Sennheiser HD595

Pros: Clean sound, extended bass, dynamic and easily driven, very comfortable.

Cons: Grungy source material can't hide from these.

Summary: I've used high end cans from Ultrasone, Grado and Beyerdynamic, but I bought the Sennheiser HD595 for my use at home. Grado's might be a touch more transparent at high frequencies, some Beyer cans might have more punch at the low end, but no other headphones I've tried has the overall clarity, dynamc response and comfort of the 595's.

I listen to classical and jazz- so I need phones that are very transparent- I want to hear the shimmer of cymbal in Miles Davis' "Masqualero." I want to hear clean extended bass in listening to recordings like Osawa's take on Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" (RCA Victor). I also want a very dynamic set of cans, able to folow Yo Yo Ma from pianissimo to forte without strain and capturing every shade of his phrasing in his Bach Cello Suites. Finally, I want my headphones to be comfortabe and easy to wear. The 595's meet all these expectations.

A friend asked 'why not pop the extra $50 or a $100 and get the Sennheiser 600's or 650's. My answer was easy- I think the 595's are a better 'phones- easily more transparent that to 600's and more dynamic that the 650s.

Finally, some Sennheiser's have a rep of being hard to drive. I use the 595's with a quality "high end" audio system and with an iPod- and find them easily driven by either.