Sennheiser HD 558 Appreciation Thread - Page 5

It may just be the file, i've come across quite a few places where people just took a regular mp3 and converted it up to flac.  but as far as quality sites go, HDtracks is quite good

I just recieved these headphones in the mail Monday for $130 open-box, and I think they're just perfect for me. They're really comfortable, natural sounding, warm, and don't have that 'in your head' feel like my other closed headphones (V6, Koss ProDJ100/TBSE).The bass on these surprised me, it's really airy and you can actually feel it. The high end is just perfect for me since I've been finding out that my ears are really sensitive to sibilance/bright sounding headphones.

Do these really have that much bass? I was expecting way less.

Hello everyone on head-fi. I just received my HD558 couple days ago as my first audiophile headphones. So far i really like them. The build quality is far better than I expected. Cable (even thought is longer than i would like) is pretty good and i dont have to be worried it will break somehow. The sound quality is totally awesome. I have to say i expected little less bass, but i surprisignly found myself loving the bass on HD558. HD558 are really nicely clean and neutral headphones and i recommend them to anyone as "first audiophile headphones". Really Comfortable, great sounding overall really awesome headphones for the price. Can't wait how will they sound after full 100-200 hour burn-in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by daflippymaster 

It may just be the file, i've come across quite a few places where people just took a regular mp3 and converted it up to flac.  but as far as quality sites go, HDtracks is quite good

thanks daflippymaster for the reply..unfortunately i think HDtracks is not compatible with E7 as it can only accommodate 16/44 as i remember it so 24/96 i think is not an option. I agree with you that it is the file because I downloaded a few good flac files and it didn't sound anything like the other files I dl.It's a bit frustrating as there is no way to know if a file is a legit lossless and is not simply converted from mp3 to flac. those files takes sometime to DL since they are larger in size.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkristoff 

thanks daflippymaster for the reply..unfortunately i think HDtracks is not compatible with E7 as it can only accommodate 16/44 as i remember it so 24/96 i think is not an option. I agree with you that it is the file because I downloaded a few good flac files and it didn't sound anything like the other files I dl.It's a bit frustrating as there is no way to know if a file is a legit lossless and is not simply converted from mp3 to flac. those files takes sometime to DL since they are larger in size.

Oh I see, I know there are a several other sites out there for good quality music if you search around the forums here.  But as far as quality goes, unless you buy from a reputable source or rip it yourself, you never really know until you play it through your system.  And with bigger downloads like that, i'll usually set it up to go overnight (or use the university's blazing fast internet ).

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrkong 

I was referring to bass not sub bass and I found the treble to be rather detailed and enjoyable. I bet you're using them with mainstream genres like hip hop, rock, pop etc. That would explain everything since these are targeted towards an older audience who listen to genres that don't rely on sub bass such as classical, country or classic rock. If you want to send me the K167 to try go ahead make my day.

Well said 

Quote:

Originally Posted by miow 

 

"Really strong and detailed bass", they must be kidding me. Even treble is so bad. Give that guy an AKG K167 TIESTO to make him see what is TREBLE and BASS.

Lmao

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrindingThud 

Early Christmas present.....
Now I've got to figure out what to mate them with.

generally anything would do (i think) but of course a good source and amp would improve them a significant bit

Im thinking about buying these as a replacement for my old HD555 which have a ratteling at low frequencies. I guess these are the replacements for the 555s and therefore should sound be pretty much alike? Do you guise think il be happy with these after using the 555s for a couple of years? Oh and btw, I have a Asus Xonar D1 sound card with no amp, is this enough to power these cans? 

Regards N

it should be significantly improved, with a wider soundstage and a more airy sound 
this article may help enlighten you

I got these cans shortly before Christmas this year as a present for myself.  They are my first "audiophile" headphones, and I've been extremely impressed.  Previously, the best pair of headphones I had owned were the Bose AE2.  I also got a pair of the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro for Xmas.  I'm not a Bose-basher, as are many on this forum, and I actually find the sound signature of the AE2s pretty enjoyable.  However, for only a little more money than what I paid for the AE2s, the difference in the HD 558 is night and day.  

As others have noted, the sound is exceptionally neutral, well-balanced, relaxed, and a tinge warm (coloring could be due in part to my portable DAC/amp, Fiio E07K).  For music I found the stoundstage to be very open and detailed, but not tremendously moreso than my HD 280s, which are closed-back (this is not a bad thing).  However, when I tested them watching Blu-rays, the separation and detail was incredible.  It's the closest thing to accurate simulated surround sound I've ever encountered.  I expect for this reason they'd also make very good gaming headphones, especially if you can get a working mic attached to them.

Overall, the listening experience is extremely enjoyable, especially for someone new to this sort of thing like me.  It also doesn't hurt that the cans are extremely comfortable, although they can make my ears a little hot after an extending listening session.  I will say, though, these cans definitely need some serious burn-in before they're at their best.  I was slightly underwhelmed by the decent, but not great sound out of the box.  However, they've seem to get better the more I listen to them.

Comparing them to my HD 280 Pros, the sound is a bit more laid-back than the Pros.  When adequately amp'd, the Pro's treble detail is more upfront and the bass can become extremely powerful, like a subwoofer in your head, while the mids take a little bit of a backseat.  This was particularly apparent when I plugged the cans directly into my 630W Onkyo home theater receiver.  When similarly set up, the HD 558s seemed to get a little more detailed but the sound stayed more balanced.  The HD 558s certainly aren't bass-lacking - the bass is always there, tight and controlled, beefy enough but not particularly punchy.  The bass can get a little sloppy when listening at really high volumes.  Therefore, the HD 558s are probably more suitable for classical, light/classic rock, jazz, country, etc., whereas the 280s probably have more desirable sound for heavy rock, rap/hip-hop, electronic/j-pop/dubstep, etc.  That's not to say the HD 558 can't handle anything you can throw at it.

I haven't tried any of the mods, and don't intend to for awhile at least, as these are the most expensive pair of headphones I'll be buying for some time and I don't want to void the 2-year warranty.

I got these about a week ago, i wasn't initially impressed but i compared them to my turtle beachs x1's the other day and they sounded like crap lol I also compared them to my sony xd200's, still a big improvement lol

Now i'm just looking for a good amp/dac.. i was looking at the FiiO E6 and E7.. any suggestions? 

I also did the mod, there was a pretty decent improvement in the mids and more bass, but i felt that the bass was muffled and wasn't as accurate. It also felt like the high notes were too high (treble). So i cut 1 piece of foam in half and put half in the left and the other half right ear cup... best of both worlds! lol

Oh, and my ears were touching the speakers ever so slightly, so i did this mod to the ear cushions, works great! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUH63_lnTJo