Sennheiser HD 558 Sound leakage?
Dec 25, 2013 at 12:16 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 16

FlyingPigman

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Hey, I've been eyeing the 558's, and I was wondering about how much they leak. I tried them on in best buy, and they didn't seem to be leaking too much, but there was also music playing in the store, so it wasn't the best sense of how they sound in a quiet environment. So yeah... If anyone has these, how much to they leak, like how far away can you hear them. If someone could make a leak test, that would be amazing! Thank you! 
 
Dec 25, 2013 at 12:30 AM Post #2 of 16
They are open back headphone so they will leak for sure. This also means that the surrounding noise will interfere with the listening pleasure. 
 
If you would to max out the volume, the 558s will become mini speakers. But my listening volume is low to moderate, so I find that I can listening quite comfortably in a room with my buddy and he didn't complain. YMMV
 
Dec 25, 2013 at 12:33 AM Post #4 of 16
  They are open back headphone so they will leak for sure. This also means that the surrounding noise will interfere with the listening pleasure. 
 
If you would to max out the volume, the 558s will become mini speakers. But my listening volume is low to moderate, so I find that I can listening quite comfortably in a room with my buddy and he didn't complain. YMMV

Would you say it would annoy people if I'm listening to indie rock at a low-mid volume. However, study halls are quiet as hell, soooo.... yeah. Thanks for the quick response though!
 
Dec 25, 2013 at 12:35 AM Post #6 of 16
  These definitely leak noise. If you're concerned about noise leakage definitely go for closed headphones. 

I know, I'm looking at the  DT 770 PRO's however, they're 250 ohms, so I'd need to buy a portable amp (Fiio E11) which adds another $60, and then for that price, I'd rather buy the Denon D600's and not need an amp. I've also been looking at the M50's, however I haven't worn them, so I'm not to sure about them.
 
Dec 25, 2013 at 12:36 AM Post #7 of 16
Have you looked at the Beyerdynamic Custom One Pros? They're priced comparably to the DT 770s and while they might sound a tad bit worse (I haven't heard the 770s so I don't know) but they're only 16 ohms so they don't need an amp.
 
Dec 25, 2013 at 12:38 AM Post #8 of 16
Ahh...In that case, I would go for closed back. Study halls are notorious for having people who are less tolerant for noise. I don't have much closed back experience so I can't really give you a suggestion as an alternative to the 558 though.
 
Either way, Merry Christmas!
beerchug.gif

 
Dec 25, 2013 at 12:41 AM Post #9 of 16
  Have you looked at the Beyerdynamic Custom One Pros? They're priced comparably to the DT 770s and while they might sound a tad bit worse (I haven't heard the 770s so I don't know) but they're only 16 ohms so they don't need an amp.

Those were actually the first headphones I looked at. I love how they look, they seem very comfortable, and they apparently have a slight V shape which I like. I also love the bass ports, however, they seem like they'll just sound kind of... muddy... 
 
Dec 25, 2013 at 12:45 AM Post #10 of 16
They definitely aren't the best sounding headphones. But they're very flexible, very isolating and don't leak noise. They are also very portable and comfortable. The sound is flexible because of the ports, but this means that it won't sound perfect. I would say it sounds different but better than the HD 558 (I have both). But it's built much better than the 558. The 558s are all plasticy and I wouldn't feel comfortable taking them out with me. The COPs are built much better and would hold up better as well. The 558 also has a 10 foot cable (it's designed for home use after all) so that's not very practical in a study hall. The COPs have a 3 foot or so cable which is much more reasonable.
 
Dec 25, 2013 at 12:51 AM Post #12 of 16
  They definitely aren't the best sounding headphones. But they're very flexible, very isolating and don't leak noise. They are also very portable and comfortable. The sound is flexible because of the ports, but this means that it won't sound perfect. I would say it sounds different but better than the HD 558 (I have both). But it's built much better than the 558. The 558s are all plasticy and I wouldn't feel comfortable taking them out with me. The COPs are built much better and would hold up better as well. The 558 also has a 10 foot cable (it's designed for home use after all) so that's not very practical in a study hall. The COPs have a 3 foot or so cable which is much more reasonable.

When you say they don't sound "perfect" what do you mean? Like... Do they lack sharpness, or what?
 
Dec 25, 2013 at 12:53 AM Post #13 of 16
  I can only recommend the AKG K550, while they may need amp for serious listening, for me they sounded loud enough from my 1st gen iPod. 
 
And they sound very good.

Idk, I tried them on in Best Buy. The mids sounded a bit bloated to me and it was just off... I don't know, they felt very spaced out. Also, I'm on like a ~$180 budget
 
Dec 25, 2013 at 12:56 AM Post #14 of 16
The nicest headphones I have are the DT 990 600 Ohms. Compared to those, they're muddy. But depending on what you're coming from they will probably sound amazing. They are a good value. The 558 isn't perfect either. The bass on the COPs is very good and accurate on position 3 and the highs are good as well. The mids are less than perfect but you aren't going to get everything with any pair of headphones. 
 
The bass on the 558s is anemic. While they certainly have a much better soundstage than the COPs since they are open, they compromise on the bass. Considering you are also planning on using them on the go I would be cautious of the 558s construction. 
 
I don't think you'll be upset with the COPs at all. They're versatile, built extremely well and blow away the usual closed headphones that you'll find around this price (the beats, soul, SMS etc.).
 
Dec 25, 2013 at 1:08 AM Post #15 of 16
Thank you so much for this closure. I just ordered them in white on Amazon for $180. Now that that's over, do you have any recommendations for a case? Seeing as I'm going to take them to school, I can't just throw them around, or they'll get broken D: so yeah.... Also, I don't think I need an amp, however, if I save up enough money later on I might get one. What would you recommend for these headphones, I'd be leaning on the Fiio E11 I think. Thank's a ton!
 
~Christopher.
 

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