[TK277]

Quote:

 
Interesting, as I wasn't sure if people were going to try the O2 with the HD 598. How does the HD 598 sound at low volume with the O2 as opposed to no amp? I don't listen to music that loud and I'm wondering if the amp will have a real benefit.
 
One of the things that attracted me to the HD 598 was its low impedance, meaning it can sound good even without a separate headphone amp.

the 598s were my first set of hi-fi headphones and my only piece of good equipment at the time, so I can attest to their quality without an amp. With the proper tubes they have more detail, but I loved them from day 1. My iPhone powered them to sufficient volumes and my MacBook Pro can drive them louder than necessary.

 

[dorino]

I'd say that the bass is "fixed" by an amp. The much lower impedance on the amp lends to smoothing out the hump that Senns tend to have in the bass.

 

[infernoRS]

Hey, my first post here Been reading these forums for a while now but haven't found any reason to register before.
 
So. I am looking for new headphones since my old HD 555's are cracked off so badly that i need to use a LOT of tape to keep them up. I noticed the HD 598's and after a bit of research I decided that these might be my choice. Pretty similar to the 555's, only a little bit better if I'm correct. 
 
I would happily get some harder-to-drive phones, like the Beyer DT-880's, but I have no idea what this old Pioneer A-447 amp can do... It would cost me some dear money to upgrade to a proper headphone amp. I have tried to seek out info on the amp but it's pretty impossible to find clear answers. If anyone can suggest who to ask, I'm all open. I have looked at the Essence STX sound card for a headphone amp but I have my doubts that could it drive 250+ohm headphones. The 598's are just 50 ohms like the 555's if I'm not mistaken so they should work well.
 
Anyways, what are your opinions; should I get the HD 598's or spend more money on a new amp (and would the STX be enough) and the DT-880's for example. Also, if anyone has the knowledge that would this A-447 be sufficient for harder-to-drive phones or knows someone who might be able to help, please tell me. 
 
This is a 598 thread so this could be the wrong place to ask but I'll give it a go.
 
And yes, as a final note, the music I mostly listen to is rock and (mostly progressive) metal, and occasionally some classical stuff.

 

[LoveKnight]

If you can, then buy another headphone that is better than HD598 likes Hifiman HE-500 for quality or material for instance. HD598 is little bit fragile and nasty when it gets dirty. If you look for a good durable headphone I think HD598 is not a headphone that you should choose to buy.
 
In contrast, the sound quality of HD598s are not bad at all. they are better than HD555s for sure. The HD598s are for silky,smooth, mid and unoffensive treble and suitable for Jazz for example.

 

[infernoRS]

That goes out of my budget... I'm going to spend money in a laptop soon so I need to watch out on the budget a bit. I also would like to buy them from my country since warranty and shipping and that kind of stuff would be a lot easier. Thanks for the tip anyways.
 
I'm not anyhow disappointed in the HD 500 series build quality, these headphones are several years old and I have used them abroad too even though they are not meant for that. These headphones are known for their cracking if I'm correct, but nah, that doesn't really bother me. I will try to listen to some headphones if I can find a shop here that has them around.
Quote:

If you can, then buy another headphone that is better than HD598 likes Hifiman HE-500 for quality or material for instance. HD598 is little bit fragile and nasty when it gets dirty. If you look for a good durable headphone I think HD598 is not a headphone that you should choose to buy.
 
In contrast, the sound quality of HD598s are not bad at all. they are better than HD555s for sure. The HD598s are for silky,smooth, mid and unoffensive treble and suitable for Jazz for example.

 

[palmfish]

If you were happy with the 555's and your Pioneer amp, then the 598's will simply be a nice upgrade.
 
In my experience, if you have grown accustomed to the "Sennheiser sound" and you like it, then switching to another brand may be a let down.
 
Go with the 598's and plug them into your Pioneer. They are a headphone that really does everything well - a Jack-of-all-trades, if you will. Forget about headphone amps, DAC's, etc. They're a road that leads to disappointment and an empty wallet.

 

[musicinmymind]

Quote:

If you were happy with the 555's and your Pioneer amp, then the 598's will simply be a nice upgrade.
 
In my experience, if you have grown accustomed to the "Sennheiser sound" and you like it, then switching to another brand may be a let down.
 
Go with the 598's and plug them into your Pioneer. They are a headphone that really does everything well - a Jack-of-all-trades, if you will. Forget about headphone amps, DAC's, etc. They're a road that leads to disappointment and an empty wallet.

 
Before E17 .... D2K was my main can....used 598 only for classical...loved there mids but bass was too lacking...with E17 it otherway round....E17 give the ruquired bass hump .... I now agree 598 is the best can...I hit sweet spot with E17-598

 

[infernoRS]

Quote:

If you were happy with the 555's and your Pioneer amp, then the 598's will simply be a nice upgrade.
 
In my experience, if you have grown accustomed to the "Sennheiser sound" and you like it, then switching to another brand may be a let down.
 
Go with the 598's and plug them into your Pioneer. They are a headphone that really does everything well - a Jack-of-all-trades, if you will. Forget about headphone amps, DAC's, etc. They're a road that leads to disappointment and an empty wallet.

 Yeah, I will do that. It's an easy way to go now. Thanks.
 
Quote:

 
Before E17 .... D2K was my main can....used 598 only for classical...loved there mids but bass was too lacking...with E17 it otherway round....E17 give the ruquired bass hump .... I now agree 598 is the best can...I hit sweet spot with E17-598

I will still look for some DACs at some point cause I will buy that laptop and it requires a better sound card and that would basically do the job I quess. It's an ok price for one. Creative SB X-Fi HD USB would be the other choice but I will decide between them when the time comes. Thanks for you too.

 

[MegaMushroom]

Quote:

 
Before E17 .... D2K was my main can....used 598 only for classical...loved there mids but bass was too lacking...with E17 it otherway round....E17 give the ruquired bass hump .... I now agree 598 is the best can...I hit sweet spot with E17-598

 
E17, eh?  Might have to look into that as a portable source as well as amp. Too bad my EF2A doesn't fit in my pocket... 

 

[Actiiive]

Hey guys I'm relatively new to the headphone scene. I have a question would it be worth it to upgrade to these bad boys from a modded sennheiser HD 555 to HD 595?
Quick edit: I use those headphones for gaming paired with an astro mixamp.

 

[LoveKnight]

I think you should consider HD 598s because they are great heaphones for games. There is a topic on head-fi discuss about some headphones are good for gaming. Here it is.  http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad-lust-envys-headphone-gaming-guide-updated-6-10-2012-ultrasone-pro-2900-added-many-edits

 

[Actiiive]

Thanks for the reply I will have to check that thread out.

 

[tdockweiler]

These are sounding really good right now! For the past 6-8 months i've used them only for a few minutes for testing. Not sure why they didn't get used much. I guess the Q701 and DJ100 took up all my time. I also acquired the HD-580 (which isn't really better overall, just different).
 
I removed the old cable I had on them (CA-0363) and replaced it with the old Mogami wire (2893 starquad) and it's back to it's old self. The differences are pretty surprising. Felt that with the other cable you lose out on some of the mids and they're just not as full sounding. It might be nice on the HD-600 though.
 
Currently using them at the moment with the Fiio E11 and a Sansa Clip. I think the E11 might not be the best amp for them, but I'll need to compare it to my Airhead and E5. Maybe they'll sound better just straight out of the Clip.
 
I've recabled these about a dozen times now and no dead driver yet, but a few close calls! One of the few recables that feels like you're doing brain surgery.

 

[musicman43]

Just bought a pair of these and can't wait to see how they compare to my Shure SRH 840 will post results when the 598 get here

 

[gohanssjn]

Quote:

Just bought a pair of these and can't wait to see how they compare to my Shure SRH 840 will post results when the 598 get here

Haha, that's exactly what I had before my 598s.  I use the 598s more now than I ever did the 840s