Non-Audiophile looking for some help in Headphones: Sennheiser HD 598 Vs. Sennheiser HD 600 - Page 2

Eh? Let's all extrapolate off a rumour started by a suggestion arising from something someone in another thread once told their cousin. That should get us to the truth.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by pp312 

The HD650 is a lovely set of phones but not nearly as excitable as the HD595 which I assume is just a HD598 in grey which is just an overpriced HD558 if the 555/595 design is anything to go by.

Eh? Let's all extrapolate off a rumour started by a suggestion arising from something someone in another thread once told their cousin. That should get us to the truth.  

That's true as most of us haven't heard the 598 but for the most part we're just assuming that it's an updated 595 (which is true since sennheiser has stopped making the 595's and replaced it with this model).  I haven't heard the 598's but I have owned the 595's and those headphones are very similar.  What I can say is that even if the 598's where a better version of the 595's then I still believe that the HD600's / HD650's are in another league.  Listening to the HD595 and then to the HD600's was such a substantial upgrade and for $30-50 more it's almost a no brainer to get the HD600's. 

When I first got the HD595's it was a good headphone as it was easy to drive and comfortable to wear.  I  wanted and believed it could run with the big boys (HD600 / HD595) or at least I hoped.  I've read the whole appreciation thread on it and always wondered why people would say the HD595 wasn't hi-fi (actually it made me defensive when I read those things).  I owned that headphone for about 3-4 years and then I finally purchased an HD600.  From that first time I put on my HD600's I was ready to feed the HD595's to the dogs.  I was astounded at what the HD600 could do; it was a smoother headphone but offered more detail, more bass impact, and the overall sound quality just felt more hi-fi to me.  The initial feeling was like night and day then onto anger / disappointment as I've come to understand that wasted 3-4 years of my life with a lesser headphone. 

I'm not saying they are a terrible headphone as they are a GREAT entry level headphone for anyone and actually it's how a lot of us at head-fi started.  I just really wish I knew how much better the HD600's were before even purchasing the HD595's.  

Once again this is all from experiencing the HD595's and then on the HD600's so take it for what it is but if I feel passionate to write this on EVERY thread regarding the situation then I'm sure you can gauge how passionate I feel towards what I'm saying.  To the OP of this thread, if you're even halfway serious about this hobby then I say get the HD600.  If you feel that you want a decent headphone that it relatively easy to drive then the HD598.  I'm not sure if this will be your first major headphone purchase but you really can't go wrong with either.  It's just that for an extra $30 you can get a headphone that many of us consider excellent or you can spend $30 less and get the headphone which many of us feel is an upgrade to a decent headphone.  

I will tell you right now that if you do listen at your computer a lot you will notice a HUGE difference when you upgrade from your integrated sound card to a DAC/AMP unit.  Both of your headphones will be at FAR LESS than optimal potential with that and you'll probably even wonder why you're listening to those headphones in the first place.  Do yourself a favor and upgrade your source if you're listening at your computer.  Even a cheap used Udac or Udac2 will be good enough to show you the difference.  This is a necessary step if you're gonna be doing any listening at your computer!!

Ok, let's have a look at this graph. Unfortunately the 595 graph is no longer available but the 555 is close enough--certainly close enough to show us a remarkable similarity except above 4khz, where the difference is significant. From those graphs I would guess that Sennheiser, no doubt stung a little by the success of bright phones from the likes of AT and Beyer, has tweaked the original 555/595 driver (we know it's the same) to produce more treble, This is a logical marketing move, especially as it matches the trend started by the HD800, but I wonder if it might backfire in Sennheiser's face in terms of alienating its tradition user base--people looking for a more conservative, natural balance. After all, if Sennheiser goes over to the dark...er, bright side, where's the alternative in the lower price bracket? Not everyone can afford 600/650, even though we sometimes talk as if they can. And can a brighter 600/650 be far behind? If so, I could imagine those cans becoming collector's items, because I for one wouldn't want anything brighter than my 650. Or maybe Sennheiser has just decided to help Audeze increase its waiting list.

I think most of us are still waiting for more detailed reviews. I won't be buying a 558/598, but I'll surely be glad when the "lipstick on a pig" speculation is replaced by more solid, preferably cumulative evidence.   

 "I owned that headphone for about 3-4 years and then I finally purchased an HD600.  From that first time I put on my HD600's I was ready to feed the HD595's to the dogs.  I was astounded at what the HD600 could do; it was a smoother headphone but offered more detail, more bass impact, and the overall sound quality just felt more hi-fi to me.  The initial feeling was like night and day then onto anger / disappointment as I've come to understand that wasted 3-4 years of my life with a lesser headphone."

Poetik, without quoting your whole post but with regard to your conviction about the superiority of the 600 over the 595, you need to remember not only that there's an economic consideration here but that some people just prefer the 595, as amazing as that may seem to your ears. I also owned the 595 for 4 years and was quite happy before I eventually moved on to the 650, and I would still say that despite the organic smoothness and refinement of the 650, the 595 is in some ways a more balanced phone and might well work better on some musical genres. I've always felt the 595 was underrated, at least partly because it's surprisingly neutral for a "budget" phone and doesn't pack the wow factor of rivals like the AT AD700. One thing I'm sure of: if more people listened to purely acoustic music the 595 would be more popular, because that's where it excells.

As for feeding it to your dog, you'll find he's much better off with MeatyBites.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poetik 
....

When I first got the HD595's it was a good headphone as it was easy to drive and comfortable to wear.  I  wanted and believed it could run with the big boys (HD600 / HD595) or at least I hoped.  I've read the whole appreciation thread on it and always wondered why people would say the HD595 wasn't hi-fi (actually it made me defensive when I read those things).  I owned that headphone for about 3-4 years and then I finally purchased an HD600.  From that first time I put on my HD600's I was ready to feed the HD595's to the dogs.  I was astounded at what the HD600 could do; it was a smoother headphone but offered more detail, more bass impact, and the overall sound quality just felt more hi-fi to me.

...

Yeah I read that thread too (one reason why I suspect those threads are created more to stave off buyers remorse than discuss a products good points). I used to think the 595s were pretty good until I had to realign my perception of good after hearing a whole stack of different headphones including the DT990s (which I bought), HD650s, HD800s, Ultrasone 8, W1000x (which I also bought), W5000, D2000, D5000, K701s, etc. in one sitting on a trip to Akiba.

The 595s sounded grainy and dry in comparison (not very helpful adjectives I know).

No amount of forum chatter or speculation by people who claim they know better can replace listening to these things yourself in side-by-side AB testing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poetik 
....

The initial feeling was like night and day then onto anger / disappointment as I've come to understand that wasted 3-4 years of my life with a lesser headphone.

...

Maintain the rage brother.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pp312 

 "I owned that headphone for about 3-4 years and then I finally purchased an HD600.  From that first time I put on my HD600's I was ready to feed the HD595's to the dogs.  I was astounded at what the HD600 could do; it was a smoother headphone but offered more detail, more bass impact, and the overall sound quality just felt more hi-fi to me.  The initial feeling was like night and day then onto anger / disappointment as I've come to understand that wasted 3-4 years of my life with a lesser headphone."

 

 

Poetik, without quoting your whole post but with regard to your conviction about the superiority of the 600 over the 595, you need to remember not only that there's an economic consideration here but that some people just prefer the 595, as amazing as that may seem to your ears. I also owned the 595 for 4 years and was quite happy before I eventually moved on to the 650, and I would still say that despite the organic smoothness and refinement of the 650, the 595 is in some ways a more balanced phone and might well work better on some musical genres. I've always felt the 595 was underrated, at least partly because it's surprisingly neutral for a "budget" phone and doesn't pack the wow factor of rivals like the AT AD700. One thing I'm sure of: if more people listened to purely acoustic music the 595 would be more popular, because that's where it excells.

 

As for feeding it to your dog, you'll find he's much better off with MeatyBites.  

Haha yea I mean it does have it's good points but take a look at the HD600 and compare it to the HD595.  The treble extension is very similar and it's honestly just a better headphone.  I can definitely agree with saving money but for this man the difference is only $28.  For $28 you might as well go with the better headphone that has the upgrade potential. 

Once again I guess it's all down to the individual's needs but if you want the best sound you can possibly get then jump up to the higher model. 

Lol also I was exaggerating a bit on feeding them to the dogs.  I just sold them on the forum to someone who would enjoy them more than me.

Well, I actually don't care for the 600 and would prefer the 595, but then I prefer the 650 to both--just goes to show. As for $28, that's okay, but here in Oz (and most countries, I suspect) the difference would be more like $228. Here the 600s are hardly any cheaper than the 650 and there are far fewer of them.

To the OP and everyone else, the difference between a foam-removal modded HD555 (claimed to be identical to HD595s) and a HD600 is:

$387 HD600 - $94 HD555 = $293 dollars (Amazon)

To everyone posting, the headphones in question are the HD598 and the HD600. Both In which the OP can get for these prices listed below:

HD600: $278
HD598: $250

I think a certain seller on ebay sells both headphones on auction for considerably less, like $280 for HD600s and $190 for HD598.

OP if u havent made the purchase yet

 Offer: Save 45% on the Sennheiser HD 598 Open Circumaural Headphones - Beige $166.00
Code: LSDA1223 redeem code
Expires: 2011-01-23  

i would be wary of fakes on ebay. if u check out sites like becent.com u can see the qualities of fakes out there in appearance anyway.

electronics expo is authorized seller of sennheiser oh and if u wanna go semi balls out

Offer: Save 20% on the Sennheiser HD650 Audiophile Open Dynamic Stereo Headphone - (USHD650) $399
Code: LSDA1230 redeem code
Expires: 2011-01-25  

Quote:

Originally Posted by omniskillz 

OP if u havent made the purchase yet

 

 Offer: Save 45% on the Sennheiser HD 598 Open Circumaural Headphones - Beige $166.00
Code: LSDA1223 redeem code
Expires: 2011-01-23  

 

i would be wary of fakes on ebay. if u check out sites like becent.com u can see the qualities of fakes out there in appearance anyway.

 

electronics expo is authorized seller of sennheiser oh and if u wanna go semi balls out

 

Offer: Save 20% on the Sennheiser HD650 Audiophile Open Dynamic Stereo Headphone - (USHD650) $399
Code: LSDA1230 redeem code
Expires: 2011-01-25  

Sweet!

I got the HD595's (120 ohm) summer 2005, bought a PA2V2, and used them up until now. I loved them, and they scaled nicely when I got a decent amp. They were great for home music listening, gaming (better than the 600's), and occasional portable use.

I got the HD600's on ebay for 280 last week and the difference is night and day. I feel like I've been inducted into a different class of audio. However, since I got them, I'm looking at $450 DAC's (I didn't even know what a DAC was until recently), have started building my own cables, and am scouring the net and friends/family for a good CDP with a decent DAC to tide me over until I can afford the real deal. mp3's are no longer acceptable. I literally cannot stop listening to music.

Just be ready for what you're in for if you step up to the 600/650. I'm sure as hell glad I did.

Quote:

Originally Posted by reedzkee 

I got the HD595's (120 ohm) summer 2005, bought a PA2V2, and used them up until now. I loved them, and they scaled nicely when I got a decent amp. They were great for home music listening, gaming (better than the 600's), and occasional portable use.

 

I got the HD600's on ebay for 280 last week and the difference is night and day. I feel like I've been inducted into a different class of audio. However, since I got them, I'm looking at $450 DAC's (I didn't even know what a DAC was until recently), have started building my own cables, and am scouring the net and friends/family for a good CDP with a decent DAC to tide me over until I can afford the real deal. mp3's are no longer acceptable. I literally cannot stop listening to music.

 

Just be ready for what you're in for if you step up to the 600/650. I'm sure as hell glad I did.

=)

Probably the Senn 598 -I've just unboxed one and am very happy with them - also my "first" pair. I also listen to about the same type of music as you do. I chose it over the similarly priced but more steeply discounted k 702 because the HD598 doesnot need amping. Plays most song beautifully unamped out of my old '07 iPodClassic & imac. But I can't comment on the HD600.  May not have needed to order the E7+DAC/E9 amps - we shall see.  All the best.