Sennheiser HD 558

The HD558 is one of those headphones that even when you're not specifically listening to music, some soundtrack might randomly come up in a show or whatever and you catch yourself thinking gosh that sounds so nice. And that is not something that goes without saying, even with expensive headphones. Sometimes audiophiles may get in a habit of setting up their circumstances for listening to music: it needs to be this or that track or otherwise my gear just shows the problems in the recordings etc. None of that with these. These simply sound really nice upfront and they're a solid all-rounder too, although I'd have to say their particular "main skill" has to be vocals, just really good. I was listening to Blind by Korn a few days back and the growls came through beautifully. But it just catches you in general, there is no sibilance and it's noticably pleasant whenever someone starts singing, or even talking for that matter. I also like the stronger bass that these offer over the HD598. I've seen some people say that these are boomy, but I disagree. The way I see it there are two kinds of people: the one that needs to have that warmth in the midbass for the sound to be 'right' and those that want clarity above all. If you're in the latter group, then there are many other options that will suit you better than this. The bass sounds good to my ears, although you shouldn't be expecting super deep bass. A very good kick, but the bass is not blowing through the mids or anything like that at all. It's only the treble that can occasionally be a bit much for my tastes, but usually it's all good without any EQ. These are mostly dark and warm sounding, but they seem to have a bit of a surprising bright tilt to them that sometimes shows up out of nowhere. The comfort is probably the best out of all over-ears I've used. They're better than the HD598 and 599SE because those have a headband with pleather that tends to slide around on your head. The 558 has a thick layer of velour that is super soft and keeps the phones in place. I have average ears and the pads are big enough for me.

Recommended! Try to pick up a used pair while these can still be found in the wild. Even if it's just for podcasts or watching youtube videos, I can't think of a headphone more suited. I can't rate these higher than four stars because alternatives such as the DT770 and HD58X have a significantly more high-end sound to offer at very fair prices, but still, I really like the HD558.

These were my first headphones that got me interested in listening to music at a higher level. The sound stage is impressive, headphones are tough and well built. Extremely comfortable with nice and easy adjustments. Great intro headphone into the world of sound. They sell new for under $100 now, definitely recommend, one of the best open ear headphones in this price bracket. Also, the bass is more present in these then the HD598.

-Sound: Compared to my Bose QC35, and V-Moda LP2, these definitely have more depth, which isn't surprising considering they're open back. I've also found the sound to be quite nice. I'd go so far as to say they're much better than my previous favorite, the Beyerdynamic DT880 since they're much warmer, and because of that, less fatiguing.
 
-Comfort: I often give comfort priority over sound because I can get used to how headphones sound, given they're not complete garbage, and more than not, a unique sound signature adds to the music I listen to, depending on the case of course. These headphones are incredibly comfortable in both sound signature and fit. I have a normal sized head and, while they do clamp down a bit tightly, something that isn't very necessary considering their light weight, the earpads and construction of the earcups make it easy to wear them for hours on end.
 
-Open back: Spacial awareness while gaming is on point.
 
 
-build quality: for the most part, they're plastic, but well constructed. Not as creaky as a lot of headphones, but they're not the most luxurious headphones either. Overall, they're built well enough and seem durable enough to stand up to years of use.
 
-portability: Lastly, These headphones don't fold. In my case, I use these with my laptop and often need to take them places. Because of the lack of folding mechanism and/or case, they're not the easiest things to cram into a bag. Folding flat would be a welcome feature.
 
-other thoughts: the cable is very long and not coiled which is either good or bad and depends on your use case. One thing I find annoying is that my pair came with a cable that terminated in a 1/4" plug. Since I'm using this with a laptop, a 3.5mm plug would've been better. They do include a 1/4" to 3.5mm adapter, but it'd unbelievably bulky. Luckily I had a short 3.5mm male to female extension to take some strain off the adapter. Just something to think about before buying.
 
The cable is indeed removable and locks into place so there's no worry about it coming unplugged and if it were to get damaged, you don't need to buy another set of headphones.