Sennheiser HD 590

My last headphones were sennheisers. I bought them about 8 or 9 years ago for $70 and used them almost every day for many years. After a while I managed to damage them a bit by stepping on the cord in spite of the modular design that let the cord pull free. The foam on the earpads also rotted away so I decided it was time to get a new pair. I have fond memories of a pair of AKG headphones so I thought I would try those by way of comparison but couldn't find an AKG dealer nearby. Sony and Koss headphones didn't really impress me. I had heard good things about the sound of Grado headphones but they intolerably uncomfortable so they were out. That left Sennheiser. I went to my local dealer and listened to several models for two hours. I tried the HD25s, HD470s, HD490s, HD500s, HD570s, HD580s, and the HD590s I finally bought. A friend of mine also let me listen to his HD600s and some Etymotics so I felt I had a good basis of comparison. I have some slight hearing loss from years of too loud music and shooting firearms so I don't claim to have "golden ears" but I think the differences were fairly clear even to me. I ruled out everything but the 570s, 580s, and 590s based on sound quality and price. There is a clear difference in sound between the 570s and the two more expensive models. I wish there wasn't because the 570s were quite comfortable and closer to what I had hoped to pay. They are good but just not good enough if you also listen to the other two. To my ears there wasn't nearly as much difference between the 580s and the 590s. I listened to some Clapton and Bela Fleck tracks, pausing the CD player and switching headphones for about an hour trying to find I liked the 580s or better yet the 570s best. I didn't want to buy the 590s or to be more accurate I didn't want to pay the difference. Alas, the 590s are very dynamic, open and accurate. Details that were obscured with the 570s were clear. The 580s were very nearly as good. Some reviewers say they are better but I would have to disagree. When listening to stereo equipment of any kind there is a natural predisposition to like the system that sounds louder. The 590s are more efficient than the 580s so to make sure I wasn't influenced by the volume difference I tried to adjust it to approximately the same level whenever I switched phones. Nevertheless, in every case I preferred the sound of the 590s. Then there are practical considerations. I will use these headphones with my portable minidisc, tape,CD players, and computer games as well as my home stereo. A more efficient pair of headphones is going to sound a lot better on a portable. The 590s were also a lot more comfortable on my head though I would suggest that anyone buying headphones try them on for at least 30 minutes before buying. In fact, the 590s are possibly the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn.