Now that I have the Magni2/Modi2 stack, should I upgrade from my Sennheiser HD598?

[Gatecrasher]

So last month I bought the Schiit Magni2 and Modi2 stack, and while I do enjoy my Sennheiser HD598 open backs, I feel I could be powering ‘grander’ sounding headphones, perhaps in the 300ohms range.

My HD598 do have a nice spirited sound, when paired to the Schiit stack, however I feel there are different cans out there that could offer a better/punchier sound at all levels, also with a greater sound-stage. These cans will be used for 90% FPS gaming, 10% movies/music, hence why I'm looking for a larger sound-stage.

Anyways, I know this is a subjective question, just wondering what you guys thought, or if you could recommend other (sub $800) options, thanks.

 

[Surf Monkey]

I have 598s and the M/M 2U combo. I recently got a pair of HD650s. Major upgrade. I say go for it.

 

[Old Dirty Puppy]

HD600, HD650 or HD6XX would be good upgrades from your HD598.

 

[PurpleAngel]

So last month I bought the Schiit Magni2 and Modi2 stack, and while I do enjoy my Sennheiser HD598 open backs, I feel I could be powering ‘grander’ sounding headphones, perhaps in the 300-Ohms range.
My HD598 do have a nice spirited sound, when paired to the Schiit stack, however I feel there are different cans out there that could offer a better/punchier sound at all levels, also with a greater sound-stage. These cans will be used for 90% FPS gaming, 10% movies/music, hence why I'm looking for a larger sound-stage.
Anyways, I know this is a subjective question, just wondering what you guys thought, or if you could recommend other (sub $800) options, thanks.

Sound stage is more about (stereo) music audio, while with FPS gaming it's more about surround sound.
If your connecting the computer to the Schiit Modi using USB, then chances are your not going to improve surround sound no matter what headphones you switch to.
If your connecting the computer to the Schiit Modi using S/PDIF (optical or coaxial) and as the HD598 are already considered good surround sound headphones, switching to other headphones may not offer noticeable improvement (in surround sound).
If your looking to improve music audio quality, then maybe the Sennheiser HD600/HD650/HD6XX might be something to look into.
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-sennheiser-hd6xx

 

[serman005]

. Though I am a wholehearted advocate of the HD6yy series of headphones (I own them all), all share a more intimate stage, much more so than the HD598 (also own it). Was just comparing my 650 to my 598 and despite the smaller stage, the 650 is in a whole other realm overall sonically. I think part of the reason for this is that despite the smaller stage, the 650 images beautifully. As do the other two 6yy cans. So, one of those could work for you, just have to be aware of the stage situation. You might also look at a K7xx or a K712 Pro, both have sizable stages and good detail. They could work, too.

 

[cossix]

I have the Magni 2/Modi 2 Uber and the HD598, I upgraded to the HD650 and really prefer the 598 for gaming, 650 for music. The 650 is quite tight and might be annoying to wear for long periods of time. I also prefer the soundstage of the 598 for competitive fps over the 650. Definitely get another pair of cans, the 598 are so easy to drive that the amp and dac you have I would consider as 70% overkill for the 598. 650 is beautiful, another vote for those! I'm upgrading my rig to Jotunheim and Bifrost so I can run the 650 balanced for extra power

 

[ProtegeManiac]

So last month I bought the Schiit Magni2 and Modi2 stack, and while I do enjoy my Sennheiser HD598 open backs, I feel I could be powering ‘grander’ sounding headphones, perhaps in the 300ohms range.

My HD598 do have a nice spirited sound, when paired to the Schiit stack, however I feel there are different cans out there that could offer a better/punchier sound at all levels, also with a greater sound-stage. These cans will be used for 90% FPS gaming, 10% movies/music, hence why I'm looking for a larger sound-stage.

Anyways, I know this is a subjective question, just wondering what you guys thought, or if you could recommend other (sub $800) options, thanks.

You might as well save up for a few months more and get the LCD-2F.

 

[Gatecrasher]

You might as well save up for a few months more and get the LCD-2F.

Why do you say that? I know the LCD-2F are considered good, but do they have a fast/tight sound with a large soundstage? Would my stack even be able to power them?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Why do you say that? I know the LCD-2F are considered good, but do they have a fast/tight sound with a large soundstage?

If by "fast" you mean "accurate attack, no boosting on fading notes on decay," then yes. They're planar headphones, they don't have to do the more violent pumping that dynamic drivers do and yet still produce very low frequencies flatter where dynamic drivers either roll off or have a highly boosted bottom end. This is like comparing the smooth action of a Wankel engine to the stroke-torque and refinement compromises you'd have to make on a piston engine.

As for soundstage, it's accurate in relative terms. The problem with some people when they rave about a "wide" soundstage vs a "congested" one is that they think having the cymbals far out to the flanks is a good thing and everything closer to the vocals in the center is bad. If you have to think about what that looks like at the scale of normal sized humans, that's like having the Fantastic Four on stage, with Reed Richards or Galactus on the drums, which you might realize isn't something that happens in real life.

Would my stack even be able to power them?

70ohm impedance and 99dB/1mW sensitivity. The LCD-2F is easier to drive than the HE400. If your primary concern is price, that's like saying that because a Lotus chassis costs that much it should always have something like an exotic Italian engine in it as opposed to Toyota engines. And yet the Toyota-powered Lotus can dance around Lamborghinis on a race track anyway.

If antyhing they'd be punchier than the HD598 since 1) you're not giving up sensitivity/effiiency and yet 2) you're still getting a flatter response all the way down to 20hz. That means they won't be any harder to drive and yet you'll get a more natural response on the bass drum for example. Unless your definition of "punchy" is more like "heavily boosted 60hz to 150hz," in which case, get a Grado RS1e.