[MrGoat]

Neither are bass monsters but they provide enough satisfaction for me.

I don't know about that. The Schiit Loki mini did turned my Hd58x into my new bass canons. The 58x take to EQing very well. They can vibrate you ears and face with how much bass they can produce when tweaked just right. Also good tubes help a little, I feel.

 

[PockyG]

The notorious clamp is back after a few days of not wearing the 58X. I am still waiting for someone (except me) do a direct comparison between 58X and 599 but I will probably go for 599 over 58X simply because of comfort. It was comfortable for just a day or two after I had stretched them over two nights using its own box.

To expedite clamp reduction, I would fully extend the metal bands and bend them out slowly and repeatedly by hand, being very careful to not stress any plastic. The clamp for me is about the same as my DT880 now which I consider near perfect. I could never get clamp issues resolved by being patient and leaving them stretched out on my headphones. Static tension is an inefficient method and may never get the results desired.

I don't know about that. The Schiit Loki mini did turned my Hd58x into my new bass canons. The 58x take to EQing very well. They can vibrate you ears and face with how much bass they can produce when tweaked just right. Also good tubes help a little, I feel.

I don't doubt that they can be tuned to output more bass or scale with better equipment and I'm perfectly happy with the HD58X's stock bass. But I avoid judging or recommending headphones by their ability to EQ or by sources beyond a simple solid state amp simply because there are too many variables.

 

[tafens]

The notorious clamp is back after a few days of not wearing the 58X. I am still waiting for someone (except me) do a direct comparison between 58X and 599 but I will probably go for 599 over 58X simply because of comfort. It was comfortable for just a day or two after I had stretched them over two nights using its own box.

Using books or a box puts pressure on the pads which will make them wear out quicker. Worn pads equals worse sound. On HD650/HD6XX worn pads makes a large difference, and I’d expect the same applies to the HD58X.

Instead I‘d recommend loosening the grip by fully extending the headband and carefully bend on the metal parts.

 

[Denon2010]

So I got into good headphones in 2008 when I bought the Sennheiser HD 555 and even to this day still impressed how well it sounds compared to all those $20 headphones I used to use all my life.

Fast forward 10 years later I got my HD 58X today from massdrop. All I can say is the sound quality is improved but nowhere near close to what the improvement was going from $20 throw away headphones to the HD 555. I am just going to class this as a $300 headphones and at that point the diminishing return is quite strong when compared to what the HD 555 offers for the price of $90 at the time I purchased it. I am powering it with a Xonar DG sound card

What I noticed about the 58X and what I can say about reaching the audiophile stage of music when compared to my HD 555 is that while not a huge leap in upgrade the 58X sounds more true to life, it puts me closer to the music and it brings it more true to life, it is capable of this holier type of sennheiser sound it is very dark which is how I like it. The distance instruments and the precision it reproduces everything at is quite something.

My dream was to own a HD 600 but this will have to do since I heard it is just like an HD 600 but with more sound stage and better bass.

I am super duper happy with my 58X but I wonder if the grill is aluminum

There is something super interesting I must mention, the HD58X sounds LARGER and BIGGER than the HD 555. Basically its like going from a small swimming pool to an ocean. The HD 555 sounds like everything is infront of you in a smaller ball, where as the 58X sounds like you are in the middle of everything this is especially noticeable with Bob Marley and The Wailers sound tracks.

 

[Astonish]

So I got into good headphones in 2008 when I bought the Sennheiser HD 555 and even to this day still impressed how well it sounds compared to all those $20 headphones I used to use all my life.

Fast forward 10 years later I got my HD 58X today from massdrop. All I can say is the sound quality is improved but nowhere near close to what the improvement was going from $20 throw away headphones to the HD 555. I am just going to class this as a $300 headphones and at that point the diminishing return is quite strong when compared to what the HD 555 offers for the price of $90 at the time I purchased it. I am powering it with a Xonar DG sound card

What I noticed about the 58X and what I can say about reaching the audiophile stage of music when compared to my HD 555 is that while not a huge leap in upgrade the 58X sounds more true to life, it puts me closer to the music and it brings it more true to life, it is capable of this holier type of sennheiser sound it is very dark which is how I like it. The distance instruments and the precision it reproduces everything at is quite something.

My dream was to own a HD 600 but this will have to do since I heard it is just like an HD 600 but with more sound stage and better bass.

I am super duper happy with my 58X but I wonder if the grill is aluminum

There is something super interesting I must mention, the HD58X sounds LARGER and BIGGER than the HD 555. Basically its like going from a small swimming pool to an ocean. The HD 555 sounds like everything is infront of you in a smaller ball, where as the 58X sounds like you are in the middle of everything this is especially noticeable with Bob Marley and The Wailers sound tracks.

I heard the mids were nothing like the 600/650, a lot more recessed. Can anyone comment on this? Was looking at these, but my sound preference is definitely forward mids like the 650s, Grado, etc. and have heard mixed reviews

 

[Anarion]

The notorious clamp is back after a few days of not wearing the 58X. I am still waiting for someone (except me) do a direct comparison between 58X and 599 but I will probably go for 599 over 58X simply because of comfort. It was comfortable for just a day or two after I had stretched them over two nights using its own box.

Mine barely clamp. Just bend the metal parts on the headband. Don't strech them.

 

[FinBenton]

Clamp? Just bend it. My pads are around 5-6 inches apart when resting on the table, they barely touch my head gently haha, sorry about dirty old pads going to replace them soon...

 

[Mark Up]

I heard the mids were nothing like the 600/650, a lot more recessed. Can anyone comment on this?

Low mids. Ever so slightly less than the HD650 making them slightly cleaner there. A very small dip around 80-100 hz and an extension of the sub bass also keep low mids in proper perspective. True mids (600 hz to 2-3 khz). Similar to the HD650 again, maybe a bit less, but still mid forward vs. most headphones here. High mids (3-4 khz to 6-8 khz) a bit less than the HD650, this helps a great deal with potential listener fatigue, however, some feel they lack some presence there. There are times it could use a bit more, but overall vs. all decent to high quality cans, they present as what I'd consider slightly mid forward, except for the high mids, which are not recessed, but have a bit less vs. the true and lower mids, and the highs just above them, which I don't find to be very fatiguing unless the song has a lot up there. Those saying that surprise me as I'm treble sensitive and find on stuff that's not engineered with a lot of highs, these are consistently smooth in treble.

 

[Mhog55]

I heard the mids were nothing like the 600/650, a lot more recessed. Can anyone comment on this? Was looking at these, but my sound preference is definitely forward mids like the 650s, Grado, etc. and have heard mixed reviews

Mids are plenty forward for this guy. I don't find the recessed at all.

 

[Anarion]

Clamp? Just bend it. My pads are around 5-6 inches apart when resting on the table, they barely touch my head gently haha, sorry about dirty old pads going to replace them soon...

Wow, those pads are so done. Headband pads are even in worse shape.

 

[Mhog55]

Clamp? Just bend it. My pads are around 5-6 inches apart when resting on the table, they barely touch my head gently haha, sorry about dirty old pads going to replace them soon...

Did you run those through the dishwasher a few times, and then drag them behind the car? Lol

 

[erich6]

So I pulled the trigger and got these headphones after seeing all the hype. I was skeptical they would be as good as many are saying given the low price but for $150 I thought it was worth the risk. I’ll say upfront I’m very glad I did! Here are my impressions after about 6 hours listening to them:

Tonality: The tonality is very similar to the HD6XX and other Sennheiser headphones I’ve heard; the HD58X are mid-centric and slightly lush/dark which is very much to my liking. I’ll add to the growing consensus that compared to the HD6XX these have noticeably more bass (the sub and low bass) which is excellently controlled and make the sound rich without making it too warm. In fact, the higher (mid) bass is less prominent than the HD6XX helping make the tonal character of the HD58X closer to neutral relative to the HD6XX. The mid frequencies are slightly less prominent than the HD6XX but still very good (just not as good as the HD6XX; those are excellent in the mids). The treble is more energetic than the HD6XX and sparkles without being over the top. Most of the time the treble is excellent but in a few recordings it has been borderline harsh…I’m noticing it less today than when I first heard them so it could be me getting used to the more energetic sound.

Sound stage: I’ve seen comments suggesting these have a “smaller” sound stage than the HD6XX; others have said they have a wide soundstage. I think I understand why there is less consensus here and it’s because these have a unique sound stage. Most of the music sits close in giving the headphones a very intimate presentation. But when you listen to different sounds (the crash of cymbals, drum beats, a trombone, etc.) they appear further out resulting in very satisfying instrument separation. It is not exaggerated at all and it’s almost like Sennheiser figured out how to implement an advanced crossfeed DSP in the phones. I really like it.

Resolution: I don’t have high-end headphones so take this with a grain of salt—these are the most resolving headphones I own. They are noticeably better than the HD6XX. The details are excellent and my overall feeling is the HD58X is very transparent making the music sound very natural.

Comfort: Yes, these have a strong clamp when you first use them. So did my HD6XX’s but now they feel very comfortable after repeated use and some stretching. I pulled on the HD58X headband a bit and even after only a few hours they already have less clamp so I think these will be fine. Even so, they feel comfortable to me and I wore these in two occasions for about 3 hours with no problem. Others regret on the style of the headband pad and I thought I would too but I don’t feel this is a problem.

Style/looks: I’m not partial to the polish look of the colorway nor the garish Sennheiser branding on the headband but I can live with it…it’s not a major consideration for me. Otherwise, they have the classic look many know from the 580 and 600.

Other notes: Most of my listening has been through a Woo Audio WA7 “Fireflies” headphone DAC/AMP. The tubes could be contributing to my claim that these cans have a lush tonal character. I felt the same way when I tried them with the Magni 3.

Overall, I’m glad I own these headphones and I’m very (pleasantly) surprised how good they are. I can see these becoming my favorite open-back set until the day I spring for a real TOTL headphone. That said, for the first time since I started this hobby a few years back I don’t find myself feeling like I may be missing something in the music. I know, give it time, but for now I am enjoying sound bliss.

Cheers!

 

[turbomustang84]

Did you buy the HD58x used? Sennheiser boxes are so nice, except for the HD58x blue carton box of course.

I bought a brand new HD650 box only which I got for a bit over $20 so the box was New as was my 58X

 

[bcaulf17]

Hm...I'm pretty set on getting a little audio setup going after I move into my new apartment and was eyeing the HD6XX but the 58X are tempting as well...what do I do!?!? The HD650 is more classic, but the 58X will be cheaper, especially since it is more efficient without an amp.

If I were to get the 6XX, would my best bet be the Magni 3/Modi 2 combo? Will that work fine off of my 6 year old MacBook Pro?

 

[cujobob]

Hm...I'm pretty set on getting a little audio setup going after I move into my new apartment and was eyeing the HD6XX but the 58X are tempting as well...what do I do!?!? The HD650 is more classic, but the 58X will be cheaper, especially since it is more efficient without an amp.

If I were to get the 6XX, would my best bet be the Magni 3/Modi 2 combo? Will that work fine off of my 6 year old MacBook Pro?

The 58X are more versatile in that you don’t NEED an amp to get good sound out of them. They’re a bit more balanced and less veiled. I think the way they’re presented makes the mids stand out more on the 6XX, whether one prefers that or not is subjective.

The Modi 2 would be used as a DAC, so all your MBP would be doing is supplying the music to it (the only negative effect would be the noise from your laptop’s USB out and there are solutions to lower that if you so choose to).

The Magni 3 seems to be the best amp solution in that price range and it’s the one I would recommend. The Modi 2 has a few competitors of similar quality, but it matches the form factor and is already fairly affordable so I would also recommend it with the Magni 3.