[primamecha]

I am a musician, absolutely love all different types of genres. I've owned the Sennheiser 558's before and absolutely loved them, especially the punchy base. I was looking to make a slight upgrade to the 598's, but I've heard the punchy bass is not as good... Though, the mid's and high's are absolutely astounding. I'd hate to buy the 558's again and regret not spending a little extra cash on the 598's, but at the same time if I buy the 598's I don't hate that either. I am planning to stick with  these for a long time. Can someone point out a little guidance on which pair to pick? I've heard stories of people upgrading from the 558's to the 598's and liked it but ended up missing the punchy bass. I am not really a bass head, but I enjoy listening to the clarity of the bass line in songs to pick out progressions and such.

 

[roBernd]

I prefer the 558 in terms of ballance. You might want to read this article and do the mod:
http://www.headfonia.com/sennheisers-new-hd558-and-hd598/3/
 
They both have the same drivers, only the housing differs, so it is possible to get almost the same results if you remove the tape behind the drivers. Also, it's undoable if you prefer the old stock sound.
 
Chears mate.