[Koukol]

"Housing can make a lot of difference to the sound, depending on the thickness and type of material of the earcup it can affect how the sound bounces off it."
 
 
 
True, I once had a cheap pair of Sony closed headphones...
The plastic was so thin and cheap that they sounded like open headphones (which I prefer)
 
So I believe housing can change clarity and bass but I'm still wondering how it could effect brightness.

 

[palmfish]

  "The drivers are tuned differently,"
 
 
I didn't know that...I suppose this would explain the 598's being brighter as housing usually effects only the bass...no?

 
No. A sound wave is a sound wave.
 
The only difference between high and low frequencies is the length of the wave.
 
Engineers understand how waves propagate through matter and use materials of different density and thickness to absorb or reflect different wavelengths to "tune" the sound.

 

[maestrochin29]

So are you happy with your purchase ? did you actually get a chance to compare the two yourself ? frankly im considering buying out of the two , and my main concern is watching movies on my laptop other than listening to music of course. 

 

[Asurada]

Both of that's sounds like 'downgrading' from HD600 by that's price. So it depends on your budget.

 

[hybridamp]

Resurrected!  Seriously though, both of these cans are pretty cheap currently due to all the sales ($99 shipped for the HD558) so here is my question related to this topic because I'm going to grab one of these cans.  I've tried a bunch of stuff over the years in the mid-fi range, some examples are: HE-400, HD-595, HD-650, SR-225i, SR-325, ATH-A900/A900x/A900Ti, ATH-W1000, DT770 Premium & Pro, etc.
 
My absolute favorites were the HD-650 powered by La Figaro 332 Classic tube amp, in the < $400 range the headphones were absolute perfect bliss to me, bass extension was amazing imho with just the perfect amount which is important to me.  For hard rock, progressive rock, metal, and the alternative rock that I primarily listen to I felt they were exemplary.  This year I found myself with nearly no free time anymore so I rarely utilize my headphone gear so I couldn't justify having the costs involved in that setup just sitting there on my desk.  So I sold it all with intentions on downgrading to something "acceptable" for the one time every week or two that I actually get time to sit down and listen to a pair of cans.
 
I'm looking at < $200 because I hate to spend more than that for such little use and the HD-558 or HD-598 seem like they should have some familiar characteristics of the 650, maybe, hopefully?  What do you guys think between the two, or the 518, but with only $20 separating the 518 from the 558 it doesn't make much sense to even consider the 518...

 

[Sigfod]

  Resurrected!  Seriously though, both of these cans are pretty cheap currently due to all the sales ($99 shipped for the HD558) so here is my question related to this topic because I'm going to grab one of these cans.  I've tried a bunch of stuff over the years in the mid-fi range, some examples are: HE-400, HD-595, HD-650, SR-225i, SR-325, ATH-A900/A900x/A900Ti, ATH-W1000, DT770 Premium & Pro, etc.
 
My absolute favorites were the HD-650 powered by La Figaro 332 Classic tube amp, in the < $400 range the headphones were absolute perfect bliss to me, bass extension was amazing imho with just the perfect amount which is important to me.  For hard rock, progressive rock, metal, and the alternative rock that I primarily listen to I felt they were exemplary.  This year I found myself with nearly no free time anymore so I rarely utilize my headphone gear so I couldn't justify having the costs involved in that setup just sitting there on my desk.  So I sold it all with intentions on downgrading to something "acceptable" for the one time every week or two that I actually get time to sit down and listen to a pair of cans.
 
I'm looking at < $200 because I hate to spend more than that for such little use and the HD-558 or HD-598 seem like they should have some familiar characteristics of the 650, maybe, hopefully?  What do you guys think between the two, or the 518, but with only $20 separating the 518 from the 558 it doesn't make much sense to even consider the 518...
 
I own the 558 and it is just ok at harder rock, lacking the bass presentation and the attack. It is wonderful at vocal music (Colbie Caillat, Sara Barilles, Ingrid Michaelson, Taylor Swift)   . I prefer the Grado SR-80e for harder rock (Trivium, Five FInger Death Punch, Bullet for My Valentine, Avenged Sevenfold) it has better bass, better treble, and electric guitars just sound fantastic.

 

[hybridamp]

Thanks for the insight.  I think of the HD-5xx series 598 is probably what I'd go with, but after reading a ton of reviews on here of all three I think I may just grab another set of HD-650 because I don't think I would ever be satisfied with a 5 series.  Plus the 650's go for $352 shipped new right now so, that's not bad at all.

 

[GearMe]

Thanks for the insight.  I think of the HD-5xx series 598 is probably what I'd go with, but after reading a ton of reviews on here of all three I think I may just grab another set of HD-650 because I don't think I would ever be satisfied with a 5 series.  Plus the 650's go for $352 shipped new right now so, that's not bad at all.

Sounds like you've 'loosened' your budget a tad...that didn't take long!

However, don't forget you'll need a more robust amp for the 650s.

As far as the 5X8 series, I liked the 558s better than the 598s when I compared them. Personal preference to be sure but I thought the mids were a little better and the treble was slightly more smooth. To sum it up, the 558s just sounded a little bit more natural to my ears.

 

[hybridamp]

Sounds like you've 'loosened' your budget a tad...that didn't take long!

However, don't forget you'll need a more robust amp for the 650s.

As far as the 5X8 series, I liked the 558s better than the 598s when I compared them. Personal preference to be sure but I thought the mids were a little better and the treble was slightly more smooth. To sum it up, the 558s just sounded a little bit more natural to my ears.

haha, indeed.  So many reviews of everyone buying one of the 5 series, then selling it and buying another 5 series then still finding weaknesses in both; I just figure that it's not worth going through all that trial and error again since I know what I feel was perfect already.  Asgard 2 is already on the way.

 

[GearMe]

haha, indeed.  So many reviews of everyone buying one of the 5 series, then selling it and buying another 5 series then still finding weaknesses in both; I just figure that it's not worth going through all that trial and error again since I know what I feel was perfect already.  Asgard 2 is already on the way.

Makes perfect sense to me!

 

[Mich4lle]

Hello,
 
So I have owned a pair of HD 558s for a long time (around 3 years) and I really liked them. They are a pair of headphones that sound great powered by a phone and can sound good with most types of genres. I got rid of them and got a pair of HD 650s, which are great if difficult to drive, but for a pair of headphones that can be driven by anything, the HD 558s rock.
I did listen to a pair of HD 598s (My friend owns a pair on my recommendation) and to be honest, I couldn't really tell much of a difference between the two.
Granted I didn't spend much time with them but the most I can say is that the sound stage might have been a little bigger, but other than that I couldn't really say where the extra money you pay goes. Except for a more premium feel.
So if you have to pay a lot more for the 598s, I think stay with the 558s. it isn't worth paying a lot more.
It all depends on how much of an investment is required.

 

[serman005]

Do people think it's worth getting a 598 if one already has a 558? Or should the move be further up the food chain, as it were.? If so, which Senn would be a nice complement to a pair of 558s? I listen to jazz, rock, country, bluegrass, and edm (I know, I know--how do those fit together!?). Many thanks!

 

[danbarron]

Hello, all. First post. Read this thread with interest.
 
I am no audiophile, but I love music and like good sound. I'm no expert like you guys. I listen to a wide range of music, from classic rock to jazz, reggae, classical, folk, etc. etc. I prefer to hear the sound mostly as mixed, i.e., no artifically boosted bass, though like most people I will tweak the sound a bit using an equalizer. But I have no love for maximum bass, etc.
 
All that said, I just bought a pair Sony MDR-7506 based on a recommendation. I like the sound a lot, but they are hurting my ears. Can someone speak as to the relative comfort of the Sennheisers (and whether there's a difference between the two?) Based on what I know as I type this, I'm thinking of getting the 558s.

 

[Mich4lle]

Hello, all. First post. Read this thread with interest.

I am no audiophile, but I love music and like good sound. I'm no expert like you guys. I listen to a wide range of music, from classic rock to jazz, reggae, classical, folk, etc. etc. I prefer to hear the sound mostly as mixed, i.e., no artifically boosted bass, though like most people I will tweak the sound a bit using an equalizer. But I have no love for maximum bass, etc.

All that said, I just bought a pair Sony MDR-7506 based on a recommendation. I like the sound a lot, but they are hurting my ears. Can someone speak as to the relative comfort of the Sennheisers (and whether there's a difference between the two?) Based on what I know as I type this, I'm thinking of getting the 558s.

Hello,

The HD 558s and HD 598s are both massively comfortable, you can wear them for hours and will not fatigue, even their sound is good for listening for a long time. The HD 558s and the HD 598s are about the same comfort wise, if not exactly the same. I hope this helps.

 

[GearMe]

Hello,

The HD 558s and HD 598s are both massively comfortable, you can wear them for hours and will not fatigue, even their sound is good for listening for a long time. The HD 558s and the HD 598s are about the same comfort wise, if not exactly the same. I hope this helps.

+1...the HD558 will do well for this application. Very good all-rounder -- especially at recent prices!

Might keep an eye out on the For Sale thread for HD598s as they were $99 on Black Friday.