LazyListener
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2015
- Posts
- 924
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- 300
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.