[joshwalnut]

  lately I hear many people saying that adding a cheap amp and a not bad DAC brings lost of warmth, depth, bass to these headphones.
 
any suggestions? is this true?
 
thanks

 
A cheap amp will give you distortion at higher volume levels, so if you like your music to sound like garbage, then by all means... sorry, i'm a little bitter about a portable amp i recently bought on ebay for $30.. sounds like crap but on the other hand i did only really get it for watching movies on the xbox so that i can adjust the volume level. 
 
If you're looking for a deeper, warmer bass with these headphones (or any other headphones).. get a tube amp like the bravo audio ocean or whatever fits your budget.. tube amps give you just that... or so i've read... i've never listened to one before  
 
You got the wrong headphones though if you are after that rich, deep bass. You can equalize and get a bass-head amplifier all you want but it just won't sound right. The driver isn't made for it. 

 

[Tristan944]

  lately I hear many people saying that adding a cheap amp and a not bad DAC brings lost of warmth, depth, bass to these headphones.
 
any suggestions? is this true?
 
thanks

joshwalnut nailed it. The HD598 has very little bass, and increasing the bass through EQ will muddy the mids. I got the Aune T1 and really like it. 

 

[Demoninja]

Anyone have any other headphone suggestions with a really similar sound signature to HD 598s?

 

[StoneJack]

Sennheiser HD 449 - it has great bass (very clear, not heavy, detailed). 

 

[Glasofruix]

I just add a bit of amping with my phoebus and the bass becomes more punchy without crushing any other frequencies.

 

[Pianist718]

  joshwalnut nailed it. The HD598 has very little bass, and increasing the bass through EQ will muddy the mids. I got the Aune T1 and really like it. 

 
 

   
A cheap amp will give you distortion at higher volume levels, so if you like your music to sound like garbage, then by all means... sorry, i'm a little bitter about a portable amp i recently bought on ebay for $30.. sounds like crap but on the other hand i did only really get it for watching movies on the xbox so that i can adjust the volume level. 
 
If you're looking for a deeper, warmer bass with these headphones (or any other headphones).. get a tube amp like the bravo audio ocean or whatever fits your budget.. tube amps give you just that... or so i've read... i've never listened to one before  
 
You got the wrong headphones though if you are after that rich, deep bass. You can equalize and get a bass-head amplifier all you want but it just won't sound right. The driver isn't made for it. 

 
 
 
 
I am not looking to change the great sound I get from the HD598. It's just that many people say that after adding even a cheap $100 amp, HD598 opens up even more, increases the bass a bit and overall sounds great. Before I go and order 10 different headphone amps, I wanted to check with other owners of HD598 to see what you guys noticed when you compared no amp VS with amp.

 

[streetdragon]

I like the bravo tube amp stated earlier. It helps to make the bass extension deeper and also helps to widen the soundstage with better sense of space and seperation and also makes the sound overall more organic and lively.

 

[CharlesC]

   
I am not looking to change the great sound I get from the HD598. It's just that many people say that after adding even a cheap $100 amp, HD598 opens up even more, increases the bass a bit and overall sounds great. Before I go and order 10 different headphone amps, I wanted to check with other owners of HD598 to see what you guys noticed when you compared no amp VS with amp.

 
Part of the improvement is from amplification but another part is just from bypassing the crappy audio electronics on the computer (assuming you are talking about a computer, android and i-devices are a bit different as it's harder to bypass the dac).  I have recently been using the HRT microStreamer ($189) with my HD598s and I think it's wonderful. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it even though I've never been able to compare to other products.  If you're interested in maintaining some mobility then look into the microStreamer/Dragonfly/AudioengineD3 type products. They are small wonders.

 

[AnalogSavior]

I'm considering get a Magni/Modi stack for my HD598, anyone have experience with this combination?

And as an aside, the other day I was sitting, listening the my 598s. When I decide to stand up, I didn't realize I had stepped on he cable, and I pretty much ripped them right off my head. Doesn't look to have caused any damage (should I be worried?), but man that long cable seems to always get in the way lol. Never had this issue with the coiled cable on my MDR 7506.

 

[RochRx7]

I like the FiiO amp's synergy with the HD598s (has e10/e12).. I've heard them through a few AudioGDs (horrible horrible) and the Schiit MM's (great).. I like the warmth/bassiness of those little FiiO's. They bring out the bass and slightly subdue the mids. Which I think balances out what I want from the 598s perfectly for my own preference.

 

[Zojokkeli]

I use Modi + Vali with the 598's and they work very well together. 

 

[AnalogSavior]

I've actually also been considering Vali + Modi (I'm actually gonna get a chance to listen to them) but the microphonics worry me a bit.  I figured the tube combination would be a good pairing.  Mellow out the highs a touch, and add some fullness (at least thats how it would work in my head lol).

 

[klipper]

They look better that they sound as they are gorgeous and sound just good.

 

[Zojokkeli]

Microphonics only appear when you turn Vali on, and go away in less than a minute. Sometimes when I turn the volume knob there's very slight ringing but it goes away almost instantly. Under normal conditions the microphonics shouldn't be an issue. When you're not listening to anything you can hear slight hissing though, but it's so small I don't find it an issue.

 

[AnalogSavior]

  Microphonics only appear when you turn Vali on, and go away in less than a minute. Sometimes when I turn the volume knob there's very slight ringing but it goes away almost instantly. Under normal conditions the microphonics shouldn't be an issue. When you're not listening to anything you can hear slight hissing though, but it's so small I don't find it an issue.

 
The hissing I expected, tube amps are just noisier.
 
The thing with the microphonics is that some in the Vali thread have stated that just moving the headphone cable could cause them.  I'm gonna get a chance to hear the Vali for myself, so I can check it for myself. 
 
Its good to know it does seem to pair well though.