A newer edition to Sennheiser's very expansive lineup. These HD 579 are "Open Back" headphones so there is plenty of sound leakage, which I knew going in. What you get in return in a very wide soundstage with meticulous attention paid to every single detail. The highs, or treble, sound natural with a bit of a forward push albeit very natural. The mids, or vocals, are spot on delivering refinement that will leave you begging for more listening time. The bass, or low end, is delicious and deep. Very natural is the keyword here. Well rounded. Just fantastically wonderful for home use. They really are not ment to be used as portable, the 10 foot removable cord reminds you of that. They are 50 Ohm headphones and do benefit from an amplifier, portable or otherwise, but is not totally necessary. I am a believer in headphones burn-in. The task of playing sound of all levels continuously for maybe 96 hours or so. The headphone drivers begin to loosen up, the bass bolsters down too. What this means is that they sound even better after some playback time. I have to say that Sennheiser makes some of the finest headphones and recording/playback devices in the world, coming to you from Germany. These are no exception. Lastly, I am happy to mention stepping away from a black color headphone to a dark Grey is more aesthetically pleasing, in my opinion.They do not come with any sort of case or bag, so definitely buy one. A nice headphone stand will display your headphones beautifully and deter any physidal damage from occurring. The real deal is just placing them on your head, over your ears, and closing your eyes. They are so very comfortable with the velour type earcups! Just getting lost in premium sound never gets old. greatofferstock.com delivered these within 2 days for free. Can't beat that. The discounted price for brand new 2016, 500 series headphones closed the deal. So happy these are now in my collection!