Sennheiser HD 598 Impressions Thread
May 29, 2017 at 5:50 PM Post #7,006 of 7,532
The sound just fantastic.
I'll have to add a little bit more.

When I tried listening to some modern rock, or just modern albums, I wasn't really really blown away by these headphones, but I dove in some old classics and that changed EVERYTHING. I listened to some Rolling Stones, Steppenwolf and Jimi Hendrix and it was amazing. I could hear not only sounds and instruments I never heard before in those songs but they were also so precise, so distinct from each other, it was like I was in a stage and the bands were performing all around me.
 
May 29, 2017 at 6:30 PM Post #7,007 of 7,532
I'll have to add a little bit more.

When I tried listening to some modern rock, or just modern albums, I wasn't really really blown away by these headphones, but I dove in some old classics and that changed EVERYTHING. I listened to some Rolling Stones, Steppenwolf and Jimi Hendrix and it was amazing. I could hear not only sounds and instruments I never heard before in those songs but they were also so precise, so distinct from each other, it was like I was in a stage and the bands were performing all around me.
Yup. Classic Rock sounds pretty amazing with the 598s. Really, any type of music that uses real instruments and where the recording itself contains spatial cues, the 598 will reproduce beautifully. Most modern music is more about sounding loud and impactful and not as much care is taken during the recording/production process to create or capture things like dynamics and soundstage. I'm still fully satisfied with the way my 598s handle modern music genres, with the only exception being sometimes wishing for some more bass impact. Even with modern music, the sounds still have very good separation, layering, and detail. The bass boost switch on my Fiio E10K satisfies the need for a bit more bass when that need arises.
 
May 29, 2017 at 6:36 PM Post #7,008 of 7,532
Amazon.com no longer has the ivory 598 and black 598 SE available (only third party sellers). No longer does it show 1-2 month availability either. You can't purchase either one from Sennheiser US website. Looks like those 2 models really are being discontinued (not surprising since the 599 was released last year).

I wonder how long the 598 SR will continue to be available.
 
May 29, 2017 at 6:47 PM Post #7,009 of 7,532
Amazon.com no longer has the ivory 598 and black 598 SE available (only third party sellers). No longer does it show 1-2 month availability either. You can't purchase either one from Sennheiser US website. Looks like those 2 models really are being discontinued (not surprising since the 599 was released last year).

I wonder how long the 598 SR will continue to be available.

I think they're realigning their product numbers in the HD 5xx range. The new 5xxs all have revised housings with the logo on a bar that extends out over the grill. They look good, but from all accounts the 599 is exactly the same as the 598xx outside of cosmetics.

I really love my original series 598s. I like the signature of them a lot. I think you're right about more contemporary popular music. "Loudness War" tracks with lots of compression sound dicy through them. They want a more restrained, detailed mix. I just listened to The Who's Tommy on mine last night and it was great example of the kind of rock mix these eat up. They're absolutely fabulous for jazz and orchestral too, though again, they can be a tad revealing of bad rips and mixes.

I amp mine through a Modi/Magni U2 setup streaming Apple Lossless through an AirPort Express. They benefit from good amping.
 
May 30, 2017 at 3:51 PM Post #7,011 of 7,532
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Hd 598 team.

I have dreamt about owning these cans for a while , when i started my head fi journey i was a broke college student and had no money.

But now I started working and was finally able to get them and wow .

They sound amazing . Buttery smooth mids , very pleasing highs , neutral but decently tight mid bass.

They have some sub bass roll off as most open cans do , I actually prefer to use my dt 990s for more bass heavy songs and genres while these SHINE on
vocals , guitar etc.

Very enjoyable for acoustic , folk , new age , blues , jazz , classical , funk /disco

Decently enjoyable for boom bap / hip hop but i still reach for my dt 990s in that case.
 
May 30, 2017 at 4:09 PM Post #7,012 of 7,532
Oh and the soundstage and separation on these is fantastic .

You can really feel the different places that the different parts of a song occupy , things feel further apart , closer and nearer.

They are pretty detailed too and allowed me to hear very subtle details i had never heard before.

The amount of detail and seaparation also carries on to games . I played cs go for a while with these and you can pin point very well whats going on in the map.

As far as the cons go for these I would say the sub bass like i mentioned is quite rolled off , but I guess we cant have everything on mi-fi headphones.

Take my dt990s for comparison , they have better sub and mid bass but more recessed mids .

So I would say these are more neutral across the board than most headphones i have tried .
 
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May 30, 2017 at 4:11 PM Post #7,013 of 7,532
Oh and the soundstage and separation on these is fantastic .

You can really feel the different places that the different parts of a song occupy , things feel further apart , closer and nearer.

They are pretty detailed too and allowed me to hear very subtle details i had never heard before.

The amount of detail and seaparation also carries on to games . I played cs go for a while with these and you can pin point very well whats going on in the map.

As far as the cons go for these I would say the sub bass like i mentioned is quite rolled off , but I guess we cant have everything on mi-fi headphones.

Take my dt990s for comparison , they have better sub and mid bass but more recessed mids .

Curious you mentioned the DT990s. As I just posted in another thread, I upgraded my lineup today with a pair of HD650s. I own the DT990 Pros and the HD598s. The 650 sits between the two in sound signature. Looking forward to getting them.
 
May 30, 2017 at 4:18 PM Post #7,014 of 7,532
Curious you mentioned the DT990s. As I just posted in another thread, I upgraded my lineup today with a pair of HD650s. I own the DT990 Pros and the HD598s. The 650 sits between the two in sound signature. Looking forward to getting them.

I heard the hd 650s were a bit warmer compared with the 598s .

The dt 990 have a warmer signature even tho their treble is very sharp due to the amount of mid and sub bass.

One of the things I feel the hd 598 lack on is a bit more of warmth in their sound. The bass is short lived and doesnt ressonate that much but i guess thats a consequence of their open design and the way they strieve for a more open , airy sound.

Between the dt 990s and the 598s i feel i have headphones for all genres I listen too however.

In terms of upgrades I would probably like to have the AKG K 712 pro next since i am curious about those headphones.
 
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May 30, 2017 at 4:23 PM Post #7,015 of 7,532
I heard the hd 650s were a bit warmer compared with the 598s .

The dt 990 have a warmer signature even tho their treble is very sharp due to the amount of mid and sub bass.

One of the things I feel the hd 598 lack on is a bit more of warmth in their sound. The bass is short lived and doesnt ressonate that much but i guess thats a consequence of their open design and the way they strieve for a more open , airy sound.

Between the dt 990s and the 598s i feel i have headphones for all genres I listen too however.

In terms of upgrades I would probably like to have the AKG K 712 pro next since i am curious about those headphones.

Totally agree. That's why I've been comfortable with the DT990/HD598 paring for several years. Splitting the difference with the HD650s should satisfy my urge for an all-rounder for the foreseeable future.
 
May 30, 2017 at 10:06 PM Post #7,016 of 7,532
I had the HD 650 for a while, and the only reason I returned them was that they were not enough of an upgrade over my 598 with the cheap E10K amp I have, and I didn't feel like spending hundreds more on an amp. The 650 sounds more neutral to my ears than the 598. The 598 sounds slightly more V-shaped, and has a wider soundstage. I actually preferred the sound of my 598 over the 650 with the cheap amps I own. They say the 650 sound improves substantially with better amps. Someday, I plan on getting the 650 and a better amp, but for now, I'm satisfied with my 598.
 
May 30, 2017 at 10:14 PM Post #7,017 of 7,532
Does anyone know a reputable online store that still sells the 598's in Ivory? I had these in my Amazon cart for a while but am getting a bit worried now and can't find them anywhere.
Probably your best bet at this point is to find a seller on ebay with a good feedback rating, or an Amazon third party seller. If not, the 598 SR is still available. Black, but more comfy headband, and bonus short cable with button remote. Good luck!
 
May 30, 2017 at 10:52 PM Post #7,018 of 7,532
I had the HD 650 for a while, and the only reason I returned them was that they were not enough of an upgrade over my 598 with the cheap E10K amp I have, and I didn't feel like spending hundreds more on an amp. The 650 sounds more neutral to my ears than the 598. The 598 sounds slightly more V-shaped, and has a wider soundstage. I actually preferred the sound of my 598 over the 650 with the cheap amps I own. They say the 650 sound improves substantially with better amps. Someday, I plan on getting the 650 and a better amp, but for now, I'm satisfied with my 598.

I really love mine. I'm sure these will be looked back on as a classic Sennheiser gem. They're outstanding headphones, regardless of price. I'll be keeping mine regardless of how the HD 650s work out in the long run.
 

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