I pay $ 200 for these headphone and since then my father have buy a pair and 3 of my friend , too . I wont argue with any reviewer as the specification of the headphone speak for themselves , and I guaruntee that these headphone can out-sample any stereo system that you have .  here be the spec : 18hz to 28,000 Hz @ 90db .  what do you think the average human ear be capable of hear ? Approx . 40hz to 22,000 hz . I use they for gaming , music , I even use they as ear-muff when outside in the winter listen on my Sony MD. . I have never need a amplifier with these headphone . I run they straight from my sound card and any other device and they perform very nicely . the hd-570 's comfort and quality be uncomparable to any headset on the market . sennheiser represent professional quality at a price that be worth the cost .