I hope I'm not misreading your post, but if you say that some people have a higher perception of some things than other people, then by implication, they can detect differences that others can't - consistently. Which is easy to prove - just ask those individuals to subject themselves to a simple blind test, e.g. listening to the same recording played using two different cables (or whatever) but keeping everything else the same, switching back and forth (with the switching controlled by someone else), blindfolded, and asking them to determine which is the expensive one. If they refuse to, one must question whether they really do have those extra perceptions they claim to have. If sceptics are right, the sound would be identical from both cables, and the 'experts' wouldn't even be able to tell whether they were listening to cable A or B, much less which is the expensive one.

This wouldn't apply to speakers, headphones or DPs of course, where the differences in sound is easily discernable, and where subjectivity rules.

The appearance and the $$ tag can have amazing influences on people's perception......which have been demonstrated in wine testing for example (I once saw a group of wine experts choosing a $10 bottle as the best and most expensive in a blind test, despite it being the second cheapest of those tested - the most expensive was a $500 bottle - , yet those same 'experts' dismissed that same wine as 'cheap table wine' in a 'normal' wine tasting test a few weeks previously....).

Sorry for this off topic post...

I'm using Sennheiser HD 380 Pros with my Kawai CN-33. I'd heartily recommend them to anyone who's looking for something a bit less expensive than the HD 595s, 650s etc. In the UK, the RRP is £149.99 but you can get them for around £70-80 new. I was originally using the speakers and a cheap pair of headphones that came free with the DP, but with the 380s the difference in audio quality is amazing. They're also very comfortable and pretty good at blocking out ambient noise.

Has anyone had the chance to compare these to the higher-end Sennheisers? I'm not looking to upgrade but just wondered how noticeable the difference in audio quality is. I had assumed that even better headphones would probably be overkill for the CN-33, given that it's not a high-end DP.

Nice post Skyway. I'll check out those 380s .

I'd also love to ask someone how these higher-end Sennheisers compare. For example, the HD 380 vs HD 650s... I know there's a dramatic difference in price, but does this mean there's a dramatic in quality?

If you're listening to symphonic music or well-recorded solo piano, string quartets, small jazz ensembles or better-than-usual recordings of acoustic instruments then an HD650 (driven by a suitable headamp or other decent output stage) can provide a remarkably immersive, detailed and well controlled rendition of the music against a smooth, dark background. Better than an HD595 for instance, by a considerable margin.

Play a typical pop recording with its usual compression, overproduction and highly artificial presentation and it can't really sound any better than on an HD585, HD380 or even some lesser headphone. Or a hissy old classical solo piano transfer from some ancient tape/record a half century old, that's got limitations that make your choice of headphone immaterial.

I'd expect digital pianos to fall somewhere between those two extremes. I personally would have to hear otherwise with my own ears to believe an HD595 could not do justice to most digital piano headphone jacks. And even the HD380 I'm willing to bet sounds pretty darned good. It's not that hard to make a digital piano through its headphone jack sound really fine, unless the headphone presents to tough a load to drive.

Hey, real2104 and Brent. Thanks for your replies.

I chose the 380s because I'd only be using them for the DP and occasional home recording. I considered the 598s (I think they're the new version of the 595s?), but they're double the price of the 380s, and the open design lets more sound bleed out which would be more likely to bother the other people I live with. The only negative about the 380s is the coiled cable, which can feel slightly short and heavy when playing, so I'm sometimes aware of my arm banging against it when my left hand is at certain points on the keyboard. But the cable can be replaced, so it's not a big problem really.

Like Brent suggests, if you're only going to be using them with a DP then I can't imagine the difference in quality between the 380s (or 595/598) and the 650s being worth the 4x increase in price (plus amp). But I guess it just comes down to your budget, whether you prefer the closed or open design, and what else you'll use them for.

Sennheiser cans seem to fluctuate in price a lot. I bought the 595's not that long ago for $120. Now they are like twice that. They were a good deal at $120. Not so sure about the price/quality tradeoff at the current price.