[LazyListener]

  And more thing about HD 598SE. In higher volume it's just plain noisy. Don't know if you have noticed.

Yes, it was one of the first things I noticed with the 598SE.  I mentioned this in my earlier reply to you.  The high volume test is one of the first tests I do when I try out new cans, and I repeat the test after several hours of burn in.  The 598SE sounded loud, noisy, grating, and somewhat distorted at high volume.  The music just didn't hold together well.  In contrast, the warmer, fuller, smoother sounding Ivory 598 just sang beautifully at high volume, smooth, listenable, with little to no distortion.

 

[DerJawsh]

Has anyone run the quality test at:
 
http://www.audiocheck.net/soundtests_headphones.php
 
at moderate-high volumes with their HD 598s?
 
I ran it on my first pair and heard some bad buzzing around the 120hz-160hz range and it seems to have been caused by a very deformed driver cover (the little film that goes underneath the earpad and covers the drivers). So I returned them to Amazon and did a replacement. The one they sent me ALSO had this same issue, but this time on the opposite side, first one had a deformed driver cover on the right, second one had a deformed driver cover on the left, luckily, I was able to just use the two non-deformed covers and just put them in the one pair. I was wondering if this were a common occurrence?
 
I owned a pair of HD 518s for 2 years and I decided to open them up, and while their driver covers weren't exactly smooth, they were nowhere near as deformed as the ones in my HD 598s were. It seems kinda ridiculous that the quality control for these is so abysmal. 
 
In addition to this, both the pairs of HD 598s I purchased, keep in mind, brand new from Amazon, seem to have a tiny portion of the headband padding that sticks out further than the rest.
 
Kinda like this:
 
http://cdn.head-fi.org/9/99/900x900px-LL-99b19d92_IMG_20120712_025457.jpeg
 
(Taken from earlier in the thread from someone else, these aren't mine)
 
But not the cracking, just notice how the adhesive for the padding seems to not be connected in the picture.
 
The ones they sent to me have this very minimally but still, 100% of HD 598s I've got had that problem.

 

[SirMarc]

I think you guys just have bad luck. My SE's sound pretty good and I'm an HD650 user so the bar is set pretty high...

 

[viralcow]

Are these (598SE) worth getting for $75?

 

[fallrsk]

Are these (598SE) worth getting for $75?

Anything at $100 or lower for these guys is WAY beyond worth it. I don't think anyone can disagree.

 

[viralcow]

Anything at $100 or lower for these guys is WAY beyond worth it. I don't think anyone can disagree.

 
I would only get these for the nostalgia factor, as a friend's HD595 was the first headphone that got me into the headphone game. But if these have a different sound and worse build quality, then I can stick to the cans I have now... 

 

[fallrsk]

viralcow ah well, at that point it's up to each individual. There's one or two others that have or had the 595 in this thread so i would think you're best off pming them. I think their opinions were split, onw preferring and the other deferring the 598.

 

[VeggiePopper]

I would only get these for the nostalgia factor, as a friend's HD595 was the first headphone that got me into the headphone game. But if these have a different sound and worse build quality, then I can stick to the cans I have now... 

You can read the early posts on this thread, whern the 595's were still available and people could compare the two. I never had the 595's so I'm afraid I don't have anything to say in this regard.

Sound quality, I think it's a matter of taste, but in terms of build, there is no question that the 598's are much better built. The plastic is sturdy as hell and the soft headband is a kiss to your head.

 

[mahajanrahul]

Hi.....i currently have fidelio x2, these are great headphones but they are not good for classical music..so i am planning to buy senn hd598 specifically for classical/ vocal....i was reading this thread and found people claiming 598 SE and 598 old edition have different sound. Is this true and which version should i buy?? i could get 598 SE for 160$ and 598 for 210$.....any comments on 598 for classical music would be great.....any other recommendation (for classical/ vocal) under 200$? Thanks......

 

[LazyListener]

@DerJawsh
 
Yeah, that's really unfortunate about the driver covers and poor quality.  Did you get 598s or the SEs?
 
Regarding the headband not being fully stuck on, I had that problem with my first set of Ivory 598s, brand new.  It was in a small spot and looked more like an alignment issue to me.  I loved the sound so much that it didn't really bother me.  It's not like the headband was falling off.
 
I have no idea how these will hold up over the years though.  Enjoying them while they last.

 

[LazyListener]

  Hi.....i currently have fidelio x2, these are great headphones but they are not good for classical music..so i am planning to buy senn hd598 specifically for classical/ vocal....i was reading this thread and found people claiming 598 SE and 598 old edition have different sound. Is this true and which version should i buy?? i could get 598 SE for 160$ and 598 for 210$.....any comments on 598 for classical music would be great.....any other recommendation (for classical/ vocal) under 200$? Thanks......

I auditioned the X2 as well as many other cans along side my Ivory 598s.  I much preferred the sound of the 598 over the X2.  I think the Ivory 598 sound great with classical music, mostly due to the open and spacious soundstage and its ability to reproduce the natural resonances of a recording.  With the Ivory 598, I feel like I can hear more of the room acoustics of the recording, more so than any other headphone I've tried.
 
As far as which you should get, Ivory 598 or black SE, my advice is get which ever color you prefer.  Yes, several people have posted that they sound different, but there's no consensus that one sounds a particular way vs the other.  Some say the Ivory 598 sounds warmer, bassier, and smoother than the 598SE.  Others have said the opposite.  While yet others, have said that their replacement of the same 598SE sounded different.
 
So get whichever color you prefer and see for yourself if you're happy with the sound.  If after listening to one pair, you're not happy with it, or just curious what another pair would sound like, you may want to consider exchanging them for another pair.

 

[Arsis]

Has Sennheiser released a statement in response to claims that Ivory and SE sound different?
I can't imagine that they would intentionally make them sound different without marketing them as "new & improved".
Has anyone opened them up for a side by side comparison?
I've had mine for 4 years and I love them.

 

[OMGLadyGaga]

I have the Ivory ones and thinking about getting the SE just because I've always preferred the look of the 558 and now the 598s look even cooler. Kinda scared by all this sounding different stuff tho. Someone send their pair to Tyll to measure!

 

[Thekarma]

You can read the early posts on this thread, whern the 595's were still available and people could compare the two. I never had the 595's so I'm afraid I don't have anything to say in this regard.

Sound quality, I think it's a matter of taste, but in terms of build, there is no question that the 598's are much better built. The plastic is sturdy as hell and the soft headband is a kiss to your head.

 
I have the 595's and 598SE, have never had normal 598's... The 598SE's are a little more warm maybe 'fuller'. I didn't like the 598SE when I tried them, the bass sounded loose and hid the detail. I was sure I would stick to my 595's... After 70h burn in the bass on the 598SE's is tighter and the detail is there now the 595's sound a little dull....

 

[DerJawsh]

@LazyListener
 
I got the Ivory's both times and yeah, I love the sound on them, especially love the soundstage, binaural recordings can sometimes fool me with how good it is. Really wish Sennheiser would put more into their QA though.