[Turtleporker]

So first off I'm gonna admit I know absolutely nothing about GOOD headphones and I just recently decided to make the switch from $5 no name brands to something more high quality.
 
The reason I'm posting is because when listening to my headphones I get this grainy, staticy noise on certain songs in certain parts, usually whenever there's heave distortion or a lot of bass, but it will also happen with vocals. I'm wondering if this is due to malfunctioning headphones or I'm just finally hearing those parts in the songs that I never heard before.
 
I've had these headphones for about a week now, I haven't been able to use them too much but the more I do the more I'm noticing this sound.
 
Thank you for any and all help.
 
(I'm also using the Fii0 E7 USB DAC and amp, but I still hear the noise when I am not using it)

 

[MohawkUS]

These phones require a bigger amp I'm afraid. I had them and returned them for the same reason. Best soundstage I've heard though, and I'm using AD900s now.

 

[wind016]

There seems to be quite a few people with problems like that. I only had that problem with 2 or 3 songs. I only really used it out of an Anedio D1 which is probably overkill for this headphone, but I never really had much problem using the Anedio. There is more congestion when I used something like my Iphone though.

 

[Turtleporker]

So I'm going to have to buy like a $1000 amp to get rid of this sound?

 

[wind016]

I think the DAC makes a bigger difference with something as sensitive as the HD598 but I never had a mid-tier DAC.

 

[flavouz]

I have almost the same setup as OP, except that I just use the E7 as a DAC, but with no amp (I'm poor... and head-fi doesn't help either

).
 
Anyway... I have the HD 598 for a few months now and have never experienced that problem. I should state that right after getting them, I left them for about 2 days burning in with pink noise.

 

[zmd]

FWIW, my HD558 (same driver as the HD598) did use to crackle and pop while they were still fairly new. Nothing too bothersome, just here and there. I guess it was the driver loosening up. If yours have really bad distortion, you might want to return them though.

 

[natashaful]

The E7 is rated to 300 Ohm and the HD598's are rated at Impedance: 50 Ω So they are fine, People claim to drive HD650's from the E7, The problem is maybe they are not burned in yet they need atleast 200 hours before they really start to sound good.
 
Nat.
 
Quote:

These phones require a bigger amp I'm afraid. I had them and returned them for the same reason. Best soundstage I've heard though, and I'm using AD900s now.

 

 

[Currawong]

You should be able to plug the 598s into anything designed for headphones and get a clear sound.  However, if you are listening at stupidly loud levels, you could get distortion with cheap amps (though they shouldn't distort up to their maximum volume with most headphones).  
 
Does the static-like noise come and go if you, say, wiggle the headphone cables? Is it on both sides or only one? Is the plug all the way into the socket?

 

[Koolpep]

Hi!
 
If you get static noise it most likely comes from the headphone out you are using. You are saying it doesn't happen if you use the E7, right?
 
So maybe you have some leakage on the motherboard (guessing you connect the phones directly into headphone out?)....
 
Anyhow, the E7 amp is absolutely good enough to drive the HD598, I have the E7 and a Schiit Asgard and while the Asgard sounds a bit better (no wonder at 2x the price and being an amp only) the E7 is very good, especially considering the price. 
 
I doubt there is anything wrong with the headphones, if they sound good on the E7...

 

[blacknile]

I wonder if some of the distortion you're hearing is basically artifacts in the original recordings - maybe you weren't able to pick them up with your older set-up, and you are instead able to notice them now that you have a more analytic set-up.

 

[Arksun]

Quote:

I wonder if some of the distortion you're hearing is basically artifacts in the original recordings - maybe you weren't able to pick them up with your older set-up, and you are instead able to notice them now that you have a more analytic set-up.

This is possible if the recordings are very heavily limited (which most are these days). Try listening to some much older recordings which aren't as squashed (or soundtrack/classical), you'll know if they're far less limited straight away cause you'll need to turn your volume knob up much higher to get the same percieved volume.  If known good quality old recordings are distorting also then we can rule out the source material as the problem.
 
 
 

 

[Turtleporker]

Quote:

Hi!
 
If you get static noise it most likely comes from the headphone out you are using. You are saying it doesn't happen if you use the E7, right?
 
So maybe you have some leakage on the motherboard (guessing you connect the phones directly into headphone out?)....
 
Anyhow, the E7 amp is absolutely good enough to drive the HD598, I have the E7 and a Schiit Asgard and while the Asgard sounds a bit better (no wonder at 2x the price and being an amp only) the E7 is very good, especially considering the price. 
 
I doubt there is anything wrong with the headphones, if they sound good on the E7...

It happens on my ipod too.


Quote:

I wonder if some of the distortion you're hearing is basically artifacts in the original recordings - maybe you weren't able to pick them up with your older set-up, and you are instead able to notice them now that you have a more analytic set-up.

I thought that at first, but it happens on near every track now (only in certain parts though)
 
I guess I'll do what that one guy did and just leave them on for a few days with pink noise and see if that fixes anything, if not, I've already contacted the seller about returning it.
 
Thanks for all the replies!
 

 

[flavouz]

Do you use some EQ?
 
I've noticed some distortions on the sound when using iTunes and the iPod (especially when there's a lot of bass).
 
Try listening to some FLAC files with foobar and no EQ, just to test.
 
Like I said... I use the E7 as DAC and iTunes or foobar with FLACs or 320kbps mp3, and never experience any problem.

 

[Turtleporker]

Quote:

Do you use some EQ?
 
I've noticed some distortions on the sound when using iTunes and the iPod (especially when there's a lot of bass).
 
Try listening to some FLAC files with foobar and no EQ, just to test.
 
Like I said... I use the E7 as DAC and iTunes or foobar with FLACs or 320kbps mp3, and never experience any problem.

I don't use an EQ.
 
I just tested out one of the songs that gives me the worst buzz in flac and no EQ and it's still giving me buzz, maybe my headphones are just messed up.