Sennheiser HD558 vs HD 380 Pro

[umerwahla]

Hi Folks,



I am upgrading my current Sennheiser headphones through Sennhesier Service Center and need your expert advice to decide between the following shortlist:-



- Sennheiser HD 558 (S$ 299)

- Sennheiser HD 380 Pro (S$ 249)



Since I am upgrading through Sennheiser Service Center, I cannot go for any other brand. I spent 1 hour trying out different headphones to shortlist but I am unable to decide between them. If you guys have tried any 1 or both of these headphones, I would love to hear your take on them.



I listen to all sorts of music depending on mood, from the extremes of Symphony to Hip-Hop so I am looking for an all round heaphone. Based on my listening expereince, HD 380 Pro was amazing with hip-hop and rock but it wasnt exceptional with vocals and symphony. While HD 558 was pretty good all round except for being a bit harsh. I was told that the set I tried was not run-in. I am not sure if it improves once run-in.





Would really appreciate your adive. I have until the end of weekend to decide.





Cheers,

Umer

[ShaunG]

They are both good headphones, so it would be hard to make a truly bad choice.

The HD380 is obviously closed back, so is limited by this design. Saying that they are really impressive for a closed back and very well made. Unlike many closed back headphones the bass is well under control and accuracy is good. The quality of construction is very high (much better than the HD558 in my opinion).

The HD558 is effectively a replacement for the HD555. I'm not a massive fan of this headphone and find them really light on bass response. In my opinion they are a poor alternative to the HD380.

Headphones do loose a little of their harshness over time as they run in. They won't completely change sound signature, but should get a little smoother in presentation.