[MrSpaceFox]

New member and looking for my first "audiophile" pair of phones. My budget is <200 and these two options have me quite crossed. The 900xs are about $145 on Amazon while the 598s are about $190.

I will be listening to a variety of music (minus hard rock ect) and am very interested in the soundstage provided. The low impedance is crucial for the time being as well. I consider the Audiotechnicas far superior aesthetically, but if the 598s are superior, I could stomach the "burl wood accents"...

Thanks for any future advice!

SpaceFox, out.

 

[Dragonzeanse]

New member and looking for my first "audiophile" pair of phones. My budget is <200 and these two options have me quite crossed. The 900xs are about $145 on Amazon while the 598s are about $190.

I will be listening to a variety of music (minus hard rock ect) and am very interested in the soundstage provided. The low impedance is crucial for the time being as well. I consider the Audiotechnicas far superior aesthetically, but if the 598s are superior, I could stomach the "burl wood accents"...

Thanks for any future advice!

SpaceFox, out.

The Sennheiser HD 598s are a great headphone, but you could get very similar performance by modding HD 558s. I can't justify the price of the 598s in my mind - not when the gap is so big. That said, if they're under $200, they're not such a bad sell. I really enjoyed the sound signature on them; they have a very warm sound and the treble is rolled off quite a bit.
 
Both the HD 598s and AD900Xes are considerably mid-centric, and can be driven with relative ease, without the need for an amp.
 
I think they might be the best options you can pick for your money based on your criteria.

 

[PurpleAngel]

New member and looking for my first "audiophile" pair of phones. My budget is <200 and these two options have me quite crossed. The 900xs are about $145 on Amazon while the 598s are about $190.
I will be listening to a variety of music (minus hard rock ect) and am very interested in the sound stage provided. The low impedance is crucial for the time being as well. I consider the Audio Technicas far superior aesthetically, but if the 598s are superior, I could stomach the "burl wood accents"...
Thanks for any future advice!

 
I own the Sennheiser HD558 (modded) and the ATH-A900X (closed) headphones.
I'm going to guess the ATH-AD900X (open) headphones will provide music with more "life" in the sound,
where as the HD598s would be a tiny bit veiled, little detached, but still a clear sound, maybe easier on the ears for long gaming sections.
But I think thee the "life" the Audio Technica's put into the music sound is more desirable, plus the AD900Xs are cheaper.

 

[zunehdrocks]

You should also check out the hifiman he300 and soundmagic hp200

 

[MrSpaceFox]

You should also check out the hifiman he300 and soundmagic hp200

Thanks for the sound magic can recommendation! I thought I had found every decent 200 dollar pair of open ear phones out there, and I've looked into the he300s, but many say they're nothing compared to the he400s, which is discouraging; also, they initially have a tight clamp. How would the sound compare between the two latter?

 

[Fuzziekiwi]

The HD598's sometimes drop a little lower. 
 
http://camelcamelcamel.com/Sennheiser-Headphones-Burl-Wood-Accents/product/B0042A8CW2?context=browse