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Looking for my first headphones (considering Sennheiser 598)

post #1 of 11
10/11/12 at 9:40am
Thread Starter 

Currently I am using some low-end speakers + sub that I picked up for pretty much nothing ($30).  They are Gateway computer speakers (don't know the model) and a Pioneer SW-8.  Just thought I would mention that for some background. 

 

In terms of headphones (really headset) I have Astro A40s + Mixamp, but those are mainly used for Xbox and I have never really considered them for anything else.  

 

Other than that I have a pair of Shure se215 IEMs, which I love for listening out in public.  

 

I also have a Fiio E7 which I use for all listening from my laptop, whether that be headphones or speakers. 

 

I have been reading reviews, and it seems that generally people like their Sennheiser HD598s. A real attention grabber is the constant mention of the comfort.  I am often at my computer for long periods of time working and IEMs can get uncomfortable over such a long duration.  For gaming users also say they seem to be sufficient.  I am not too picky on my game sound unless I am playing competitively, in that case my Astros are fine. 

 

The only complaint I have heard is that the bass is a bit weaker, which is mainly why I am here.  I listen to a lot of different genres, but generally the main focus is classic rock, alternative, lighter pop (not bass heavy), Nujabes type hiphop/jazz, and techno/house/minimal.  Now from my readings it seems that most of that is perfect for the 598s, except the last one.  I wouldn't consider myself a bass nut by any means.  Dubstep isn't my thing and I just don't understand today's rap.  The only time when I really want bass is when I'm in the "party mood". That being said, would they work for techno (with a bit more of a concentration in minimal) for more casual listening?  While bass is generally important for this genre, I still really like listening to the highs and mids.  I am concerned from some reviews that the bass is too lacking to even be okay in this genre.

 

Your thoughts would be much appreciated!

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post #2 of 11
10/11/12 at 11:25am

you can easily apply a bassboost at about 60hz and below to compensate for the lacking subbass in your eq

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post #3 of 11
10/11/12 at 2:25pm

I tried 598 for electronica - sub-bass wasn't present at all and found it somewhat slow. 

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post #4 of 11
10/11/12 at 9:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zoom25 View Post

I tried 598 for electronica - sub-bass wasn't present at all and found it somewhat slow. 

but its good for other genres too, for edm and electronic alone there are other better choices like beyers

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post #5 of 11
10/13/12 at 10:01pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by streetdragon View Post

but its good for other genres too, for edm and electronic alone there are other better choices like beyers

 

 

So for the occasional electronic music it is passable?

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post #6 of 11
10/13/12 at 10:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ductape47 View Post

 

 

So for the occasional electronic music it is passable?

yeah i believe so, you will be only missing some subbass that is required in some EDM, regardless that can easily be fixed with an EQ if desired

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post #7 of 11
10/13/12 at 10:29pm

@ductape47 View Post

Quote:
 The only time when I really want bass is when I'm in the "party mood"


Forget the "party mood", or look to something else.  Use the hd598 for techno, if you want to enhance your sleep.

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post #8 of 11
10/14/12 at 12:06am

The Sennheiser models in general are not suited at all for electronica. The 650 can be considered okay at best.

 

The 598 is a bad idea for electronica, doesn't matter if you are in a party mood or an analytical mood or casual mood etc - it just doesn't work. I would rather pick my studio monitor KRK KNS 8400 for electronica then 598 which is noticeably more faster as well as has great extension into sub-bass although slightly low on impact. 

 

It's not even the bass of the 598 that is the biggest problem, its the overall voicing....just not right for electronica IMO

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post #9 of 11
10/14/12 at 12:18am

I've been hearing good things about the DT990 Premiums recently. I was on reddit and saw a link to this page, they have the best price on them right now as far as i know. You've gotta make an account but its not too bad.  

 

http://massdrop.com/beyerdynamic-dt990-headphones

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post #10 of 11
10/14/12 at 8:19am

okay on second thought maybe not so good with electronica, my apologies
well i will admit they are very relaxing, oh wait no wonder i have a SR60 purchase in mind.....redface.gif 
(i cant really compare my experience with others cause i have an EQ to boost subbass and add sparkly treble and a few other tweaks too)

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post #11 of 11
10/27/12 at 1:42am

HD598 doesn't reproduce subbass well... none of the Sennheisers do that well. Subbass is very difficult to achieve on headphones unless the manufactures really boost it in the frequency response (like the DT990). Also the HD598 can be slow for certain music, but I think for certain genres - like electronic ambient - they are phenomenal. 

 

But all the things that the HD598 do well.... let's just say its mid-bass, midrange, treble, soundstage (size and imaging) are unsurpassed in my view. I've auditioned plenty of headphones and most "hi-fi" headphones have very recessed midrange (Denons / Beyerdynamics / AKG to certain degrees). And all those headphones have ear-splitting trebles for false perception of details - very bright presentation. If we look at the HD6xx lines, the HD600 does some things better than the HD598 like timbre and PRaT. But it almost sounds like a closed headphone in comparison and do not have enough highs. The HD650 is a very different headphone from any of the ones I've mentioned... very skewed towards the bass and mids. The HD598 to me was not only more comfortable but also superior in musical engagement (the highs+ mids coupled with superior soundstage performance). Its mid-bass is also far more accurate to the source and punchier. 

 

It's ironic how most hi-fi headphones (remember hi-fi = high fidelity to source) is really not "hi-fi" at all. They are taking a step backwards actually except in terms of frequency extension and timbre accuracy. The HD598 is probably my favorite dynamic headphone (I also like the HD600). It not only has a very flat frequency response but also manages to make the music sound engaging. The planar magnetics and electrostatic headphones are probably the only headphones that I would bother trying out in the future. 

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