[jotry]

Hello all,
 
I've been going back and forth on my first major headphone purchase of these headphones, and I think that I'm concluding that overall I just don't feel like these were an upgrade. My setup is a Fiio E17 and a E9 when I use them on my desktop listening to flacs I've made of my music cd's, and I listen to my music on the go with my iPod Classic 160GB and the Fiio E17 with a Fiio line out dock, the short right angle one. Before I just used to use my iPod as is, and on my computer I used my Auzen X-Meridian 7.1 sound card. I don't notice an earth shattering difference with my E17, but it does seem to be just a touch better when I've gone between the two. The same for my E17 used with my iPod, but I notice a slightly bigger difference, and enough that I want to use it with my iPod, but I could still enjoy music without it.
 
My total collection of headphones and iems is:
 
Sennheiser HD 598
2x Sennheiser PX100's
MEElec A151
MEElec CC51
MEElec SP51
 
I like older music for the most part, but I'll dabble in anything that catches my interest, which can be quite wide. Classical, classic country (stuff from 20's-80's are particular areas I enjoy, but even up to today) and almost 6000 songs of country make the bulk of my collection, what I call vocal, the legendary singers, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Jo Stafford, and Doris Day just to name some of them. I definitely like the older stuff and the 40's to 60's is my sweet spot for right now.
 
I do enjoy the HD 598's, but I don't notice so huge a difference that makes me want to absolutely use them either over some of my others. I just haven't seen any vast improvement that's made me go WOW! yet. And there's one very distracting thing with them is with the right songs it has a harshness and tinnyness in the treble that is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. I can get this with other headphones to an extent, but I've never noticed it bothering as strongly as it does with these headphones. Perhaps these headphones are more resolving and pointing out the failures in songs I didn't hear before possibly I think, but I've even tried some 24/96 songs that I downloaded from HDtracks, and while they are very nice, they are very nice with even my old pair of Sennheiser PX100's.
 
I feel at times that they were worth it as they seem to do a vast majority of my collection, and I just don't want to regret selling them, and later on moving up into higher stuff and always wondering about these. I know I'd do it. I just kind of think that perhaps I should try getting the change to use these with some higher end stuff to see if I then notice an improvement. I forget how long I've used these but it's had to be in the 50-100 hr range and I'm thinking much closer to the 100 hr mark. A higher end dac and amp, that sort of stuff. I definitely see the potential the amp can give. While it wasn't earth shattering, it added refinement to all of my headphones that I've used, and while I could go back to not using it, I really don't want to. And it might just be that I don't have the capability to recognize a difference and one of those few that can be satisfied with simple gear. I find that highly suspect though. lol
 
Thank for reading this and any insights you might be able to give me!

 

[tomatoshoe]

50-100 hours is a very large estimate. Try and burn-in the headphones some more. Make a play list of varying artists and genre types and let them play on the headphones. Stow them away and give your headphones some break here and there.
 
From other headfier's:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/541039/sennheiser-hd-598-appreciation-thread/1305#post_8285960
 
The Fiio should not be your problem. Besides, from what I've heard the HD-598 don't really need an AMP/DAC, but does benefit from them.
 
I've used the HD-555 with the foam mod for quite some time and they are very versatile headphones. They are much like the HD-598 except the HD-598's are just more refined than the HD-555. Your choice of music should not really be an issue. They will play most genres of music.
 
The HD-598 should be an upgrade to your collection of headphones/IEMs. You may just not like the HD-598. Everyone has different tastes in music. Don't force yourself to like it.

 

[MomijiTMO]

Try something else.

 

[jotry]

Thanks,
 
I'll definitely give them some more time and especially give them more burn-in time and keep track of it. I've been playing variations of frequency sweeps, pink noise, and such for a bit now, and I'll vary that up with some actual music too here and there to give them more time. I keep thinking I hit some spots of what I've been looking for here and there in these, so I don't want to just give up on them.
 
Also thanks for reminding me of the HD 598 appreciation thread! I got sidetracked and forgot all about that and should read some more up on it!
 

 

[wje]

A few points, if I may:
 
1) I think there are many who like the HD-598, but there are plenty of others who would argue for the price ($200 - $249), there are many other headphones out there that could offer better performance.  Even choosing a nice, used pair of headphones in that range would get you a lot of good options.
 
2) The Fiio E9 / E17 combination with the iPod and the LOD cable.  Sadly, Apple has their DAC on the iPod locked down.  So, you're not really by-passing the iPod DAC and using the E17 to its full potential.  The LOD is by passing the Apple iPOD amp, but not the DAC.  There are only a few devices that can bypass the iPOD DAC - those being an amp product by Wadia, The Fostex amp / DAC at approximately $600 and I believe a 3rd device.  However, the rest of them out there don't have the capability.
 
3) While your iPod is a "Classic" model, I don't think that it falls into the Version 5 / Video 5 model series.  That was the version with the 30GB, 60GB, etc. storage options and was the last release from Apple on the iPod series to feature Wolfson DACs in the model.  The sound is better, to a noticeable level.  My iPod Touch 4 just could never sound as good as my older, smaller iPod Classic 5 / Video 5.  So, I sold off the Touch.
 
Best of luck to you.

 

[Parall3l]

Try the EQ on the E17. They can alter headphones to a state more to your liking.

 

[HeroicPenguin]

Quote:

 
I like older music for the most part, but I'll dabble in anything that catches my interest, which can be quite wide. Classical, classic country (stuff from 20's-80's are particular areas I enjoy, but even up to today) and almost 6000 songs of country make the bulk of my collection, what I call vocal, the legendary singers, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Jo Stafford, and Doris Day just to name some of them. I definitely like the older stuff and the 40's to 60's is my sweet spot for right now.
 
I do enjoy the HD 598's, but I don't notice so huge a difference that makes me want to absolutely use them either over some of my others. I just haven't seen any vast improvement that's made me go WOW! yet. And there's one very distracting thing with them is with the right songs it has a harshness and tinnyness in the treble that is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. I can get this with other headphones to an extent, but I've never noticed it bothering as strongly as it does with these headphones. Perhaps these headphones are more resolving and pointing out the failures in songs I didn't hear before possibly I think, but I've even tried some 24/96 songs that I downloaded from HDtracks, and while they are very nice, they are very nice with even my old pair of Sennheiser PX100's.

 
I think these two paragraphs might be key. The HD598s should be more resolving than your previous headphones and might pick up more of the flaws in the recordings. With the music that you listen to, they might be quite poorly mastered, especially since they're so old. I used to think some recordings were fine, but with higher end equipment, some recordings from the '60s and '70s now sound pretty awful (The Beatles in particular seem to suffer). It could be that your cheaper headphones smoothed over the flaws in the recordings?

 

[devhen]

Quote:

 
I think these two paragraphs might be key. The HD598s should be more resolving than your previous headphones and might pick up more of the flaws in the recordings. With the music that you listen to, they might be quite poorly mastered, especially since they're so old. I used to think some recordings were fine, but with higher end equipment, some recordings from the '60s and '70s now sound pretty awful (The Beatles in particular seem to suffer). It could be that your cheaper headphones smoothed over the flaws in the recordings?

 
+1. Don't forget... a poor recording is a poor recording, regardless of the bitrate of the audio file. Trying a harsh song in 24/96 isn't going to take away the harshness. If anything it will make it worse, i.e. will reveal it even more.