[kman1211]

My other headphones are B&W P7 Wireless. I guess probably a combination of closed backs and tuning, but they kick out very good bass, good slam, pretty good speed and goes pretty deep.

These have been on my radar for a while, a few impressions I remember reading some time back was that the bass was one of their strong points, so I was hoping I could get at least some of that with these. My DT990 are the silver Premium 250 ohm model, and I’ve tried numerous amps and sources, but I just can’t listen to them without increasing the bass (usually by around 6db). Even after that, they’re lacking something, I find them lacking musicality, I don’t really enjoy them greatly and to add insult to injury they are damn good at highlighting poor SQ in tracks, probably as they’re quite trebley.

If these don’t work for me I’ll probably give up on open backed cans and just go straight to a closed can like a Fostex (which I was also considering but these are cheaper!).



Thanks for the reply. I am kind of thinking it’s going to be 50/50. If it is, that will teach me for buying after a day on the beer!

I find the DT 990 lacking something as well compared to higher-end Beyers and also the HD 6xx family, what the DT 990 is missing on is midrange presence and body honestly which the HD 6xx family does very well. The Tesla Beyers such as the DT 1990, Amiron Home, and T1.2 have much better slam, fuller mids, smoother treble texture, and are much more musical than the DT 990, they have quite a different sound to them. The timbre is also better on the HD 6xx family and the Tesla's.

 

[beepboop]

I find the HD 58X so close to the HD 650/6XX I can’t tell which pair I’m wearing. I feed my headphones a good amount of power which I know helps to get every last bit of performance out of them. Im on an iem kick lately since Summer time and pads touching my face doesn’t appeal to me. I’m worried I’ve spoiled myself since I haven’t touched a full size headphone in 5 months. There’s a thing that even budget iems can do that full size cans can’t compete with.

Sometimes at night I can hear all my headphones crying due to the lack of attention.

I have always had an interest in IEMS but absolutely despise how disgusting the silicone tips get after use. Do custom molded IEMS require silicone tips and what are the things that IEMS (especially budget ones) do that full size headphones cant ?

 

[Guidostrunk]

HD700 or HD800 , if soundstage is what you're after. The 700 is warmer. Not as massive as the 800, but still pretty big. 700 has better bass as well. I personally preferred the 700 over the 800. The 800 soundstage to me didn't sound correct. The opposite of natural.
All subjective though. Ymmv!

I just received my 58x today and while I recognize its pleasant and warm sound I am really curious what a larger soundstage feels like. Is there anyone here that has any recommendations past a 58x? From what I have read the Beyerdynamics are the HD series opposite compliments.

 

[Guidostrunk]

I started in this hobby the iem route. My last iem purchase was a pair of Earsonics EM3 customs($1200) , and after a month with them , I started looking into cans to see what all the hype was. Haven't owned iems since. I will say that iems can image quite well , but lack soundstage and air in comparison. My first can was the HD600. It demolished my EM3 in every aspect. There's much more texture and realism in cans that iems just can't accomplish. And as you mentioned. The issue with the tips after using them. Yeah, it's pretty gross. Unless you flush your ears and clean them twice a day lol.

I have always had an interest in IEMS but absolutely despise how disgusting the silicone tips get after use. Do custom molded IEMS require silicone tips and what are the things that IEMS (especially budget ones) do that full size headphones cant ?

 

[Guidostrunk]

Forgot to mention that customs do not use silicone tips. The actual tip is in the shape of your ear canal.

 

[beepboop]

Thank you for all the replies! I am really curious what you have settled on recently or are you just rotating through your headphone rack to suit your different moods.

 

[DavidA]

My other headphones are B&W P7 Wireless. I guess probably a combination of closed backs and tuning, but they kick out very good bass, good slam, pretty good speed and goes pretty deep.

These have been on my radar for a while, a few impressions I remember reading some time back was that the bass was one of their strong points, so I was hoping I could get at least some of that with these. My DT990 are the silver Premium 250 ohm model, and I’ve tried numerous amps and sources, but I just can’t listen to them without increasing the bass (usually by around 6db). Even after that, they’re lacking something, I find them lacking musicality, I don’t really enjoy them greatly and to add insult to injury they are damn good at highlighting poor SQ in tracks, probably as they’re quite trebley.

If these don’t work for me I’ll probably give up on open backed cans and just go straight to a closed can like a Fostex (which I was also considering but these are cheaper!).



Thanks for the reply. I am kind of thinking it’s going to be 50/50. If it is, that will teach me for buying after a day on the beer!

While I haven't heard the P7 I still own my DT990 Premium and HD58X along with a few other headphones. If you found the bass lacking on the DT990 then you will probably be disappointed in the HD58X since to me the DT990 (BH Crack with select tubes) has a bit more bass than my HD58X (Ember or Lyr2), is also more extended in the highs but lacks the full mids of the HD58X so it will depend on what you consider more important aspects of the sound. If you want bass then I'd suggest a Fostex TH series (TH600 for me) or an old EL-8 open (one of my favorite since it sounds great even out of my phone) if you can find one since I don't think they are still made.

 

[pbirkett]

May I suggest that you take some time with your HD58X before you conclude. You are used to hear sound from your existing 990s headphones and your first impressions may fool your final judgment.
At first when I heard the HD58X, I was very critical of its midrange, coming from the HD600 and HD650, check out my reviews on this site or my comments on Massdrop.com (now Drop.com). But a few weeks after and a many hours on listening after they grew on me and now it is one if my preferred headphones (and I own a few, check my signature). Its bass extension is incredible for an open headphone, yet it is quite neutral, balanced and not a bass head headphone. I got accustomed to its midrange, not as forward as the HD600/650/6XX, but very clear because if its relative peak at 1khz or should I say better its relative dip at 3khz-4khz. I still prefer the HD600 and HD650/6XX for vocal centric music and some rock, jazz and pop, but definitely prefer the HD58X for dance, electronic and other bass centric music. In the end they are all more similar than different, their differences are significant but their sound signatures are in the same family, the Sennheiser audiophile open backed signature, the Axel Grell influence.
My advice is take the time to listen to them for a few weeks before you conclude.

I find the DT 990 lacking something as well compared to higher-end Beyers and also the HD 6xx family, what the DT 990 is missing on is midrange presence and body honestly which the HD 6xx family does very well. The Tesla Beyers such as the DT 1990, Amiron Home, and T1.2 have much better slam, fuller mids, smoother treble texture, and are much more musical than the DT 990, they have quite a different sound to them. The timbre is also better on the HD 6xx family and the Tesla's.

While I haven't heard the P7 I still own my DT990 Premium and HD58X along with a few other headphones. If you found the bass lacking on the DT990 then you will probably be disappointed in the HD58X since to me the DT990 (BH Crack with select tubes) has a bit more bass than my HD58X (Ember or Lyr2), is also more extended in the highs but lacks the full mids of the HD58X so it will depend on what you consider more important aspects of the sound. If you want bass then I'd suggest a Fostex TH series (TH600 for me) or an old EL-8 open (one of my favorite since it sounds great even out of my phone) if you can find one since I don't think they are still made.

Thanks guys. Guess we will find out very soon as they’ve ‘dropped’ today So I’ll give them a listen in a bit when I’ve eaten...

 

[pbirkett]

I've not had loads of time to listen to them so far, but I can share my impressions after an hour or so of listening.

Comfort is pretty good, about on par with my P7w's and not as good as the DT990 (obviously). Clamps a bit. I'll get used to it, always do.

They definitely have more bass than my DT990s, the difference is significant. I don't have to EQ this to get the bass I want. Listening to some trance, the bass had plenty of punch, presence and was very satisfying, something I could not at all say with the DT990s. For trance/electronica they are a very solid choice I would say. Luckily, I really like that genre. Juno Reactor was really pounding.

At the other extreme, the treble is signficantly more polite than the DT990. Almost sounds a bit 'held back' at times, but not always. Maybe that's a reasonable price to pay for less treble fatigue but it takes away some of the edge that can be a good thing for some music, not so good for others. Rock seems to lose its hard edge somewhat.

The mids are in another league, they really add some meat to the music, it draws you into the song, and it definitely seems more musical. It renders voices beautifully and they are very present in the track.

Seems to need/like being cranked up, but then because it's relatively easy to listen to, it's easy to listen at unwise volumes.

That's about as much as I can say. Main weakness is a nagging suspicion it could give a little more treble. It certainly has potential to grow on me. Not perfect, but I would say for my use, a better fit than the DT990 which I have pretty much tired of. Time will tell if it's a keeper. As said I need to give it time to get used to it.

 

[tolis626]

Little tip for you guys that find the treble a bit lacking. The stock foam that Sennheiser uses between your ear and the driver is a bit on the thicker side. Very breathable, so not very restrictive, but still a bit thick. Removing it completely adds quite a bit of treble, which I don't really like, but it also introduces the problem of having dust/hair/debris falling into the driver and causing all sorts of problems. What you can do is replace that foam with a thinner one, or even a thin piece of felt (you can find both online, and there's thinner foams - and thicker ones - designed specifically for Sennheiser headphones, I have a few on order but have yet to receive them) . Just pop the pads off, remove the foam, insert your new foam/felt, place the pads back on. The slightly recessed treble seems to be a choice rather than a mistake, so tuning to your liking is definitely possible even without EQ. Have fun!

PS : I'd suggest you try them without the stock foam too, just to see where the treble can reach. That's about as much as these put out without further mods, so if that's not enough for you, then tough luck I guess. But chances are that it's gonna be enough and you'll want to tame it a bit.

 

[pbirkett]

Yeah I think I need to listen some more, thinking back to last night and it's probably my only real complaint, and that is to say it was a minor complaint which I feel might actually be of some benefit.

Sometimes I feel like I want a more lively in your face sort of sound but to be fair that sort of sound might be somewhat tiring in the long run.

Sometimes I also feel like I compare it my speaker rig and most if not all headphones seem to come up short, but perhaps it's not a fair comparison as headphones will never been anything like speakers but I do find the speakers engaging in a way I've struggled to find in anything else.

 

[VRacer-111]

Yeah I think I need to listen some more, thinking back to last night and it's probably my only real complaint, and that is to say it was a minor complaint which I feel might actually be of some benefit.

Sometimes I feel like I want a more lively in your face sort of sound but to be fair that sort of sound might be somewhat tiring in the long run.

Sometimes I also feel like I compare it my speaker rig and most if not all headphones seem to come up short, but perhaps it's not a fair comparison as headphones will never been anything like speakers but I do find the speakers engaging in a way I've struggled to find in anything else.

Sounds like Fostex TH-X00/TR-X00 Purplehearts would be right up your alley for electronic music genres and lively in-your-face presentation. Or maybe STAX L300s with L500 pads and some EQ...

 

[Kanethered]

Hey guys, I think I found the way to enhance the sound detail of HD58X. Hope somebody confirms my method.

1. Make sure the sample rate of your listening device is 96kHz or higher from the Windows Control Panel.
2. Download and install HeSuVi(it works with Equalizer APO)
3. Ignore Virtualization tab, proceed to Equalizer(virtual 7.1 surrounds effect only works at 44/48kHz anyway)
4. Click 'Select Equalizer for Front Connection' and find Audeze → EL8 Open IF(if you prefer bass) or LCD-X HP(if you prefer bright)
5. Note that the sound textures are much more detailed in every aspect and vocals also clearer than without the setting.

Please leave your impression if you have tried.

 

[pbirkett]

Sounds like Fostex TH-X00/TR-X00 Purplehearts would be right up your alley for electronic music genres and lively in-your-face presentation. Or maybe STAX L300s with L500 pads and some EQ...

Yeah, they were also suggested to me at one point. I went for these first as I had been after them for a while, I wanted to see if I could stay with open backs, and they were cheaper than the Fostex. If I don't like these that's the direction I'll be heading. I wouldn't care there was some for sale on a forum before I eventually plumped for these, probably could have got them for not much more than £100 more.

Anyway, compared to the DT990 directly, they are complete opposites. DT990 is very clear, crisp, but lacking in any real presence, sounds thin. HD58X in direct comparison sound muffled, but once you adjust, they get better with time, and the bass and midrange are a lot more present. I wouldn't have minded *some* of the DT990's clarity though. What I'm asking for is probably getting into the junior high end stuff I suppose.

 

[pbirkett]

And this morning I've got the p7w's on as I'm traveling and I honestly think they might be the most enjoyable of the 3 pairs I own. The bass is the hardest hitting of the lot but I also don't get the impression that they're lacking treble either.

I would definitely say the 58x are better than the 990 though although they're in a league of their own for ultimate clarity.

Vocals are definitely best on the 58x out of the 3 but the p7's run them damn close even here.

Starting to wonder if a Fostex or similar might be in my future...

To be fair though the p7's are the most expensive out of the 3 sets too so maybe not enormously surprising.