[rexirius]

Quote:

What options exist if I want to make a customer cable for these? I still want it to be removable, but I can't find a plug like the special one used in the stock cable with the locking part. Is my only option to cut the original cable and put something like a female 3.5/minixlr?

 
 
I just bought a shortened 1.5-meter, 3.5mm-terminated cable from Custom-Cable:
 
http://www.custom-cable.co.uk/sennheiser-hd598-replacement-lead-3m.html
 
May be you can inquire if they would sell you the connector to the headphone separately.

 

[HamilcarBarca]

Quote:

What options exist if I want to make a customer cable for these? I still want it to be removable, but I can't find a plug like the special one used in the stock cable with the locking part. Is my only option to cut the original cable and put something like a female 3.5/minixlr?

 
If you want to build your own, you might try asking your question in Head-Fi's DIY cable forum.

 

[RochRx7]

Quote:

Oh, man, that would be absolutely awesome if I could do that, but sadly I don't have the kind of money to buy both and then return one. I can only have one at a time if I did it that way. Plus, you have to pay for the shipping back (and sometimes from!) to do that, too, and that's extra money. I ask about headphones to understand more about them, and, sadly, it is very hard to understand how a pair of headphones sound without hearing them, so you end up posting an absolute ton asking questions. It will get very annoying to both the one asking the questions and the one being asked, but its what people who can't audition have to do. I'm sorry that its upset you.
 
Also, it turns out I can't even audition the 598s, the store that allows auditions only has the 600s, 650s, and 700s for auditioning purposes. There goes any sort of auditioning.

Oh dude.. sorry if I came off condescending or "snarky" that was definitely not the tone I was looking for.. I was just seeing if you had that option. I'd rather you ask a ton of questions and do as much research as you can if you're on a strict budget for this hobby (like me lol).
 
Have you already auditioned the other Senn's? (some of the greatest headphones in this hobby!!) If they give you the option to audition the other Senn's.. why not! shoot I'd be there all day!! At least you'll get a feel for the "signature" of the higher end Senn's.. but.. be careful. It is hostile territory for your wallet.

 

[BigCabDaddy]

Quote:

Oh, man, that would be absolutely awesome if I could do that, but sadly I don't have the kind of money to buy both and then return one. I can only have one at a time if I did it that way. Plus, you have to pay for the shipping back (and sometimes from!) to do that, too, and that's extra money. I ask about headphones to understand more about them, and, sadly, it is very hard to understand how a pair of headphones sound without hearing them, so you end up posting an absolute ton asking questions. It will get very annoying to both the one asking the questions and the one being asked, but its what people who can't audition have to do. I'm sorry that its upset you.
 
Also, it turns out I can't even audition the 598s, the store that allows auditions only has the 600s, 650s, and 700s for auditioning purposes. There goes any sort of auditioning.

 
You know one thing I notice is that things sell here for not a whole lot less than they would be new. So unless you're adverse to taking a financial hit whatsoever for the tryout experience, it seems like you could buy, try and then sell. That would be especially true if you bought some of the lightly used examples that pop up here on the forums all the time. I think there are a couple of HD598s available right now.

 

[tannerbnd]

I have friend who is making me a much shorter cable with a regular jack

 

[daleb]

Quote:

 
You know one thing I notice is that things sell here for not a whole lot less than they would be new. So unless you're adverse to taking a financial hit whatsoever for the tryout experience, it seems like you could buy, try and then sell. That would be especially true if you bought some of the lightly used examples that pop up here on the forums all the time. I think there are a couple of HD598s available right now.

I'll be paying in cash for any of this, so I'll have to find a store that sells them (None of them even let you audition! ugh.)
I won't have the kind of money to buy both. If I did, I would be moving my budget up to $500.
 
edit: I thought of something that I haven't put a lot of consideration into. I spend a lot of time with music made by home producers, and I usually have to listen to them through places like youtube. Will the Q701s be able to handle the lower bit-rate files? My 280 don't really care what the bit rate is, even though you can tell whats what. Or, for that matter, can the 598s handle lower bit rates? I usually see the difference between 320 kbps mp3s and flacs as not necessarily a bad change, but sometimes I have listen to music all the way down to 96 kbps, and it seems whatever software is used for the videos commonly limits the sound to 11 khz. (turns out windows movie maker ruins it.)

 

[tannerbnd]

598s sound like **** with low bit rate

 

[Trunks159]

598s sound like **** with low bit rate

Is 256kbps-320kbps low or are you talking 192kbps?

 

[Stalker81598]

Q701 is much less forgiving to low bitrates than the 598.

 

[palmfish]

Who is listening to low bitrates anyways? Amazon downloads are 256 kbps and even 320 kbps takes up so little space theres no reason to rip lower. Above 192 kbps, only the most golden-eared teenager could discriminate between a RBCD master and MP3 rip - and then only after multiple instantaneous AB switching with eyes squinting and mouth breathing...

 
I think the mastering/mixing of the recording is many, many times more audible than the bitrate.

 

[tannerbnd]

Quote:

Is 256kbps-320kbps low or are you talking 192kbps?

I'm talking 128-192 even 256 isn't that great for these cans... I use Flac strictly with these headphones, but 320 would be ok too

 

[daleb]

Quote:

Who is listening to low bitrates anyways? Amazon downloads are 256 kbps and even 320 kbps takes up so little space theres no reason to rip lower. Above 192 kbps, only the most golden-eared teenager could discriminate between a RBCD master and MP3 rip - and then only after multiple instantaneous AB switching with eyes squinting and mouth breathing...

 
I think the mastering/mixing of the recording is many, many times more audible than the bitrate.

 
I listen to low bitrates a lot because I don't listen to commercial music as often. I very much listen to songs made by people who write music as a hobby. These people usually don't have the money - or desire - to buy headphones that can show the difference between a 128 kbps and 320, let alone flac. Its kind of crazy how these people are so great at mastering, yet don't understand what happens once you export. Some of them upload Wavs only, and that's pretty great.
 
 
Quote:

Q701 is much less forgiving to low bitrates than the 598.

 
Uh oh. Well, now I have people who have PMed me saying that they can listen to really low bitrates with them just fine, and others saying they can't play anything below Flac.
 
EDIT: When you people say they sound bad with low bitrates, what do you mean? What happens to the audio?

 

[Dillont3]

Nothing happens to the audio. The 598's just don't add much coloration or have overemphasized frequencies so you really hear the recording for what it is. So if it was recorded poorly or is a low bit rate (think 128 or lower) file it will be very obvious and not as pleasant to listen too. I have found this to be common with detailed headphones with somewhat neutral frequencies. I have also experienced this with my Beyer DT880's and Shure 940's. Maybe a little more so with the 598's though.

To give you am example, I listen to a lot of jazz and some low-fi/indie music, but I wouldn't listen to older jazz albums that weren't recorded as well or bands like Guided by Voices and the Flaming lips on my 598's because it was very obvious that it wasn't a good recording or was low-fi and wasn't very pleasant. I listen to these albums on my speakers, but choose not to listen to them on those certain headphones.

 

[Stalker81598]

Quote:

 
Uh oh. Well, now I have people who have PMed me saying that they can listen to really low bitrates with them just fine, and others saying they can't play anything below Flac.
 

 
I think saying you can't listen to anything below flac is a bit of an exaggeration. If you stick to 256kbps or higher you shouldn't notice much of a difference, if any at all. I have some older files in my library that are 128kbps and the bitrate is definitely noticeable but still perfectly listenable. I agree that it has more to do with the quality of the recording than the bitrate of the file.

 

[daleb]

I think I'll be fine then, for whichever one I choose (most likely Q701s now). Does a lower bit rate not cause compression, then? That's what I assumed happened, and I'm okay (not thrilled though) with compression. With my current headphones, lower bit-rates usually sound a little less lifeless to me. 320 kbps sounds warmer (as in less treble, not fuller) then a FLAC/WAV to me. Its drums that are hit the hardest by bitrates to my ears.