[Enigma29]

Hello, so about 2/3 years ago i bought the Sennheiser HD-598's with the help of this amazing community and so now that i want new hp's im posting here again.

So, i love the HD-598's, but i want more. What i noticed was with really fast music it gets a bit distorted and less clear. I listen to pretty much everything so i want all rounder headphones. I found the bass amount quite nice for me since i like vocals and instruments more than super punchy bass.

What i want is a recommendation for a direct improvement on the HD-598 in terms of almost everything apart from the bass quantity and soundstage, which i found was just big enough.

My biggest problem is that i cant demo headphones, that service is dead here - even though a lot of high end headphones are sold here.

Im searching for hp's in the 400$ range. Easily driven is a bonus since im getting an odac but no amp right now.

Thank you everyone who will try to help!

 

[KG Jag]

Hello, so about 2/3 years ago i bought the Sennheiser HD-598's with the help of this amazing community and so now that i want new hp's im posting here again.

So, i love the HD-598's, but i want more. What i noticed was with really fast music it gets a bit distorted and less clear. I listen to pretty much everything so i want all rounder headphones. I found the bass amount quite nice for me since i like vocals and instruments more than super punchy bass.

What i want is a recommendation for a direct improvement on the HD-598 in terms of almost everything apart from the bass quantity and soundstage, which i found was just big enough.

My biggest problem is that i cant demo headphones, that service is dead here - even though a lot of high end headphones are sold here.

Im searching for hp's in the 400$ range. Easily driven is a bonus since im getting an odac but no amp right now.

Thank you everyone who will try to help!

That's a bit problematic--especially without an amp.  I really can't come up with a fast version of the HD 598.
 
The HE-400 comes to mind, but coming from the HD 598, I don't think that you would like the mids.
 
The SR 325e or MS-2e (or just discontinued MS-2i) might work for you, but you really need to hear them before you buy.
 
With a good amp, a used HE-500 is a great choice if you are OK with a heavy can.

 

[Enigma29]

Well im mainly listening to j-pop, so what i mainly need is a hp that can handle the high pitched vocals but can also do great on both more electronic-ish music and more rock-ish tunes.

If anyone knows a place where i can demo hp's in Slovakia then please pm me.

If im getting signifficantly more bang/buck for a few more $, then going over budget is fine.

Hows the AD-900X compared to the HD-598?

Thanks!

 

[KG Jag]

Going from the HD 598 to the AD-900X is a lateral move.  The 900X give you a bigger sound stage, but you lose the velvet smoothness of the HD 598.
 
This well describes its predecessor, the AD-900, which is very similar to the 900X:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/634201/battle-of-the-flagships-58-headphones-compared-update-audeze-lcd-2-revision-2-6-4-13#user_ATHAD900

 

[BelialSeraph]

TBH I can't really recommend the HE-400 because of the recessed midrange. For me, Jpop sounds best with headphones with forward mids.
 
As for recommendations, there's the AD1000X. I haven't listened to one, but I've been seeing some users claim that it (along with the flagship AD2000X) are the best for asian female vocals. The AD1000X you can get in amazon right now for less than 400$.
 
My personal recommendation for Jpop is the the Shure 1840. I have had the chance to audition it on several occasions, and right now it's my #1 contender for my headphone upgrade (check my profile...I ranked some headphones I've tried based on Jpop and Metal). I absolutely love the way Jpop vocals sound with these cans; the best from all I've auditioned so far IMO. Neutral with a slight brightness to it and a forward midrange. I was impressed with how the 598 sounded with Jpop, but when I auditioned the 1840 right after, I was just blown away by how much more detailed the vocals were. I think the biggest weakness of the 1840 is its bass, which is less than the 598 in quantity. I think it does have good, well-extended bass, just not enough quantity to make the lows sound lively. It's 500$ USD though so if you think you can extend your budget, these cans are a serious contender. Of course, the 598 would make a great pair to it because of its smooth mids and treble (or as KG Jag  says, velvet smoothness - very true!)
 
Here's a comparison b/w the 598 and 1840s frequency response:
graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=2851&graphID[]=3561&scale=30
 
 
There's also the sennheiser HD650, which can be seen as an upgrade over the 598, but personally I think its a step back if its gonna be for jpop. While the HD650 has the bass I wish the 1840 and 598 had, it just didn't play vocals as well as the two 'cause I found the vocals sounding too dark with it. You can go for Grado too, but I think only the SR325e is within your price range (and I think that might be too bright for Jpop, never tried it though). The Grado PS500 is another good pair for jpop, but it's in the 600$ range (I still prefer the 1840 for jpop anyway).

 

[Enigma29]

Well i really am just trying to find a shop where i could demo some headphones, but right now to no avail.

All recommendations are welcome even if theyre slightly out of the price range since im not buying it right now.

Thanks for all the opinions so far!

EDIT: I realised i havent given any specific songs so heres a few just so you know roughly the kinds: Red Sun - Metal Gear Rising, Kotoko - Nendo no hoshi, Re-sublimity and last would be - Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann opening, which sounds kinda poor on the hd-598's. Thanks!