Regarding questions on how the Sennheiser HD 598 compares to other headphones...
In this post:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/109756/rank-the-headphones-that-you-own/4095#post_10508731 ,
I selected the 12 most frequently-ranked headphones in the 1,000 most recent headphone rankings, extending back to November, 2013. There were 10 rankings of the HD 598 against the other 11 most-popular headphones, which I report in this picture (click to render it legible!):
The blue box at left cites the Sennheiser and the fact that it had a rank order of 0.36 (rounded down, of a possible range from 0.0, which is always being ranked at the top, a privilege reserved for the Sennheiser HD 800, to 0.58, or always being ranked at the bottom, as was the Koss PortaPro), as well as its price, both from Sennheiser and currently on amazon.com.
The 10 columns that follow are 10 persons' rank ordering of the Sennheiser HD 598 against 1 to 3 other of the 11 most-ranked headphones. It consistently scores above the AKG K550 and the Audio-Technica ATH-M50.
Next are a few tables of my own detailed listening comparisons of the HD 598 against several other headphones, using a systematic set of 10 listening tests:
I used four "macro" tests that used all of the music, plus six "event-based" tests that compared the rendering of various small pieces of music, compared by repeating back and forth between two headphones. I simply ranked the ability of each headphone first (3 points), second (2 points), or third (1 point) for each test. More detail, including identity of the three songs, in this post:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/704826/how-do-you-audition-compare-headphones#post_10254063 .
The macro tests were:
- Transparency;
- Size, both horizontal and vertical, of sound stage;
- Resolution of position of two persons singing near each other;
- Volume of headphone with iPod turned up all the way.
The event-based tests were:
- "Twang" of drumhead at entrance to Song 1;
- Preservation of features allowing me to determine pitch of bass notes in Song1 Verse 3)
- Finger pluck at start of bass notes at start of Song 2;
- Clarity of shaker, preserving differences of each shake, in Song 2 Verse 3;
- "Ripping" sound characteristic of horns and medium low reed organ pipes at start of Song 3;
- Ability to hear additional echoing chord stacked upon a huge bombast of sustained full orchestra and organ four beats later, in about third "verse" of Song 3.
Here is the result of my first comparison. A 3 indicates that headphone was the best of the three in that test and contributes 3 points to an eventual headphone score totaled at the end... a 1 means it was the worst. Someone has raised the reasonable objection that the HiFiMAN HE-500 was placed at a disadvantage, as it was not amplified (as was true with all comparisons) and since it has 1/130th of the efficiency of the Grado PS-500 (i.e., in sound pressure level in dB per mW of power), this is quite possible).
| Test | Grado PS-500 | HiFiMan HE-500 | Sennheiser HD-598 |
| Transparency | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Width of sound st | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Positional resolution | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Volume | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Drum "twang" | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Bass pitch perception | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Bass finger pluck | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Shaker variation | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| "Ripping" of organ/brass | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Discern added chord | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 24 | 19 | 17 |
Here is a comparison of the HD 598 against the NAD VISO hp50 and the Beats Pro:
| Test | Sennheiser HD 598 | NAD VISO hp50 | Beats Pro |
| Transparency | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Width of sound st | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Positional resolution | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Volume | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Drum "twang" | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Bass pitch perception | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Bass finger pluck | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Shaker variation | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| "Ripping" of organ/brass | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Discern added chord | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| TOTAL | 26 | 18 | 16 |
And finally, here is a comparison against the Beats Studio 2013 (the newer better ones) and the Beats Pro:
| Test | Sennheiser HD 598 | Beats Studio 2013 | Beats Pro |
| Transparency | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Width of sound st | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Positional resolution | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Volume | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Drum "twang" | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Bass pitch perception | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Bass finger pluck | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Shaker variation | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| "Ripping" of organ/brass | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Discern added chord | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| TOTAL | 27 | 16 | 17 |
Since the scores of each table are based on the rank order of the Sennheiser against the other two headphones, it is quite reasonable for its score to change as the trio of headphones being ranked changes from table to table.
Finally, for those who are wondering about its unusual color, I am pleased to point out that its color scheme is very close to that of our Mercedes Benz 230 Kompressor automobile, another fine German product. Note that the burl wood on the headphones matches the burl wood on the dash and that lines the windshield, and the beige headphones go with the beige instrument panel.
The picture shows also that I have upgraded my Sennheiser HD 598 with the 1.3-meter (shorter) cable that includes the 1/8" connector, rendering the headphone much more suited for accompanying an iPod or other portable music player and avoiding the size and weight of a larger 1/4" plug, the 1/4" - to - 1/8" converter, and 7 extra feet of cord.
Oh, and I have had these since January of 2012, or nearly 30 months now, and there has been NO cracking of the headband. Wonderful headphones WELL worth the money.
