Sennheiser HD 598, 558, 518; which one do you recommend me?

I vote the HD-518 because of the price for performance ratio.  All of the models you listed have the same treble dip that drives some of us crazy, but is common with Senn headphones.  The 518 are a tad bass heavy, but for some that is a good thing.  It is not going to be boomy bass, rather, a nice emphasis in the bass region.  See in the graphs below there are no huge differences in performance?  To me they all sound roughly the same so I would go with the less expensive pair.

Pros:  Wide Soundstage, Crisp Clear Sound, Very Comfortable

Cons:  Dip in the treble sounds odd to some, Lack bass impact, Harmonic Distortion is audible at 80dB+, can be tricky to amp due to the frequency dependant impedance curve around the fundamental.

Below are the charts comparing each model:

Frequency Response

http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=2841&graphID[]=2861&graphID[]=2851

50Hz Sign Wave Response

http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=3&graphID[]=2841&graphID[]=2861&graphID[]=2851

500Hz Sign Wave Response

http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=4&graphID[]=2841&graphID[]=2861&graphID[]=2851

As far as DAC's go I tend to find a high quality DAC because they really affect sound quality.  Apple for example includes very nice DAC's within their iPod technology.  They either use the Cirrus Logic in the 6th Gen Classic or the Wolfson in all other models.  Both are nice musical DAC chips.  The Xonar U3 posts some decent numbers, but the DAC chip is relatively unknown.  I personally used a Bithead for both an amp and DAC for many years and liked it for the cost and performance.  The FiiO is also posting some good numbers.  I think it costs around $90 and has a head amp in it too.

I would say it is certainly possible a DAC could bottleneck your headphones, but it is highly unlikely.  Most DAC chips of any quality, even the low end Wolfson 8761, typically spec to a sample rate of at least 48kHz ( 44.1kHz min ) due to CD's being recorded there.  If the DAC like the xonar U3 throws up a spec of 20Hz - 20kHz I suspect that major measurements were not conducted outside of this band.  I think the xonar u3 would be just fine for you and is a low cost DAC option.

Something like the CENtrance DACport would serve as a far more reliable DAC just based on what they show for specs.  They spec their DAC frequency response from 20Hz up to 40kHz with a loss of only .2dB on the high end.  It has much better SNR and THD as well.

Here are some comments from people who actually use the DAC:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/533707/xonar-u3-usb-dac/60

If you are looking for technical chatter go here:

http://www.edn.com/article/463334-Flatten_DAC_frequency_response.php

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamKing 

Cool, I'll be looking into FiiO once I get a set of bass headphones in a couple of weeks.

Oh and can you tell me if the output frequency response on a DAC can bottleneck your headphones?

Heya,

Save up, get the DT880 PRO also look at HD600, HE-300, FA-003.

Buying lesser headphones and creeping towards something nicer is ultimately way more expensive. Just save up and get one that will do what you're looking for and not just some of what you want.

Very best,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Droppedin 

I am looking to get the 518s or 558s. I am willing to pay extra if they last longer or of they are made out of more durable material. Any one hd feed back on that? Is there any significance in comfort?

The 558 has better ear pads and are more comfortable.  It also has a better sound stage.

If you're looking at this line, buy the best one you can afford--or at least that is the best value given the price spreads you find.  Each one is a step up from the lower model.  All three are good cans and form a great line--especially at the street prices we saw about a month or so ago.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MalVeauX 

Heya,

 

Save up, get the DT880 PRO also look at HD600, HE-300, FA-003.

 

Buying lesser headphones and creeping towards something nicer is ultimately way more expensive. Just save up and get one that will do what you're looking for and not just some of what you want.

 

Very best,

Your point has validity.  However, not everyone will move up beyond a certain level.  I suspect that many folks will be very happy for a very long time "living" in the Sen 5x8 line.  You get quality audio that is easy to drive and requires little or no expenditure for additional equipment, especially if you have a decent home audio set-up.
 

I like 558s, but they are all plastic. I wish there was a little metal at high stress areas...

I am almost thinking of just going with the 600s...do they have the same bass level?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Droppedin 

I am almost thinking of just going with the 600s...do they have the same bass level?

 

The 600's bass is better.  You might want to read this thread, which provides a number of views on the 598--600--650:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/567229/hd598-vs-hd650

Each of the three models has people who like it the best.

Don't bother going to the HD600/HD650 unless you are willing to dump at least another $300 for a decent amp and probably the same amount again for a decent source. I've owned the HD600's in the past and I must say don't bother with it unless you are willing to spend. The DT880 on the other hand is a nice option but you still need a decent amp.

Now the Beyerdynamic DT440's. I own them and they are very excellent for the price. They don't really need a dedicated amp either to sound excellent. I would say that they are better than the Sennheiser HD518/558/598.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KG Jag 

The 600's bass is better.  You might want to read this thread, which provides a number of views on the 598--600--650:

 

http://www.head-fi.org/t/567229/hd598-vs-hd650

 

Each of the three models has people who like it the best.

 

Thank you!!!