[ooo137ooo]

Hi,
i need help deciding as i have no opportunity to try either headphone before buying,,
my plan was to get the HD 598's with a Fiio E07K, but then prices came into the decision as where i live i found the following :
 
HD 598 = $300
HD 558 = $220
DT990 Pro 250 ohm = $230 (not available but could order it) 
DT770 Pro Limited Edition 32 Ohm = $245
Fiio E10 = $80
Fiio E07K = $95
 
I want to get the HD 598 with the E07k
 
But due to the overpricing i found i don't know if they are worth it :\ . So i need to know which of these headphones is better and which is worth the price and what is better the E10 or the E07K.
 
 
so which headphones is better and which DAC/Amp is suitable for it.
 
I do listen to [ Classical,Trance/Electronic,Orchestral,Symphonic metal/Vocal,Reggae,occasional Rock,Hip Hop & R&B ] and i do a lot of gaming and movie watching.
 
also i read a lot about the cracking problem (HD 598) is there a way to tell if the set is from the new material series as i think no return policy in here.
 
Thanks ,,

 

[kimvictor]

  Hi,
i need help deciding as i have no opportunity to try either headphone before buying,,
my plan was to get the HD 598's with a Fiio E07K, but then prices came into the decision as where i live i found the following :
 
HD 598 = $300
HD 558 = $220
DT990 Pro 250 ohm = $230 (not available but could order it) 
DT770 Pro Limited Edition 32 Ohm = $245
Fiio E10 = $80
Fiio E07K = $95
 
I want to get the HD 598 with the E07k
 
But due to the overpricing i found i don't know if they are worth it :\ . So i need to know which of these headphones is better and which is worth the price and what is better the E10 or the E07K.
 
 
so which headphones is better and which DAC/Amp is suitable for it.
 
I do listen to [ Classical,Trance/Electronic,Orchestral,Symphonic metal/Vocal,Reggae,occasional Rock,Hip Hop & R&B ] and i do a lot of gaming and movie watching.
 
also i read a lot about the cracking problem (HD 598) is there a way to tell if the set is from the new material series as i think no return policy in here.
 
Thanks ,,

 
OK. First of all, don't worry about HD598, as long as you buy them from a legit source. They won't crack. Senn did a great job in recovering the broken phones and almost all HD598 nowadays are new version.
 
You need to tell me about what kind of sound preference you have. Technically speaking, DT990 is the best out of the ones you've listed, but it's a V shaped phone.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  i need help deciding as i have no opportunity to try either headphone before buying,,
my plan was to get the HD 598's with a Fiio E07K, but then prices came into the decision as where i live i found the following :
 
HD 598 = $300
HD 558 = $220
DT990 Pro 250 ohm = $230 (not available but could order it) 
DT770 Pro Limited Edition 32 Ohm = $245
Fiio E10 = $80
Fiio E07K = $95
 
I want to get the HD 598 with the E07k

I would say to get the HD558, uses the same driver as the HD598. so the only really difference is the cup design, the HD598 is more "open". Plus you can remove the black rubber tape from inside the cups of the HD558, to make it more open, but not a match for the HD598.
 
Get the E07K, offers more options over the E10, both use the same WD8740 DAC chip.

 

[Trunks159]

Thats a lot for the hd598 and 558.  Id look into the Fidelio x1 and mdr ma900.

 

[Makiah S]

  Hi,
i need help deciding as i have no opportunity to try either headphone before buying,,
my plan was to get the HD 598's with a Fiio E07K, but then prices came into the decision as where i live i found the following :
 
HD 598 = $300
HD 558 = $220
DT990 Pro 250 ohm = $230 (not available but could order it) 
DT770 Pro Limited Edition 32 Ohm = $245
Fiio E10 = $80
Fiio E07K = $95
 
I want to get the HD 598 with the E07k
 
But due to the overpricing i found i don't know if they are worth it :\ . So i need to know which of these headphones is better and which is worth the price and what is better the E10 or the E07K.
 
 
so which headphones is better and which DAC/Amp is suitable for it.
 
I do listen to [ Classical,Trance/Electronic,Orchestral,Symphonic metal/Vocal,Reggae,occasional Rock,Hip Hop & R&B ] and i do a lot of gaming and movie watching.
 
also i read a lot about the cracking problem (HD 598) is there a way to tell if the set is from the new material series as i think no return policy in here.
 
Thanks ,,

 
Where do you live btw? There are 2 or 3 Dt 990 PROs on sale at the Head Fi For Sale thread for about $125 :O u read that right, and I might be selling mine [I do international shipping :3]
 
More importantly though, I love my DT 990 with Symphonic and Classical, for rock and metal it falls short a little but it is DIVINE for Hip Hop and Trance or any forum of Electronica! 
 
SO if u live in the US, I highly suggest you buy used here at head fi and save your self a LOT of money :3 

 

[ooo137ooo]

   
You need to tell me about what kind of sound preference you have. Technically speaking, DT990 is the best out of the ones you've listed, but it's a V shaped phone.

 
 
Actually i am new to this and i really never cared about that before so can you briefly explain how a V shaped phone will affect the sound, and if the DT990 is superior why is it less expensive ?! or sennheiser is just overpriced? plus i always heard that the HD598's are good for gaming and movies,, is the DT990 is comparable to it or its a different style of headphone ? sorry for my lake of sound describing vocab as i really dont know much about it

 

[ooo137ooo]

   
Where do you live btw? There are 2 or 3 Dt 990 PROs on sale at the Head Fi For Sale thread for about $125 :O u read that right, and I might be selling mine [I do international shipping :3]
 
More importantly though, I love my DT 990 with Symphonic and Classical, for rock and metal it falls short a little but it is DIVINE for Hip Hop and Trance or any forum of Electronica! 
 
SO if u live in the US, I highly suggest you buy used here at head fi and save your self a LOT of money :3 

 
i live in Dubai and these audio stuff is not available at all (regular retailers) and when they are (specialized stores and studio equipment companies)  prices are high as you see i really searched alot to find the Fiio products and even there the salesman didn't know what are these and had to check the inventory database as i insisted that their website include the brand, also i only found the DT700 (they had only two and also had to dig up to find them) and he said it would be hard to order a 990 but it is possible :/. sennheisers are the only available good brand in electronics stores and they all have the same prices

 

[Monsterzero]

   
Actually i am new to this and i really never cared about that before so can you briefly explain how a V shaped phone will affect the sound, and if the DT990 is superior why is it less expensive ?! or sennheiser is just overpriced? plus i always heard that the HD598's are good for gaming and movies,, is the DT990 is comparable to it or its a different style of headphone ? sorry for my lake of sound describing vocab as i really dont know much about it

V-shaped means recessed mids(vocals,guitars)with pronounced lows and highs....I listened to a pair of 990s the other day and while they arent neutral,I wouldnt say that their mids are lacking much.What they do offer is a really nice soundstage,which means separation of the instruments,moreso than the Senns...

Its a matter of personal preference really as to what sound you like,and without being able to hear them for yourself prior to buying its a difficult choice...I personally like 990s better than the 598s,but I really do enjoy the HD600s but to say that they are "better" than the 990s is a matter of taste I suppose. 

 

[joshkim12]

Rather than shelling out 300 for the 598s you can get hd600s for 300 from razordogaudio at the same price if you use the coupon code.
But id recommend the beyers given your preferences as theyre great all rounders and are great for gaming.
As for amp and dac just go for a modi/magni or odac/02

 

[PurpleAngel]

   
Actually I am new to this and i really never cared about that before so can you briefly explain how a V shaped phone will affect the sound, and if the DT990 is superior why is it less expensive ?! or Sennheiser is just overpriced? plus i always heard that the HD598's are good for gaming and movies,, is the DT990 is comparable to it or its a different style of headphone ? sorry for my lake of sound describing vocab as i really don't know much about it

The 50-Ohm Sennheiser HD/558/HD598 can work plugged into any headphone jack on the planet.
(But do improve in audio quality when used with a decent headphone amplifier).
 
Where as the DT990 is a lot more limited market, as it need to be used with an amplifier, otherwise the sound can get kind of "mushy" or not very loud. And the world is full of people that do not own a headphone amplifiers and have no interest in buying one.

 

[ooo137ooo]

Thanks you all for the help so far
 
I might go with the DT990 250 ohm (if i could find it) but in that case will the E07k drive them or its better to get the E10 or E17 (from the forums it said that the E07k and E17 are for 16-150 ohm headphones and that the E10 is for 16-300 ohm headphones) and i don't seem to find any other brand here in the same price range so these are my options.
 
also a general question when people here say "recessed mids or lack of base or any sound related character of these headphones (HD598/558 or DT990Pro or others) does that mean they are bad ( the kind of bad that is noticeable for regular users with no audio experience like me) Or they are for sure even with these characteristics better than regular headphones ($40 and below) as i never had other than that and it would be very disappointing if my first good headphones are worse than regular cheap ones :|

 

[kimvictor]

   
Actually i am new to this and i really never cared about that before so can you briefly explain how a V shaped phone will affect the sound, and if the DT990 is superior why is it less expensive ?! or sennheiser is just overpriced? plus i always heard that the HD598's are good for gaming and movies,, is the DT990 is comparable to it or its a different style of headphone ? sorry for my lake of sound describing vocab as i really dont know much about it

 
V shaped means that there is emphasis on bass and treble and the mids are bit recessed. They are technically superior in that they have the best clarity and detail as well as speed among the headphones you've listed. Their MSRP is actually the highest, but they just sell for cheap prices(IDK why). DT990 is just as good for movies and games as HD598 imo. I just like HD598's sound sig more, but DT990 is a class above HD598.

 

[kimvictor]

  Thanks you all for the help so far
 
I might go with the DT990 250 ohm (if i could find it) but in that case will the E07k drive them or its better to get the E10 or E17 (from the forums it said that the E07k and E17 are for 16-150 ohm headphones and that the E10 is for 16-300 ohm headphones) and i don't seem to find any other brand here in the same price range so these are my options.
 
also a general question when people here say "recessed mids or lack of base or any sound related character of these headphones (HD598/558 or DT990Pro or others) does that mean they are bad ( the kind of bad that is noticeable for regular users with no audio experience like me) Or they are for sure even with these characteristics better than regular headphones ($40 and below) as i never had other than that and it would be very disappointing if my first good headphones are worse than regular cheap ones :|

 
I would try E09k for 250ohms.
 
Recessed mids or lack of bass can be a good thing or a bad thing. Everyone has own music taste, and for some people, recessed mids are bad while it's good for some.

 

[PurpleAngel]

   
I might go with the DT990 250 ohm (if i could find it) but in that case will the E07k drive them or its better to get the E10 or E17 (from the forums it said that the E07k and E17 are for 16-150 ohm headphones and that the E10 is for 16-300 ohm headphones) and i don't seem to find any other brand here in the same price range so these are my options.
 
also a general question when people here say "recessed mids or lack of base or any sound related character of these headphones (HD598/558 or DT990Pro or others) does that mean they are bad ( the kind of bad that is noticeable for regular users with no audio experience like me) Or they are for sure even with these characteristics better than regular headphones ($40 and below) as i never had other than that and it would be very disappointing if my first good headphones are worse than regular cheap ones :|

There are Head-fiers that use the E17 to drive their DT880 Pro 250-Ohm headphones.
So that 150-Ohm limit may not be accurate.

 

[ooo137ooo]

 5/img/forum/go_quote.gif
  There are Head-fiers that use the E17 to drive their DT880 Pro 250-Ohm headphones.
So that 150-Ohm limit may not be accurate.

 

   
I would try E09k for 250ohms.
 
Recessed mids or lack of bass can be a good thing or a bad thing. Everyone has own music taste, and for some people, recessed mids are bad while it's good for some.

 
the E09K is not available here only E10 E17 E07k and E06 ,, i tend to get the E07K as its the best price ($95) the E17 is $150 ,or should i go with the E10 instead it says 16-300 ohm.  
 
by reading more reviews i feel that i will like the HD598 more, idk which is better for me i guess i will wait and give it more time to decide.  
 
really appreciate your help guys, a very good forum and wonderful people