[Evshrug]

if the comfort is improved, and now has substantial bass which is not obtrusive, and still retains it gigantic soundstage and detail-whoring capabillities, would it be worth it for $199?

Seems like you just described the Q701 IMO, which I got for $200.


Hailin,
Headphones are just better detailed performers for the dollar. I have above average speakers (not as nice as those lovely curved cabinet floorstanders in DoctaCosmos' picture), but I just can't use them as often as I can use amazing headphones, and I can't justify big speaker furniture when I consider the future with kids and pets. Don't get me wrong, many speakers are AMAZING and I wish I had the money to have a quality full HT setup in it's own room, but... I don't feel so left out with nice headphones.

 

[Impulse]

Those KEF's look sexy.

Hmm, so Crutchfield has a series of specials on Sennheiser headphones where you get a store rewards/gift card with your purchase... Most of it isn't very exciting for this crowd, or Head Fi in general really, their prices are so bloated that even taking the sizable gift card into account you barely break even vs Amazon prices on stuff like the Amperion or HD 650.

However, the gift card you get with the HD 598 is a whopping $100 and they're $250 ($200 on Amazon)... I'm tempted to get them to try them out at home, I've only ever tried the HD 55x/59x at friend's and family's (off AVR and other random sources). Even if they do nothing for me compared to the Beyers and I sell them for $190 I still eke out $40 in the process...

Decisions decisions... I'd definitely use the rewards card, their prices are generally terrible but the free shipping to Puerto Rico often makes up for it. I'll probably order some HT furniture for my parents or an Audioengine N22 speaker amp for myself later in the year.

Heh, someone talk me out of it! Anyway, heads up for anyone looking at the HD 598 and some other sort of home/car audio purchase in the future.

 

[Evshrug]

I've only read good things about the Audioengine N22, wish I'd bought one before buying a receiver (which doesn't see use), and still considered buying one anyway until I got my tube hybrid and E12 amps.

The only thing about a Crutchfield gift card is... you have to spend it at Crutchfield. That profit will get eaten up by the price bloat on pretty much any significant purchase. So unless you intend to get something from them anyway (they sell that N22 for a decent price?) and your time spent reselling a pair of HD598s is worth the time you get to demo it (you'll probably not end up selling it), I wouldn't think it was such a great deal.

On a side note, still salivating over DT880s.

 

[Impulse]

Oh I'll definitely use the card, otherwise I wouldn't even bother with this. Like I said, I'll probably get the N22 in a couple months and/or some furniture for my parent's family room... Both are things I'm better off buying there for the free shipping to PR, the return policy, etc.

Their prices on speaker stands and TV furniture are actually reasonable and the N22's the same as everywhere else ($200), plus it's ridiculously easy to find $10-20 off promo codes for any purchase at Crutchfield, and I've got another $20 in accumulated rewards from one or two orders for AVRs.

I'm not sure the N22's worth it over a Topping T-amp for like half the cost (at least for my cheap Infinity speakers and desk space), but I definitely wanna compare them for myself.

I'm just curious about the Senns really, wondering if they'd outdo my DT 880 in any way for music particularly.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Only in mids, do I feel the HD598 bests the 880s. And soundstage. Otherwise, the 880s are superior, IMHO.

 

[Grymok]

Hmm.
Was just searching a bit for the DT 990 pro and premium on the prices. And here i felt over the Beyer T70 250 ohm for 521 USD,  but the ones of found on amazon.co.uk was the T70p 250 ohm and they goes for 665USD. 
This prices seems ridiculous cheap :O.
The DT 990 premium 250 ohm goes for 390USD on amazon.co.uk, but on this store 332 USD. The 32 ohm premium goes for 323 USD.
Is this pretty cheap or?.
Actually thinking to get me one of those T70 premium for that price, even that i need it for some FPS, but mainly music, and pt without an amp

 

[DoctaCosmos]

I definitely like having my headphones but i don't feel i'm  missing out on any detail with my speakers.  Another thing is i don't ever get up and start dancing around with my headphones but i do with the kids and wife while the speakers are on. Either way you have to dedicate time to music.  I mean i can play music on my headphones or speakers while i'm playing my games or on the computer but if i'm paying attention to those things then i don't need anything special to play my music (although i do prefer to do this more with headphones than speakers). 
 
On a side note, i've found myself having more fun with my speakers watching movies. I've never gotten this level of satisfaction from movies with headphones.  I can't believe how much more drawn into the movie a good home theater setup makes you. 

 

[DoctaCosmos]

Thanks for the compliments guys!

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

So the LCD2 should be here on Saturday (perfect timing as I'm off Sunday and Monday). Got them by the Headamp loaner program. Only get a few days with them, but I'll probably spend the majority of the time just gaming with them so I can put them up on the guide.

I fear the leather and weight, but I'm sure the sound is gonna be amazing.

 

[Makiah S]

MadLust, I'm looking at getting a Schiit Modi as my first DAC, how do I utilize the DAC to play both sound effects from let's say "skyrim" as well as music from FooBar. What plugins might I need from Foobar. I know my Internal Sound Card and drivers have options to output all the sound through another device. But I'm still not sure how to use an external DAC with a computer :O.
 
Also getting the dt 990s in 2 weeks . Gonna buy em in 6 days then they gatta ship! 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I don't know how to set up a DAC for video games. As far as standard PC use, you just plug it in, it installs itself, and you go to:

Sound properties (right click the speaker icon on the task bar)
Playback devices
Highlight Modi (might be under another name, presumably USB DAC), set default
Properties
Supported formats, check up to 96khz (which I believe is what the Modi goes up to). Click Apply.
Go to Advanced
Default Format, change to 24/96.

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

I don't know how to set up a DAC for video games. As far as standard PC use, you just plug it in, it installs itself, and you go to:

Sound properties (right click the speaker icon on the task bar)
Playback devices
Highlight Modi, set default
Properties
Supported formats, check up to 96khz (which I believe is what the Modi goes up to). Click Apply.
Go to Advanced
Default Format, change to 24/96.

... I mean can any one who has a dac try it? My Audio settings are already set to that, but ofc it use my crappy Mobo Dac [who even knows what the hell that is] but I would think... if its just plug and play and select the device... it shouldn't be to much of an issue.
 
The ONLY time I've ran into problems with audio on my pc is trying to screw with WASAPAI and ASIO outs in FooBar... I got em to work but not with a game and Foobar... but I'll find out soon enough!

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I don't mess with Wasapi, as I have founf that it didn't do anything to sound quality, despite claims that it did. I've A/B-ed betwen Foobar and Winamp, and it sounds the same to me. I hear a bigger difference going from the Modi to the ODAC than changing the media player.

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

I don't mess with Wasapi, as I have founf that it didn't do anything to sound quality, despite claims that it did. I've A/B-ed betwen Foobar and Winamp, and it sounds the same to me. I hear a bigger difference going from the Modi to the ODAC than changing the media player.

... are you saying the Modi sounds better or worse >.>
 
I was looking at the Odac [and it's about $60 MORE <.<] I'd might jump on an Odac... but the $100 on the modi is pretty sweet >.. compared to like $160 on the ODac
 
Oh DAMN... The jds Odac got CHEAPER what :O.
 
but what do you  notice going from Modi to Odac...

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

The ODAC is more fleshed out. I found the Modi to be a bit cold sounding next to the ODAC which sounded fuller. I mean, this is exaggerating the differences. DACs tend to sound quite same-y to me, but I won't deny that when I bought the Modi AFTER the ODAC, I felt the ODAC was still a better DAC (I don't suffer from new toy syndrome, if something is better/worse to me, I'll tell you). Unless you were getting the Magni to have a sexy looking stack, I'd pay extra for the better sounding ODAC, IMHO. If a few micropercentages of better SQ is worth the extra money to you.

I was able to A/B them quickly because the SA-31 has many inputs, so all I had to do was set the default on whatever DAC I wanted to hear and hit a button on the SA-31.