Rating: 
Summary: Warm, full sound with somewhat boomy bass
Review: Note to first reviewer - these headphones sound much better and go much louder when hooked up to a headphone amplifier, their primary intent was not to be run out of a regular headphone jack on a cd player or boom box. The HD490's or 495s would sound a bit better and a lot louder on your boom box, another good choice would be the Grado SR-60 for you.I have owned my pair of HD500's for about 6 months now, and I have been very pleased with them. While not perfect, they sound much better then what you find in most stores. These headphones are not bright at all but rather warm, and have a very laid back sound. They also tend to exagerate bass somewhat, which leads to a slightly boomy sound which I do not care for very much. (People who like loud bass read that last sentence as: These headphones do produce a lot of loud, deep bass, particularly when asked to do so) Those sound qualities make them good for electronic music, as they do not sound edgy or harsh, and bass is plentiful. They are not fatiguing to listen to at all, in part due to the laid back sound. (I have had them on for 5 hours straight)They also have excellent sound qualities for computer games too. Explosions have force, and imaging is very good too, so you will hear everything from where it is supposed to be coming from. That said, these are the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn. If you are more the audiophile vareity I would personally reccomend the Sennheiser HD580s or the 600s, they have a much more neutral sound that colors the music a lot less. They also absoluely require an amplifier to get decent sound out of them.
Rating: 
Summary: A fine headset by the industry leader
Review: Recently I had the opportunity to listen to the complete line of Sennheiser Headphones. The only difference between the HD500 through the HD600 is comfort. The more you spend the better comfort you get. The acoustics in the HD500 are outstanding. The HD500 sounded every bit as good as the more expensive line of Sennheiser headphones. For the money the HD500 series offers an outstanding value.
Rating:
Summary: It's a Sennheiser
Review: The HD500 is a mid-priced headphone for people who want something better than average, and who don't want to spend loads of money getting it. The sound of the HD500 is very warm which means you can listen to them for hours without getting fatigued. Their brilliant ergonomics means that you can leave them on for hours without having to massage your ears every 5 minutes (READ: GRADO). The Sennheiser transducers are fantastic, make no mistake, these are not cheapies and it's what you're paying for. However, the HD500 are ultimately let down by the excessive use of plastic for the enclosures. The plastic "grill" for the open-back is not as transparent as wire mesh and it produces some cavity resonance which can muffle the sound, especially when the recording or source isn't great. It's quite neutral (favouring the lower frequencies), and it's typically Sennheiser in it's presentation; accurate, but you sit in the audience rather than on stage. If you like bright sounding headphones that puts you right up on stage with the performers, the HD500 is not for you. (Go with Grado but be prepared for an ear ache). Personally, i can do without having crashing cymbals rattling my teeth all the time. These are very laid back and warm, more suitable for mellow late night listening. The lower frequency extension is very good, which makes them also pretty good for watching movies (explosions really rumble). The HD500 is easier to drive than the others in the 500 range, however like the others, they are very accurate and neutral and not bright at all. This means that if you feed them crap, they'll sound like crap. But when played from a good source, they're just heavenly. The HD500 is for the music enthusiast looking for something better than average who own a level of equipment to match (not audiophile but still pretty good). Reviews of these phones are very mixed because the HD500 is very middle of the road. Audiophiles won't be happy with these (get the HD600 if you want the best), and people with low standard equipment (boomboxes, etc) will also not be happy because they just aren't bright sounding enough. If possible, try them on your own system before you buy.
Rating: 
Summary: Good headphones... if you have an extra amp.
Review: The HD500s are incredibly comfortable, with a great depth of sound to them. I can see them being really great headphones, but only if you really know what you're getting.
Firstly, the open backs really rule out alot of situations for me, as everyone else can hear exactly what you're listening to, which isn't ideal at all.
Secondly, these are pretty crap if you're using them for anything else other than to listen to music that's amped in some way. Like mentioned in the description, using these for stereos etc is pointless, as the sound seems 'distant' in your ear.
If you happen to be a huge fan of ambient music however, such as Zero 7, lemon jelly and so on, then these headphones are superb with their bass response, however, otherwise, I'd stick to another pair.
Rating:
Summary: Really nice sound from these!
Review: The sound from these headphones is really nice, especially for the price that amazon.com provided. They do handle everything fed to them. They sound great through my home system and I use them at work with my Sony Walkman CD player. Even though they have 30 ohms resistance, don't let that make you hesitate to use them with portable players. You only have to raise the sound level a little over the regular Sony headphones that come with the CD player. With the bass at half output you will also get plenty of deep bass. Don't be afraid of the plastic construction, either. I am sure they will last as long as you don't go sky-diving with them on!! The ear cushions are very comfortable and the way the earpieces swivel I am sure they will fit any odd-shaped skull. My only complaint and the reason I didn't give these 5 stars is concerning the headband. The padding there feels too firm and I don't have as much hair on top of the ol' cranium these days to give me that extra margin of padding. I will be looking for some softer material to add to the headband cushioning! Try listening to George Benson's "Breezin'" CD for some very nice musical deep bass tones. Even at "half-bass" setting these headphones will put a smile on your face. They do equally well with male or female voices, too.
Rating:
Summary: Worth every penny
Review: There are very few electronics devices I have purchased that deserve more praise than these headphones. I use them for both gaming and music enjoyment. I have a Creative Nomad II and it doesn't have any trouble running them. Best bang for the buck that I've found.
Rating:
Summary: Good value for certain kinds of music
Review: These are a lot of money in my mind to be spending on headphones. On the other hand though if you want quality you have to pay...well these headphones are very warm and natural, the sound isn't in your face. You can listen to these for hours and not experience any fatigue whatsoever. The new bionetic design is uber comfortable. Though these aren't exactly audiophile level they are still a great sounding pair of headphones that I wouldn't mind picking up again. So a minus 1 for price and because they require such a good source to be run at peek volume warrants these headphones a 4 out of 5 from me.
Rating:
Summary: Nice headphones al beit expensive
Review: These are a lot of money in my mind to be spending on headphones. On the other hand though if you want quality you have to pay...well these headphones are very warm and natural, the sound isn't in your face. You can listen to these for hours and not experience any fatigue whatsoever. The new bionetic design is uber comfortable. Though these aren't exactly audiophile level they are still a great sounding pair of headphones that I wouldn't mind picking up again. So a minus 1 for price and because they require such a good source to be run at peek volume warrants these headphones a 4 out of 5 from me.
Rating:
Summary: Very Comfortable, Average Sounds
Review: These phones are extremely comfortable, I love Sennheisers new "bionetic" design. However, these headphones are not what I would excpect for [the price]. The only genre I was comfortable listening to on them was Rock, and beyond that I felt the sounds was muddled and not very open. They have a somewhat strange "semi-open aire" design which is not standard. If you can afford them the Sennheiser HD-600's...are outstanding; however, for something nearer this price range, and usability I highly recomend the Grado SR-60's...They are less expensive, and sound much better.
Rating:
Summary: Very Comfortable, Average Sounds
Review: These phones are extremely comfortable, I love Sennheisers new "bionetic" design. However, these headphones are not what I would excpect for [the price]. The only genre I was comfortable listening to on them was Rock, and beyond that I felt the sounds was muddled and not very open. They have a somewhat strange "semi-open aire" design which is not standard. If you can afford them the Sennheiser HD-600's...are outstanding; however, for something nearer this price range, and usability I highly recomend the Grado SR-60's...They are less expensive, and sound much better.
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