[potterpastor]

1.The foam mod works with the 555 to make it sound like the 595. It does not work with the 558 to make it sound like the 598

2. The 558 sounds very similar to the 598 anyway, so why would you want to change it?

 

[djmuzi]

Now I'm listening to the Philips SHP 9500

It's a damn good headphone for 37€

But the HD558 seems to play in a class above the Philips. Everything on the HD sounds more natural.
It has more bass extension and the bass is more refined and textured. The 558 also delivers more details in the mids and highs. The Philips has more direct mids whereas the Senni is more laid back and relaxing.
The 558 deliver more spacious sound as well.

So for a budget headphone the 9500 is more than good, for around 40€ it's exceptionally good (but not for bass lovers)... But a HD558 wins hands down in a direct comparison (IMHO)

 

[Amish]

I just sold my HD 558. These are good headphones with certain music, jazz, accoustic, female vocals, big band, and not good at all with rock and metal IMO.
 
The bass is deeper than say the HD580 but it is a bit more bloated and moves into the midrange while the HD580 has more precise and detailed bass that doesn't muddy the midrange at all. The HD580 is a little brighter too but in a good way. Also the 558 doesn't need much power and IMO can't handle higher volumes either.
 
I think the 558 is a good option as a backup set of headphones but if you can swing a bit more money I think you'd be happier with the HD580/600.
 
I'm not speaking to anyone when I state, "you" just generally speaking. I'm glad I picked up the HD558 and gave them a good listen but honestly they remind me of my 595 which i liked but was never satisfied with. Kinda how I feel about the 558. I like em with certain music they sound great but I just find that I'm not satisfied. Maybe using a set of HD 600 headphones spoiled me....

 

[fourrobert13]

And how are they if I dab a bit into Heavy Metal? Ex. Metallica,Megadeath
Edit: Also gaming,but not so much
I have weird musical tastes,I know

I've been using the HD 558 exclusively for the past 6 months.  I listen to hard rock, heavy metal, thrash metal, death metal, and just about every other genre of metal out there and love them.  I wear them at work for 6 to 8 hours a day and find them extremely comfortable.  I have not done the modification, nor do I intend to.  The HD 558 is a good overall headphone.  I find them neutral with the mids slightly forward which really brings out vocals.  I don't know if burn-in is a real thing, but I do think they sound better today than they did when I first bought them.  I originally used them with my FiiO X1/Topping NX1 set up, but now use them with my FiiO X3II alone.  I think the HD 558 are an excellent value considering the quality sound and build you get for around $100 new compared to other brands.  The only thing I changed with my HD 558 was the long cable.  I purchased an after market 4' cable for portable use.

 

[djmuzi]

Today the HD598 is about 95$ / 99€ 
Is it worth to ditch the 558 and nuy the 598?
 
What doesn't sound so good is that the bass on the 598 is not as punchy as the bass on the 558.
 
And the loose fit of the 598 compared to the 558 is maybe not OK for me with my small head.
The 558 fits just right and I don't think it's too tight.
My Philips 9500 is loose like hell, it falls almost off my head.

 

[mike138]

I just wanted to pop in and say that my 558s are really liking my Fiio X3 2nd gen. Really nice soundstage and an overall fun sound, even without an amplifier. 
 
I've had these headphones for over three years now and I doubt I'll ever get rid of them. I'm probably going to try out the Sennheiser HD 650 or Hifiman HE 400i, but I will keep my 558s for their versatility and durability (I bet that if I did a bit of fine cleaning, they could pass for new; they are plastic, but high quality plastic).

 

[funkisound]

I kinda wanna get these (probably when I find a good 2nd hand price), I tried the 598s and I liked a lot of things about them but they have this warm timbre that sometimes sounds nice but often is just a bit _too_ warm for my taste.
I had a brief listen to the 558 and they seemed a little more neutral, a bit less colored sounding (although probably also less detailed) so I'm thinking it could be a more calm version and better for longer listening periods.

 

[nbakid2000]

I've been using the HD 558 exclusively for the past 6 months.  I listen to hard rock, heavy metal, thrash metal, death metal, and just about every other genre of metal out there and love them.  I wear them at work for 6 to 8 hours a day and find them extremely comfortable.  I have not done the modification, nor do I intend to.  The HD 558 is a good overall headphone.  I find them neutral with the mids slightly forward which really brings out vocals.  I don't know if burn-in is a real thing, but I do think they sound better today than they did when I first bought them.  I originally used them with my FiiO X1/Topping NX1 set up, but now use them with my FiiO X3II alone.  I think the HD 558 are an excellent value considering the quality sound and build you get for around $100 new compared to other brands.  The only thing I changed with my HD 558 was the long cable.  I purchased an after market 4' cable for portable use.

This was my exact experience. Great headphone. The mod makes the treble too sharp so I undid it.

 

[funkisound]

I actually couldn't wait and went to the shop to try them out, and just bought em. Didn't listen yet, but I have them on my head and they are definitely more comfortable than the 598, they really hug my head (the 598 was light but the earcups didn't really fit well and the headphone was a bit too loose).
 
I am kinda jealous of the prices you Americans have though, I got 'em for 143 euros and that's the cheapest you can get them for over here.

 

[funkisound]

I like it more than the 598, although I wasn't really sure at first. The 598 has better seperation (558 seperation is a bit meh, the instruments tend to blend together, although in a clean way), and a wider soundstage. Also a bit more flowy sound. The 558 sounds more intimate and direct, but very airy. Main reason I like the 558 more is that it's more natural sounding, it just doesn't try too hard. The 558 is simply "good" sounding with little to no real drawbacks, while the 598 has more drawbacks, for example it sounds much more colored imo (some sort of romantic/smooth, but in a brighter way... if that makes sense).
Also, the 558 is definitely more comfortable for me. Too bad, I kinda wanted a beige-wood headphone in my collection, but I guess I'll keep trying to sell it now
 
So yeah, main conclusion is, unless you specifically want the 598's sound signature, I think the 558 is definitely the better buy of the two, and imo better sounding as well. (Haven't tried the 518, but if Sennheiser keeps this up, it might be the best sounding of the bunch, lol) (although I'm guessing not, the 558 is still kind of "hi-fi" sounding to my ears, and I think the 518 probably will be just shy of that, probably more muffled.)

 

[nbakid2000]

So, weird story regarding the 558/598s. I'm sitting at work and we're discussing Christmas gifts we're getting, and this girl goes, "I got my boyfriend Afterglow headphones for Xbox and I'm getting some Turtle Beach." The guy next to us goes, "Oh, that's cool, I'm getting headphones too!" I go, "So what type are you getting?" "Sennheisers, I think." "OH REALLY. What type????" "They're the 598s." "Oh, yeah man, that's a really highly regarded headphone, I have the 558 which is like the model right below that. They kind of pretty much sound the same, but most people are like 'the 598 is better'." "Oh, that's awesome, yeah, I heard really good things about them from just like everywhere I read and I don't know anything really about audio, but I wanted them for gaming and everyone said they were a really good choice. I have to learn about equalizing and stuff, because I don't know anything at this point." "OK, well, do you want to hear the 558s now? I have them in my bag." "OH YEAH SWEET, that'd be amazing!" "OK, here ya go, you are going to have the sound just melt into you with these." "Oh, that's awesome, I've been waiting for that, I'm excited to hear these." *hands him the phones* He examines them over, looks at the plug, plugs them into his phone, and I go back to work expecting him to use them the rest of the day like I told him he could. 3 minutes later he hands them back and goes, "Yes, they were amazing, way better than what I'm used to, I'm excited now." "Oh, yeah, well....I mean, you can use them the rest of the day, I'm listening to my other [Sennheiser 600s] pair right now." "No, no, just wanted to see how they sound. I put on some bassy music and liked what I heard. The 598s, if they're better, are going to sound amazing." *sits back down at his desk and continues listening to music through Plantronics mono headset* 

 

 

[shuanggao]

HD558 is a great choice for its price, and it's friendly to "unprofessional" equipments like phones and laptops
I used to recommend it to two my good friends. They love it a lot. 

 

[trellus]

They are my favorite cans. I'm interested in getting higher end phones, but I always come back to these and remind myself that I love that they sound awesome directly out of my iPhone 6S and FiiO X1.

Even better with an aftermarket, shorter cable with 3.5mm end. Just love how comfortable they are and how everything sounds better on them.

 

[Mark Up]

Even better with an aftermarket, shorter cable with 3.5mm end.

That's 2.5 mm at the ear cup and 3.5 mm on the other end? I have a Momentum after market replacement cable that looks a lot like that (same sleeve color) I got on EBay. Now I would bet that will fit - with these headphones. I have got a pair of HD558 on the way. So the shorter aftermarket cable actually sounds better? What did you find is improved?

 

[citizenp]

I got my 558s for a week or so and I'm really impressed with this phones! They're really airy sounding and extremely comfortable. So comfortable that wearing them for 4 or more hours non-stop is not a problem.
 
Quote:

  That's 2.5 mm at the ear cup and 3.5 mm on the other end? I have a Momentum after market replacement cable that looks a lot like that (same sleeve color) I got on EBay. Now I would bet that will fit - with these headphones. I have got a pair of HD558 on the way. So the shorter aftermarket cable actually sounds better? What did you find is improved?

 
It's not simple 2,5mm jack on the headphone side - it's 2,5mm with locking feature (you plug them to headphone and twist to lock micro-jack) but I think that Momentum's cable got the same design. I bought original Sennheiser's 1,2m cable for my 558s and I can't hear any difference in sound between 3m and 1,2m...