Sennheiser Best Bang For The Buck

I've never owned any of the more expensive Sennheisers, only the lower level ones like the HD 201, HD 429 and PX 100 II. That being said, I really enjoy the PX 100 II's. Light weight and comfortable, good sound, and didn't cost an arm and a leg. I think they cost me around $50 at BH Photo online. Well worth that price.
 
I have HD 203 and find them to be more than satisfactory. When I use headphones, critical listening (or critical thinking) is not in play.
 
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518s in my opinion. About 95% as good as the 598s, they look better in my opinion, have a bit more (but still natural sounding) bass if that's your thing and drill a few holes and they are pretty much identical.

The 598s do have a more cushy velour on the pads, but that's their only plus.

When they were all current, the 518s usually sold for half that of the 598s.
 
I bought my Sennheiser HD40 with the yellow pads in 1981. I retired them when the pads disintegrated. I found replacement pads on Amazon and they are back in service. Sadly, the replacement pads are black. I think I paid $40 for them originally. Love 'em.
 
I also bought the PX 100 just as Sennheiser was discontinuing them. They are a nice portable pair for when I am out and about. They are light enough that I carry them around in my briefcase/bag.
 
I bought my Sennheiser HD40 with the yellow pads in 1981. I retired them when the pads disintegrated. I found replacement pads on Amazon and they are back in service. Sadly, the replacement pads are black. I think I paid $40 for them originally. Love 'em.

Not familiar with your headphones, but would the yellow pads for the HD 414 work? I think they are still available. You could always call Sennheiser and ask about them.
 
Not familiar with your headphones, but would the yellow pads for the HD 414 work? I think they are still available. You could always call Sennheiser and ask about them.

The pads for the HD 414 look like they will fit. The headphones have a very similar shape. Thanks. I just inspected my pads and it is almost time to replace them.
 
The best bang for the buck Sennheiser headphones (and probably the best bang for the buck headphones period) are the Sennheiser HD6XX at Massdrop. $200 for near-TOTL headphones is an absolute steal.

I bought HD650s more than half a decade ago at close to $500 and I've owned an obscene number of headphones. The only headphones I've never sold are the HD650s.

They get better with every other upgrade. Get a better amp that synergizes with the HD650, they sound better. Get a better DAC, they sound better. I've had 4 figure headphones that didn't allow me to accurately distinguish between two DACs. With these, I can.

And the HD6XX are essentially the HD650 for half the price.

I also have Sennheiser G4ME Zero, G4ME One, and HD598s still (and I've owned a dozen of their other headphones). The HD650s shame all of them if you have a good amplifier and DAC. The others are kept specifically for gaming.
 
I have the ole HD595 which I like but what about other Sennheisers?
The HD-595 is still a great entry level audiophile headphone. It boasts a flat and neutral response, and will not color the sound in anyway. The biggest compliments from reviewers is its extreme comfort and natural sound. A big gripe is a lack of bass. The bass to some sounds tight and controlled, but to others it simply isn’t enough.

I have the HD-598 which is supposed to be very similar to the HD-595. I like the HD-598's tight and neutral bass. The big improvement for moving to the HD-600 is the depth of sound stage. I used to love the sound of the HD-598, but now I like the HD-600 even much more. The HD-600 sells for upper $200 on Amazon. It is far from the best Sennheiser, but is the best bang for the buck one on my book.
 
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The best bang for the buck Sennheiser headphones (and probably the best bang for the buck headphones period) are the Sennheiser HD6XX at Massdrop. $200 for near-TOTL headphones is an absolute steal.

I bought HD650s more than half a decade ago at close to $500 and I've owned an obscene number of headphones. The only headphones I've never sold are the HD650s.

They get better with every other upgrade. Get a better amp that synergizes with the HD650, they sound better. Get a better DAC, they sound better. I've had 4 figure headphones that didn't allow me to accurately distinguish between two DACs. With these, I can.

And the HD6XX are essentially the HD650 for half the price.

I also have Sennheiser G4ME Zero, G4ME One, and HD598s still (and I've owned a dozen of their other headphones). The HD650s shame all of them if you have a good amplifier and DAC. The others are kept specifically for gaming.
Yes, the Massdrop HD-6xx is the best bang for the buck Sennheiser. You bring up a very good point that higher impedance phone needs a dedicated good headphone amplifier. Plug the HD-6xx into the headphone jack of a receiver, you destroy all its sound characteristics. The receiver jack has more than enough power to drive it, but the bass control, sound stage are all gone.
 
Purchased a pair of HD650 about 3 years ago. First pair of decent cans I ever owned.

Added HD800 a month ago and absolutely love them as well.

Good stuff.
 
I have the HD 280 Pro for use with an iPad and the HD 650 for serious listening and I’ll never purchase headphones from any other company. But the things is, the 650’s are severely revealing....
 
Yes, the Massdrop HD-6xx is the best bang for the buck Sennheiser. You bring up a very good point that higher impedance phone needs a dedicated good headphone amplifier. Plug the HD-6xx into the headphone jack of a receiver, you destroy all its sound characteristics. The receiver jack has more than enough power to drive it, but the bass control, sound stage are all gone.

What does a receiver jack have to do with "sound stage"? Let alone frequency response?
Anyway, back to "sound stage". How can a receiver possibly have anything to do with that?
 
What does a receiver jack have to do with "sound stage"? Let alone frequency response?
Anyway, back to "sound stage". How can a receiver possibly have anything to do with that?
It is not the "jack" per se. Most receiver do not have headphone amp circuit. They use a padding resistor of a few hundred ohms to tap the speaker output for the headphone jack. As a result, it gets very poor dynamic response. You need to do a comparison yourself to know the difference. It the receiver jack and a good quality headamp make no difference to you, then use whatever is the cheaper approach.

To me, the depth of sound stage is particularly important in headphone listening. It needs a good phone and a good amp to bring it out. Otherwise, the music becomes 2 dimensional.
 
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