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For those who are planning on getting Sennheiser HD598, DONT

post #1 of 99
12/24/10 at 7:37am
Thread Starter 

Photobucket

 

I just received my HD598 last week, and I have to say, I am very disappointed of it sound-wise (maybe my expectations were a little bit too high). Heres a quick review of it:

 

(50+ Hrs burn in)

 

The HD598 produces sounds with high clarity, however it's lacking the low end (BIG TIME). It's able to push very nice highs/mids and  the typical Sennheiser veil is not really present there on this model (starting to lean towards akg's signature sound), however, it'll start to sound distorted as you turn up the volume. Its able to produce low freq bass but you can barely hear it. I tend to crank up the volume when I start jamming, but with these headphones I can't. As soon as i start cranking it up, everything start to get out of control, this set cannot handle high SPL. I mean I haven't tried it with an amp, but I really don't think it can go any louder with out buzzing (the cheap car speaker buzz at high volume with bass turned all the way up sound)

 

HD 598 vs HD 25-1 II


- The HD598 has very, very nice highs, way less harsh than the 25-1 II.

- HD598's soundstage is a lot wider than the 25-1 II.

- HD25-1 II's powerful bass drop massive shit stains on the HD598. The bass on the 25-1 II's bass does not go as low as HD598, however it is able to pack a whole lot of punch .

- The mids on the 25-1 II is a little bit "in yo face", but is balanced in some cases. But then again, the mids on the hd598 seems a little bit recessed, which is probably why it sounds clearer.

- HD 598 is a wee-bit brighter than 25-1 II.

Conclusion: Other than very nice highs, it's not really fun listening to electronica/regae/rock/blues music with the HD598. It's a no brainer (to me) that the 25-1 II is better. But then again... preference!

 

Other headphones I own: Beyerdynamic DT 770, Sennheiser HD 25-1 II, Sennheiser HD 380, Ultrasone PRO 750, Audio Technica ATH-M50

 

Other headphones I own that I would prefer over the HD598: Beyerdynamic DT 770, Sennheiser HD 25-1 II, Sennheiser HD 380, Ultrasone PRO 750

 

Other than having a sexy look, the HD598 is not worth the money.


Edited by stevengotremix - 12/24/10 at 7:40am
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post #2 of 99
12/24/10 at 7:56am

Sounds like a slightly more improved 595...

 

Probably fantastic gaming cans.

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post #3 of 99
12/24/10 at 8:02am

What's your source, mate?

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post #4 of 99
12/24/10 at 8:54am
Thread Starter 

 

SanDisk Sansa m230 MP3 Player > HD598 (no amp used for this review)

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post #5 of 99
12/24/10 at 9:10am

I dunno how easy it is to drive, but don't you think you should try them with an amp first before completely dismissing them? Some headphones can sound horrible without an amp and fantastic with one...

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post #6 of 99
12/24/10 at 9:28am

try it with a powerful solid state amp first then re-do the review. you'll be amazed. the highs and mids might not benefit from amping maybe but soundstage and detail will probably increase and defintaly the bass impact. i used bass light headphones on all my solid state vintage amps and it made'em into bass hitting monsters with bass knob cranked up.  

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post #7 of 99
12/24/10 at 9:34am
Thread Starter 

After i heard how weak the hp's are i thought that it wouldnt sound any better if i get an ampThanks guys, I mgith just do that, do you guys recommend FIIO E5s or E7 .  I dotn want to buy an amp that would cost more than my 598 ($160)


Edited by stevengotremix - 12/24/10 at 9:38am
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post #8 of 99
12/24/10 at 9:38am

FiiO e9 costs less than the hd598's and would have power to spare with them.  

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post #9 of 99
12/24/10 at 9:39am
Thread Starter 

I would like a portable one though, would a e7 be alright for it?

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post #10 of 99
12/24/10 at 9:50am

I believe the e7 uses the same amp circuit as the e5, but uses better opamps.  The e7 is better used as a DAC so your mp3 player/source needs to have the ability to output a digital signal to the e7 instead of analog, or you won't really benefit from the e7.  

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post #11 of 99
12/24/10 at 9:58am

The E7 will not give you enough power to really show you what these cans can do. It will probably get you halfway there. For a portable amp, you would have to spend $200 or a little more to get the power needed to push these phones to their potential. You can get the Fiio E7 and E9 for $200, and you have a very powerful home amp, a DAC, and an OK  portable amp. The E7 and E9 will also make your other phones wound even better. 

 

Some phones really need an amp, and this is one of them. They sound like crap until you get some good power from a home amp like the E9 or even an old receiver, like RexAeterna mentioned above. A bonus with the receiver is that you get bass and treble knobs, multiple inputs and outputs, speaker outputs, and a built in phono preamp if you ever want a turntable. You can get a decent one for $50 off of craigslist usually.

 

Try some real power out, and tell us what you think.

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post #12 of 99
12/24/10 at 9:59am

+1 reminds me of how you may describe the 595 which also wasn't really for me.  Thanks for "taking one for the team"!

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post #13 of 99
12/24/10 at 10:02am

hmm, dissapointment

they sure look sexy as hell

 

if you don't want E7 for DAC, might as well go for E5. Or go for the killer E16 combo (E9 + E7). E9's great, but not portable

In march FiiO's E11 will arrive, that'll be in another league portable-amp wise


Edited by Proglover - 12/24/10 at 10:05am
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post #14 of 99
12/24/10 at 10:53am

Maybe if the price drops closer to what they are worth, $100.

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mad Lust Envy View Post

Sounds like a slightly more improved 595...

 

Probably fantastic gaming cans.

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post #15 of 99
12/24/10 at 1:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeorgeGoodman View Post

The E7 will not give you enough power to really show you what these cans can do. It will probably get you halfway there. For a portable amp, you would have to spend $200 or a little more to get the power needed to push these phones to their potential. You can get the Fiio E7 and E9 for $200, and you have a very powerful home amp, a DAC, and an OK  portable amp. The E7 and E9 will also make your other phones wound even better. 

 

Some phones really need an amp, and this is one of them. They sound like crap until you get some good power from a home amp like the E9 or even an old receiver, like RexAeterna mentioned above. A bonus with the receiver is that you get bass and treble knobs, multiple inputs and outputs, speaker outputs, and a built in phono preamp if you ever want a turntable. You can get a decent one for $50 off of craigslist usually.

 

Try some real power out, and tell us what you think.

 

Not to be a pain, but I don't see the FiiO e7 or the hd598's in your sig so you are making some pretty bold claims there with apparently no real world knowledge of any of the products being discussed.  This is the a major problem with head-fi.  
 

The hd598's are pretty much a tweaked hd595 which is not known for needing an amp to sound great, so I don't really trust anything you just said.  

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