly enough that even if I did want them, they would not be practical for me to use in my environment. My wife already hears enough "FIRE IN THE HOLE", than she'd like. But as I said, I do not prefer the Sennheiser sound anyway.



I know a few were wondering about the PC150s, and if they are any good.

Short answer: yes they are fine for games. Bad for music.

If you want music and games?
A: Go for either the upper end Sennheiser line or the Grado line. Depending on your preference for sound.
If you want your music to beat you down like a drunken hobo, and singe your ears like a flamethrower.. go Grado. In laymans terms, if you are into fast dynamic music like rock or rap.
If you listen to acoustic music, or classical then Sennheiser is probably the way to go.

Your mileage may vary.

And DO NOT buy a set without hearing them first, unless you go with the lower end stuff. I'll name off what I'd recommend you look into:

Grado- SR60 $70
Sennheiser- HD555 $110
Sennheiser- PC150 $32

I dont think you can kick yourself too hard with the price you'd pay for any of those headphones. And if you are worried about "cool" looking headphones, go Sennheiser. Though I like both styles.
You cant wear any of these out of the house anyway, with their 8 foot cords and such.


Hope I helped somebody out there.

And heres a link for the PC150s for $32.
http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?dpno=265386&store=ecost&source=ECOSTPG&adcampaign=email,ECOSTPG
Free shipping, but $4 handling charge (bastards snuck that in there!), yet no tax in most states so its a killer deal to try the "Sennheiser sound" and get what is in my opinion the best headset on the market. You get sealed headphones with a great microphone from one of the top 5 companys in the world for cans.
Though, it should be noted this is NOT one of their top 5 headphones!

To sum it up, I chose the PC150s over better sounding headphones because:
1. No microphone, 2. most not sealed, 3. wouldnt use Sennheisers for music headphones anyway, its like -3 on the scoreboard for the 497s.

But, I must insist you go try them for yourself at a local shop.. unless you are sure your ears agree with mine sonically and you like ear shattering sound over detailed, well balanced sound. You might be more of a candidate for the 497/555, or a pair of Grado SR60s.


It should be stated, you cannot go wrong with ANY of these choices when it comes down to it. I wouldnt be PO'd to be stuck with any of these.. all vastly superior to your Walkman headphones, and probably what you're using right now.
There are tons of options, checkout head-fi.org