[GigaFi]

I got a pair of 598s to replace my 558s but I want to A/B them before I get rid of one.
 
According to headfonia:
 
 

1. 1. The HD558 is darker sounding in comparison to the HD598.
2. 2. The HD598 has tighter bass.
3. 3. The HD598 has better upper midrange presence, making it more engaging and livelier sounding than the HD558.

 
Do you need very precise ears to hear the difference? I can hear very VERY slight differences but I can't pinpoint what just yet.
 
1. Regarding the 598 being brighter than the 558s, doesn't this graph say so otherwise? (or maybe I just don't know what brightness is...)
 

 
2. What exactly does "tighter" bass mean? I'm listening to some bass heavy tracks and notice the 558s are slightly more powerful, does that mean it's more loose?
 
3. What am I listening for when looking for a "fuller presence"? Care to recommend some tracks where this is particularly evident?
 
Thanks in advance!

 

[extrabigmehdi]

Quote:

Do you need very precise ears to hear the difference? I can hear very VERY slight differences but I can't pinpoint what just yet.

Try to compare with different music genres, this might help.

Quote:

Regarding the 598 being brighter than the 558s, doesn't this graph say so otherwise?

Don't trust too much graph from headroom. Don't trust too much a subjective review either

.
Yeah, I'd say by looking at the graph, that the hd558 is brighter.
 
Quote:

What exactly does "tighter" bass mean?

It's means roughly, "better quality" bass.  The "worse" bass, is the one that sounds like "boom boom boom". People are usually looking for nice "thump", "impact", "slam" i.e energetic bass without being muddy.
 
Quote:

I'm listening to some bass heavy tracks

The hd598 is not recommended for bass heavy music, and I 'd guess it's the same for hd558.
If you are listenning a lot to bass heavy music, I'd suggest you look at other headphones.
 
If for you, the difference between hd558 & hd598 is not obvious, then try to save some money.
 

 

[drtturnip]

All ears are different. The Senns are compensated based on an average and an engineering philosophy. Some people call them neutral. To me (hd595) I can hear all kinds of peaks and dips above 1k. That does not make them bad just not right for me. They have killer low distortion drivers but they have a particular voicing. One thing is universal. Neither of them are much good if you want a bass tilted listening experience.

 

[GigaFi]

Thanks for the feedback. I don't mean to say that I listen to bass heavy music (quite the opposite in fact) but I was using a bass heavy track just to see if I can pick out the differences in low frequency reproduction.
 
To my ears, the HD558's female vocals sound a little bit more crisp yet more piercing at the same time. Is that the brightness? It's giving me the illusion that the "lower" pair is more detailed and clear...

 

[extrabigmehdi]

Quote:

 
To my ears, the HD558's female vocals sound a little bit more crisp yet more piercing at the same time. Is that the brightness? It's giving me the illusion that the "lower" pair is more detailed and clear...

Brightness mean an emphasis on treble .... More "piercing" would be more bright. Look for "true details", not an illusion, because of more treble.
 
You might have a problem with your source : on a poor source it's harder to make a distinction on sound quality between headphones.
Try to upgrade your DAC  if you are using something cheap.

 

[GigaFi]

Well I'm definitely using a crappy source (onboard sound card). Thanks for the input, going to continue listening!
 
Quote:

Brightness mean an emphasis on treble .... More "piercing" would be more bright. Look for "true details", not an illusion, because of more treble.
 
You might have a problem with your source : on a poor source it's harder to make a distinction on sound quality between headphones.
Try to upgrade your DAC  if you are using something cheap.