[The Hairy Yak]

So I bought some HD 598s since I have a new work schedule and was I hoping for an immersive late night listening experience. As it turns out, I was not adequately respecting the perspective of who commonly writes reviews for these and they don't really pertain to my music tastes and desires. I listen to rap, reggae, rock, dub-step, electronic, and others genres of the sort. These sennheisers simply do not create the bass/sub bass I was looking for in "powerful" music. So, I have a few options I would like to proceed with.
 
I do absolutely love the mids these create. However, I'm not sure if an amp is going to be able to salvage anything worth while from them. If you believe it might be worth it, I would be interested in something along the route of an E17 ($139 max) and any other portable DAC/amp recommendations are welcome. But if I am going to go with that option, I want something that will set me up for a back up plan if I am to return the 598s to amazon.
 
Admittedly I have no idea what I'm talking about in comparison to most/all of you, but I assume the best options for this price range (HD 598s+e17 = ~$350, but I would rather spend ~$250) are going to benefit from or require an amp in order to be what I'm looking for. Plus I'm going to need a DAC more or less anyways since I am currently running on-board, which is why the portable combo option is appealing. That or a sound card + portable amp/no amp (or I guess desktop use only if it absolutely blows other options out of the water), whichever the best option may be in regards to a headphone suggestion.
 
Can any of you please  steer me in the right direction?
Thank you all for your interest.

 

[Kodhifi]

Quote:

So I bought some HD 598s since I have a new work schedule and was I hoping for an immersive late night listening experience. As it turns out, I was not adequately respecting the perspective of who commonly writes reviews for these and they don't really pertain to my music tastes and desires. I listen to rap, reggae, rock, dub-step, electronic, and others genres of the sort. These sennheisers simply do not create the bass/sub bass I was looking for in "powerful" music. So, I have a few options I would like to proceed with.
 
I do absolutely love the mids these create. However, I'm not sure if an amp is going to be able to salvage anything worth while from them. If you believe it might be worth it, I would be interested in something along the route of an E17 ($139 max) and any other portable DAC/amp recommendations are welcome. But if I am going to go with that option, I want something that will set me up for a back up plan if I am to return the 598s to amazon.
 
Admittedly I have no idea what I'm talking about in comparison to most/all of you, but I assume the best options for this price range (HD 598s+e17 = ~$350, but I would rather spend ~$250) are going to benefit from or require an amp in order to be what I'm looking for. Plus I'm going to need a DAC more or less anyways since I am currently running on-board, which is why the portable combo option is appealing. That or a sound card + portable amp/no amp, whichever the best option may be in regards to a headphone suggestion.
 
Can any of you please  steer me in the right direction?
Thank you all for your interest.

I'm new to the Sennheiser model heiarchy but I believe that the lower the number, the stronger the bass and the higher the number, the more balanced and neutral. IE 419 is the bass heavy version of the 429, same driver, different tuning.
 
598's then are likely to be very neutral and not bass heavy. I have DT880's and they aren't known for their high bass response but with a little EQ like the E7's bass boost, they are slamming hot in the bass department. Perhaps you can apply some EQ until your ear gets more used to the sound or if you are set on getting new cans I have heard great things about the Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro's. They have an adjustable bass response via acoustic dampening built into a toggle switch on each ear piece. You can dial them as neutral or bass heavy as you desire without using EQ.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

So I bought some HD 598s since I have a new work schedule and was I hoping for an immersive late night listening experience. As it turns out, I was not adequately respecting the perspective of who commonly writes reviews for these and they don't really pertain to my music tastes and desires. I listen to rap, reggae, rock, dub-step, electronic, and others genres of the sort. These sennheisers simply do not create the bass/sub bass I was looking for in "powerful" music. So, I have a few options I would like to proceed with.
 
I do absolutely love the mids these create. However, I'm not sure if an amp is going to be able to salvage anything worth while from them. If you believe it might be worth it, I would be interested in something along the route of an E17 ($139 max) and any other portable DAC/amp recommendations are welcome. But if I am going to go with that option, I want something that will set me up for a back up plan if I am to return the 598s to amazon.
 
Admittedly I have no idea what I'm talking about in comparison to most/all of you, but I assume the best options for this price range (HD 598s+e17 = ~$350, but I would rather spend ~$250) are going to benefit from or require an amp in order to be what I'm looking for. Plus I'm going to need a DAC more or less anyways since I am currently running on-board, which is why the portable combo option is appealing. That or a sound card + portable amp/no amp (or I guess desktop use only if it absolutely blows other options out of the water), whichever the best option may be in regards to a headphone suggestion.
 
Can any of you please  steer me in the right direction?
Thank you all for your interest.

Stick a Asus Xonar DG ($27, PCI) or DGX ($42, PCI-E) sound card into your computer and you will not need anything else.
Remember to disable on-board audio (in the bios), when installing an add-on sound card.
 
Give the HD598 a few days to burn in.
Leave them plugged in over night (several nights) with the volume somewhat higher then normal, maybe put them under a blanket to block the noise.
I like to use Metal music for break in.

 

[The Hairy Yak]

Quote:

Stick a Asus Xonar DG ($27, PCI) or DGX ($42, PCI-E) sound card into your computer and you will not need anything else.
Remember to disable on-board audio (in the bios), when installing an add-on sound card.
 
Give the HD598 a few days to burn in.
Leave them plugged in over night (several nights) with the volume somewhat higher then normal, maybe put them under a blanket to block the noise.
I like to use Metal music for break in.

That sounds like a decent idea to me, at least for a good test/starting point. I ordered one off of newegg and it should be here on friday. I'll report back with my findings.

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

So I bought some HD 598s since I have a new work schedule and was I hoping for an immersive late night listening experience. As it turns out, I was not adequately respecting the perspective of who commonly writes reviews for these and they don't really pertain to my music tastes and desires. I listen to rap, reggae, rock, dub-step, electronic, and others genres of the sort. These sennheisers simply do not create the bass/sub bass I was looking for in "powerful" music. So, I have a few options I would like to proceed with.
 
I do absolutely love the mids these create. However, I'm not sure if an amp is going to be able to salvage anything worth while from them. If you believe it might be worth it, I would be interested in something along the route of an E17 ($139 max) and any other portable DAC/amp recommendations are welcome. But if I am going to go with that option, I want something that will set me up for a back up plan if I am to return the 598s to amazon.
 
Admittedly I have no idea what I'm talking about in comparison to most/all of you, but I assume the best options for this price range (HD 598s+e17 = ~$350, but I would rather spend ~$250) are going to benefit from or require an amp in order to be what I'm looking for. Plus I'm going to need a DAC more or less anyways since I am currently running on-board, which is why the portable combo option is appealing. That or a sound card + portable amp/no amp (or I guess desktop use only if it absolutely blows other options out of the water), whichever the best option may be in regards to a headphone suggestion.
 
Can any of you please  steer me in the right direction?
Thank you all for your interest.

 
Heya,
 
The HD598, no matter what you're doing, is going to be anemic and shy with bass for the genres you're listening to. It's no secret, the HD598 is not a bassy headphone, it's mostly mids & treble. Simple as that. There are some huge fans of the headphone, who think it's good for everything, but it's all a big preference game. You clearly want more bass, and this headphone will never provide that. An amplifier will not change this. It's an efficient headphone and doesn't even need much amplification beyond a tiny bit of current. You can color it with an amplifier, but it's not going to bring that bass up to the levels you're probably looking for, even a +3db bump will warm it up, but still not give you the kind of sub-bass you're after. This headphone simply doesn't do it. You can equalize the headphone to try to make the most of it, and that may be you're only option if you cannot return this headphone. However, if you can, I seriously recommend you return the headphone and start with a headphone that is actually capable of dropping the bass you want.

Here's a short list of headphones that would be a good start to figure out what you're after:
 
Beyer DT880
Beyer DT990
Beyer DT770
Ultrasone HFI 2400
Ultrasone PRO 750
AudioTechnica A900X
Mr Speaker Mad Dog
Hifiman HE-300
Hifiman HE-400
Denon D600
AKG K167
AKG K267
 
*Bolded models are the ones I would recommend most if you want the ability to get bassy, but retain great mids and keep it open-air.
 
If you are stuck with the HD598, and you do not need portability, the Fiio E10 would be completely fine and inexpensive. I would stick with that. It adds some bass options, via hardware, that add +3db of bass lines without distortion. From there, time to equalize. Open your equalizer, drop all frequencies except sub-bass and some mid-bass by 10db to start, and see what you think. It should warm up quite a bit. Do not push any frequencies up. Only bring frequencies down as a means to bring out frequencies you are not touching (ie, bass). This will let you do a big change without distortion. If it's bassy enough for you after that, you're good. You do not need fancy hardware or anything special. Just a software equalizer will do it built into whatever you're using for playback.
 
If you need portability (battery), then the E7 or E17 is good. If you don't need a portable unit with a battery, I would keep it simple with the E10.
 
Very best,

 

[The Hairy Yak]

Quote:

 
Heya,
 
The HD598, no matter what you're doing, is going to be anemic and shy with bass for the genres you're listening to. It's no secret, the HD598 is not a bassy headphone, it's mostly mids & treble. Simple as that. There are some huge fans of the headphone, who think it's good for everything, but it's all a big preference game. You clearly want more bass, and this headphone will never provide that. An amplifier will not change this. It's an efficient headphone and doesn't even need much amplification beyond a tiny bit of current. You can color it with an amplifier, but it's not going to bring that bass up to the levels you're probably looking for, even a +3db bump will warm it up, but still not give you the kind of sub-bass you're after. This headphone simply doesn't do it. You can equalize the headphone to try to make the most of it, and that may be you're only option if you cannot return this headphone. However, if you can, I seriously recommend you return the headphone and start with a headphone that is actually capable of dropping the bass you want.

Here's a short list of headphones that would be a good start to figure out what you're after:
 
Beyer DT880
Beyer DT990
Beyer DT770
Ultrasone HFI 2400
Ultrasone PRO 750
AudioTechnica A900X
Mr Speaker Mad Dog
Hifiman HE-300
Hifiman HE-400
Denon D600
AKG K167
AKG K267
 
*Bolded models are the ones I would recommend most if you want the ability to get bassy, but retain great mids and keep it open-air.
 
If you are stuck with the HD598, and you do not need portability, the Fiio E10 would be completely fine and inexpensive. I would stick with that. It adds some bass options, via hardware, that add +3db of bass lines without distortion. From there, time to equalize. Open your equalizer, drop all frequencies except sub-bass and some mid-bass by 10db to start, and see what you think. It should warm up quite a bit. Do not push any frequencies up. Only bring frequencies down as a means to bring out frequencies you are not touching (ie, bass). This will let you do a big change without distortion. If it's bassy enough for you after that, you're good. You do not need fancy hardware or anything special. Just a software equalizer will do it built into whatever you're using for playback.
 
If you need portability (battery), then the E7 or E17 is good. If you don't need a portable unit with a battery, I would keep it simple with the E10.
 
Very best,

 
Thank you very much for the response. I can indeed still return the 598s to Amazon, but I do really enjoy what they have to offer so I would like to see what I can do. After I get the Xonar DG and play with it a bit I will go from there and I will definitely look into your recommendations. I am mainly interested in trying to find something that is very clean and immersive(I used to have a pair of BX5a monitors that I loved). Any advice on that would be awesome as well. I don't really have a preference on Open/Closed, but if a closed set can give me the clean sound I'm looking for I would be interested. Hopefully I can get another round of responses after I do a bit of testing. once again, thanks everyone.

 

[Lorspeaker]

u might just be one of those who will love the ultrasone pro900. ..
its got BASSSSBalls

 

[fuzzyash]

i made the same mistake getting a pair of grados and being dissapointed with them as i listen to similar music
malveaux's list above is a good list, my impressions of the couple i have listened
best to visit an audio store and see which ones suit you best as its not small money
for me, i enjoy hifiman headphones as they give lots of sub/ mid bass, with non grating highs for hip hop and electronic, and they've been noted to be suitable for many genres of music
 
edit: i saw the above post, the ultrasone pro900
they have the most bass quantity ive heard in headphones, but for me they had too much, and from what ive seen they cost around $500

 

[tacobff]

You won't like sennheiser's sound. Its much too laid back for a EDM headphone. I bought HD 439's thinking they were "Bassy" but truthfully they arent.
 
At around 200 bucks you have a variety of options, 

 

[EuphonicArin]

You won't like sennheiser's sound. Its much too laid back for a EDM headphone. I bought HD 439's thinking they were "Bassy" but truthfully they arent.

At around 200 bucks you have a variety of options, 

It seems like you sir forgot to do one thing with 439's and that is to mod them because once you mod them that is when they truly shine

 

[Mad Max]

Quote:

Quote:

 
Heya,
 
The HD598, no matter what you're doing, is going to be anemic and shy with bass for the genres you're listening to. It's no secret, the HD598 is not a bassy headphone, it's mostly mids & treble. Simple as that. There are some huge fans of the headphone, who think it's good for everything, but it's all a big preference game. You clearly want more bass, and this headphone will never provide that. An amplifier will not change this. It's an efficient headphone and doesn't even need much amplification beyond a tiny bit of current. You can color it with an amplifier, but it's not going to bring that bass up to the levels you're probably looking for, even a +3db bump will warm it up, but still not give you the kind of sub-bass you're after. This headphone simply doesn't do it. You can equalize the headphone to try to make the most of it, and that may be you're only option if you cannot return this headphone. However, if you can, I seriously recommend you return the headphone and start with a headphone that is actually capable of dropping the bass you want.

Here's a short list of headphones that would be a good start to figure out what you're after:
 
Beyer DT880
Beyer DT990
Beyer DT770
Ultrasone HFI 2400
Ultrasone PRO 750
AudioTechnica A900X
Mr Speaker Mad Dog
Hifiman HE-300
Hifiman HE-400
Denon D600
AKG K167
AKG K267
 
*Bolded models are the ones I would recommend most if you want the ability to get bassy, but retain great mids and keep it open-air.
 
If you are stuck with the HD598, and you do not need portability, the Fiio E10 would be completely fine and inexpensive. I would stick with that. It adds some bass options, via hardware, that add +3db of bass lines without distortion. From there, time to equalize. Open your equalizer, drop all frequencies except sub-bass and some mid-bass by 10db to start, and see what you think. It should warm up quite a bit. Do not push any frequencies up. Only bring frequencies down as a means to bring out frequencies you are not touching (ie, bass). This will let you do a big change without distortion. If it's bassy enough for you after that, you're good. You do not need fancy hardware or anything special. Just a software equalizer will do it built into whatever you're using for playback.
 
If you need portability (battery), then the E7 or E17 is good. If you don't need a portable unit with a battery, I would keep it simple with the E10.
 
Very best,

 
 
Thank you very much for the response. I can indeed still return the 598s to Amazon, but I do really enjoy what they have to offer so I would like to see what I can do. After I get the Xonar DG and play with it a bit I will go from there and I will definitely look into your recommendations. I am mainly interested in trying to find something that is very clean and immersive(I used to have a pair of BX5a monitors that I loved). Any advice on that would be awesome as well. I don't really have a preference on Open/Closed, but if a closed set can give me the clean sound I'm looking for I would be interested. Hopefully I can get another round of responses after I do a bit of testing. once again, thanks everyone.

 
I don't think any of those are "immersive" a la BX5a except the Ultrasones if I'm not mistaken.
But I'm ignoring A900X and the rest below that as I haven't heard them, haha.
AD700 has in-your-face treble like BX5a, but that headphone has a very ugly sound, you think it is awesome when it is your first "hifi" headphone, then you realize it sounds like crap later on as you try other headphones.

 

[blueangel2323]

Most open headphones don't have big bass, with the exception of the Philips Fidelio X1 which I would highly recommend if you can find one within your budget. If you're ok with a closed headphone you have many options, but the Denon D600 is easy to recommend at their current used prices (about $250). Not worth their full retail price though.