[GigaFi]

The M50 and the 558/598 have a completely sound/design. I guess if would be best to decide what you want first. The M50 have a prominent bass and treble while the 5x8 series focus on the midrange.
 
Also, make sure your listening area is quiet because otherwise, cross the Sennheiser's off your list.

 

[TK277]

If you're on the fence, just go for the better 598s, I doubt you'll regret it. They're awesome for Coldplay. The 598s surround you in music.

 

[maximilians]

The M50 and the 558/598 have a completely sound/design. I guess if would be best to decide what you want first. The M50 have a prominent bass and treble while the 5x8 series focus on the midrange.

Also, make sure your listening area is quiet because otherwise, cross the Sennheiser's off your list.

If u hv to choose, which one will u take beetwen 598 and m50 ? If theprice doesnt matter.. And the only matter is satisfying eargasm for listening:rolleyes:

 

[NimbleTurtle]

Quote:

If u hv to choose, which one will u take beetwen 598 and m50 ? If theprice doesnt matter.. And the only matter is satisfying eargasm for listening:rolleyes:

I've compared the two directly. The biggest difference between the two are soundstage. As a closed headphone, the M50 feels almost congested in comparison. I highly recommend buying an open headphone over a closed one. Even a semi-open one (like the Denon series) are fine. As another poster mentioned, another difference is that the M50 is bassier. But I found the bass to be somewhat loose and leaking into the midrange. Same with the HD 558 actually, though it's not nearly as bassy as the M50. M50's bass was a little too much for me, since I listen to classical and acoustics music. And its recessed midrange was a turnoff. 
 
I know the M50 is a popular recommendation but there are other closed headphone options as well (Shure 840, Sony series, V-Moda line, etc.). It's a great headphone for 100 dollars but now they go for 150 dollars. Not sure if they still leave up to the hype
at that price. 
 
In addition, I found the HD 598 to be VERY versatile. Do you perhaps game online or watch movies? The HD 598 excels in both categories due to their phenomenal soundstage. Depending on what headphones/ earbuds you are using right now, the HD 598 might seem bass shy at first. I also had that experience. But remember you could ALWAYS EQ the sound to increase bass quantity AND your brain will naturally adapt to the bass of the HD 598 over time, which a lot of people actually find to be bass neutral, not bass lean. The bass is pretty punchy (that's a good thing) and extends better than the HD 558. 
 
I would go with the HD 598 but it really depends. The neutrality of its bass is what makes it so versatile in multiple genres. It's not the best for Metal, Dubstep, etc. because it could use a little more "speed" and "bass" that closed headphones offer. But it's not exactly bad with those genres either. The M50 on the other hand is not very pleasant with classical/ acoustics music imo. Have you ever looked into the Denon D2000? They are like a superior M50 (imo). 
 
It seems like you should do a little more research on headphones. Here are some starters: Denon D2000, AKG Q701 (amp required), Beyerdynamics DT 880, Shure SH840, Grado SR 80. 

 

[KG Jag]

The closed M50 is significantly inferior to either of the Senns you are considering.  People who like it for its sound usually like its enhanced bass and are willing to put up with recessed mids.
 
If you're after detail monsters in about the same (U.S.) general price range as the 598, your best choices are the AKG Q 701 or Beyer DT 880 (+/-Pro) in the 250 or 600 Ohm flavors.  The Senns are not in the same class here.  In fact they tend to be forgiving and many like the Senns because they can make poorly recorded/engineered tracks and make them sound decent or better.

 

[maximilians]

I've compared the two directly. The biggest difference between the two are soundstage. As a closed headphone, the M50 feels almost congested in comparison. I highly recommend buying an open headphone over a closed one. Even a semi-open one (like the Denon series) are fine. As another poster mentioned, another difference is that the M50 is bassier. But I found the bass to be somewhat loose and leaking into the midrange. Same with the HD 558 actually, though it's not nearly as bassy as the M50. M50's bass was a little too much for me, since I listen to classical and acoustics music. And its recessed midrange was a turnoff. 

I know the M50 is a popular recommendation but there are other closed headphone options as well (Shure 840, Sony series, V-Moda line, etc.). It's a great headphone for 100 dollars but now they go for 150 dollars. Not sure if they still leave up to the hype
at that price. 

In addition, I found the HD 598 to be VERY versatile. Do you perhaps game online or watch movies? The HD 598 excels in both categories due to their phenomenal soundstage. Depending on what headphones/ earbuds you are using right now, the HD 598 might seem bass shy at first. I also had that experience. But remember you could ALWAYS EQ the sound to increase bass quantity AND your brain will naturally adapt to the bass of the HD 598 over time, which a lot of people actually find to be bass neutral, not bass lean. The bass is pretty punchy (that's a good thing) and extends better than the HD 558. 

I would go with the HD 598 but it really depends. The neutrality of its bass is what makes it so versatile in multiple genres. It's not the best for Metal, Dubstep, etc. because it could use a little more "speed" and "bass" that closed headphones offer. But it's not exactly bad with those genres either. The M50 on the other hand is not very pleasant with classical/ acoustics music imo. Have you ever looked into the Denon D2000? They are like a superior M50 (imo). 

It seems like you should do a little more research on headphones. Here are some starters: Denon D2000, AKG Q701 (amp required), Beyerdynamics DT 880, Shure SH840, Grado SR 80. 

Yeah im so newbie here.. Hey but i like ur answer, very clearly. Yup i luv to watch movie with headphone. And one more thing, my player was ipad, my amp fiio e 6, is it good enough to support 598 to get the best?

 

[maximilians]

The closed M50 is significantly inferior to either of the Senns you are considering.  People who like it for its sound usually like its enhanced bass and are willing to put up with recessed mids.

If you're after detail monsters in about the same (U.S.) general price range as the 598, your best choices are the AKG Q 701 or Beyer DT 880 (+/-Pro) in the 250 or 600 Ohm flavors.  The Senns are not in the same class here.  In fact they tend to be forgiving and many like the Senns because they can make poorly recorded/engineered tracks and make them sound decent or better.

Wow thankyou bro, i gave me some fact that i never know. Btw yes im agree with senn u can make them better even the recorded poor. Hmmm maybe now i know which i should take, and 598 it is. Hey whats the best amp for 598? Price shouldnt more expensiver than 70 dollar. HahHa

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Wow thankyou bro, i gave me some fact that i never know. Btw yes im agree with senn u can make them better even the recorded poor. Hmmm maybe now i know which i should take, and 598 it is. Hey whats the best amp for 598? Price shouldnt more expensiver than 70 dollar. HahHa

Glad that helped you.  I don't have any portable amps, so I can't help you--except to say that it doesn't take too much to properly drive the Senns to the point that you're getting what you paid (or in your case--will pay) for.

 

[NimbleTurtle]

Quote:

Wow thankyou bro, i gave me some fact that i never know. Btw yes im agree with senn u can make them better even the recorded poor. Hmmm maybe now i know which i should take, and 598 it is. Hey whats the best amp for 598? Price shouldnt more expensiver than 70 dollar. HahHa

From what I hear from people who have owned most of the Sennheiser lines, the HD 558/598 is very different from the HD 600-650 series. The HD 600-650 sort of "tames" the sound, making bad recordings sound much better than they really are. This doesn't hold true for the 558/598, which surprisingly reproduces the source very well and accurately. I can hear the difference between a 320 kbps AAC and a lossless file EASILY on the 558/598. 
 
Since you're a newbie, I'll give you a warning. Pricier amps don't necessarily provide better performance than cheaper ones. I highly suggest you go read some articles by NwAvGuy. 
 
In addition, the HD 598 is considered a low impedance phone. Anything that is 32 ohms and below is considered low impedance so at 50 ohms, the HD 598 I would consider to be low. Most amps (except VERY expensive ones / O2 amp) are not very flexible in that they are only good at driving low impedance phones or high impedance phones, but not both. The more expensive amps (usually $150 +) have high voltage to power high impedance phones (e.g. HD 650 at 600 ohms) but do not have the necessary current for low impedance phones (e.g. HD 598). Long story short, a cheap amp will do the job very well (and even better) than a very expensive amp. You have the Fiio E6 which should be an excellent pair with the HD 598.
 
Instead of worrying about an amp, perhaps you should worry about getting a DAC.  

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

From what I hear from people who have owned most of the Sennheiser lines, the HD 558/598 is very different from the HD 600-650 series. The HD 600-650 sort of "tames" the sound, making bad recordings sound much better than they really are. This doesn't hold true for the 558/598, which surprisingly reproduces the source very well and accurately. I can hear the difference between a 320 kbps AAC and a lossless file EASILY on the 558/598. 
 
Since you're a newbie, I'll give you a warning. Pricier amps don't necessarily provide better performance than cheaper ones. I highly suggest you go read some articles by NwAvGuy. 
 
In addition, the HD 598 is considered a low impedance phone. Anything that is 32 ohms and below is considered low impedance so at 50 ohms, the HD 598 I would consider to be low. Most amps (except VERY expensive ones / O2 amp) are not very flexible in that they are only good at driving low impedance phones or high impedance phones, but not both. The more expensive amps (usually $150 +) have high voltage to power high impedance phones (e.g. HD 650 at 600 ohms) but do not have the necessary current for low impedance phones (e.g. HD 598). Long story short, a cheap amp will do the job very well (and even better) than a very expensive amp. You have the Fiio E6 which should be an excellent pair with the HD 598.
 
Instead of worrying about an amp, perhaps you should worry about getting a DAC.  

 
My experience is different.  While I would not call the HD 600 a detail monster, I hear greater details in the music than I do when listening to the same quality track on the HD 598.  To my ears the 5xx series has more of the Senn veil--or a flavor thereof.

 

[maximilians]

Hey buddy, thanks for all of your advice, now i bought a sennheiser HD 598 and its on delivery , hey maybe u can help me lil more? Come here bro http://www.head-fi.org/t/620315/sennheiser-hd-598-fiio-e11-is-it-good-enough

 

[KG Jag]

You're welcome, but I don't own any portable amps and do my serious music listening by way of CD's and vinyl.  Sorry I can't help you with your new issue.