Sennheiser HD-598

these are an awesome pair of cans, some dont like the look but i love it. also these are some of the most comfortable headphones ive ever had on my head, i should note i wear glasses and as anyone who wears glasses and likes over ear headphones will know that it can sometimes push the frame into your head making prolonged usage uncomfortable, these dont push against your glasses at all. i was amazed when i first put these on. i have quite a few different uses for this headphone and i do have to turn my ipod and ipad all the way up on almost all songs, but being plugged into my mixer is when they really start to shine. these headphones on there own are already pretty good headphones very balanced in sound and not too heavy bass, but with the addition of an amp wow... 

I'll be honest, I don't know much about headphones. But for my birthday I decided to look into a new pair of headphones as I previously had the Sony MDR-XD200's which are just terrible! When I saw these headphones I was mesmerised at how good they look! I did some reviews on this site and decided to also get the fiio e10.

As soon as I got these headphones I was so amazed! The clarity, coupled with the fiio e10 was just amazing! I could hear things in my songs which I never even knew they were there!

I mainly listen to Electronic / Dance with a little classical on the side. The e10 has a bass boost which really helps the hd598's. The bass is present but I wish it had more kick to it with my dance music. However the mid range and high range makes up for it for miles! The sound stage is setup so perfectly that every single sound is clearly and distinctly defined. I really didn't think headphones could ever do this!

In conclusion, the Fiio e10 is a great dac/amp product with the hd598 and these headphones. These headphones are just amazing! I have had nearly 40 hours burn in now and the sound stage is just so clear and perfectly set up for all kinds of music. Great all round headset! 

This could be the perfect starter audiophile headphone for anyone looking to get into the game.  Quite possibly the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn.  Darn good highs, mids, and bass though some might find it a bit on the light side.  Overall a great purchase.  Biggest turn of for most will probably be the odd color scheme adopted for the 598, but personally I love it.  Another minor problem is that these headphones do not do metal justice.  Sure they might be great all-rounders, but if metal is the only thing you listen to it would do you good to look at other similarly priced headphones.  Granted these headphones ARE capable of keeping up with most metal bands out there. 

EDIT:  To add a bit more to this review.  These headphones are very non-fatiguing.  I've listened to these for hours at a time with no ill effects.  The sound along with the amazingly comfortable ear pads conspire to make these permanently attached to your head for a long time indeed.  I did pay the full 240+ dollars, but with a bit of looking around you can probably buy them for far less.  Although an amp is not needed the HD598's do sound better with an amp.

EDIT 2:  These headphones tend to play better with slower music.  Prog rock like Pink Floyd, S.B.B sound fantastic on these headphones, as well as King Crimson.  I've found that bands like the early Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple also sounds very nice.  I've found that dubstep tends to be a bit cold on these headphones, but the bass is there.  I can say that the headphones do sound better after a burn in.

I just got these phones delivered a couple of days ago and have enjoyed burning them in and listening in intervals all weekend.  They seem to benefit quite a bit from burn in, as most headphones do. What length of burn in time optimizes them? I don't know, but hey have improved all weekend.  They didn't sound bad right out of the box, but the extension, clarity and sound stage across the spectrum have all gotten better with each hour of burn in and listening time. They are very accurate, open and transparent sounding to me. 

Some reviews I've read about the 598's  have bemoaned the lack of bass response, but I find it to be just about right for my taste...tight and extended, without the overemphasis of some phones I've heard.  I listen to a broad range of music from blues to rock, alternative, metal, jazz, fusion, funk...and even a bit of country.  They perform well across the genres I listen to.

The only cons I listed (Plastic frame, thin cord) actually also add value.  The cord could be a little thicker I suppose, but it is very soft and pliable, and detachable and user replaceable if damaged.  The plastic frame makes these extremely light and comfortable to wear for extended listening sessions. The color scheme is a bit over the top for my taste, and I wish they came in basic black too, but as I'm not looking at myself in the mirror at all times...especially when listen to music...this is a very minor detail.

I also own a pair of Denon D2000's which sound good to me as well. Compared to the Sennheiser 598, they are heavier, hotter to wear (due to the thick pleather earpads), and are more bass emphasized.  They are both good entries in the mid-priced headphone market, with the Sennheiser's edging them out the Denon's for the money in my mind. I haven't decided which I really like better.

I listen to vinyl, CD's, Apple Lossless, and iTunes Plus (256 kbs AAC).  In my mind, musicality and listening enjoyment decrease slightly with each format as listed, which only becomes apparent when you do a side-by-side listening test. 256 kbs files sound very good to me, although there are certainly deficiencies that become apparent when listening with better headphones, speakers and amps.  Over time and evolution, this has prompted me to re-rip my CD's  into Lossless format, and only buy CD's and rip them to Lossless moving forward (rather than buy downloads from iTunes).  However, even the iTunes downloads sound better...as good as they can, given their limitation...with the 598's over lesser phones or earbuds.

I have only had these headphones for a few days but already I would recommend them to anyone wanting a solid performer without breaking your bank account.  I look forward to many hours of enjoyment from these phones.