If you like the HD598, you'll also like the _________.

Originally Posted by BotByte 

I enjoyed the Shure 940 to accompany the HD598, but then the sound was the same, but the 940 was more analytical.

I'm curious, what do you mean? Less treble and more bass?

Also are the mids and imaging as good?

Thanks for responding. You know, as with wine, I haven't yet developed the vocabulary to describe, precisely, what it is that I like about sound. I can easier say what I don't think I want: I don't think I need a lot more bass than the HD598 offers. I do like the idea of soundstage and I can see that working in the HD598. I had, briefly, the Grado sr80i and liked them very much. I liked them so much that I wanted something even better, so I returned them and "upgraded" to the HD598.

I liked the sr80i, but the HD598 seem a little more sophisticated and are a little easier to listen to for a longer time and seem better suited across musical genre. The idea that the Shure's are more "analytical" is interesting, but I hear people around here talk about headphones being more "musical" or "colored" and it seems like maybe this is what I like about the HD598.

I suppose one way to buy another pair of headphones is to shoot for a sort of complete contrast to better understand the range of what's available - I mean, maybe I'd like the more analytical sound.

The Grado PS500 sounds interesting - I'll check them out.

I know that upgrading is probably best, but there is a lot of talk around here about cheaper headphones like the Superlux line that seem tempting. Since I've got a pair of headphones I like a lot, it's easier to rationalize spending less instead of more. I guess this is a budding obsession.

Pretty self explanatory, but just to be clear: I love my HD598, but I'm not done buying headphones if you know what I mean. I've come close to pulling the trigger on the HE-300, but I'm sort of bugged by the cable and the whole ear pad thing. I know that I could just move on up the Sennheiser line to the HD600 or HD650, but I wonder: maybe there's something out there, another line, maybe cheaper, maybe closed - who knows, that would in some way share some of the characteristics that I like about the HD598, but also manage to offer something slightly different and interesting. 

Malveaux - this is what makes this all sort of difficult right (at least for me)? As so many others, like yourself, are able to pretty precisely describe the characteristics of headphones and differences between them, it seem easier for someone less articulate (like me), to say "I like X headphone, what other headphones share a lot of those characteristics?" Maybe, after I buy or try a number of other headphones I'll be able to more precisely state my preferences, but for now I'm sort of relying on the more experienced/articulate.

After spending some time around here in the last month or so I've learned a lot. One thing that seems clear is that makes like Sennheiser, Grado, Beyer, etc. all deliver rather distinct  sound signatures. My appreciation of the HD598 must mark my tastes in some way - and serve as one kind of guide as per preferences.

Thanks for responding. You know, as with wine, I haven't yet developed the vocabulary to describe, precisely, what it is that I like about sound. I can easier say what I don't think I want: I don't think I need a lot more bass than the HD598 offers. I do like the idea of soundstage and I can see that working in the HD598. I had, briefly, the Grado sr80i and liked them very much. I liked them so much that I wanted something even better, so I returned them and "upgraded" to the HD598.

I liked the sr80i, but the HD598 seem a little more sophisticated and are a little easier to listen to for a longer time and seem better suited across musical genre. The idea that the Shure's are more "analytical" is interesting, but I hear people around here talk about headphones being more "musical" or "colored" and it seems like maybe this is what I like about the HD598.

I suppose one way to buy another pair of headphones is to shoot for a sort of complete contrast to better understand the range of what's available - I mean, maybe I'd like the more analytical sound.

The Grado PS500 sounds interesting - I'll check them out.

I know that upgrading is probably best, but there is a lot of talk around here about cheaper headphones like the Superlux line that seem tempting. Since I've got a pair of headphones I like a lot, it's easier to rationalize spending less instead of more. I guess this is a budding obsession.