headphones buying advice

[zr0]

looking at dt 770 pro, dt 700 pro x and hd 560s

i really only wanted sundara, but i've heard they fail a lot, or more than the ones with dynamic drivers.

thanks. have a great weekend.

 

[l34sh]

I would go for DT 700 Pro X. I have tried them side by side with 770 Pros and they sound just flat out sound better with much cleaner high frequencies and fuller bass. Seriously, they blow 770 Pros out of the water in the low end frequencies. And I found them much more comfortable to wear with the thicker pads. There's a reason they are pricier lol

 

[enc0dex264]

I've used the HD 598 SR, HD650, Sundara's and the Edition XS's.. the most comfortable for very long sessions was the Edition XS.

Sound qualitywise.. if you like listening to a alot of vocal rich music HD650..

Between the Sundara's and Edition XS.. i couldnt tell much difference soundwise tbh.

HD 598 SR were good but not as good as HD650's.. there was a clear difference in sound produced. I'm assuming HD560's are much closer to HD598 in quality.

 

[Alucard1729]

dt 770 pro, dt 700 pro x and hd 560s

Both Beyers should be similar. The newer 700 pro x provide better seal, the reason why perceived bass seem better than dt770. Beyers are more comfortable than Sennheiser. But I prefer the Sennheiser sound (treble sensitive).
As for Hifiman their QC has been very spotty. First there are many complaints of one side not working. This can be due to the traces etched on the diaphragm breaking down (they are already crooked on new units (legendary QC) and with time they would tear...)

To compare the mentioned headphones to sundara this link might help:

CammyFi Squiglink

Compare hundreds of frequency response graphs between headphones

cammyfi.squig.link

As you can see sound-wise 560s should be closer to sundara than the Beyers. But the beyers provide V shape tuning and excellent comfort. So it comes down to your preference XD

 

[zr0]

I've used the HD 598 SR, HD650, Sundara's and the Edition XS's.. the most comfortable for very long sessions was the Edition XS.

Sound qualitywise.. if you like listening to a alot of vocal rich music HD650..

Between the Sundara's and Edition XS.. i couldnt tell much difference soundwise tbh.

HD 598 SR were good but not as good as HD650's.. there was a clear difference in sound produced. I'm assuming HD560's are much closer to HD598 in quality.

i've listened to sundara, 598 se and dt 770 pro. i liked sundara, but i don't like headphones or anything failing on me. now i'm primarily gonna be consuming media on these, movies, some rpgs, so i'd think something with a reasonably wide soundstage, and a hint of a sub-bass would make sense? idk. i do like slightly treble sensitive drivers, but having said that, i really liked how the dt 770s fit my head. welp.

Both Beyers should be similar. The newer 700 pro x provide better seal, the reason why perceived bass seem better than dt770. Beyers are more comfortable than Sennheiser. But I prefer the Sennheiser sound (treble sensitive).
As for Hifiman their QC has been very spotty. First there are many complaints of one side not working. This can be due to the traces etched on the diaphragm breaking down (they are already crooked on new units (legendary QC) and with time they would tear...)

To compare the mentioned headphones to sundara this link might help:

CammyFi Squiglink

Compare hundreds of frequency response graphs between headphones

cammyfi.squig.link

As you can see sound-wise 560s should be closer to sundara than the Beyers. But the beyers provide V shape tuning and excellent comfort. So it comes down to your preference XD

i have a decade old pair of m50x' that i'm using now, i don't like the dead center zero soundstage nor the fuzzy mids to lows, i tried dt 770s and i liked the soundstage on it, but didn't try it for long enough to know whether its bass would be fatiguing over a couple of hours of use. someone has their dt 700 x on hpz for about the same racks as 770, now if it's just as comfortable and retains 770' soundstage, i don't know which one to get. thanks for cammyfi. cheers.

 

[sauravghosh]

You first need to decide on open vs closed format. Dt770 is closed, hd560s isn't. Being a closed one, DT 770's soundstage is exceptional and beats most low to midrange open ears. The bass is overpowering, and unless you are a basshead it will be very fatiguing. They sound anything but flat btw. Biggest issue for me was the comfort/fit, which was absolutely terrible for me from the very beginning and gradually became worse as several pieces of the headphone started breaking part by part. Which actually forced me to break it the whole. But you mentioned you found them comfortable, so there's that. It's a headphone which I'll recommended to people looking for an entertaining/fun sound for a short duration.

HD 560s on the other hand is all plastic built (made in China) if you sit on then they might break lol. But they are infinitely more comfortable for me. And soundstage is as good as can be expected from a midrange product. As I moved from dt 770, initally I was amazed by the openness of soundstage. Bass is very much there, in fact if the seal is good it's quite strong. Excellent headphone for gaming (CS like), great for movies. But for music, I'm not so sure about the tonal purity. They sound a bit harsh to my ears, treble inclined. Fatigue will settle in for long hours.

 

[zr0]

i got the dt 770s, which were a really old import. the headband was warped, and the flimsy plastic bits at the end of the yokes didn't inspire much confidence, so i returned them.

then i got the hd 490 pros. i have a massive head, so for the first couple of days, the clamp force was a bit much. however, they are an excellent pair. now, they don't sound as impressive as i'd hoped, probably because i don't have a dedicated dac/amp, i wouldn't know. plus, they lack soundstage. but they are an excellent platform, or so they say, and i think i understand why. every choice about their design has been very thoughtfully made; nothing about it will have you complaining down the line. so long as you stay reasonable, of course.

some might mistake the plastic for poor build quality, but it's not. in fact, it's really good plastic, well built, and very light – "glass fibre-impregnated pa6 nylon," as described by cammyfi. i'm a sucker for good plastic.

now, i'm returning this pair as well, but for unrelated reasons. what i'm looking for is something with a wider soundstage and better comfort. had i kept these on for a couple weeks more, they'd have gotten as comfortable as everyone touts them to be. or so i've been told.

erm. open to suggestions. i think i found the beyers more comfortable out of the box, but that was a weird unit. i have no confidence in how well or poorly they're built. well, that's false, i have some confidence. i'm fairly confident that their construction will fail on me exactly as described by saurav.

if i don't find anything i'll probably get the 490s again; they're not particularly impressive, but that doesn't mean they're particularly bad either. please do not conflate as such.

 

[aryabhattadey]

looking at dt 770 pro, dt 700 pro x and hd 560s

i really only wanted sundara, but i've heard they fail a lot, or more than the ones with dynamic drivers.

thanks. have a great weekend.

I owned the sundara for 2 yrs and then owned a xs and a arya. From my exp with hifiman they either crap out in the first few weeks (and hence you are eligible for a replacement) or they don't. I personally didnt have any problems with mine (sold it off to a friend irl when i upgraded to xs and neither did he). So that unit is now running for 4 yrsish.

Also since you mentioned you got the 490 try out the 650 / 600 too. They are great for vocals and mid range. But wont have the technicalities of a planar.

 

[enc0dex264]

I've used the 599, 650, sundara and edition XS.

Best comfort: 599.
Best sound quality imo: Sundara
Best build quality imo: HD 650.

Best overall if you dont have a AMP/DAC or a motherboard with a decent audio chip: 599 or the 560s.

Edit: Nvm i just realised i had already replied lol

 

[Stronk]

I owned the sundara for 2 yrs and then owned a xs and a arya. From my exp with hifiman they either crap out in the first few weeks (and hence you are eligible for a replacement) or they don't. I personally didnt have any problems with mine (sold it off to a friend irl when i upgraded to xs and neither did he). So that unit is now running for 4 yrsish.

Also since you mentioned you got the 490 try out the 650 / 600 too. They are great for vocals and mid range. But wont have the technicalities of a planar.

Owned a Hifiman HE-400i ver.2020 for 4.5 years with no issues except for the faux leather on headband and earcups starting to flake off after 4 years of more or less constant usage. Never had a problem with drivers or build quality as such. Were my first good quality headphones and couldn't be happier with them. They were light on the bass out of the box (for my taste at least) but responded excellently to EQ, which I hear the Sundara does to.

I'd also recommend you to take a chance on the Sundaras having read good things about Hifiman service in India. Also, would recommend investing in an Apple USB-C to 3.5mm convertor at the very least to make sure you're not compromising om the audio quality at the very least. You can always get an amplifierater if you feel the need to. I was initially fine with the dongle DAC but once I got into EQ'ing, I realized I needed an amp for a specific EQ preset with increased bass which I used occasionally for gaming. They were fine for all other presets which didn't increase the bass asuch as that profile. But for the HE-400i at least, the Apple DAC was more than enough to drive them at more than comfortable volumes at stock. Good luck and hope you enjoy whatever you stick with!