Sennheiser HD 598 Impressions Thread
Sep 29, 2014 at 4:02 PM Post #4,036 of 7,532
  though for the HD598 my ears don't touch anything at all.

Lucky you. I have the ears of a wood elf.
 
But seems like the HD595/598 might be the most comfortable headphones I'll ever find if I don't plan on getting an ear surgery. But I'll be going to test both the 598 & 650 in a few weeks (and bunch of other headphones as well) before deciding which ones to get.
 
Thanks for the response.
 
Sep 29, 2014 at 9:32 PM Post #4,037 of 7,532
This might be the wrong place to ask this, but what do you guys think would be the IEM equivalent of the HD598? I tried the RS180 a few months ago (said to be very similar to the HD598) and it was perfect for me. I'd like to try to get as close to this sound in an IEM as possible. I'm looking at the Hifiman RE-400 and the Havi B3 right now. I'll be using them both out of a FiiO X1 (with a Topping NX1 for the Havi). What other IEMs have a similar sound to the HD598/how do the Havi and Hifiman compare? 
 
Oct 9, 2014 at 12:06 AM Post #4,039 of 7,532
I'd like to say I got these a while ago, probably on the basis of some of the comments on this very thread, and I really do appreciate the sound, it is beautiful. I pair these up with a Rendition 1 amp and that adds just a tad of bass which suits these just fine. I was listening to some Michael Jackson on these and I love the presentation and all the details. I had Senns before, 14 years ago, can't remember the model, but I loved those headphones too, they were my first "better than stock" headphones.
 
Oct 10, 2014 at 4:31 PM Post #4,041 of 7,532
Hey guys, I've been in the market for some nice headphones that I can use for competitive FPS gaming and music listening.  The general consensus out there is that the 598s have some what light bass and I'm not sure if that will suit my likings.  Everything else about the 598s seem AMAZING to me, even though I have to pay $250~ because I'm in Canada.  I really enjoy bass in my music, I often listen to EDM and other songs with lots of bass as "pump up" songs, but I also listen to songs that focus more on acoustic sounds and vocals.  I'm not sure if these headphones are still a good fit for me?
 
Also would I be needing some sort of amp to truly power these bad boys?  Been looking at the O2s and Fiio E17.  Thanks for the help!
 
Oct 10, 2014 at 4:56 PM Post #4,042 of 7,532
   The general consensus out there is that the 598s have some what light bass and I'm not sure if that will suit my likings.  

 
I wouldn't call it 'general consensus' as much as the people who find the bass lacking are the ones that tend to gripe about it the most. The HD598 are not light on bass. They may seem 'boomy' at first but after break-in everything opens up to pure musical glue. I listen to Freezepop and KMFDM. Not exactly EDM but definitely not lacking in electronica bass. One word; Fantastic!
 
As for gaming, ya, the HD598 are amazing. Better than the PCX-360 IMO.
 
At 50 Ohms almost anything that has a 3.35mm generally will have more than enough power to drive the HD598. I wouldn't worry about amping as much as finding a good DAC. Personally, I use an old Pioneer receiver connected to my D1.
 
beerchug.gif
 
 
Oct 10, 2014 at 5:02 PM Post #4,043 of 7,532
   
I wouldn't call it 'general consensus' as much as the people who find the bass lacking are the ones that tend to gripe about it the most. The HD598 are not light on bass. They may seem 'boomy' at first but after break-in everything opens up to pure musical glue. I listen to Freezepop and KMFDM. Not exactly EDM but definitely not lacking in electronica bass. One word; Fantastic!
 
As for gaming, ya, the HD598 are amazing. Better than the PCX-360 IMO.
 
At 50 Ohms almost anything that has a 3.35mm generally will have more than enough power to drive the HD598. I wouldn't worry about amping as much as finding a good DAC. Personally, I use an old Pioneer receiver connected to my D1.
 
beerchug.gif
 

Would you recommend me these cans over lets say the DT 990s or even the Fidelio X1s?
 
Oct 10, 2014 at 5:06 PM Post #4,044 of 7,532
I wouldn't call it 'general consensus' as much as the people who find the bass lacking are the ones that tend to gripe about it the most. The HD598 are not light on bass. They may seem 'boomy' at first but after break-in everything opens up to pure musical glue. I listen to Freezepop and KMFDM. Not exactly EDM but definitely not lacking in electronica bass. One word; Fantastic!

As for gaming, ya, the HD598 are amazing. Better than the PCX-360 IMO.

At 50 Ohms almost anything that has a 3.35mm generally will have more than enough power to drive the HD598. I wouldn't worry about amping as much as finding a good DAC. Personally, I use an old Pioneer receiver connected to my D1.

:beerchug:  

+1
I say not bass light but not bass hyped either. I think bass light claims may come from people who expect the pressure of a closed back can.
 
Oct 10, 2014 at 5:13 PM Post #4,045 of 7,532
  Would you recommend me these cans over lets say the DT 990s or even the Fidelio X1s?


I only have the DT770 for reference. I have seen a comparative review between the DT990, AKG701, and the HD598. From what that reviewer states, they are all pretty much equal. I would suspect that the only real difference would be the 'Sennheiser house sound' vs 'Beyerdynamic house sound', meaning a smooth balanced sound vs slightly elevated bass and peeky treble.
 
Can't say anything about the X1 as I have yet to find a store that sells Phillips headphones that cost more that $50.
 
 
+1
I say not bass light but not bass hyped either. I think bass light claims may come from people who expect the pressure of a closed back can.


Exactly. Bass is powerful, but neutral.
 
beerchug.gif

 
Oct 10, 2014 at 5:14 PM Post #4,046 of 7,532
 
I only have the DT770 for reference. I have seen a comparative review between the DT990, AKG701, and the HD598. From what that reviewer states, they are all pretty much equal. I would suspect that the only real difference would be the 'Sennheiser house sound' vs 'Beyerdynamic house sound', meaning a smooth balanced sound vs slightly elevated bass and peeky treble.
 
Can't say anything about the X1 as I have yet to find a store that sells Phillips headphones that cost more that $50.
 
beerchug.gif

 
Alright thanks for all the help! I definitely plan on picking up a HD598.
 
Oct 10, 2014 at 5:22 PM Post #4,047 of 7,532
   
Alright thanks for all the help! I definitely plan on picking up a HD598.

 
Just give them time and not judge right out-of-the-box. I never used to like the Sennheiser sound but my mistake was simply not giving them time to break-in (mentally and physically). I'll say it again, there is a reason the HD598 are ranked #5 in over-ear here at Head-fi.
 
beerchug.gif
 
 
Oct 10, 2014 at 5:41 PM Post #4,049 of 7,532
Hd558 is $100 @ Best Buy, Amazon might be willing to price match. I also feel the598 is a little light on the bass, and while I haven't owned the 558, I've listened to it multiple times and enjoyed it each time.
 
Oct 10, 2014 at 7:37 PM Post #4,050 of 7,532
  Would you recommend me these cans over lets say the DT 990s or even the Fidelio X1s?

I own both the HD 598's and the DT 990's (specifically the Pro 250 ohm version) and if you like bass I'd recommend the DT 990's over the 598's.
 
Just my personal taste, I like my 990's more than my 598's. Both have good soundstage, but I would agree that the 598's soundstage is better, that's not to say that I don't think the DT 990's soundstage is not good enough, I love the soundstage on them. But it is important to point that for gaming the 598's better soundstage is going to be an advantage for obvious reasons.
 
Overall I'd say both headphones have great soundstage, both bring out details in music you've never heard (assuming you have an amp too). The main difference between the two in my opinion is that the 598's are more neutral whereas the 990's emphasize bass and high's more (some people complain the 990's high's are emphasized too much and it's annoying, I don't feel that way though but you can always just use an EQ to reduce treble).
 

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