[hfflt]

Have anyone tried HD 598 with iFi iDAC? 

 

[Midgetguy]

  I agreed that upgrading from the HD558 to the HD598 is really pointless, even though they're very different. I would say that the HD558 and the HD598 are entry level cans. That's to say that while they're great for the price, they leave a lot to be desired, and if you've already owned one and have about ~200 to spend, it's more reasonable to go for another brand like Beyerdynamic, AKG or Grado.
The HD600 and HD650 are more refined and arguably some of the best choices for the <$500 price range. In my country they were the end-game cans for many people. However going from the HD5x8 to the HD6x0 requires quite a budget for amping, while the HD558 and HD598 can still sound great on $100 DAC/amp.

I love my Senns, but the next set of cans I'd wanna try won't be the HD700 or HD800, it's gonna be something from HiFiMan, AKG, or Audio Technica. I love the Sennheisers, but I've now seen the quality they have to offer, so if I've got the money for another set of cans, it might as well be used to try other names in the hifi game.
Actually I feel like the HD6x0 series isn't necessarily as amp dependent. Sure it's not gonna sound as good out of a <$100 DAC/amp combo, but it doesn't take to much to have it sound good either. For example, I've got my HD600 running off of a Firestone Audio FUBAR IV Plus and it still sounds great. Might be a series that scales well, I haven't really read into it. My FUBAR cost me like $160 or something, but certainly was sub-$200.
I'd think the reason that they're the end-game cans for many people is because though there are better-performing cans out there, these are a benchmark for great cans that aren't outdone by enough to justify price tags that are several times the cost (of an already pricey set of cans by consumer standards).

 

[vaibhavp]

  I have only passing familiarity with q701, but my memory is of its detail. Love dt880--but I had thought it was more expensive than the 598 (?). Will have to look into this.

street price is almost same. maybe 20$ difference where i live.

 

[serman005]

Thank you for answering my question, vaibhavp. Now I'm really interested.

 

[kuhchuk]

So I decided to go ahead and perform the foam mod on my 558's.  No regrets. 
 
Mids have somehow gotten just a bit sweeter than they already were, soundstage has widened a bit, and instrument separation and detail are the best I've heard yet.  I feel like the bass frequencies have gotten a bit tighter, too. 
 
I've heard reports that the foam mod removes some of the bass presence, but I'm not quite sure if that's what's happening here.  At least not perceptually, anyways.  Might just be the increased detail and better separation, but I have an easier time actually hearing bass lines than I did before. 

Definitely recommend giving this a shot.  It's absurdly simple, and it's easily reversible if you don't like the changes. 
Now I can't wait for my 439's to get here so I can have a bass-heavy counterpart...

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

When I did the foam mod, I felt that my HD558's bass got less controlled and a bit bloated. The change in soundstage was there, it certainly made a difference but not quite noticeable as I'd expected. 
 
Btw HD439 is no way bass-heavy. It has much less bass than my HD558, modded or not!

 

[kuhchuk]

  When I did the foam mod, I felt that my HD558's bass got less controlled and a bit bloated. The change in soundstage was there, it certainly made a difference but not quite noticeable as I'd expected. 
 
Btw HD439 is no way bass-heavy. It has much less bass than my HD558, modded or not!

I'm just giving my two cents.  And it could all be explained by the way that everyone perceives things a little bit differently.
 
And I've heard over and over again that with a little bit of light modding, the 439 puts out plenty of bass.  Even if not, I'm not losing much since I picked up a used pair for $20 on ebay, and at the very worst I can gift it to a friend.

 

[Midgetguy]

 
I'm just giving my two cents.  And it could all be explained by the way that everyone perceives things a little bit differently.
 
And I've heard over and over again that with a little bit of light modding, the 439 puts out plenty of bass.  Even if not, I'm not losing much since I picked up a used pair for $20 on ebay, and at the very worst I can gift it to a friend.

Same thing I do with things I test out. Usually what I test out is decent enough to consider gifting to a friend if I don't wanna keep it. And even if not, at least they didn't cost you much anyway.

 

[BolverkGTM]

Okay, so I have a pair of HD598 now and I bought a FiiO E06 to couple with its delivery.  Something I've noticed is that my on-board sound is not too happy with my new combination of the HD598 and the FiiO.  It gets a bit hissy when I have the FiiO turned to higher volumes and what I really want to do is get more out of the 598 than I do already.  When plugged directly into the onboard, there's no hissing from the HD598, but I feel there's a slight loss compared to with the FiiO plugged in.  I think it could be better, so I'm looking into a dedicated sound card.  I'm honestly trying to avoid going the Xonar STX route for them, only because I've thrown a lot of money into making my ears happy this month.  Instead, I've been looking at the Xonar U7, which from what I hear, could use an amp to help the HD598.  
 
What I'm wondering is will the Xonar U7 paired with a FiiO E06 be enough to make the HD598 shine a bit more than they already do?  If nobody has an answer for this, what's a recommended sound card or DAC and amp setup that complements the HD598?

 

[Bansaku]

 
What I'm wondering is will the Xonar U7 paired with a FiiO E06 be enough to make the HD598 shine a bit more than they already do?  If nobody has an answer for this, what's a recommended sound card or DAC and amp setup that complements the HD598?

 
Why would you use both? The U7 is more than enough to power and make the HD598 show it's strengths. The E06 is great when paired to an underpowered device (cheap Android phone or generic MP3 players). Combining the two will not only net zero benefits it is another link in the chain and would probably work against you.
 

 

[BolverkGTM]

   
Why would you use both? The U7 is more than enough to power and make the HD598 show it's strengths. The E06 is great when paired to an underpowered device (cheap Android phone or generic MP3 players). Combining the two will not only net zero benefits it is another link in the chain and would probably work against you.
 

Alright!  That answers my question perfectly.  Thank you for your input.  I'll keep my little FiiO around for portable use and resort to the U7 for home usage.  Going to go ahead and place the order now.

 

[chimmycham]

I'm having some trouble deciding which Amp to get for my HD598s
I've had the phones for at least a year..
 
For the DAC, I'll go with the Schiit Modi2 Uber
 
I'm deciding between the
 
Schiit Magni2 Uber
Schiit Vali
and O2/ODAC (replacing the Modi)
 
Does anyone have any experience with these combos and the HD 598s?
 
Thanks.

 

[Destroysall]

So after so long being a DT990 fan, I was loaned from a good friend his HD 598. We ended up doing a trade because I fell in love with their mid-range and sound stage. They don't go as far to have that low bass, but for most of the music I listen to, these took the cake. I am looking at upgrading my amplifier to the Bottlehead Crack which I think would pair great with the HD 598. 
 
Any who, I am now supporter of this brilliant headphone.

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

I'm under the impression that the HD5x8 pair greater with solid state amps, rather than tube amps... But that's just my impression, after hearing the HD598 on LD and Darkvoice

 

[chimmycham]

I'll probably get an Audio-GD NFB-15