[mbwilson111]

I was looking at the Sennheiser HD 598 since right now they're on sale on Amazon for 99€. This is supposed to be my budget price, however, knowing myself it's possible that in the future I'll end up upgrading them to something better, like the Meze 99 Neo, which right now are on sale for 199€ on the official website, still a relatively affordable price. On top of that, the HD 598 would only serve as home headphones, since they're open-backed, while I could use the Meze 99 Neo as portable headphones as well

Do you think it's worth it to spend a bit more and get the Meze 99 Neo? Is the sound quality all that better? I've heard they're more fun to listen to, and also though I'm not a basshead I do listen to a lot of modern music, and for that purpose maybe the HD 598 are not the best.

Hi, I have both the Sennheiser HD598 (mine are the black SE version) and the Meze 99 Neo. You have not said what you will be using as a source but it is worth mentioning that the Meze is easier to drive if you want to use it straight from your phone, dap, laptop or PC. I prefer to amp my Sennheiser to get the best out of it.

As far as sound quality being better that is very subjective as they are so very different from each other. Both sound great to me and I have room in my life for both. I would always want a closed and an open pair. Right now I am waiting for a delivery and don't want to miss the doorbell so it is either open headphones, buds (not iems) or nothing at the moment.

It really depends on what you like and as you mentioned you listen to a lot of modern music.

It sounds as though you might be leaning toward the Meze. I am one of those people who has more headphones than anyone needs but if I were to choose right this minute to put on either of those two headphones to listen to some albums that I have queued up for the day I would choose the Meze. Probably because you have put that thought into my mind In fact, after my delivery I will grab the Neo! BTW, I have heard the Classics because my husband has them. I personally prefer the Neo over the Classic.

I find both to be comfortable but because everyone is different you will find people who have had issues with either or both. I am happily using the stock pads with my Neo (also the Senn) but there are posts above that indicate that MSR7 pads help with comfort and will tame the bass if you find it to be too much. I have a spare pair of those here (leftover from an attempt to make my HP50 more comfortable),

One more thing... because they are so different. For me personally I would enjoy the Neo more during the day when I am wide awake and want to be energized. For late night listening to my "2AM music" I would choose the Sennheiser HD598 (or my Nighthawk, Amiron, HD580, or HD630vb. The bass might be a bit too much with the Neo for me to drift off to.

Have I confused you further? LOL I think I have confused myself I am a music lover. I have always been a music lover. I am not an audiophile ...not in the way that many headfiers seem to mean it.

 

[swspiers]

*I don't know if this is the right place to ask, but since I got no answers on the Help and Recommendations forum I'm going to post it here. Sorry if I'm causing any inconvenience.

Hi everyone,
So I've been wanting to buy a pair of full-size over-ear headphones for a while, because right now I own the 1More Triple Driver IEM's, and though they're great, I've come to the conclusion I just don't like IEM's.

I was looking at the Sennheiser HD 598 since right now they're on sale on Amazon for 99€. This is supposed to be my budget price, however, knowing myself it's possible that in the future I'll end up upgrading them to something better, like the Meze 99 Neo, which right now are on sale for 199€ on the official website, still a relatively affordable price. On top of that, the HD 598 would only serve as home headphones, since they're open-backed, while I could use the Meze 99 Neo as portable headphones as well and then sell my IEM's (though I'm always lazy about re-selling stuff, so I might end up not doing it anyway, eh).

Just to make it clear, I'm no audiophile, I don't plan on collecting more headphones than I need, I just want some more than decent quality ones so I can listen to my music properly. Do you think it's worth it to spend a bit more and get the Meze 99 Neo? Is the sound quality all that better? I've heard they're more fun to listen to, and also though I'm not a basshead I do listen to a lot of modern music, and for that purpose maybe the HD 598 are not the best. I'm also worried about Tyll's comment (from InnerFidelity) on the Meze 99 Neo earpads affecting sound quality, I'd like to get a sound signature that's as similar to the 99 Classics as possible, do you think I'll have to change the earpads for that, or did Meze already solve this issue?

Anyway, hope you can help me with this, and thanks a lot in advance.

1. In this hobby, it might be best to stick to what you an afford when you start out. It gives you a baseline.
2. Tyll is great, awesome, and very influential. His taste is not the same as mine, and I would never buy or not buy based on his recommendation for sound signature.
3. Be careful. I think a lot of us intend to not collect "more headphones than we need."
4. The Neo 99's are really, really good headphones, regardless of the pads.
5. Sorry for your wallet....

 

[mbwilson111]

2. Tyll is great, awesome, and very influential. His taste is not the same as mine, and I would never buy or not buy based on his recommendation for sound signature.

For that reason I do not warch many of his video reviews anymore.

3. Be careful. I think a lot of us intend to not collect "more headphones than we need."

For many years I was happy just having my old Sennheiser HD480 (bought when they first came out in the 90s. At that time I mainly listened to my stereo system with speakers. Simpler times. I think I was more content. I wish I still had those old 480s. I cannot actually remember how they sounded but I do remember how I felt when I listened to my music.

Now I really do have too much...because I read roo much here and get too curious. I have stopped now.

 

[swspiers]

For that reason I do not warch many of his video reviews anymore.



For many years I was happy just having my old Sennheiser HD480 (bought when they first came out in the 90s. At that time I mainly listened to my stereo system with speakers. Simpler times. I think I was more content. I wish I still had those old 480s. I cannot actually remember how they sounded but I do remember how I felt when I listened to my music.

Now I really do have too much...because I read roo much here and get too curious. I have stopped now.

Oh good goblins, that's a lot of gear you have!!!

 

[mbwilson111]

Oh good goblins, that's a lot of gear you have!!!

I know. I blame headfi for most of it. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed. My husband is worse. We need an intervention before the house bursts!

Seriously though. I have stopped. Took delivery on one last set of buds last week. Todays delivery was not for me.

Listening right now with the Mezes to Agnes Obel - Citizen of Glass. Good music ...good headphones. Very easy to drive with my Hidizs AP200 dap. Low gain. Volume at 45.

 

[SelloutHipster]

Hi, I have both the Sennheiser HD598 (mine are the black SE version) and the Meze 99 Neo. You have not said what you will be using as a source but it is worth mentioning that the Meze is easier to drive if you want to use it straight from your phone, dap, laptop or PC. I prefer to amp my Sennheiser to get the best out of it.

As far as sound quality being better that is very subjective as they are so very different from each other. Both sound great to me and I have room in my life for both. I would always want a closed and an open pair. Right now I am waiting for a delivery and don't want to miss the doorbell so it is either open headphones, buds (not iems) or nothing at the moment.

It really depends on what you like and as you mentioned you listen to a lot of modern music.

It sounds as though you might be leaning toward the Meze. I am one of those people who has more headphones than anyone needs but if I were to choose right this minute to put on either of those two headphones to listen to some albums that I have queued up for the day I would choose the Meze. Probably because you have put that thought into my mind In fact, after my delivery I will grab the Neo! BTW, I have heard the Classics because my husband has them. I personally prefer the Neo over the Classic.

I find both to be comfortable but because everyone is different you will find people who have had issues with either or both. I am happily using the stock pads with my Neo (also the Senn) but there are posts above that indicate that MSR7 pads help with comfort and will tame the bass if you find it to be too much. I have a spare pair of those here (leftover from an attempt to make my HP50 more comfortable),

One more thing... because they are so different. For me personally I would enjoy the Neo more during the day when I am wide awake and want to be energized. For late night listening to my "2AM music" I would choose the Sennheiser HD598 (or my Nighthawk, Amiron, HD580, or HD630vb. The bass might be a bit too much with the Neo for me to drift off to.

Have I confused you further? LOL I think I have confused myself I am a music lover. I have always been a music lover. I am not an audiophile ...not in the way that many headfiers seem to mean it.

I plan on using the headphones mostly on my smartphone or computer, and I'm really not intending to buy an amp or anything like that, not even in the future. Would you say the Neo are good for portable use, or are they too big for them to be practical for that purpose? Because one of the main reasons I'm considering spending the extra money on them is then I'd have an "all-in-one" pair of headphones, and wouldn't need to use my IEM's anymore. You say I'd benefit from having one open-backed and one closed-back pair of headphones... if that's the case I'd get the HD 598 now and wait to buy the Neo's later, though I'd have to wait for them to go on sale next year again. However, as I say, I'm not sure that's the right choice... I fear I'll end up getting caught up in this world of headphones, and my wallet just can't afford it. Also, I'm actually pretty interested in what you said about the Neo's being more energizing... that's not necessarily good for me, because while I don't like boring headphones, when I listen to my music, I actually like to just drift off the way you say you do with the HD 598's; "2AM music", as you call it, is actually the type of mood I'm in most of the times I listen to music (so I guess maybe I'd like a more mellow kind of sound signature? I don't really know).

Anyway, thanks a lot for your answer, it did raise more questions, but I wouldn't say it was confusing, since it also answered some of the ones I had. The part about the Neo's earpads was really helpful; now I know if I end up getting them, I'll just have to try with the MSR7 and then choose whatever I find sounds best.

 

[SelloutHipster]

1. In this hobby, it might be best to stick to what you an afford when you start out. It gives you a baseline.
2. Tyll is great, awesome, and very influential. His taste is not the same as mine, and I would never buy or not buy based on his recommendation for sound signature.
3. Be careful. I think a lot of us intend to not collect "more headphones than we need."
4. The Neo 99's are really, really good headphones, regardless of the pads.
5. Sorry for your wallet....

I just wanna make clear I meant no type of disrespect with what I said... I wish I could treat headphones as a hobby and own different ones with a variety of sound signatures, and I'm glad for people who can, but my wallet just can't afford it. I just want a great pair of headphones so that I'm satisfied with my music listening experience and I don't feel like I need to upgrade them anymore. If I purchase the HD 598's I think I might end up upgrading them to the Neo's in the future anyway, that's why I'm considering spending some more now and getting the Neo's instead of the HD 598's.

Thanks for your answer, I have to say you're definitely right in that I should base my purchase on my own taste and not someone else's... even if my lack of experience makes me not trust myself a lot. And by the way, with point 5 do you mean I should get the Neo's? I'm confused about that...

 

[erich6]

I plan on using the headphones mostly on my smartphone or computer, and I'm really not intending to buy an amp or anything like that, not even in the future. Would you say the Neo are good for portable use, or are they too big for them to be practical for that purpose? Because one of the main reasons I'm considering spending the extra money on them is then I'd have an "all-in-one" pair of headphones, and wouldn't need to use my IEM's anymore. You say I'd benefit from having one open-backed and one closed-back pair of headphones... if that's the case I'd get the HD 598 now and wait to buy the Neo's later, though I'd have to wait for them to go on sale next year again. However, as I say, I'm not sure that's the right choice... I fear I'll end up getting caught up in this world of headphones, and my wallet just can't afford it. Also, I'm actually pretty interested in what you said about the Neo's being more energizing... that's not necessarily good for me, because while I don't like boring headphones, when I listen to my music, I actually like to just drift off the way you say you do with the HD 598's; "2AM music", as you call it, is actually the type of mood I'm in most of the times I listen to music.

Anyway, thanks a lot for your answer, it did raise more questions, but I wouldn't say it was confusing, since it also answered some of the ones I had. The part about the Neo's earpads was really helpful; now I know if I end up getting them, I'll just have to try with the MSR7 and then choose whatever I find sounds best.

I recommend you make the investment and get the Neo's if you can afford them. They are more versatile than the HD598 and will be better for your mobile/portable use case. You can listen to them in public and not bother people around you because they are closed back. You will not need an amp at all. They have great sound for all types of music and especially modern music.

They are not the most mobile headphones because they don't fold but I don't find that to be a problem with the Meze 99's which have the same form factor. Meze will ship them with a nice case that fits like a glove.

 

[mbwilson111]

I plan on using the headphones mostly on my smartphone or computer, and I'm really not intending to buy an amp or anything like that, not even in the future.

The Meze is much easier to drive well than is the Sennheiser HD598, so you might be happier with the Meze. I always amp the Sennheiser.

just want a great pair of headphones so that I'm satisfied with my music listening experience and I don't feel like I need to upgrade them anymore.

What did you decide? I meant to get back to to you after experimenting one day last week to see how long I could comfortably wear the Mezes. I ended up wearing them for 12 hours straight! No listener fatigue and no physical discomfort. I had them plugged into one of my daps and was able to move around the house doing whatever I needed to do including eating. I could bend over and recline without them sliding on my head. At the same time, they were not too tight and I had no discomfort at the end of the day. I could have worn them longer but eventually I did need to sleep and did not want to wear them to bed (you could if you wanted to). No one else was home at the time I played many albums and everything sounded great. I think you could be very happy with them as an only headphone.

 

[waynes world]

What did you decide? I meant to get back to to you after experimenting one day last week to see how long I could comfortably wear the Mezes. I ended up wearing them for 12 hours straight! No listener fatigue and no physical discomfort. I had them plugged into one of my daps and was able to move around the house doing whatever I needed to do including eating. I could bend over and recline without them sliding on my head. At the same time, they were not too tight and I had no discomfort at the end of the day. I could have worn them longer but eventually I did need to sleep and did not want to wear them to bed (you could if you wanted to). No one else was home at the time I played many albums and everything sounded great. I think you could be very happy with them as an only headphone.

Now that's commitment!

Seriously though, it sounds like they are pretty comfy!

 

[mbwilson111]

Now that's commitment!

Seriously though, it sounds like they are pretty comfy!

I was really into the music. I have good music Plus, it was boxing day and my husband had to work.They are comfy...except some people with really big heads seem to sometimes have a problem ... but that is probably true of most headphones. Of course the NIghthawks might be even more comfy except I cannot move around as much or lie back without them shifting a bit.

 

[waynes world]

I was really into the music. I have good music Plus, it was boxing day and my husband had to work.They are comfy...except some people with really big heads seem to sometimes have a problem ... but that is probably true of most headphones. Of course the NIghthawks might be even more comfy except I cannot move around as much or lie back without them shifting a bit.

Well, I can't tease you too much, since I have earphones on (or earbuds in) my ears as much as I can get away with every day

I was lusting for the 99 classics for a long time, and then shifted my lust towards the 99 neo's. Unfortunately though, getting new headphones is a tricky maneuver for me (I can get away with new earbuds much easier lol). I really should try to sell some of my less used headphones one of these days to make room for some new ones.

 

[SelloutHipster]

The Meze is much easier to drive well than is the Sennheiser HD598, so you might be happier with the Meze. I always amp the Sennheiser.



What did you decide? I meant to get back to to you after experimenting one day last week to see how long I could comfortably wear the Mezes. I ended up wearing them for 12 hours straight! No listener fatigue and no physical discomfort. I had them plugged into one of my daps and was able to move around the house doing whatever I needed to do including eating. I could bend over and recline without them sliding on my head. At the same time, they were not too tight and I had no discomfort at the end of the day. I could have worn them longer but eventually I did need to sleep and did not want to wear them to bed (you could if you wanted to). No one else was home at the time I played many albums and everything sounded great. I think you could be very happy with them as an only headphone.

In the end the sale for the 99 Neo's ended and they went back to their regular price so I went with the HD 598... still, I have to say I'm liking them a lot, though honestly I think in the future I might just end up buying the 99 Neo's so I can have an open and a closed-back pair of headphones as you suggested. Also, now that I have the HD 598 I'm actually starting to think that the idea I had of using the 99 Neo's as portable headphones wasn't the greatest... I'm assuming they're similar in size, and I have to say I would never use headphones this big outside. In fact, now that I can use an over-ear pair of headphones when I'm at home I'm starting to find my IEM's more comfortable since I only use them when outside and I'm not listening to them all the time, which was really what made my ears tired.

Still, thanks a lot for your help, and just know that if I ever do another purchase of headphones I'm now sure which ones I'll choose... I'm sold for the Neo's.

 

[mbwilson111]

In the end the sale for the 99 Neo's ended and they went back to their regular price so I went with the HD 598... still, I have to say I'm liking them a lot, though honestly I think in the future I might just end up buying the 99 Neo's so I can have an open and a closed-back pair of headphones as you suggested. Also, now that I have the HD 598 I'm actually starting to think that the idea I had of using the 99 Neo's as portable headphones wasn't the greatest... I'm assuming they're similar in size, and I have to say I would never use headphones this big outside. In fact, now that I can use an over-ear pair of headphones when I'm at home I'm starting to find my IEM's more comfortable since I only use them when outside and I'm not listening to them all the time, which was really what made my ears tired.

Still, thanks a lot for your help, and just know that if I ever do another purchase of headphones I'm now sure which ones I'll choose... I'm sold for the Neo's.

Thanks for letting us know what you decided. It sounds like things worked out well. As you know, I have and like both the Sennheiser 598 and the 99 Neo. and like them both. You are correct about the Neo being a bit large for portable use. There are people who do it but I would not. I have simpler choices anyway. As for IEMs, I personally cannot wear them every day for hours on end. Often if I use IEMs for several hours one day, I cannot wear them again for a couple of days.

I think you mentioned the triple drivers. Are they heavy? There are differences in the comfort among IEMs. At some point you might want to think about getting a smaller pair to use some of the time. You would be surprised by what you can get for under $30 these days... even under $10. there are threads here decicated to IEMs. Also, is it the tips that are hurting you? Sometimes the ones that come with a certain IEM are not the most comfortable for everyone. There are different types of tips. I have had to change the tips on several of my IEMs. Still, no matter what IEMs I use or what tips are on them, I do want my ears to get some air most of the day,,,especially since I wear ear plugs to sleep (light sleeper, noisy neighbors).

 

[Mayth]

Hey guys, after 1 month using these babies I have to say the fun in my listening sessions is still here !

However I noticed that the clamping power is lower, which leads to a reduced isolation and overall dynamic. I'll try to use an allen key to make it clamp my face again !

It apparently needs a 1mm allen key...