icemat vs hd 595's

[Kaash]

okay tell you now i have no audio knowledge what so ever. what i'm looking for is a headset that will give me the most relistic sound i can. i'll be buying a soundblaster x-fi xtreme gamer sound card and starting to get into FPS and want xplosions to sound realistic and hear footsteps coming up to me. price isn't a big deal the Sennheiser one i just have to save up a bit more which isn't a big deal. Only reason i like the ice mat is for the mic it comes with but i do have a desktop mic so with the sennheiser doesn't come with one so its not a biggie. i would love to hear ya'lls opinion. btw i am not in the market for an amp any time soon but if the sennheiser would REALLY need it i just have to save up more money.

thanks in advance

 

[Shorehn]

I've been doing research into high-end headphones for the past week or so by pouring over the Head-Fi forums, and I think I can help you out. I don't personally have experience with high-end headphones yet - and won't until Christmas - but for the moment, I have a composite of how their very knowledgeable community rates the various cans out there.

The Sennheiser HD 595's, from what I've read, are widely regarded as one of the more well-rounded headphones out there, being both musically balanced and capable of gaming use thanks to their aptitude for positioning. Some, however, allege that there is a "Sennheiser veil" present when listening to music, as if there was a fabric curtain between you and the band. But that aside, if you're looking for a set of headphones that's good at just about everything and doesn't require an amp to sound great, this would probably be it.

But one caveat that seems to come up frequently is that they lack bass. In the case that you enjoy big bass and want something that has a bit more lower-end kick to it, you may find the Audio-Technica ATH-A900's more suitable. They have slightly recessed mids, but have good lows and highs and have an impedance even lower than the HD 595's. And if you wanted to round them out, you could apply the blue-tak mod to them to strengthen the mids.

 

[Kaash]

ya i'm used to the ole cheapo headphones you get with a cd player or something so even if people say the bass in the hd 595 is weak i bet i'll still notice a huge difference in bass compared to the crap ones i've been useing. if i do get the hd 595's i might want to find a better mic for myself to use in bf2142.

 

[Riddlinkidstoner]

HD 595 blows the Icemats out of the water however, with Buy.com selling them for $10 a pair AR...I got the Icemat instead

 

[Valaire]

ya i'm used to the ole cheapo headphones you get with a cd player or something so even if people say the bass in the hd 595 is weak i bet i'll still notice a huge difference in bass compared to the crap ones i've been useing. if i do get the hd 595's i might want to find a better mic for myself to use in bf2142.

Bass is fine on the HD595. For gaming, I like the fact that the bass is tight and accurate. I care more about positioning and hearing footsteps. As for a mic, get the zalman clip on mic from newegg for 6 bucks, works great with the HD595. That's what I'm using now.

 

[Laxx]

i have the same setup, hd595's and zalman mic. but gon't get fooled! it's 5.99 for the mic and 4.99 for shipping! lol.

 

[Dominat0r]

I have the HD555 and i hear the 595 are alot better...might be my next upgrade. I really love my HD555 for gaming and movies. The sound indeed feels like its coming all around you, can easily tell when people firing or walking behind you.

For music its alittle warm. I to did alot of research on head-fi (in fact going to the head-fi meet this coming up saturday). I was going to shoot for a pair of Grados SR60s, but for the same price i got the HD555 used. I just paired it up with a Go-Vibe amp and im impressed with the amp on the go. Home however, i find it just alittle added bass at lower volumes when connected to my pc. For music, i might pick up a pair of SR80s or SR125s, which i shoud get to actually listen to this weekend at the meet.

 

[Gatticus]

Some, however, allege that there is a "Sennheiser veil" present when listening to music, as if there was a fabric curtain between you and the band.

This "veil" is not inherent on the 595's, from what I have read the 600 and 650 models have this veil but not the 595. They are quite forward sounding, I have a pair.

 

[gilly]

i have the HD515's atm. Getting the ATH-A900 on weds. so ill report back

 

[Valaire]

Yeah, the 595's are known to be the more forward sounding Senn's unlike the 580/600/650 which supposedly have a veil which needs a decent amp.

That said, I'm using them unamped at the moment, until i get an LDM+ or GoVibe, and they sound just fine. Great for gaming with the Zalman mic (and way more comfortable too).

 

[gilly]

my a900's are faulty. gonna try to get some HD595 to replace them... they aernt right for me. extended usage is awkward. although RHCP bass tone is like butter on them....