[Garraty]

Fair enough, but I was just continuing on from palmfish's post.

 

[palmfish]

It's a simile

Analogy, not simile.

comparing the qualities between the HD 558 and the HD 598. The HD 598 may not be perceived as altogether better but is overall more refined, sweeter in midrange and is lush when compared to the HD 558

An opinion stated as a fact remains an opinion.

and these descriptions are similar when comparing a Milky Way bar to a Snickers bar.

The need to compare one thing to another to form a frame of reference is human nature, but in this case, it's irrelevant.

Is the 598 better than the 558? Is a Milky Way better than a Snickers? Is red better than blue? Is Breitling better than Rolex?

The answer is no. Whichever you prefer is the better one...

EDIT: A pet peeve of mine around here is the misuse of the term "refinement" and the ease with which some people state as a fact that the 598 is "more refined" than the 558 when in fact the only difference between them is the pattern of holes on the outer cups, which most certainly affects the frequency response but in no way adds or takes away "refinement."

 

[Saoshyant]

I see no real similarities between headphones and candy bars, so I'd argue it is a poor analogy.

 

[streetdragon]

Analogy, not simile.
An opinion stated as a fact remains an opinion.
The need to compare one thing to another to form a frame of reference is human nature, but in this case, it's irrelevant.

Is the 598 better than the 558? Is a Milky Way better than a Snickers? Is red better than blue? Is Breitling better than Rolex?

The answer is no. Whichever you prefer is the better one...

EDIT: A pet peeve of mine around here is the misuse of the term "refinement" and the ease with which some people state as a fact that the 598 is "more refined" than the 558 when in fact the only difference between them is the pattern of holes on the outer cups, which most certainly affects the frequency response but in no way adds or takes away "refinement."

The soundstage of the HD558 is more closed in compared to the HD598 primarily due to the fact that there is a big lump of foam inside the HD558. At the same time the bass of the HD558 is more impactful due to the pressure being contained by the foam.
Also material in the cup can affect how the different soundwaves travel in the headphone, direction and amplitude. I won't think it will be as refined if you heard many echoes of the sound compared to having a clean sound without echoes at all.

 

[palmfish]

  the bass of the HD558 is more impactful due to the pressure being contained by the foam. Also material in the cup can affect how the different soundwaves travel in the headphone, direction and amplitude. I won't think it will be as refined if you heard many echoes of the sound compared to having a clean sound without echoes at all..

 
If this is true, then why does removing the foam add more weight to the bass?
 
I agree that the differences affect frequency response and some high frequency reflections, but I don't understand why you think they sound more "refined." Refinement to me is "less grain," "blacker background," etc; like the differences between the HD5XX line and the HD6XX line.
 
Maybe if you defined "refinement" it would help clarify what you are saying.

 

[streetdragon]

   
If this is true, then why does removing the foam add more weight to the bass?
 
I agree that the differences affect frequency response and some high frequency reflections, but I don't understand why you think they sound more "refined." Refinement to me is "less grain," "blacker background," etc; like the differences between the HD5XX line and the HD6XX line.
 
Maybe if you defined "refinement" it would help clarify what you are saying.

I don't think that removing the foam at the back of the grill adds more weight to the bass. Only removing the lining between the driver and your ear adds extension to the bass cause the thin lining absorbs a bit of the lowest frequencies. 
Well i'm not really sure how you would define refine but the HD598 with a wider soundstage, more even sounding, cleaner and extended treble does sound like a more refined headphone. It feels like there is an added layer of sound where the HD558's sound is closed off. Not sure if that does mean refinement but it does sound like an improvement.

If we looked at the other side where the HD518 sits, that has the least amount of detail and depth in its sound, even with similar components though its sound is the warmest with more of its bass retained at the back of the earcup and also retained by the stiffer earpads.

 

[DumbCK]

I only got to try the 598's for a month but fell absolutely in love with them. Are there any other headphones that can compete with the 598's without being open cans? Of course the sound stage will suffer in comparison. I have the srh440s right now and it's been a while since I tried the 598s, just wondering how they compare? 

 

[streetdragon]

  I only got to try the 598's for a month but fell absolutely in love with them. Are there any other headphones that can compete with the 598's without being open cans? Of course the sound stage will suffer in comparison. I have the srh440s right now and it's been a while since I tried the 598s, just wondering how they compare? 

the srh940 would make a much better comparison. less soundstage and bass, more treble sparkle and clarity. HD598 has an overall richer sound while the SRH940 has a cleaner crisper sound.

If the SRH940 has too little bass, you can get the SRH840 that has more bass with a little less treble clarity. (and is generally liked more than the SRH940 due to it having more bass.

 

[Destroysall]

I currently have some HD 598 headphones in my position and I can say that after a few days of listening.. they are becoming rather one of my favorite headphones in the Sennheiser lineup. Granted I've heard most of the lineup and the only ones to leave an impression were the HD 600 and the HD 800. This headphone I feel I enjoy a tad bit more than the HD 600. It is much more comfortable to wear I feel (the headband and the pressure given by the HD 600 made the headphone a bit exhausting for me at times). This headphone has brought about a great reveal to my music in terms of detail and that is truly remarkable in my opinion. The mid range being more apparent (more so than my Beyerdynamic DT 990/600 Ω) adds a whole new perspective on my music.
 
I do wish some on a few songs that the bass was more prevalent; also noting the fact that my amplifier (HiFiMAN EF2a w/ Mullard CV4010 tubes) is naturally producing a high gain signal, I do I have to learn how to adjust the volume properly without things getting too loud. I even have to lower the gain via the Equalizer in iTunes (no gripe here), but I love the music that is being reproduced overall. I even feel like I should "upgrade" to these headphones, but before I do, I wonder if the younger HD 558 is just as good.. So I'd like to give that one a demo in the future sometime..
 
I'll post a more detailed review sometime soon (with pics), so I guess stay tuned!
 
Cheers,
destroysall

 

[Saoshyant]

If you decide you want a hd598 and don't mind used, I can't say I'm enjoying mine. The picked up a hd700 recently and love it.

 

[domes]

I have used the HD 598s for the past year.  I have always liked them and were my first set of decent headphones so didn't have much to compare to.  I recently bought the Audio Technica ath-m50 to use at work.  Yes, they sound good in my opinion for a song or two but start to become uncomfortable.  The 598 is so much more comfortable physically and sonically.   Switching back to the 598 is an ahhh…moment that is very recognizable and in my opinion just sounds so much more correct and natural. Yes, the m50s have deeper bass but for everything else I much prefer the Senns.  I like the 598s even more now.  Next objective is to get closer to the 598 sound in a closed headphone to wear at work as the M50s just don't cut it.

 

[Arsis]

sent my m50 back. i love Senn HD439. cheaper too!

 

[indieman]

I know it's a stretch but Senn does make g4me zero that's closed. It has a mic and different style but the driver/housing is almost the same I think... They're my next upgrade

 

[Bansaku]

Just picked up a pair of HD 598 today for my couch listening. Simply put, they are amazing!
 
First impressions playing unequalized out of my Yamaha receiver via TosLink in Direct stereo mode using Fidelia.
- Very light; Like wearing nothing on my head, even wearing glasses. They take the top place over the Meelec Atlas as the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn.
- Treble and Mids are silky sweet; Zero hint of the 'Sennheiser Veil', zero accentuation of sibilance. So far they are non-fatiguing yet very revealing with great timbre and sparkle.
- Compared to my balanced (para-eq) MOE, the HD 598 are in no way lacking Bass; It is tight, precise, fast, and slams. They will pound your head rather than loosen your fillings.
- Soundstage and space is nothing shy of spectacular. Listening to the 24/192 binaural recordings on The Ultimate Headphones Demonstration disc by Chesky Records, simply put, blew my mind. The tracks sounded fantastic with my MOE, with the HD 598 they sounded breathtaking. Open, airy, lively, transparent. My wife was listening to a live unplugged version of Jaded by Aerosmith on YouTube when I unplugged her Meelec Atlas from her iPod 4th gen. and replaced them with my HD 598 and her jaw went through to the basement. She said it was like she was sitting at a table in front of the bar stage.
 
I am very much looking forward to the next few weeks during their burn-in period. Out of the box the HD 598 sound as neutral as flat can be for a pair of headphones, yet sound very lively and exciting. So far over the past few hours, the HD 598 performed admirably with every genre of music I through at them, sans Rap and Dub-step. Sorry folks, I consider those two nothing more than modern day elevator outlet store music. Anyway, I will give my updated 2 cents once I exceed the 100h+ mark.

 

 

[indieman]

  - Very light; Like wearing nothing on my head, even wearing glasses. They take the top place over the Meelec Atlas as the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn.
 

 
See I must be weird because I could never get mine comfy . They'd be fine for about 5 mins, then it felt like they weren't sitting over my ears well and I drove myself crazy trying to re position them...