Sennheiser HD 598 Appreciation Thread - Page 114

i feel the HD598 may be too laid back for rock, but nevertheless it does it well, just that grados will give you more energy in rock

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoveKnight 

Oh. It is very impressive. By changing the original cable to MoonAudio Black Dragon V2, it can improve the sound-stage, mid-range, low-end, remove the veil in Sennheiser headphones. Really a good upgrade to my audio path.

 

However I have a question. Which headphone connection type that I choose for HD598? Is that the Sennheiser HD570 & HD590? http://www.moon-audio.com/audio-cables/moon-audio-headphone-cables/moon-audio-black-dragon-v2-headphone-cable.html#

Personally, I think it's silly to spend as much or more on the cables of a headphone than the headphone itself actually costs, especially when use of the cable is limited. Do note that Moon Audio can customize the cable to be 598 compatible, but it will not be detachable. In other words, you're stuck to using them only with the 598s. Not a great move unless the piggy bank of yours overfloweth.

Quote:

Originally Posted by beaver316 

Hi guys,

 

I am really considering buying a full size set of cans to replace my IEMs because of comfort issues... so as you can guess one of my greatest priorities is comfort. That's why im in this thread. Anyway the IEM in question here is the Sennheiser IE80. I've used them for nearly a year now and the sound is really magnificent. Very strong bass presence, forward smooth mids and great highs. It even has a pretty big soundstage for IEMs.

 

But like i said, they have a comfort issue for me. After wearing them for even 10 minutes i start feeling pressure in my ears. Another problem is that it seems the shape of the inside of my left ear differs from my other, so one driver sits fine but the other never feels right. Needless to say i think IEMs aren't for me.

 

Anybody here have experience with both the IE80 and HD 598? Maybe someone can give impressions of sound differences the like. I like all kinds of music but recently i've been into rock music, are the 598s good with rock?

 

I might sell mine and replace them with the 598 depending on what you guys say. I hope it won't be considered a downgrade too, since the IE80 is really high end.

While not the IE80, I own another high end IEM, the Heir Audio 4A.is. The sound signature you've described for the IE80 seems to be significantly different from the neutrality the 4A.is provide, but I can give you my own subjective opinion on IEM vs headphone.

The 4A.is are my first pair of high-end IEMs as well, I'm currently still slightly paranoid about canalphones and sticking them deep into the ears. I'm hoping that much like wearing contacts, it'll be something that feels natural over time. I prefer the 598s to the 4A.i's in regards to rock music. However, this is because for rock, I prefer a specific not-flat sound signature. Perhaps for rock the IE80s would have done better.

Comfort on the 598s is amongst the best in headphones I've tried. 598s shine with beautiful mids, anything vocal-oriented sounds amazing. The sound signature is not completely neutral, leaning towards "fun". I don't think you'll have a problem with it considering you described the IE80s as anything but flat and still really enjoy them. I don't think you'll be disappointed with the 598s, and I doubt you'll feel you've downgraded. I use the 4A.is at work, but I love spending hours in a row on the weekends listening to music with the 598s on my head.

Hope that helps!

Quote:

Originally Posted by beaver316 

Hi guys,

 

I am really considering buying a full size set of cans to replace my IEMs because of comfort issues... so as you can guess one of my greatest priorities is comfort. That's why im in this thread. Anyway the IEM in question here is the Sennheiser IE80. I've used them for nearly a year now and the sound is really magnificent. Very strong bass presence, forward smooth mids and great highs. It even has a pretty big soundstage for IEMs.

 

But like i said, they have a comfort issue for me. After wearing them for even 10 minutes i start feeling pressure in my ears. Another problem is that it seems the shape of the inside of my left ear differs from my other, so one driver sits fine but the other never feels right. Needless to say i think IEMs aren't for me.

 

Anybody here have experience with both the IE80 and HD 598? Maybe someone can give impressions of sound differences the like. I like all kinds of music but recently i've been into rock music, are the 598s good with rock?

 

I might sell mine and replace them with the 598 depending on what you guys say. I hope it won't be considered a downgrade too, since the IE80 is really high end.

Depends on what rock you listen to. They don't quite have the speed that I sometimes want but still manages to do almost everything exceptionally well... few headphones can be said to do this. They're more "aggressive" than any of the other Sennheisers (except maybe HD700/800 which I haven't heard). Midrange and soundstage are the two qualities you should look out for when listening to the HD598. The bass fits very well with the sound spectrum though they could have more texture to them (all the Sennheisers need this) and is reproduced well for an open headphone. Treble manages to be exciting without being sibilant or fatiguing; this is a huge plus for me. Most hi-end headphones are boosted in the treble region, to give the false illusion of greater detail but only manages to be unbearably fatiguing - until you get used to them at least. No doubt treble spikes in the Beyerdynamics and AKGs can be anything but good for the human ears. 

Most $200+ headphones have a good number of fans who enjoy their comfort. But the HD598 - at least seems to me, judging by reviews- seems to be the least controversial and most consistent in comfort, being able to fit the heads of most. You'll occasionally see people complaining about the clamp - which can be stretched. The only problem may be for people like me with somewhat above average sized ears, and the ear sometimes touch the insides. If you position them well though, it's not too problematic. 

Thanks for all the help, I ended up purchasing the HD-598s, and am extremely happy so far. Can't wait for them to break in! 

WOW!!!

I know this may be a bad place to post this but I love my hd598's and recently came across this site (surprising order of events I know) but I purchased my headphones off of newegg and they shipped an extra one free. I figured this community (and this thread in particular) would appreciate a steal on a quality pair of the HD598's. If you have any questions feel free to message me, asking about anything. I've been very pleased with my hd598 + fiio e17 combo and figured you save enough to buy the amp with it for the same price. Here's the link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/150918774914?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

purchased off of this link:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=26-106-522&ParentOnly=1

Side rambling:

I loved reading through the comments on this thread and it really impresses me how much knowledge most of you have. I hope to purchase even higher end audio later on (when the funds are in order, and justifiable) and will definitely seek advice from a lot of you. My 598's have served me very well for my taste in music; classical/instrumental, and folk. The headphones seem to be lacking in bass definitely make up in clarity and closeness to what I imagine is the true sound. No coloration of the sound, which has been mentioned before. It's also incredibly comfortable; and as a computer networking major I tend to spend many hours with my personal pair on, no discomfort.

Thanks in advance,

Devon Kiloski

No.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tus-Chan 

 

 

 

No.

LOL! open headphones for dj'ing. That would be interesting. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tus-Chan 

 

 

 

No.

that's odd,also their colour is not suitable for DJ'ing come to think of it

I have the 558. Took the foam tape out, the covers for the drivers off and added a bit of weather stripping under the pads to plump them up a bit and increase the driver distance from my ear. I wish I could hear a 598 to compare it to. Pretty sure it has to be close in sound since the drivers are the same. I think playing with the material behind the driver and rewiring the headphones could make for some fairly interesting results.

Anyway, I am using a Asus DX digital out > 44.1 > Foobar > Boston Acoustics AVR 7120 receiver.

I am curious to see what, if any change occurs with tubes and what amp people have tried these or the 598 with so far. Kind of a dearth of data on that particular subject.

i stuffed some cotton at the back of the earcup too, to make sure my ears don't touch the inside and to increase the driver angle and distance, soundstage sounds slightly wider and front to back too.

well the 2 brothers sound the same except the lesser one sounds noticably more cloudy and less polished, thats all

Hello Headfi,

I've been running my hd598s with a cmoy amp through my laptop, would I see any benefit to upgrading the cmoy to an fiio e10?

Thanks in advance! 

No, Fiio E10s are not good choices for HD598. They are good for very bright or laid-back headphones. Save your money and buy other DACs or amplifiers or you can try Fiio E17. I tried Fiio E17 with HD598 and that combo is not bad at all.

So I think if you are on budget, you can try ODAC. It is a very good p/p DAC and you keep your Cmoy to use them with HD598. Otherwise, you can sell your Cmoy and buy a Fiio E17 but I lean toward the first option better than second option.

Thanks for your help Loveknight! I had found some mixed opinions about the e10 combo with the hd598s, I'll give the e17s a shot.