[Lovla]

Hello, people of Head-Fi.
 
Don't fear me, I come in peace. I wish to tap into the roots of your knowledge of audio. 
 
I am looking for a new pair of headphones. After seeing the Sennheiser HD598 I immediately fell in love (with the looks..), but I am reading mixed reviews on it (great sound, but lacks bass). I thought I'd check in with you headlings to see what my options are.
 
Now, I listen to music a lot. Mostly metal and I usually turn down the bass a lot when listening to metal. I also listen to some popular music like Keane and Coldplay where bass isn't really required (or is it? - I'm a noob).
I also play games a lot. Mainly Skyrim (link to music) and Battlefield 3. 
 
My question is this: will the HD598 disappoint me when I turn on my beloved metal? I'm pretty sure the headphones will blow me away when playing Skyrim (as they are open and neutral (Skyrim = lots of epic soundtrack music)). In Battlefield (a war game), how will the lack of bass affect the sound?
 
What other headphones would you recommend me? My budget is around $150 unless Mercedes-Benz has made a headset. Then my budget will be $∞.
 
 
PS. I made the polls!11!! If you don't have time to write an answer, just answer it and go do audio stuff.
EDIT: I accidentally the poll
EDIT2: I fixed the poll
EDIT3: Now that I think about it, I really don't like bass in music. I usually turn it off or to a minimal level when I'm in charge.

 

[Lovla]

I wonder if I'm allowed to bump.. hmm..

 

[XxDobermanxX]

HD 598 or beyerdynamic DT 770 pro

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Sounds like you would do well with neutral headphones or headphones that are not putting emphasis on bass. Your budget and where you live are kinda foreign to me, so I'm not sure what will line up with your budget exactly, so here's some recommendations, hopefully something will match your price:
 
Sennheiser HD598
Sennheiser HD595
Sony MA900
AKG Q701
AudioTechnica AD900
Beyer DT880 PRO
Beyer DTX 910
Fischer Audio FA-002
 
Very best,

 

[Lovla]

Thanks for responding. Judging by the name, HD595 sounds inferior to the HD598. Is this correct? And which one would you rather choose; the Beyerdynamic DTX 910 or the Sennheiser HD598/595?

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

Thanks for responding. Judging by the name, HD595 sounds inferior to the HD598. Is this correct? And which one would you rather choose; the Beyerdynamic DTX 910 or the Sennheiser HD598/595?

 
Heya,
 
Don't let numbers make you think one is better than another. It's just a naming system. The HD595 is quite different from most Sennheisers. I threw it in there to give you another price option as the HD595 is a little cheaper and it's a bright headphone without a bunch of bass which is kind of different from most Sennheiser's sound, it's kind of the odd man out HD5xx headphone. The HD598 further takes that to a different level and looks different of course (threw it in there, not everyone likes the color/style, but some love it).
 
I wouldn't choose any of them; I don't like anemic headphones. So let's not worry what I would choose. 

 
But If I had to choose something for me from the above list for the money, I would easily take the Sony MA900 or Beyer DT880 myself.
 
Very best,

 

[Lovla]

Anemic?

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

Anemic?

 
Less bass than I would like. Not a lot of body. Not much warmth. Kind of thin sounding. Hallow, if you will. I much prefer a headphone (and speakers) that have a rich, full, lush low frequency response. Not over-powering monstrous bass drowning things out, but rather, just lovely controlled well textured extending deep bass, mostly sub-bass as a preference, less mid-bass usually, at least for me. Thus I don't care for the HD598 nor HD595 as they just don't deliver that kind of low end that I like to have on my headphones. But things like the DT880, HE400, etc, do for me.
 
Just my preference.
 
Very best,

 

[Averruncus]

I agree with MalVeauX. I found the HD598 to be very hollow and generally unimpressive. It's a great looking and very comfortable headphone, but I don't suspect it'll do well with metal. The DT880 is in almost every way better then the HD598 IMO, and it's great for metal, especially if you like lighter bass. It can be hard to drive though if you buy the higher impedance models.
 
I use my DT880 mainly for gaming too, which it seems to perform adequately at. It's detailed and accurate enough that I can quickly tell were sounds originate from, which I find extremely helpful in FPS (I don't play battlefield though, my experience is with Planetside 2). I don't really like the DT880 for listening to soundtracks though (coincidentally, I have the Jeremy Soule signed Skyrim soundtrack), not enough bass for complete immersion at lower listening levels, but it's fine if you like listening at higher volumes.

 

[pp312]

Quote:

The DT880 is in almost every way better then the HD598 IMO

 
+1

 

[Lovla]

Quote:

I agree with MalVeauX. I found the HD598 to be very hollow and generally unimpressive. It's a great looking and very comfortable headphone, but I don't suspect it'll do well with metal. The DT880 is in almost every way better then the HD598 IMO, and it's great for metal, especially if you like lighter bass. It can be hard to drive though if you buy the higher impedance models.
 
I use my DT880 mainly for gaming too, which it seems to perform adequately at. It's detailed and accurate enough that I can quickly tell were sounds originate from, which I find extremely helpful in FPS (I don't play battlefield though, my experience is with Planetside 2). I don't really like the DT880 for listening to soundtracks though (coincidentally, I have the Jeremy Soule signed Skyrim soundtrack), not enough bass for complete immersion at lower listening levels, but it's fine if you like listening at higher volumes.

 
I'm slowly starting to realize that I won't be buying the beautiful pair of headphones that is HD598 : (
I'm looking at the DT's right now, but I can only find the DT770 Pro with 80 OHM (whatever that means). Is there a big jump in quality from the 770 to the 880?
I also own a signed copy of the Skyrim OS

 

[pp312]

Quote:

 
I'm slowly starting to realize that I won't be buying the beautiful pair of headphones that is HD598 : (

 
I was disappointed too. The HD598 is the best looking headphone I've ever seen, and I had used the 595 many years with great satisfaction. I really thought I'd get on well with the 598, but it wasn't to be; they sounded hollow and harsh. I still have the 595 and checked with those to make sure it wasn't just because I'd moved on to bigger and better things, but no...the 595s still hold their own; the problem is with the 598. Senn have probably used the same driver but done something to make it brighter, and it's had the same effect as when people fiddle about removing damping from phones they find too dull--invariably resonances creep in.

 

[Averruncus]

I just so happen to have a DT770 Pro 80ohm, albeit a very old pair. Compared to the DT880 it has stronger bass and more body but generally lags behind the 880s in everything else (detail, speed, treble quality and extension, soundstage). DT770 feels sluggish when playing metal (the bass is a bit too bloated) and the lack of treble extension takes away some excitement (maybe it's what others called "laid-back"? I can't be sure). The DT880s are, on the other hand, sounds fast and edgy at the sacrifice of some bass and body. 770s is not a bad headphone, just that I won't rate it's price/performance very high.
 
Ohm btw is electrical resistance of the headphones, for the DT line, you want to find a lower ohm rating if you don't have a headphone amplifier since there higher ohm models are much harder to drive. The 32 ohm version of the DT880 sounded fine out of my PMP for example.

 

[Lovla]

Ok, so I think I'm going to go for the DT880s now. However, I'm not sure about what OHM-rating I should go with. I'll be using it on my PC mainly. How will the 250 OHM version do? I only have the on-board soundcard.

 

[pp312]

When in doubt always go for the 250 ohm version.