>reputable reviewers
I don't want to come off pompous but this has been addressed before. I don't see those reviewers having any evidence of the driver being the same as any existing drivers unless you (or they) can provide some sort of insight into the engineering of such.
Sounds like they're just going off their ears which is absolutely fine and acceptable, but to state it as "confirmed" is a misattribution of unsubstantiated speculation from amateur (that is to say, they aren't to my knowledge professionally associated with the industry), run-of-the-mill audiophiles.
I could make a starkly contrasting statement that the HD58X is the 2nd best HD6-- series headphone after the HD660S but I'd get laughed out of the room because I'm not a "reputable reviewer".
I don't mind a preferential statement regarding sound quality, but to misstate speculation of the driver structure as fact requires substantiation.
There's absolutely no evidence 58x is using HD6-family of drivers, yet people have no problem claiming it does. I was sceptical about DMS and Metal reviews before I got a chance to hear 599 and 58x myself, but after testing them back to back now I know what they were talking about. I really don't care what's the part number of 58x driver, it propably is some sort of HD5 variation prepared exclusively for massdrop with bumped up impedence. I've heared HD600 multiple times, owned 650, briefly tested 660s and I honestly say 58x doesn't come close to any of them. The reason why I'm thinking it's some sort of HD5 driver is because I own 599 and after switching to 58x I wasn't getting a feeling like I was hearing anything HD6-series, but instead a different HD5 flavour. Mainly resolution and grain just wasn't there, it was all at the level of HD5. And it's not just Metal and DMS, you can read similar impressions on massdrop review page or even this thread. So it's words agains words two opposite clans fightin over something nobody have definite proof, only subjective hearing.
Secondly, if the 58X has all the shortcomings of HD5, how can it be tuned to sound closer to an HD6?
I don't see a reason why couldn't it be? Even monk's earbud could. Tunning and driver qualities are two diiferent stories. All headphones can be tuned to sound very similar, but one with be better to the other depending on driver capabilities and so is the case with 58x vs HD6
Seems like this will be a never ending debate, and none of it makes a whole lot of sense. Just use what you subjectively prefer. So many people saying that the 660s is nowhere near the price increase over the 58X in terms of of pretty much everything, yet the 650 blows the 58X out of the water. Again, obviously preference here. No, the 58X doesn't scale as well as the 650, but was it designed to? Nope
There's only one truth 58x cannot be both HD5 and HD6 levels of driver potential. It can only be one way, what we have now are contradicting opinions. The debate will hopefully come to an end at some point.
I'm not hearing it that way at all. I have the 600s and the 6XXs also and have compared the three extensively. For the record I have performed the foam damping mod to the driver of the 58X so I'm not comparing the stock 58X to the 600 and 6XXs. I also have a pair of 598s. To my ears and my equipment (both with tube and solid state gear) the modded 58Xs are definitely in line with the other 600 series phones and are way better than the 598s. I also find the 58Xs to scale very well, yet be way more versatile with lower powered sources such as phones. For the record I have powered all three of these with solid state hybrid and full tube amps with outputs from 4 to 9 watts of output power so it's not like I haven't powered these with high powered (or high quality) sources.
I'm not doubting that you are hearing things the way you are. I think it just goes to show that we all have the potential to hear things very different. Equipment, listening preferences, and types of music all have a very large effect also. Honestly I prefer listening to the 58Xs more than the 600s, and 6XXs. I want to eventually get the original 580s and the 660s to have and compare the whole family, but for now I reach for the 58Xs more often then I do it's two other siblings. I think these things are so user dependent that getting ones ears on the different phones and judging for themselves which is best for them is always the best option if possible. Of course this is not always possible and that can really make decisions difficult.
That's very interesting becasue from what I know most people don't hear a difference with that foam mod vs stock. I was intending to do it myself, but after reading like 20th massdrop review about it doesnt make any difference I let that idea go.
Again 589 are out of question, both 599 and 58x are much better options.
Sorry I also have to disagree, I don't know why people keep forcing this argument, it's as bad as the "58X uses a HD660 driver". Sennheiser said that the 58X uses a NEW driver, also as said before it's 150 ohm instead of 50, even if they use the same diaphragm they are different drivers with different sounds, DMS and Metal said these drivers were from the HD5 based on opinion and looks, many people in the comments had arguments against this opinion.
Tyll tought the HD660S were awful and grainy, that means the HD660 uses a HD5 driver as well? Considering that the HD58X and HD660 have somewhat similar responses maybe that's the reason people don't like them, they aren't used to the new tonality Sennheiser used.
Also you said "Plug 600 or 650 to some serious amp and you'll forget about 589, 599, 58x" well if the HD58X sound very good from the box and you need a $400 amp alongiside your much more expensive headphone so they start to sound apart to the 58X then this doesn't really seem like a victory to the 600 and 650, for me this shows how versatile the 58X is. It's is versatile like a HD5 but sound almost as good as a HD6. It may not scale using a crazy romenian tube amp but it's damn close in almost every resonable setup. I travel a lot and I play more video games than music (tho I love music and have multiple 1st vinyl pressings from important albums) and for me the 58X works because I can plug it on my V20 and be happy or plug it on my notebook without an amp and not think "Wow the headphone sounds worse now, if only I could bring my $400 tube to this trip".
No they did not make such claims based on looks. They did it based on sound compariosn and so am I. Did you even watch their reviews?
Tyll compared 660S to other HD6-series headphones, not the 58x which at that time didn't even exist. Not to mention there are multiple reports about driver problems affecting some 660S batches. People are reporting they've sold their 660S then repurchased to find out the sound is different. Hopefully Sennheiser will resolve quality control issues with the updated just released 660S design and packaging refresh.
As to what you have said about amping that's the reason I got rid of my 650 and never bought 600 (but tested them and preffered 650). I will never get 650 again unless I invest in better amp. People have no idea how HD6 sound like if they listen to computer, smartphone or basic cheap amps. Maybe that's the reason many put 58x in the same league with 650 and 600.
