[vonseux]

Mine passed autentication

 

[avens]

I mean come on Sennheiser! The 580's came out in the mid 90's, and the 600's still use the same drivers. I love the way they sound, but its been 20 years

 
The drivers have been updated at least five times. For example, the "Sennheiser veil" from the 90s is long gone from the HD600-HD650 series, despite them having the same name.
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/very-important-sennheiser-hd-580-hd-600-and-hd-650-page-2#jRg3sDBg1zqkyJOD.97
 
Also the earpads and overall materials used are different from that time, which in itself makes quite a difference (improvement) in sound.
 
So no, the 580's from the 90s are not a 2015 HD600's. Not even close.
 
 
I'm still looking for short (1.2-1.5m) cables for my HD598's. Any suggestions that won't break the bank? I could also use one with a 3.5mm plug, using a 2.5mm adapter (after modding the headphones to not use that proprietary plug)

 

[AgentOfFortune]

   
The drivers have been updated at least five times. For example, the "Sennheiser veil" from the 90s is long gone from the HD600-HD650 series, despite them having the same name.
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/very-important-sennheiser-hd-580-hd-600-and-hd-650-page-2#jRg3sDBg1zqkyJOD.97
 
Also the earpads and overall materials used are different from that time, which in itself makes quite a difference (improvement) in sound.
 
So no, the 580's from the 90s are not a 2015 HD600's. Not even close.
 
 
I'm still looking for short (1.2-1.5m) cables for my HD598's. Any suggestions that won't break the bank? I could also use one with a 3.5mm plug, using a 2.5mm adapter (after modding the headphones to not use that proprietary plug)

I think Sennheiser sells a short cable for the 5x8 series from their website.  Aside from that, there's "NewFantasia" on Amazon.  I've got one of their cables on my Momentum OE, and I don't find it makes much of a sound difference.
 
Of course, @tdockweiler suggested recabling the 598s entirely.  That's always an option, albeit a warranty-voiding project.

 

[SirMarc]

The drivers have been updated at least five times. For example, the "Sennheiser veil" from the 90s is long gone from the HD600-HD650 series, despite them having the same name.
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/very-important-sennheiser-hd-580-hd-600-and-hd-650-page-2#jRg3sDBg1zqkyJOD.97

Also the earpads and overall materials used are different from that time, which in itself makes quite a difference (improvement) in sound.

So no, the 580's from the 90s are not a 2015 HD600's. Not even close.


I'm still looking for short (1.2-1.5m) cables for my HD598's. Any suggestions that won't break the bank? I could also use one with a 3.5mm plug, using a 2.5mm adapter (after modding the headphones to not use that proprietary plug)

My early 580's never had the 'veil'. All parts are interchangeable, drivers, grills, earpads, cables etc. A buddy of mine has 600's that he bought last year. Neither of us can hear much of a difference between the two. Tested with a Sansui 9090 with vinyl, and a tube buffered dac with an Asgard 2. That being said, I'm loving the 598's. They're getting better by the hour...

 

[tcompton31]

Mine passed authentication and I have to say I am in love with their sound.  The bass is good, but it doesn't have the physical impact I get from my HE-400.  Also very comfortable.

 

[GokieKS]

My HD 598 SEs arrived today.  Authenticity check passed without issue, and so far they sound pretty good (tested mostly from a WA7d and an iPhone 5S).  The cable situation is annoying though - it's great that it comes with a shorter 3.5mm termination cable, but the plug is too thick to fit into the iPhone with a case (Spigen Neo Hybrid), so I need to get a replacement cable.  I originally wanted to get one with a mic, but the number of reviews indicating poor audio quality gives me pause.  I think I'm just going to get the FiiO RC-HD1.

 

[teohouse88]

I've just received the HD 598 SE( authentication OK) from Amazon and after an hour of listening I'm already in love with it.
Can someone suggest me a good cable to improve the sound a little?

 

[SirMarc]

Authenticated mine for the hell of it, they're real. Not surprised, can't imagine fakes sounding this good.

 

[SirMarc]

I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I may be enjoying these more than my 580's. The bass hasn't completely firmed up yet, but at close to 40 hours they are sounding damn good. The soundstage isn't quite as wide, but I like that its slightly in front of me as apposed to far left and right over my shoulders. Good stuff...

 

[funkisound]

I just got these (1 day use), and OMG, best soundstage of any headphone ever made, and most fun sounding headphone. Ever. End of my review.

Okay, I haven't heard every headphone ever, probably not even 1% of them, but man did Sennheiser do their magic with this one. To sum it up, it has an exciting and detailed sound with a simply amazing soundstage (perfect size too). While doing that it's not too harsh either, and it has a very nice atmosphere to it. Why can't all "funky" sounding headphones be at the same time exciting and still relatively neutral, instead of being too colored in the lows or harsh in the highs (HD 700 comes to mind)? At least this headphone shows that it's surely possible. And okay, these are still not perfect, for example the mids can sometimes sound a little bit forward, and the sound is a bit on the warm side too. Oh and they don't seem to fit properly on my head, for example the angles of the earcups are off, and it sits a bit loose on the head. But compared to what's good on this headphone these are only very minor flaws, sand these come so close to my personal taste that I'm quite excited with them!

I've previously owned for example the HD 600 and 650, Audio technica AD500x, JBL S700, and some closed Beyers, and soundwise I very much liked them all, but for music these are, while probably not technically the best, certainly the most "exciting" sound of them all. Hope my opinion wont change too much after I used them for a longer period of time.

(Although with such a funky sounding headphone, I probably would want to complement it with one that has a more relaxed and maybe neutral sound. I haven't heard the Beyerdynamic DT 880 yet but somehow I think I'll like it, should also be a more nautral headphone, so I want to get me one of those soon too.)

Gonna now read more about what other people think in this thread, just wanted to post my thoughts first

 

[funkisound]

I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I may be enjoying these more than my 580's. The bass hasn't completely firmed up yet, but at close to 40 hours they are sounding damn good. The soundstage isn't quite as wide, but I like that its slightly in front of me as apposed to far left and right over my shoulders. Good stuff...

I agree, the good soundstage was the first thing that I noticed. Also like that there's always enough texture in the sounds so it's not thin, probably those two things help make these sound so enjoyable.
 
Although I don't know about the 580 but the 600s had a very airy soundstage, but image-wize not very big, it's kind of like listening to a band performingin a fairly small-sized room. The 598 give a bigger and wider image imo, but don't have as much clarity and detail in the sound, kinda like the band is playing in a more decently sized concert hall (so it seems maybe more compressed and less airy).

 

[sillbeer]

I eyeballed them on the black Friday sale and wish I would have bought them now.  $159.99 is what they are listed for now and probably still a pretty good deal.

 

[funkisound]

If you like the sound then yes it's still a decent deal and worth it, And it's still less than over here in Europe.

I drove my 598s off the Asus STX by the way, but i also tried the onboard soundcard now, and it's a bit different, more smooth. I like that sound too, it still has a big soundstage, but less funky and more relaxed and clean. It still has some of that excitement in the sound though. Excellent headphone this!

 

[LazyListener]

I got my 598SE's delivered on Sunday.  They checked out as authentic on Sennheiser's site.
 
Prior to getting the SE's, about a month prior, I ordered the original beige 598s.  It was my first experience with the 598s, and I absolutely loved the sound from day one.  The things that stood out sound-wise were:  excellent detail; huge soundstage; ambiance; nuance; resonance; tight, detailed audible bass notes; slightly forward but lush, warm, rich vocals with tons of texture; slightly subdued, but clear, present highs, very good sound separation; superbly tuned to deliver brilliant vocals but with not even the slightest hint of harshness or sibilance; good dynamics.  I actually auditioned them against about 10 other headphones during the month I had them and they beat them out in overall sound and comfort.  Other headphones included Q701 (very detailed, clean, crisp; nice treble; thin-sounding; lack warmth and bass; bumps on headband uncomfortable), HE400S (superb, natural, lifelike mids; weak bass; unrefined treble; exceptional comfort except itchy pads), DT 880 Premium 32 ohm (superb comfort; too much, but quality, treble making them sound unnatural), Philips X2/27 (bassy but usually not boomy; slightly tight clamp; aggresive treble noticeable on some songs - listen to Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" - ouch!), ATH-M40x (so-so comfort; sit on ear not completely over; ears get hot, sweaty; lo-fi sound quality, some thin vocals due to accentuated treble; bass can get boomy), MDR-7506 (cheap pad covers make ears hot, sweaty; accentuated treble; some vocals sound harsh), PSB M4U 1 (good comfort; slightly strong clamp but cushy pads help; good soundstage for closed back; excellent forward mids and vocals), KEF M500 (didn't listen much because wouldn't stay on my head; look down and they fall right off), and NAD Viso HP50 (best closed back; comfortable; very good soundstage; tons of bass without messing with mids; neutral overall with added bass), PM-3 (great comfort; excellent detail; analytical but still somewhat musical; ok soundstage for closed back; very neutral across entire spectrum; lack some warmth and musicality).
 
So back to the beige 598s I had for a month.  Absolutely LOVED the sound from day one.  I had found my perfect headphone.  Then heard about the BF special for the black 598SE.  $45 less than what I paid for the beige and comes with a shorter cable with 3.5 mm connector.  Couldn't pass it up.  Unfortunately, had to return my beige ones before the SE's arrived, so couldn't do side by side comparison, but I'm not loving the sound of the SE's like I did the beige ones.  That I'm sure of.
 
The SE's out of the box sounded weak in the bass and somewhat hissy and sibilant on some songs out of my iPhone 6.  Never noticed this with the beige ones.  Never complained of hissiness or sibilance with the beige ones and out of the box, I was pleasantly surprised with their bass presence and detail.  Last night I was watching the Voice with the SE's through my Fiio E10K (low gain of course) and the sibilance was very noticeable with some of the performances.  Again, never had this issue with the beige ones.  I'm hoping they'll burn in and the bass will improve, the sibilance will disappear, and they'll sound identical to the beige ones.  Just why didn't the beige ones appear to need a break in?
 
Anyone else had a chance to compare their original beige 598s against the SE's over extended listening of the same material?  Do you hear any differences?
 
Has anyone else experienced any sibilance or fairly weak and narrow bass with their SE's?  Have you noticed the bass blossoming and the treble easing over time?

 

[amnesiac75]

I only have a few hours on my 598se compared to 300+ on my original 598s and I will say that at first they sounded pretty close but after a couple of hours of listening to tracks I'm very familiar with I did find the sound to be a little smoother on the older set but not enough to make me think that the headphones are any different . I think that after a little bit of break in (10-20 hours) the 598se will smooth out and sound the same as the older cans. I can't really comment on how my original sounded right out of the box as its been to long but I do know that after trying other $100-200 headphones like the q701 and the Beyer dt990 I've held onto the 598s and sold the others and will go as far as saying I prefer the 598s over the hd700s that I owned for about 6 months mainly because I can listen the the 598s all night but got tired of the 700s after an hour or so.