Ballistics Report

Performance:
Assuming you've got a quality sound source, you'll be hard pressed to find headphones that sound better than the Sennheiser HD 580s. They deliver rich, detailed sound, with distinct imaging. Games will sound terrific, but you won't notice the difference as much as you will with your music. The only drawback is a lack of overwhelming bass, but for a lot of people who don't listen to gangsta rap or headbanger music, a less powerful and more refined bass is a plus.

Innovation:
Well, you can't fold them up like the Sony MDR V600 but the headphone cord is easily replaceable. If you're one of those people who has the habit of stepping on cords, then be happy to know that yanking the cord out of an ear piece on the HD 580 is NOT a bad thing. They're designed to do that so the cord can be replaced. Speaking of ear pieces, the padded velvet ear cups on the HD 580s are nothing short of luxurious. They don't get your ears all sweaty either like some vinyl lined headphones can. All headphones should be this comfortable.

Price:
OK I'm not going to fool you. These babies are expensive. I mean, REALLY expensive. The MSRP is $350 but I bought mine new for $180 from SpiderGear. They also have refurbished ones but they're only $10 cheaper, so I figured I may as well plunk down a bit more and get fresh ones. $180 is still a lot to spend on a pair of headphones. But think of it this way: they're the last set of headphones you'll need to buy. People have owned and kept Sennheiser headphones for years. From time to time you'll need to replace the cord or the earpads but these are easily ordered from Sennheiser. If you think of all the money you spent because you keep buying cheapo $10 headphones that break over and over again, maybe $180 isn't so bad.