[zanox]

  Wait- you are using high quality lossy or lossless files, correct? 

yes. im using flac.

 

[MarcadoStalker7]

  My HD 598 sounds grainy out of the box somewhere in the mids/treble. I can't pinpoint. It's noticable in the vocals. would it improve with burn in ?

My HD-598 needed about 6 months to complete the burn-in period. In that time, i usually listened about 2 hours/day. So, my 598's have 250 hours of total reproduction, approximately, and sounds with no or very little grain (depends on recording).
 
Obviously, at first, it was boomy and has nothing special. The mids was ''good'' at first, the bass boomy and the treble harsh.
After 250+ hours the bass was controlled and true to the recording (still weak in sub-bass, you only hear it in a very-bassy song. I think that was Sennheiser intention on those headphones, probably to make it more comfortable). The mids have been more detailed and natural, and the treble much more smooth.
 
Give it more time and you will notice an improvement no matter what you are listening. 

 

[zanox]

  My HD-598 needed about 6 months to complete the burn-in period. In that time, i usually listened about 2 hours/day. So, my 598's have 250 hours of total reproduction, approximately, and sounds with no or very little grain (depends on recording).
 
Obviously, at first, it was boomy and has nothing special. The mids was ''good'' at first, the bass boomy and the treble harsh.
After 250+ hours the bass was controlled and true to the recording (still weak in sub-bass, you only hear it in a very-bassy song. I think that was Sennheiser intention on those headphones, probably to make it more comfortable). The mids have been more detailed and natural, and the treble much more smooth.
 
Give it more time and you will notice an improvement no matter what you are listening. 

even after burn in there's a little grain?well, that's a bummer.
the treble sounds harsh. and it's noticable in the mids . did you have the same experience initially?

 

[MarcadoStalker7]

 
even after burn in there's a little grain?well, that's a bummer.
the treble sounds harsh. and it's noticable in the mids . did you have the same experience initially?

Right now, i only notice a little grain in recordings produced by a potato. In a good recording i don't hear any.
For example, a song that sounds very grainy in my experience with the HD-598's:
 

 
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rhj5OQjiU5k
 
The treble in this song just sucks, because of the guy who produced it. And the song itself sounds not-so-good in my HD-598's.
 
-
 
In the other way, there are recordings who sound with absolutely no-grain, very detailed and lively on my HD-598's, like these:
 

 
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNYg2iTEhmA
 

 
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J4Onll7VNs
 

 
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2ronQLKSY0
 
Those are what i consider, at least, ''good recording'', and, in my experience, sounded full-bodied on my 598's, without any flaws.
 
Obviously, you need to assure that you are listening to good quality formats, at least 320 Kbps, MP3 or AAC.
 
A question: what is your source?

 

[MarcadoStalker7]

And yes, firstly i noticed the 598's harsh and grainy, but after at least 250+ hours i noticed a sound that everyone here, on Head-Fi, says: smooth, lively and with a great soundstage.

 

[Bansaku]

 
even after burn in there's a little grain?well, that's a bummer.
the treble sounds harsh. and it's noticable in the mids . did you have the same experience initially?

 
What songs are you listening too, and do ALL songs have grain? Artists and title please. Went through a 5 hour listening session last night (to help burn in my new D1) and I will say this again, ZERO grain with the exception of the recording (there are a few songs in my 14,000+ library). And I listened to the HD 598 loud too.

 

[MarcadoStalker7]

I think the same. The only type of grain you get from the HD-598's when its burned-in is the flaws of the recording itself.

 

[MarcadoStalker7]

Ah, ok. You are using a decent sound card, just give the HD-598's more burn-in time and you will notice the improvement

 

[Bansaku]

  Ah, ok. You are using a decent sound card, just give the HD-598's more burn-in time and you will notice the improvement

 
I agree. Some drivers just need time to settle in (not burn-in). Don't focus so much on it's flaws and enjoy the strengths.
 
I will say this though, the HD 598 are the near epitome of 'crap in-crap out'. Heavily compressed music sounds like poop; dull, lifeless, harsh, lacking proper extension. Even low bit-rate mp3 files I have that are from high quality recording sound significantly better than lossless heavily compressed/poorly mastered recordings. The HD 598 will slap you across the face if any ugly is in the track. HD 24/96KHz recordings sound amazing, with perfect 'real' bass extension. Listening to Dubstep (lol spell check doesn't recognize that as a word) the bass sounds thumpy/boomy and lifeless. Which brings me to the Audioengine D1 I recently purchased.
 
I recently learned of the 'Head-fi trap', which is basically people suggesting a certain DAC/amp to pair with their headphones that will make them sound significantly better only to disappoint. That being said, pairing up the HD 598 with the Audioengine D1 is a fantastic match. I won't get into any detailed specifics of the combo yet as I am still burning them both in, but I will say that the addition of the D1 really helps out in the low-end. I am in no way suggesting that this will make the HD 598 sound like an Amperior, rather before when using the HP jack on my receiver and it's DAC, I found that I had to create a 30Hz low shelf extending down past 20Hz by 3.5dB. On HD tracks I found the bass to be too boomy and thumpy. The HD 598 significantly rolls off at 26Hz and anything lower distorts.  D1 helps out quite a bit with not only adding a more smoother, detailed low-end it also adds some weight to the bass. It's like if I had a magical bass dial, the knob would be turned up to the 2nd notch out of 10 11. Anyway, 40 hours of burn-in to go on my D1, happy listening!
 

 
 
Edit: I forgot to mention, listening to movies and playing games on the HD 598 is a treat. In all honesty, the HD 598 performs better than EVERY gaming headset I have ever owned, including Corsair, Logitech, Sound Blaster, and Razor. Every brand listed claims that their headsets have big sound and big bass thanks to their 50mm+ drivers. Not so. They all had a pretty balanced sound but even paired with a dedicated sound card with their included software, they simply do not match the HD 598 straight out of the D1 in terms of not only 'big sound and big bass', but in terms of sonic fidelity and 3D sound-space. I already sold my SB Recon3D, my Vengeance 1300 are next. 
 

 

[MarcadoStalker7]

   
I agree. Some drivers just need time to settle in (not burn-in). Don't focus so much on it's flaws and enjoy the strengths.
 
I will say this though, the HD 598 are the near epitome of 'crap in-crap out'. Heavily compressed music sounds like poop; dull, lifeless, harsh, lacking proper extension. Even low bit-rate mp3 files I have that are from high quality recording sound significantly better than lossless heavily compressed/poorly mastered recordings. The HD 598 will slap you across the face if any ugly is in the track. HD 24/96KHz recordings sound amazing, with perfect 'real' bass extension. Listening to Dubstep (lol spell check doesn't recognize that as a word) the bass sounds thumpy/boomy and lifeless. Which brings me to the Audioengine D1 I recently purchased.
 
I recently learned of the 'Head-fi trap', which is basically people suggesting a certain DAC/amp to pair with their headphones that will make them sound significantly better only to disappoint. That being said, pairing up the HD 598 with the Audioengine D1 is a fantastic match. I won't get into any detailed specifics of the combo yet as I am still burning them both in, but I will say that the addition of the D1 really helps out in the low-end. I am in no way suggesting that this will make the HD 598 sound like an Amperior, rather before when using the HP jack on my receiver and it's DAC, I found that I had to create a 30Hz low shelf extending down past 20Hz by 3.5dB. On HD tracks I found the bass to be too boomy and thumpy. The HD 598 significantly rolls off at 26Hz and anything lower distorts.  D1 helps out quite a bit with not only adding a more smoother, detailed low-end it also adds some weight to the bass. It's like if I had a magical bass dial, the knob would be turned up to the 2nd notch out of 10 11. Anyway, 40 hours of burn-in to go on my D1, happy listening!
 

 
 
Edit: I forgot to mention, listening to movies and playing games on the HD 598 is a treat. In all honesty, the HD 598 performs better than EVERY gaming headset I have ever owned, including Corsair, Logitech, Sound Blaster, and Razor. Every brand listed claims that their headsets have big sound and big bass thanks to their 50mm+ drivers. Not so. They all had a pretty balanced sound but even paired with a dedicated sound card with their included software, they simply do not match the HD 598 straight out of the D1 in terms of not only 'big sound and big bass', but in terms of sonic fidelity and 3D sound-space. I already sold my SB Recon3D, my Vengeance 1300 are next. 
 

I am very happy with mines too!, its my favorite pair of headphones right now. I will never sell it, but i want the dark-sounding HD-650 to my collection too, and the HD 380 Pro for isolation and accuracy
 
-
 
I noticed the bass too. On the Grado SR325is which i have too (and it supposed to have a very hard-hitting bass), the bass just hides behind the mids and highs, specially with very compressed and digital recordings, i.e. Death Metal.
 
The same thing occurs with my 598's. The bass quantity and quality depends of the quality of the recording, IME.
I heard some low-freqs with very nice resolution and punch in my 598's, with good produced music. And, i have a hard time trying to hear the bass guitar instrument or anything above 100Hz in music recorded by a potato, mostly modern metal, no matter what headphones i put in my head.
 
IMO, the lacking bass on 598's for me is a myth, because it lacks in my SR325is too. But, there is no bass-lacking with good produced music in 598's, and the source helps too.
 
¡Happy Listening 2u!

 

[zanox]

Thanks you guys !
I hope the issue is solved with burn in.
how long does it take to properly burn in?
the thing is i compared them against my d340.
the d340 has smooth mids , they don't play the details as loud as the hd 598.
the HD 598 plays the details way louder and throws them in your face(the mids are very forward)
I like smooth mids. they are clean. I don't like to listen to those nuisances and flaws in the vocals.
and yes, the soundstage is phenomenal and airy. they sound really good to my ears except for the grain.

 

[Garraty]

  Thanks you guys !
I hope the issue is solved with burn in.
how long does it take to properly burn in?
the thing is i compared them against my d340.
the d340 has smooth mids , they don't play the details as loud as the hd 598.
the HD 598 plays the details way louder and throws them in your face(the mids are very forward)
I like smooth mids. they are clean. I don't like to listen to those nuisances and flaws in the vocals.
and yes, the soundstage is phenomenal and airy. they sound really good to my ears except for the grain.

I burned them in for about two weeks (perhaps 150-200 hrs) but you also have to account for your brain burn-in. After all, you yourself are adjusting to the sound as you listen and you should become more accustomed to it. If you are still having problems, you can two things: ask Sennheiser for a repair or replacement (bad driver? That can happen- my own pair of HD598 fell and suddenly sounded quieter. I was heartbroken.) or simply get a refund.
 
Good luck!
 
EDIT: Listened to the Opeth song you posted above. Couldn't hear too much grain, perhaps a tad bit. However I can hear the female vocals being a bit sharp sometimes especially with her s's.

 

[zanox]

  I burned them in for about two weeks (perhaps 150-200 hrs) but you also have to account for your brain burn-in. After all, you yourself are adjusting to the sound as you listen and you may become more accustomed to it. If you are still having problems, you can two things: ask Sennheiser for a repair or replacement (bad driver? That can happen- my own pair of HD598 fell and suddenly sounded quieter. I was heartbroken.) or simply get a refund.
 
Good luck!

I have replaced them twice. My first pair had the driver imbalance problem, and my second pair had this grain problem which initially I thought was the driver defect. I gave them for replacement and they took a month to give me the replacement pair.
and now even this new pair has the same grain issue.
I don't know what to do. it's been 2 months since I bought the first pair. And I'm still yet to enjoy them.

 

[Garraty]

 
I have replaced them twice. My first pair had the driver imbalance problem, and my second pair had this grain problem which initially I thought was the driver defect. I gave them for replacement and they took a month to give me the replacement pair.
and now even this new pair has the same grain issue.
I don't know what to do. it's been 2 months since I bought the first pair. And I'm still yet to enjoy them.

Well, if this problem still persists but you still like the sound of the HD598's, I suggest you can purchase a used HD580 or find a good deal on the HD600, provided you have the amplification, of course. This might solve your problems. 

 

[MarcadoStalker7]

 
I have replaced them twice. My first pair had the driver imbalance problem, and my second pair had this grain problem which initially I thought was the driver defect. I gave them for replacement and they took a month to give me the replacement pair.
and now even this new pair has the same grain issue.
I don't know what to do. it's been 2 months since I bought the first pair. And I'm still yet to enjoy them.

As i suggested before, give more burn-in to the drivers. Firstly you have the driver imbalance, but you can't get two pairs who have that 'grain'.
I noticed even sibilance in the first days with my HD-598's, its one of those headphones who need so much time of playing for being opened completely.
 
My HD-598's plays vocals very realistically. But, ins't ''real life like'', anyway, still very natural and enjoyable. Don't think to get that level of detail and reality by a 250$ dynamic driver headphones.
For that i suggest you electrostats but obviously those aren't as nearly as easy-to-drive and universal as the 598's.