[LazyListener]

   First off, I own the ivory 598's.
Thanks for that link to the Rtings site. I enjoy reading headphone reviews on You Tube, online sites like Inner Fidelity, as well asAmazon, and of course Head-Fi. I had never heard of this site. I like it when I come across bew sites and reviews
 As most Head-Fiers are aware, every site and review is going to have different perceptions, preferences,and descriptions of the headphones being reviewed. The same goes for frequency response graphs. They're like snowflakes, from site to site, no two are exactly alike.
 So when I first started reading the 598 review, I was caught off balance. I saw thumbs down for, leaks a lot of sound, and poor noise isolation. I thought, well duh! They're openbacks. But I finished reading the review, then checked out some of their. Other openback reviews, they were similar; low marks for isolation, sound leakage, mixed usage etc.
 That's when I realised their reviews were from an overall overview or 'cover all the bases' perspective; not just for headphone afficianodos. Alrighty then, I regained my balance. Looking at it this way, my negativity abated; because I really did appreciate all the measurements and graphs they presented. I give them full kudos too, for trying to relate the measurements to the different aspects of headphone sound.
 Having said that, I don't agree that the 598's are prone to sibilance. And I'm not to sure about that huge 9khz. Spike in the treble. I've never noticed that. Although this was a review of an SE version. I own the Ivories.
 
Anyway, I do find it an interesting site
 
 Veggie Popper, if it makes you feel any better(ha, ha), They rated the 598's and the Beyer dt 990's as the two best headphones for critical listening, in their price range.
 
 Cheers.

"Cover all the bases" is a good way of putting it.
 
As far as the treble spike, I believe there was a poster here who started a thread called "why the 598s are the best headphones in the world" or something like that.  He or another poster in that thread mentioned a treble spike as well, and that was for an older set of ivories.
 
Personally, I do think just from listening that the female vocals are somewhat accentuated, but never to a point of sibilance, harshness, or excessive brightness.  Like I've said many times, my ivories sound warm in the low mids and pleasantly forward in the female vocals.  I've characterized them as generally warm tonal balance overall with a hint of brightness with female vocals.

 

[LazyListener]

   
Yup, however their measurements could very well be correct given some user's reports/impressions on the HD598 SE's (and newer ivory) peaky and sometimes piercing treble. As well, this could be the validation we need to show that indeed there is a difference between the old and the new (and that Sennheiser without notice changed the 11 secret herbs and spices with the HD598). Looking at both Innerfidelity's and GoldenEars' (I wish Headroom's graph was back up) older measurements it does not show such a spike and the bass has much less roll-off, which is how I hear my older HD598s.
 
My (half serious) theory is that maybe that Sennheiser was worried that the HD598 would cannibalize HD600 sales due to them sounding not that far off and a much lower price tag and nerfed them. Having the HD580 (newer model with black silk drivers plus HD600 grills and headband with upgraded OCC cable) to compare, the only thing the HD600 does truly better is imaging, with a sacrifice of a bit of soundstage. Yes, the HD580/600 does have a more refined sound, but for the average newbie audiophile the HD598 is a better bang for your buck for essentially the same sound signature (plus arguably better looking and is way more comfortable).
Just a Theory... 

 

 

Your theory, although lacking evidence, therefore the term "theory," is not that far-fetched.  It makes logical sense.
 
I'm not going to claim Sennheiser did this, but it had crossed my mind as well.  When I got my first set of Ivories about 4-6 weeks before I got the SE, it was the first time I heard the 598s, and I fell in love with the sound immediately.  I had several other cans I ordered at the same time to compare with, and I found myself constantly listening to the 598s.  Literally, at times, the sound had so much feeling, nuance, and emotion in it, that some songs almost brought me to tears.  I'm not even joking.  I couldn't believe they cost me only around $135 when the $300 plus cans I also auditioned at the time didn't have that nuance, ambiance, and emotion in their sound.  I was going to write a letter to Sennheiser thanking the amazing engineers who hit the nail on the head with this can bringing me such an emotional listening experience.  But then, the SE black friday deal was announced, and I was forced to return my ivories, before the SE arrived, which upon arrival sounded very different:  lacking bass, bright, fatiguing treble, and flat and lifeless with none of that emotion to the sound.  So I ordered another pair of ivories, compared them with the SEs, and the difference was apparent.  Sent the SE back.  Although from memory, I still think the first set of ivories sounded even better than the 2nd set, but that type of comparison is unreliable.  They both had that smooth, warm, non-fatiguing sound, however, unlike my SE pair.  I'm happy with my current ivories.
 
Going back to your theory, it had crossed my mind that maybe Sennheiser had designed the Ivory 598 to be "too good sound quality for the price" for lack of a better term.  I couldn't imagine them sounding much better.  So yeah, maybe they wanted to put a bigger gap in sound quality between the 598 and 600/650, in order for buyers that nowadays do a lot of batch buying and side by side comparing, to more easily justify the higher price for the 600/650.
 
Another theory I had about the SE having less bass and more treble than the Ivory was that maybe Sennheiser changed the tonal balance due to all the "complaints" from users about the Sennheiser veil.  My SE definitely sounded less veiled and more clear than the Ivory, but like I mentioned, I found the treble fatiguing and the bass lacking.  I personally like the Sennheiser veil.  To me, it means the cans have a relaxed, non-fatiguing, non-forward sound signature.  Yet my ivories still reveal plenty of detail and nuance.  For me, personally, this is a good thing.

 

[LazyListener]

I have had my ivory pair for about 6 months now. Wasn't so sure that I was a fan when I first got them, as I thought from listening that they had the infamous Sennheiser "veil". This coming from someone with a sizable collection of budget and mid-tier cans, as well as my favorite Philips Fidelio X2. After many years of reading here on Head-Fi I came to the conclusion that everyone here is correct in regards to sibilance this, or bassy boom that. The ears tell all. I kept keep looking for a good reason to keep my Sennheiser's, trying them in different combos with my tube amps, various DACs, DAPs,and portable amps. I was always thinking that this headphone needed to be paired with better gear to sound good. Well, like I said, the ears tell all! I finally paired them with a Rockboxed Sansa Clip and a FIIO e11, and these cans sound good as hell! Listening to INXS's "Live Baby Live" is like being there! So, what's my point? Like thousands of other opinions on this site, every pair of headphones has its magical equipment mix and I finally found mine for my 598's. I'm loving them and I'm keeping them. Nobody is wrong, and everyone is Right. Think about it! Peace.

Great post!  Agreed.  I find much more enjoyment out of my 598s with my Dragonfly V 1.2 DAC than with my Fiio E10K.  The slightly bright but smooth sound signature of the Dragonfly matches well with overall warmth of the 598.

 

[LazyListener]

Do the HD598's sound good when listening at low volumes? What about moderate volumes? Or do you really have to turn up the volume for bass to be present?

They sound good at all volumes, but like with any pair of cans, you will hear more detail at moderate to high volumes, than at low volumes.  They do not need to be cranked up in volume to hear the bass, but the 598s do not have pounding bass.  Most people describe their bass as being light to neutral.

 

[beowulf]

Do the HD598's sound good when listening at low volumes? What about moderate volumes? Or do you really have to turn up the volume for bass to be present?

 
They sound great at all volumes. Detail is always there. Bass is enough for me, but of course we're talking about open headphones, and at low volumes there are no miracles. It depends on your style of music. I find them very balanced and enjoyable, I prefer my sound on the bright side and there's no "Sennheiser veil". One of my best purchases in terms of what you get for the price, except perhaps that I don't really like the Ivory color, but black was not an option then (and it is more expensive now, at least here).
 
At this time I have a love-hate relationship with these. I hate the way they look but I love the sound. Since I didn't buy them for decoration, it's still a win
 

 

[SoundTown]

Wrote a review to throw in my 2 cents on the HD598 here:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/sennheiser-hd-598/reviews/16666
While initially hesitant on it, I now really see why so many people like the HD598. It certainly is a very good headphone, albeit with a few flaws. At the US $150 or less on Amazon right now, can definitely see its appeal.
That said, in Singapore, its horrifically overpriced. Most retailers I found still sell at around its local MSRP of SGD $399 (approx US $296). At most, some retailers knock off SGD $20, which doesn't make it much better tbh. Electronics are so unfairly priced here, dammit.

 

[MisterMudd]

Wrote a review to throw in my 2 cents on the HD598 here:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/sennheiser-hd-598/reviews/16666
While initially hesitant on it, I now really see why so many people like the HD598. It certainly is a very good headphone, albeit with a few flaws. At the US $150 or less on Amazon right now, can definitely see its appeal.
That said, in Singapore, its horrifically overpriced. Most retailers I found still sell at around its local MSRP of SGD $399 (approx US $296). At most, some retailers knock off SGD $20, which doesn't make it much better tbh. Electronics are so unfairly priced here, dammit.

Dude, what a great, great review! Your writing was superb and your review precisely expressed my feelings about my Sennheiser HD 598. I've got better headphones, but I still keep coming back to these for something "different". Hope to hear from you again real soon, and repeatedly!

 

[LazyListener]

  Wrote a review to throw in my 2 cents on the HD598 here:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/sennheiser-hd-598/reviews/16666
While initially hesitant on it, I now really see why so many people like the HD598. It certainly is a very good headphone, albeit with a few flaws. At the US $150 or less on Amazon right now, can definitely see its appeal.
That said, in Singapore, its horrifically overpriced. Most retailers I found still sell at around its local MSRP of SGD $399 (approx US $296). At most, some retailers knock off SGD $20, which doesn't make it much better tbh. Electronics are so unfairly priced here, dammit.

Very well written review.  A few points I'd like to comment on...
 
1.  In terms of comfort, I too initially had a minor quibble with being able to feel the headband pressing on the top of my head.  I found that I had set the sizing too small, and needed to extend the headband by a couple of notches on each side.  Once I did that, I still felt the headband on the top, but it wasn't pressing much at all any longer.  Much more comfortable then.
 
2.  Regarding build quality, I think it's pretty much average for $150 USD.  For its original price of $250 USD or some localities paying even more, I completely agree the build quality is sub-par at those higher prices.  I owned the M50x for a while and disagree that the 598 build is worse.  It is a bit more flimsy to be sure, but that's by design.  It's more flexible, which in turn, makes it more comfortable.  The M50x feels more sturdy, solid, and rigid, but I found them far less comfortable.  But you are correct, you probably can't sit on them against a hard surface without them breaking.
 
3.  Regarding the sound, I respectfully disagree, to a point, regarding your assessment of the bass.  Yes, the 598s have considerable sub-bass roll-off, but how many open back headphones at or near their price range, don't have that problem?  Very few open back cans are going to provide potent or even neutral sub-bass.  When I first auditioned the 598s, I compared them, side by side, with other open back cans, namely the Q701, HE400S, DT880, and Fidelio X2.  Only the X2 had more bass quantity than the 598s, while the others had significantly less bass quantity.  You state, "Though roll-off in the sub-bass is common on open headphones, the HD598’s lacking bass extension is comparatively drastic, even taking into account other bass-shy open headphones."  I agree with the first part, but not with the last part.  Overall, the 598s bass is light to neutral in quantity, but not anemic.
 
4.  Finally, soundstage.  I think most users of the 598 will disagree with you that they do not have a wide soundstage, and I happen to be one of them.  Of all the open back cans, I've tried, the 598s had a much wider soundstage than most, and only the q701 had a slightly wider soundstage.
 
So while I respectfully disagree with some of your opinions about the 598s, the review itself was very well done.  Thanks for sharing it!

 

[KopaneDePooj]

 
Very well written review.  A few points I'd like to comment on...
 
1.  In terms of comfort, I too initially had a minor quibble with being able to feel the headband pressing on the top of my head.  I found that I had set the sizing too small, and needed to extend the headband by a couple of notches on each side.  Once I did that, I still felt the headband on the top, but it wasn't pressing much at all any longer.  Much more comfortable then.
 
2.  Regarding build quality, I think it's pretty much average for $150 USD.  For its original price of $250 USD or some localities paying even more, I completely agree the build quality is sub-par at those higher prices.  I owned the M50x for a while and disagree that the 598 build is worse.  It is a bit more flimsy to be sure, but that's by design.  It's more flexible, which in turn, makes it more comfortable.  The M50x feels more sturdy, solid, and rigid, but I found them far less comfortable.  But you are correct, you probably can't sit on them against a hard surface without them breaking.
 
3.  Regarding the sound, I respectfully disagree, to a point, regarding your assessment of the bass.  Yes, the 598s have considerable sub-bass roll-off, but how many open back headphones at or near their price range, don't have that problem?  Very few open back cans are going to provide potent or even neutral sub-bass.  When I first auditioned the 598s, I compared them, side by side, with other open back cans, namely the Q701, HE400S, DT880, and Fidelio X2.  Only the X2 had more bass quantity than the 598s, while the others had significantly less bass quantity.  You state, "Though roll-off in the sub-bass is common on open headphones, the HD598’s lacking bass extension is comparatively drastic, even taking into account other bass-shy open headphones."  I agree with the first part, but not with the last part.  Overall, the 598s bass is light to neutral in quantity, but not anemic.
 
4.  Finally, soundstage.  I think most users of the 598 will disagree with you that they do not have a wide soundstage, and I happen to be one of them.  Of all the open back cans, I've tried, the 598s had a much wider soundstage than most, and only the q701 had a slightly wider soundstage.
 
So while I respectfully disagree with some of your opinions about the 598s, the review itself was very well done.  Thanks for sharing it!

 
I agree with all of this four points, and I begin to wonder if some of you aren't right about differences in production...
Because I cannot agree with @SoundTown 's description of bass in this headphones...
I said it before, I like bass, I'm comparing the HD598 with some of the hps that I own or owned - M50x, MDR-1A, CAL! - just to name a few, and I find the bass absolutely perfect. Not "shy", not "anemic", just perfect in amount and quality. So either I am listening to the "wrong" kind of music or I am terribly lucky to get a HD598 with proper BASS
 
And about the metal not being present in the build, look at this headphones... The beiges look like violins, the blacks like pianos. Headphones and generally home audio stuff isn't meant to be tortured, thrown and sit upon, so I don't understand all the fuss that some people make about headbands and joints not being metallic. This are not sport or outdoors headphones. I don't require to stretch the headband until is horizontal (as I saw being tested in some videos as "proof of quality built"), I prefer lightness of quality plastic and taking care of my stuff to heaviness and lack of comfort of (for example) M50x.

 

[LazyListener]

   
I agree with all of this four points, and I begin to wonder if some of you aren't right about differences in production...
Because I cannot agree with @SoundTown 's description of bass in this headphones...
I said it before, I like bass, I'm comparing the HD598 with some of the hps that I own or owned - M50x, MDR-1A, CAL! - just to name a few, and I find the bass absolutely perfect. Not "shy", not "anemic", just perfect in amount and quality. So either I am listening to the "wrong" kind of music or I am terribly lucky to get a HD598 with proper BASS
 
And about the metal not being present in the build, look at this headphones... The beiges look like violins, the blacks like pianos. Headphones and generally home audio stuff isn't meant to be tortured, thrown and sit upon, so I don't understand all the fuss that some people make about headbands and joints not being metallic. This are not sport or outdoors headphones. I don't require to stretch the headband until is horizontal (as I saw being tested in some videos as "proof of quality built"), I prefer lightness of quality plastic and taking care of my stuff to heaviness and lack of comfort of (for example) M50x.

While I'm nearly convinced that some sound differences reported are due to unintended variations in manufacturing, another reason is the equipment the cans are paired with.  When I tried my 598s with the Audioengine D3, that DAC/AMP finally gave them a fun, satisfying, punch bass that was missing from other dac/amp combos I tried.  The D3 didn't cut it in the detail and clarity department, however, so I ended up choosing the Dragonfly v. 1.2.  Then there's the always present factor of subjective listener perception.
 
Yes, like you, I take good care of all my equipment and "toys" so I have no issue at all with the build quality of the 598s.  Would I prefer better build with some nice aluminum or metal pieces?  Sure, but not if it means paying more or sacrificing comfort.  The light and flexible plastic of the 598s does the job just fine.  I'd rather most of the cost go into the sound quality, instead of fancy materials, at this price point.  As long as it doesn't look cheap (and the 598s don't IMO), then it's all good.

 

[DangerClose]

   
Another theory I had about the SE having less bass and more treble than the Ivory was that maybe Sennheiser changed the tonal balance due to all the "complaints" from users about the Sennheiser veil.  My SE definitely sounded less veiled and more clear than the Ivory, but like I mentioned, I found the treble fatiguing and the bass lacking.  

 
Except my and at least one other person's SE are much bassier/warmer than their ivory.  So maybe Sennheiser just has bad quality control. If Sennheiser is going to say the ivory and SE are the same, then something else must be the cause of the difference.

 

[LazyListener]

   
Except my and at least one other person's SE are much bassier/warmer than their ivory.  So maybe Sennheiser just has bad quality control. If Sennheiser is going to say the ivory and SE are the same, then something else must be the cause of the difference.

Yes.  It was just a theory I had.  Based on reports I'd say most likely cause is unintended variations in manufacturing.

 

[SirMarc]

My SE's are definitely not lacking in bass. I would say the are on the warmer side of neutral.

 

[blmcycle]

Two questions about the 598:
 
Are there any mods that people do?  I have an old set of 555s and did the foam remove that really helped.  Anything similar to do on the 598?
 
Are the after market cables on ebay and Amazon better audio quality?
 
PM me if you have thoughts.
 
Bruce

 

[SoundTown]

Dude, what a great, great review! Your writing was superb and your review precisely expressed my feelings about my Sennheiser HD 598. I've got better headphones, but I still keep coming back to these for something "different". Hope to hear from you again real soon, and repeatedly!

Wow thanks for the kind words.
And yup, I'll continue writing reviews, this is a hobby of sorts I've been coming to enjoy now. If only it weren't such a hassle to break even when buying/selling/trading gear to use for these reviews. No one said this was a cheap hobby, heh.