[annasoh323]

Surprise! Received a box on my couch about a week before my quoted 7/12 delivery date. Thanks USPS! (I snapped a couple of pics out of excitement but nobody needs to see another box, right?) Re: Serial number controversy, #4251. I was right: after having them in my hands, I couldn't help but open them and love them. If it ever bothers me later, I'll just pretend that the "4" up there doesn't exist. Mathematically, 4251 is a pleasing number. I digress.

This will be my first new headphone of this caliber (have a second hand K7XX and Momentum 1). I don't know about "burn-in" as a practice but I've gone and set my computer to play music from a random playlist today anyway. I've enough pre-conceptions about what it "should" sound like compared to the K7XX that I don't fully trust my thoughts but here they are anyway. I have basic music files playing from a computer through a ZuperDAC to a cheap, off-brand hybrid tube amp (just a touch of warmth compared to directly out of the ZuperDAC). Playing the same bits of a song back-to-back ("The Secret Place" by Phil Wickham, not sure what genre it falls under but its distinguishing features are the vocalists, synth instrumentals, and bass drum line), I feel like the 58X's overall were more enjoyable (at least on that one song). They had more power behind the bass drum kicks and the mids seemed fuller. At the same time, I am wondering if it has partially to do with my inability to volume match since I believe these phones have different sensitivity characteristics. 58X is higher impedance but may also be higher sensitivity.

For my soundstage test, I also fired up Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag and ran around town a bit. The K7XX is billed as having a wider soundstage but with neither phone did I feel like I was missing out on in-game immersion (my combat skills took care of that). I've yet to try a movie where the experience is more passive and I can devote more attention to the senses rather than screaming at my monitor and throwing my keyboard across the room.

Ergonomically, I like the way the 58X sits and sticks to my head. Headband "2vs4" bump scandal aside (never tried the 4 bump, so no horse in this race for me), the clamping and earpads are quite snug and comfy. The headband on my K7XX is a bit compromised so it doesn't stick to my head so much as rest gently on it. It might add to the perception of air. The 58X is really my first experience of having something stick to my head while still letting me hear around me which is a different sort of feeling.

When I get home, I intend to see if my pseudo-burn-in did anything. I'll listen to some more music and see if I can get my tear ducts to flow. I also stumbled on a Craigslist ad that includes a set of DT990s in a bundle... and to think my wallet was just coming out of hiding from the Steam Summer sale...

 

[eke2k6]

Given that the HD600 might be my favorite headphone of all time, I couldn't help myself when I heard reports that the HD58X was a HD600 with sub-bass. So, the HD58X Jubilee ended up being my first headphone purchase in over 2 years.

I'd been doing so well, completely content.

As for the sound, there's no mistaking that the HD58X is a warmer headphone. When I say warm though, I mean in relation to the HD600. The true magic of this headphone is its ability to integrate truly representative sub-bass, while retaining incredible vocal prowess, air, and instrument timbre. My favorite stress test for this is James Blake's rendition of Limit To Your Love. At the 2:45 mark of the song is an incredible stress test for most drivers. In the upper regions of the song, a single cymbal reverberates lightly while James croons. Grounding all this is a brutal sub-bass line that makes most drivers I've heard run out of air before they can properly convey the song. Not the HD 58X. It's brilliant, detailed, and the timbre of the cymbal shines through.

My text test was one of my girl's favorite songs, and my new favorite pop test songs. The first minute of the song presents another good test of frequency separation and ability to retain poise and air while the lower end of the spectrum is stressed. The 58X aces again.

My favorite thing though might be the soundstage of this thing. The DT880 it replaces, and headphones like it, have always bugged me. I find their presentation of stage to be exaggeratedly wide, conveying space by robbing the midrange of its immediacy. It cheats the listener of instrument and vocal timbre, all for the sake of that initial wow factor. The HD 58X though, is far more masterful in its approach. Everything is just better layered, like an onion, but with room to breathe and pick apart the individual pieces...or enjoy the whole if you wish. The best part is the height of the soundstage. It just feels more natural to listen to and, combined with the beautiful refinement of the tuning and excellent detail, is just an incredibly engaging listen.


For you guys who like NPR's Tiny Desk concerts, check out the ones below...they're auditory treats to listen to.

Long story short, these phones are criminally priced. It might be the most complete headphone Sennheiser makes if you're a listener who values vocals, timbre, and everything that is dependent on a gorgeous midrange. The excellent bass and treble are the perfect accompaniments that round out this awesome headphone. I can't get over how great it is. It's like the HD650 and HD600 had a child that was better than the both of them. Anyway, enjoy:

 

[bcaulf17]

The HD6XX is a colored headphone by it’s very nature, the 58X is more neutral.

Now that’s interesting. I knew the 6XX had a colored bass but I always thought it was just very slight coloration. Is the 58X closer to “reference” sound then?

 

[spacequeen7]

IMHO HD 650 is one of the best tube (OTL) amp headphones below 1K ,ability to give euphoric-tube signature is excellent,very musical but can be picky when it comes to solid state ,58x on the other hand seems to lean toward analytical signature and works with everything you trow at (NOS or Delta Sigma )
I agree with the post above " neutral" is good description,it levels up all the instruments while keep in it separated and articulated
So far I have tested them on R2R (NOS) and Sabre/H10 with both sets of Burson ,Vivid and Classic (healthy alternative to modding )
behavior ;
Vivid(x4) -increased sound-stage and vocals by about 20%,detail another 15%..this is more musical presentation with slightly up front vocals,sounds more refined
Vivid/Classic-duals (mix) -slightly analytical/ruler flat mids with the biggest WOW factor..this cans have ability to give INSANE control and resolution to low end/dynamic animals ,very interesting

Next stop tube amp

Listening ..
Loose Cannon by Jeff Beck
Pull It by Jeff Beck
Candle In The Wind-2018 ver. by Ed Sheeran
.....oh my !

Edit: burn in is real

 

[Megazine]

I'm really enjoying the 58X, and thrown off that they are as good as they are for $150; I was expecting less since I bought them simply for mobile usage. I have a HD 6xx, so I'll do a quick comparison, and will be saving my full review for Massdrop.
-58X are warm, and has deep bass while also being tight.
-It has the bass that 6xx was somewhat lacking in terms of preference; there are some that agree.
-Although vocals sound great, I think I might give them to the 6xx
-The sound, sounds more full, but that could be due to the more present bass
-Pads on 58x seem less plush, but that could be due to it being more new
-Soundstage sounds similar
-Imagery sounds similar
-mids I might give to 6xx
-they might be more fatiguing than 6xx due to bass, but I'm still testing that out - 10hrs in.
-58x easier to drive - Fact

Overall: they are impressive and enjoyable to listen too. They are more fun than the 6xx.
Standout music and where they shine: Hip-hop, Rock, Disco, EDM

My theory: I think these are not inferior to 6xx. I believe Massdrop somehow gave us the same quality, if not more than the 6xx in terms of drivers and tech (hardware). I think they manage to cut cost in weight and packaging, while also removing the storing case, but maintaining sound quality. Something special is going on, and we are seeing many positive reviews, while many even prefer them over their 600 and 650 (6xx); I think I might be one of them and I'm still flabbergasted!

PS. I love the paint and color of grills. Stands out from my collection.

 

[turbomustang84]

I personally think Sennheiser made a bit of a mistake if I did not know they were a lower priced product they could have said these were the next generation and called
them the HD680s put a nicer finish on them and I would have bought that story and paid the price

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

I was wrong. I was so wrong. The HD58X runs just perfectly from my iPhone 6s.

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

Seems like my review is the first for the HD58x, but I'll definitely look forward to others' because I don't have my best equipment with me right now. But already fell in love with the cans. Definitely a great buy.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/sennheiser-hd-58x.23195/

 

[Anarion]

I personally think Sennheiser made a bit of a mistake if I did not know they were a lower priced product they could have said these were the next generation and called
them the HD680s put a nicer finish on them and I would have bought that story and paid the price

It's starting to look like they created something awesome and priced it way too low (or the rest are way too pricey).

 

[AutumnCrown]

Sitting with serial #668 as a recent orderer. Going to listen some more before giving sound impressions. As for non-sound stuff:

-the paint job isn't that bad. If you look closely at an hd600 the glossy paint is quite, similar just a different color. The matte black below the yoke gives it a bit of a different look, but there is already black matte where the cup meets the pad on the other HD6X0 family headphones, so it's not like a beater car with a single matte black door. It works pretty well.

-I forgot how tight new pads feel. I prefer my year and a half hd600 pads and I have a feeling these will sound better, and will certainly feel better as the pads get broken in. I may have to swap to get fair comparisons between these two phones.

 

[Tobes]

Now that’s interesting. I knew the 6XX had a colored bass but I always thought it was just very slight coloration. Is the 58X closer to “reference” sound then?

Got my 58X a couple of days ago - serial #1700. Liked it's sound from my phone where it's got a useful sensitivity advantage and bass extension over the 600. I've now compared the 58X to the 600 using the lowish cost 'Zy' balanced cable from the Bryston BHA-1.
Don't know about the 6XX but I find the 58X to be inferior to the 600 in terms of neutrality and 'reference' sound.

The 58X sounds good in isolation with nice bass extension - in fact the 600 can sound a bit bass light after listening to the former for a while - but comparing on any well recorded vocal or acoustic music puts the 600 easily ahead for me. The 600 gives a more precise sound with better tonal detail and reproduction of spacial effects and depth. I find the 600 a significantly more interesting and involving listening experience.

I think the 58X is sharply priced and a very good performer, but not at the same level as the 600 for me.

 

[Tuneslover]

I'm baffled how there is so much discussion (in this thread and on the Massdrop page) about how the HD58X looks regarding the colour, paint job, matte versus gloss finish, plastic construction, grill colour, grill look with and without the foam insert etc etc. I own both the HD650 and HD6XX and unless I'm missing something, my HD58X appearance is pretty much on par with those other 2 headphones. Frankly, I have no complaints about how they look, nor do I spend any time looking at myself in the mirror wearing them or asking my wife how they look on me. It's ALL ABOUT HOW THEY SOUND, which in my opinion is EXTREMELY GOOD, not to mention an incredible bargain at $150.

 

[ZapX629]

Got my 58X a couple of days ago - serial #1700. Liked it's sound from my phone where it's got a useful sensitivity advantage and bass extension over the 600. I've now compared the 58X to the 600 using the lowish cost 'Zy' balanced cable from the Bryston BHA-1.
Don't know about the 6XX but I find the 58X to be inferior to the 600 in terms of neutrality and 'reference' sound.

The 58X sounds good in isolation with nice bass extension - in fact the 600 can sound a bit bass light after listening to the former for a while - but comparing on any well recorded vocal or acoustic music puts the 600 easily ahead for me. The 600 gives a more precise sound with better tonal detail and reproduction of spacial effects and depth. I find the 600 a significantly more interesting and involving listening experience.

I think the 58X is sharply priced and a very good performer, but not at the same level as the 600 for me.

If you're into mods (this one is very easy and reversible), give the felt mod talked about here a try. It takes the midbass hump out completely and adds some clarity and speed to the sound. A great improvement if you find lower end too thick like I do. I still think the 600 sounds a bit more natural in timbre, but I was kind of shocked at the difference.

 

[cujobob]

I'm baffled how there is so much discussion (in this thread and on the Massdrop page) about how the HD58X looks regarding the colour, paint job, matte versus gloss finish, plastic construction, grill colour, grill look with and without the foam insert etc etc. I own both the HD650 and HD6XX and unless I'm missing something, my HD58X appearance is pretty much on par with those other 2 headphones. Frankly, I have no complaints about how they look, nor do I spend any time looking at myself in the mirror wearing them or asking my wife how they look on me. It's ALL ABOUT HOW THEY SOUND, which in my opinion is EXTREMELY GOOD, not to mention an incredible bargain at $150.

I would agree with you. The sound quality for this price is stupid good and I don't think they give up a whole lot to even much more expensive headphones. My comments about fit/finish/design, and likely those of many others, were in response to a few who were critical of the appearance.

They could improve the finish a bit (I've noticed some minor issues with the plastic on a few Sennheiser products I've owned). This is really a minor criticism.

The design isn't bad looking IMO and everyone will have their own opinion on that. I rather like the grill, personally.

If anyone is on the fence and wants a neutral sound signature with good detail that isn't harsh, grab these immediately. Even at $200, these are a good value. We live in a world where the HD6XX is already a thing (and comes with a nicer box), but that shouldn't detract from what these headphones offer.

If they're back around the same price, I'll grab a second pair for mods ...which they don't really NEED, but that's why I don't modify my first pair.

 

[Rob80b]

It's starting to look like they created something awesome and priced it way too low (or the rest are way too pricey).

They may done just that…. with any new headphone (unless there is something that initially throws me off) I just like to wear them for a few days to a week and not try to do any comparative listening but by taking them on their own merits.

So the HD800S are tucked away and the 58X are then their designated substitution…. obviously they are not going to sound the same but that’s not the point….

How do I feel when listening to the music…am I being forced to recognize if there is enough body, bass….too much sibilance, high frequency energy….am I missing detail that I’m normally accustomed to, is the sound stage making feel claustrophobic, is the recreated ambience too ethereal and not apart of the music, does the recording feel disjointed, the presentation is too forward, too distant, am I falling asleep, jarred into listening…etc, etc.

Or have I forgotten about all these negative or even positive superlatives and just gotten into the music….well somehow Massdrop and Sennheiser have managed to pull that off with these 58Xs….with all comparatives put aside…so far these are IMHO a very balanced and satisfying listen……: )