[NatureEnergy]

hello guys thanks for the replies! my fren did helped me bought the 598! and im excited to try it ( have 2 wait a few days tho)..thanks everyone for the help! hope the bass is enough for me

 

[streetdragon]

glad to hear that, looking forward to your impressions

 

[axc1080]

Hey guys,
 
 
I'm really getting into these cans, and I'm pretty confident about making a purchase. But I get a little worried when some say that these are not that great for rock. I enjoy most types of music (Pretty much anything except all that rap/dubstep/electronic stuff), but my main listening material is rock music. I listen to any type of rock, but some examples of primary bands are Pink Floyd, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Minus the Bear, Tool, Death Cab for Cutie, etc. I also listen to metal every now and again, like Periphery and Protest the Hero. I hear that the headphones are a bit 'slow' for these types of music. I guess my question would be: Is that characteristic of the cans that noticeable? Is it that big a detriment? I do not doubt the caliber of the 598s, but wouldn't want to buy them and not get the most out of them. 
 
I also realize that an amp is a big part of it all. My current 'rig' is a pair of Audio Technica M-50s running through a little Fiio E6. It's not much, but it far surpasses my old Skullcandy --> computer listening experience *sigh*
 
If you guys could recommend me a decent amp around the $100-150 price range, it would be much appreciated. It would also be great if it was semi-portable. What I love about the E6 is its ease of transportation. I can easily unplug it from my computer, and take it over to the room where my xbox is, and hook it right up and play my games with some higher quality sound. I was thinking of another of the Fiio line, such as the E7 or the E17. But I also hear quite mixed reviews that those aren't that great. 

 

[XxDobermanxX]

Quote:

Hey guys,
 
 
I'm really getting into these cans, and I'm pretty confident about making a purchase. But I get a little worried when some say that these are not that great for rock. I enjoy most types of music (Pretty much anything except all that rap/dubstep/electronic stuff), but my main listening material is rock music. I listen to any type of rock, but some examples of primary bands are Pink Floyd, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Minus the Bear, Tool, Death Cab for Cutie, etc. I also listen to metal every now and again, like Periphery and Protest the Hero. I hear that the headphones are a bit 'slow' for these types of music. I guess my question would be: Is that characteristic of the cans that noticeable? Is it that big a detriment? I do not doubt the caliber of the 598s, but wouldn't want to buy them and not get the most out of them. 
 
I also realize that an amp is a big part of it all. My current 'rig' is a pair of Audio Technica M-50s running through a little Fiio E6. It's not much, but it far surpasses my old Skullcandy --> computer listening experience *sigh*
 
If you guys could recommend me a decent amp around the $100-150 price range, it would be much appreciated. It would also be great if it was semi-portable. What I love about the E6 is its ease of transportation. I can easily unplug it from my computer, and take it over to the room where my xbox is, and hook it right up and play my games with some higher quality sound. I was thinking of another of the Fiio line, such as the E7 or the E17. But I also hear quite mixed reviews that those aren't that great. 

Funny how people praise the grado sr 80 for rock and yet say the hd 598 is not good for rock, sure there are better cans if you listen only rock. i hear they say the bass on the hd 598 is too soft for hard rock ....but they recommended the sr80 (but doesnt the hd 598 have more bass the grado sr80????????????? smh), the thing about grados and rock is that they have the "in your face sound" which is great for rock(not too great for long term listening = ear fatigue)

 

[axc1080]

Quote:

Funny how people praise the grado sr 80 for rock and yet say the hd 598 is not good for rock, sure there are better cans if you listen only rock. i hear they say the bass on the hd 598 is too soft for hard rock ....but they recommended the sr80 (but doesnt the hd 598 have more bass the grado sr80????????????? smh), the thing about grados and rock is that they have the "in your face sound" which is great for rock(not too great for long term listening = ear fatigue)

 
People speak so much of this can being bass-light, but to say they have more bass than the SR-80s? Man, it jst got confusing. It's ironic, despite being a bass player myself, I've never been a fan of accentuated bass. It just seems to detract from the overall experience of the music, and ends up burying the mids and highs, and keeps them from truly singing imo. As long as the bass is 'there' so to speak on the 598s, I'm good. Neither am I looking for that 'in your face' sound as you have described with the grados. If the 598 really is an all-arounder, and can do rock/metal justice in its own right, then it's worth the purchase. Thank you very much for your input, sir. It's much appreciated, and happy thanksgiving.  

 

[PanamaHat]

Can anyone that has these and the HD25-1 compare how electric guitar sounds on the two. I really dig the bite of the HD25-1 and hope the HD598 has a similar voicing for guitars 

 

[Lord Voldemort]

Quote:

Hey guys,
 
 
I'm really getting into these cans, and I'm pretty confident about making a purchase. But I get a little worried when some say that these are not that great for rock. I enjoy most types of music (Pretty much anything except all that rap/dubstep/electronic stuff), but my main listening material is rock music. I listen to any type of rock, but some examples of primary bands are Pink Floyd, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Minus the Bear, Tool, Death Cab for Cutie, etc. I also listen to metal every now and again, like Periphery and Protest the Hero. I hear that the headphones are a bit 'slow' for these types of music. I guess my question would be: Is that characteristic of the cans that noticeable? Is it that big a detriment? I do not doubt the caliber of the 598s, but wouldn't want to buy them and not get the most out of them. 
 
I also realize that an amp is a big part of it all. My current 'rig' is a pair of Audio Technica M-50s running through a little Fiio E6. It's not much, but it far surpasses my old Skullcandy --> computer listening experience *sigh*
 
If you guys could recommend me a decent amp around the $100-150 price range, it would be much appreciated. It would also be great if it was semi-portable. What I love about the E6 is its ease of transportation. I can easily unplug it from my computer, and take it over to the room where my xbox is, and hook it right up and play my games with some higher quality sound. I was thinking of another of the Fiio line, such as the E7 or the E17. But I also hear quite mixed reviews that those aren't that great. 

1. HD598's bass performance is actually quite good. Tracks that are bass heavy will sound bass heavy. It manages to be quite accurate to the source, with a neutral bass. However, songs that demand a lot of subbass - dubstep, electronica, etc. - need an accentuated bass because headphones simply do not reproduce the rumble sensation we feel through actual sounds. But you don't listen to these genres so no problem.
 
On the other hand, everything is relative. If you are coming from the M50, which has a very noticeable midbass boost, the HD598 might seem very lacking in bass. It might take time for your brain to adjust. 
 
2. I find these to be my favorite cans for rock, and I've auditioned many different cans. The vocal is dead center, and the overall sound is smooth and refined. The accentuated treble on many cans - Grados for instance - brings listening fatigue. The HD598 has a very good treble that very rarely fatigues, but manages to make the music more exciting than with the HD600 or HD650. Because of the treble, these cans actually sound faster than the HD600/ 650. I love listening to Pink Floyd because of the soundstage. 
 
3. The HD598 is quite possibly the best all-arounder I've listened to, though I've never heard any of the orthodynamic cans. Here is a review that can go into more depth: http://www.head-fi.org/t/541302/comparison-review-fa003-hd558-k601 
 
4. You don't need an amp with the HD598. Heck, you don't really need it for most cans either - amp requirements are seriously exaggerated. An E6 should serve all your needs but if you want to upgrade for better ergonomics and options, I recommend the E11 or E17. Both of them measure quite well. Personally have the E17 myself due to its sheer diversity and sexy looks.  
 
5. I think the HD598 can be a bit smooth for metal. I've never been to a metal concert or recording studio, so I'm not sure whether or not the HD598 can bring justice to metal. But like I said before, these cans are the best all-arounder I've heard.

 

[streetdragon]

your link in the post doesn't work

 

[Lord Voldemort]

Quote:

your link in the post doesn't work

Hmm not sure why. But that's fine. It was the wrong link anyways 

 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/601061/mid-fi-shootout-hd600-hd598-focal-spirit-one-philips-fidelio-l1

 

[streetdragon]

Quote:

Hmm not sure why. But that's fine. It was the wrong link anyways 

 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/601061/mid-fi-shootout-hd600-hd598-focal-spirit-one-philips-fidelio-l1

alright thanks

i had a fun read over there

 

[peteham]

Quote:

Can anyone that has these and the HD25-1 compare how electric guitar sounds on the two. I really dig the bite of the HD25-1 and hope the HD598 has a similar voicing for guitars 

I have both, and I must say, they sound completely different, with the 598s being much more refined and laid back.

 

[Izeekio]

Has anyone tried the E09K + E17 combo with the HD598s? I have the e17 now and am looking into purchasing an HD598 down the road. The way they E17 docks onto the e09k looks so nice... but is there any improvement in sound?; if anyone has tried these together

 

[axc1080]

Quote:

1. HD598's bass performance is actually quite good. Tracks that are bass heavy will sound bass heavy. It manages to be quite accurate to the source, with a neutral bass. However, songs that demand a lot of subbass - dubstep, electronica, etc. - need an accentuated bass because headphones simply do not reproduce the rumble sensation we feel through actual sounds. But you don't listen to these genres so no problem.
 
On the other hand, everything is relative. If you are coming from the M50, which has a very noticeable midbass boost, the HD598 might seem very lacking in bass. It might take time for your brain to adjust. 
 
2. I find these to be my favorite cans for rock, and I've auditioned many different cans. The vocal is dead center, and the overall sound is smooth and refined. The accentuated treble on many cans - Grados for instance - brings listening fatigue. The HD598 has a very good treble that very rarely fatigues, but manages to make the music more exciting than with the HD600 or HD650. Because of the treble, these cans actually sound faster than the HD600/ 650. I love listening to Pink Floyd because of the soundstage. 
 
3. The HD598 is quite possibly the best all-arounder I've listened to, though I've never heard any of the orthodynamic cans. Here is a review that can go into more depth: http://www.head-fi.org/t/541302/comparison-review-fa003-hd558-k601 
 
4. You don't need an amp with the HD598. Heck, you don't really need it for most cans either - amp requirements are seriously exaggerated. An E6 should serve all your needs but if you want to upgrade for better ergonomics and options, I recommend the E11 or E17. Both of them measure quite well. Personally have the E17 myself due to its sheer diversity and sexy looks.  
 
5. I think the HD598 can be a bit smooth for metal. I've never been to a metal concert or recording studio, so I'm not sure whether or not the HD598 can bring justice to metal. But like I said before, these cans are the best all-arounder I've heard.

 
I actually purchased the headphones this morning. I was walking around a mall I rarely go to, wondering 'Oh man, if only there was some place to demo the cans!' (I was speaking to my brother about them). And lo and behold, 10 minutes later we stumble upon a Sennheiser booth featuring the likes of their flagship phones (598s, 800s, 650s, etc.). My mouth dropped to say the least. All that you said in your post is too true. They sound fantastic with pretty much anything, even metal to some extent. The level of clarity, as well as the soundstage is ear-melting. Stuff like Pink Floyd or Devin Townsend is complete ear candy with these. But man, oh man, those 800s! I nearly fainted when I started listening to them, haha. 

 

[palmfish]

What mall has a Sennheiser booth? Id like to visit one of those...

 

[Lord Voldemort]

Quote:

 
I actually purchased the headphones this morning. I was walking around a mall I rarely go to, wondering 'Oh man, if only there was some place to demo the cans!' (I was speaking to my brother about them). And lo and behold, 10 minutes later we stumble upon a Sennheiser booth featuring the likes of their flagship phones (598s, 800s, 650s, etc.). My mouth dropped to say the least. All that you said in your post is too true. They sound fantastic with pretty much anything, even metal to some extent. The level of clarity, as well as the soundstage is ear-melting. Stuff like Pink Floyd or Devin Townsend is complete ear candy with these. But man, oh man, those 800s! I nearly fainted when I started listening to them, haha. 

You're lucky to have such a place around where you live. I personally have to go to someone's house to audition headphones. I've never heard the HD800 but apparently they do have a hot treble with second to none imaging.