Sennheiser HD 598 Appreciation Thread - Page 105

I'm pretty sure that with proper amplification the HD580 would be more refined than the HD598. That also depends on the material and source.

I love the E17. It's best, of course, with USB input from my PC, but I use it regularly with AUX input from my iPad or Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Couldn't recommend it more highly for the 3 Ps (price, performance, and portability).

If you want budget, and just an amp, get a Cmoy. For under 50 dollars they're great, and if you bid smartly you can snag one for ~35 dollars. Try eBay.

...or you could just build one on a perfo-board for ten bucks...

All in all be careful with ebay Cmoys- you'll never know what's the gain on these things and if there is any.

Building one is a good idea. Also, contact the seller about the gain. At the time I got my cmoy, I was completely incapable of doing it myself. Got the gain set to what I wanted thanks to the seller.

I'm interested in getting the HD 598. I had a pair of ZX700s and was very pleased with them until they broke. I've been using Philips "The Snug" since then which are a very good headphone for the price. It's time to upgrade though.

The VModa Crossfades were on the amazon goldbox so I got a pair for 80 bucks. They are a disgusting mess of bass and I'm going to return them. Never in my life have I heard such sloppy bass. They're better than Beats, but that isn't saying much...... If it wasn't for the terrible bass these would be great headphones. 

I've heard varying comments on the HD 598. I like thumping bass like the ZX700, but not gobs of it. Just enough to know it's there. Would you still recommend the 598 to me. What kind of amp should I be getting with these? Right now the source out of my laptop is a turtle beach usb dongle (my laptops headphone port is dead and this was a cheap replacement). The FiiO E10 looks alright, but it's usb powered like the turtle beach so I'm concerned about noise and output (the dongle actually does a good job at volume, but I've never had a pair from sennheiser before). I don't want to exceed 100 on the amp (it would negate buying the 598s and not something more expensive) and it'd be preferable if it had a DAC.

Would I better off with the ATH-M50s for 110 bucks or should I just get the ZX700 for 83 (or even the ZX1000). I've been out of touch from head-fi for a while so if anyone knows of new headphones please help. Thansk.

Hd598 don't really depend on an amp, but one would certainly improve it, the bass is not a gob of mess, it does lack a little impact though as it has upper and mid bass but lack of sub bass, the soundstage and vocals are the main strengths of this pair

 

If you liked the ZX700 you'll love the HD 598. They have a very similar sound signature except the Sennheisers are open and more refined overall.

Surprisingly, Mike from Headfonia commented that the 598 scaled better with an amp better than a 600. But he commented no one is going to bother to pair up a 598 with a 2000 dollar amp anyways. 

 

I think he's full of it! Just saying...Ok, not really, but if that's what he heard, then i'll trust him.

 

I couldn't tell much, if any difference between the 598 when switching between amps really. Had the Micro Amp, Airhead, Asgard and E9. With the HD-600 it was stupid easy to tell the difference.

 

I remember once trying the HD-650 on all those amps and it sounded best on the Airhead. Don't ask me why or how! I was shocked. That thing could probably drive a K1000..ok I made that up.

Edited by tdockweiler - 8/18/12 at 1:51pm

I wouldn't say that Mike's full of it, but one must keep in mind certain things when reading his impressions.  First off he tends to change his opinions and secondly he has preferences. The HD598 review was written when he was all over the Zana Deux amp. If I'm not mistaken he isn't so fond of it nowadays.

I've found the 598 does sound slightly better with an amp, but you are just as well off upgrading your music. 

Yeah definitely sounds better with an amp. As long as it's properly amped, it doesn't seem to improve that much further with amp upgrades i've found.

For example, my opinion is that buying an Asgard for the 598 is crazy! I'd do that for the HD-600, but not the 598.

Even an E10 is more than enough for the 598.

 

For the 598 I'd probably just get an Airhead or E9 and be done with it.

 

I use my HD-598 with my Clip+ all the time without too many complaints. I wish I could do that with my Q701!

I agree. I simply added Mike's comment as something of an interest. To be honest, the whole idea of an incredibly expensive amp requirement to drive "higher tier" headphones such as the HD650 and the HifiMan planar magnetics is easily just as doubtful. How do we know the differences we are hearing between amps are simply a matter of expectation bias? I think people underestimate the degree to which a human brain can affect perception. 

 

Just the other day, I turned my keypad volume on for my cellphone. It was annoying to say the least, so annoying in fact, that I thought I heard it whenever I right-clicked my laptop pad a few minutes later. I was surprised when I first heard it. For a couple seconds, as I was right clicking the pad, I was completely sure that the sound was coming out of my laptop. Then I realized, it was all just a matter of perception and memory affecting my ears, or should I say, my brain. 

 

Basically, it's good to be careful when reading subjective reviews. A double blind test is ideal.