How do these compare to the Sennheiser HD 558? I'm especially interested in classical music, and light weight headphones. Thanks!
1846242
I haven't tried the Sennheisers but I do know that the Bose SoundTrues work very well with my classical music, both orchestral and opera. There is a bias toward rich lows and mids in the Bose, and that works well with this type of music. However, after returning my first pair because I thought there was too much bass, I was told about the 23 EQ settings in my iTunes Library. For the last 5 years, mine has been set to "Flat". Well, I bought another pair, put the EQ setting on "treble booster" and found it absolutely perfect. Not only did it maintain the deep lows but the tenor voices and soprano voices were beautiful. I suggest you try a pair, experiment with your EQ if you want (though a lot of people just like the sound of the SoundTrues right out of the box) and if you don't like them, most retailers (including Bose.com) will allow you to return them within 30 days or so. I think even if you enhanced the bass on these ("bass booster" setting) you find they are not as thumpity-bumpity boomy bass like Beats. Over half the people I know own Beats because they prefer bass over everything, but that is not what music is all about. Bose is balanced across the full sound spectrum. There is also a "classical" EQ setting in iTunes which makes these Bose bring out a nice richness for that type of music.
1846243
Both of the HD 558 and the SoundTrue are excellent headphones for the budget audiophile. There are two main differences - one related to sound and one related to comfort. The HD558 have an "open" design while the SoundTrue are "closed". Closed with keep the sound in and give you passive noise isolation while the open do not. However, some say that the open style gives more of a full or expansive sound, but I find this to be a matter of personal preference. I find the SoundTrue to be more comfortable than the HD 558. I have a large head, and the HD 558 have a slight but noticeable clamping effect while the I forget that I'm wearing the SoundTrue. I have reviewed both if you want more details. Both of the HD 558 and the SoundTrue are excellent headphones for the budget audiophile. There are two main differences - one related to sound and one related to comfort. The HD558 have an "open" design while the SoundTrue are "closed". Closed with keep the sound in and give you passive noise isolation while the open do not. However, some say that the open style gives more of a full or expansive sound, but I find this to be a matter of personal preference. I find the SoundTrue to be more comfortable than the HD 558. I have a large head, and the HD 558 have a slight but... » Read More Both of the HD 558 and the SoundTrue are excellent headphones for the budget audiophile. There are two main differences - one related to sound and one related to comfort. The HD558 have an "open" design while the SoundTrue are "closed". Closed with keep the sound in and give you passive noise isolation while the open do not. However, some say that the open style gives more of a full or expansive sound, but I find this to be a matter of personal preference. I find the SoundTrue to be more comfortable than the HD 558. I have a large head, and the HD 558 have a slight but noticeable clamping effect while the I forget that I'm wearing the SoundTrue. I have reviewed both if you want more details. « Show Less
1431873
I'm not sure how these handle with classical music, as it's not my taste, but these headphones do isolate much better than most over-ears. If you're looking for good isolation and sound quality, I would look at Audio-Technica's ATH-ANC7B noise cancelling headphones. I had the ANC7s (before the ANC7B replaced it) and they were PERFECT with isolation and had great sound quality.
246744
Hey. I have never owned the HD 650 but I can tell you that they are very commonly used in the studio and therefore have very flat sound. That's why you get that veil in the vocals (especially female vocals). The HD598 was made with audiophiles in mind but they are very enjoyable to listen to. The vocal and acoustic part of the midrange is the best I've heard in that price range. It's clear, spacious, and full without being heavy. I personally use my Hd598s to edit female vocals and piano and I am very happy with them. Many audiophiles say that the 598s are more enjoyable to listen to than the 650s or 600 despite the cheaper price. Hey. I have never owned the HD 650 but I can tell you that they are very commonly used in the studio and therefore have very flat sound. That's why you get that veil in the vocals (especially female vocals). The HD598 was made with audiophiles in mind but they are very enjoyable to listen to. The vocal and acoustic part of the midrange is the best I've heard in that price range. It's clear, spacious, and full without being heavy. I personally use my Hd598s to edit female vocals and piano and I am very happy with them. Many audiophiles say that the 598s are more enjoyable to listen to than... » Read More Hey. I have never owned the HD 650 but I can tell you that they are very commonly used in the studio and therefore have very flat sound. That's why you get that veil in the vocals (especially female vocals). The HD598 was made with audiophiles in mind but they are very enjoyable to listen to. The vocal and acoustic part of the midrange is the best I've heard in that price range. It's clear, spacious, and full without being heavy. I personally use my Hd598s to edit female vocals and piano and I am very happy with them. Many audiophiles say that the 598s are more enjoyable to listen to than the 650s or 600 despite the cheaper price. « Show Less
20679
I don't have precise enough instruments at the moment to give you exact numbers, but I an honestly say that they sound amazing. It has very warm lows, mids, and highs: none of the sound is altered, and you get a very precise representation of the music. If you're interested in these, but are looking for more of an accentuated bass, the Gold are better. These headphones are definitely good, but there are other alternatives if you feel uncomfortable without the specs (for some reason, Monster never releases them) like the IE80 or SE535. Sorry I couldn't answer you question precisely, but I hope this will help as these headphones really do have a good frequency response.
1729716
Am on the same boat. Kindly let me know if you find any answers by replying to this comment. Also looking for Sennheiser HD 598 Over-Ear Headphones . Have emailed customer care
147485
I recommend the Sennheiser HD448s. They sound great and are very clear like the 595s, which I also own. However, they need a good 50+ hours of burn in to really reach their full potential.
322077
I love the 558. Since you are asking, I assume you are new to hi-fidelity headphones. If so, I suggest you start there. Once you have experienced them, you can develop an appreciation that might direct you to the 598s later, or in another direction entirely. Until you find out what your preferences and biases are, I wouldn't spend the money, because the 558s I have handle every improvement in source I provide. I would spend money to upgrade to the best cables you can use. I would also spend money to purchase higher fidelity music. There is a lot of discussion about range when you buy better music. That is not the issue. It is how much noise turns into additional music as the quality of your music files improves. It's like arguing about pixel size or frame rate wrt your eye's capability to see. Higher quality pictures look better, even if you can't see the pixels or the flicker from the frame rate. Anyway, the HD 558 give very good performance.
541373
I have HE-400s driven by a Shiit Lyr Amp. The 400s as well as the 500s are not bass heavy headphones. This is one of many reasons I got the 400s. I don't like heavy bass. I did find that after a break-in period, the bass was very nature and sounded close to live music. What I really like is that the bass is clear and not muddy which nearly all bass heavy headphones sound like. The Lyr is designed to drive orthos such as the 400s and 500s. I had looked at the EF-5 but I didn't think it drove the headphones enough. They do need a bit of power. If you like heavier bass, I'm afraid you may have gotten yourself the wrong headphones. The beauty of these is that they are nearly flat responding which make them sounds closer to live music which is what I am looking for. I will tell you that with the 500s and the Lyr combo, you will hear stuff in your music you haven't heard before but you will also hear mistakes made by the recording engineer as well as the limitations on MP3 files if you play those. These headphones don't like to be forced too hard on the bass end. Their design doesn't do well with that. Be careful if you do try to send more bass through them.
2006218
I use the AKG's to monitor my music when recording virtual pipe organs. ("leo037chris" on YouTube) The sound is clear and the really low bass is there (even pretty impressive below 32 KHz). The lows are not muddy or boomy at all. I can boost the low end without distortion. The sound is very accurate. The HD600's also have plenty of low response. I think they are not quite as good to monitor my recordings since there is a more distant feel to the music, I think due to the somewhat less mid-range volume(?) and a sort of fuller mid-bass feeling. Really, both phones sound excellent, but I prefer the AKG's for recording, and the HD600's for just general listening to music. I use the AKG's to monitor my music when recording virtual pipe organs. ("leo037chris" on YouTube) The sound is clear and the really low bass is there (even pretty impressive below 32 KHz). The lows are not muddy or boomy at all. I can boost the low end without distortion. The sound is very accurate. The HD600's also have plenty of low response. I think they are not quite as good to monitor my recordings since there is a more distant feel to the music, I think due to the somewhat less mid-range volume(?) and a sort of fuller mid-bass feeling. Really, both phones sound... » Read More I use the AKG's to monitor my music when recording virtual pipe organs. ("leo037chris" on YouTube) The sound is clear and the really low bass is there (even pretty impressive below 32 KHz). The lows are not muddy or boomy at all. I can boost the low end without distortion. The sound is very accurate. The HD600's also have plenty of low response. I think they are not quite as good to monitor my recordings since there is a more distant feel to the music, I think due to the somewhat less mid-range volume(?) and a sort of fuller mid-bass feeling. Really, both phones sound excellent, but I prefer the AKG's for recording, and the HD600's for just general listening to music. « Show Less
1240314
Hi, sorry can't help as I don't have experience with this devices. Anyway you ordered outstanding headphones, top class for sure, I used with a good DAC and a Magny amplifier and really are one of my prefered headphones (well, I keep the 250ohm version as I almost never use portable devices for music). Hope you likes the Beyers. Leo.
649461
They're both really great and I doubt you'll be disappointed with either one of em. Both the headphone's sound quality appeal to your sense of music. I think your decision will have to rely on the physical body of the headphones. If you're looking for a lightweight headphone on-the-go type of style, I'd recommend the momentum 2.0. If you want heavier, tighter, more durable type with better passive noise cancellation get these. Of the two, the momentum is more comfortable. But I really love the noise cancellation of these.
1431872
If you're listening to only classical I would recommend looking at other headphones, especially ones with the open back. These are fantastic headphones but classical music is not a strong point for these
1145461
yea the HD598's are better compared to the skull candy quality-wise. Check this link out http://versus.com/en/sennheiser-hd-598-vs-skullcandy-aviator
2234330
Hi Kevin,If I had to sum up the best genres for these headphones it would be jazz, classical, and acoustic music. They have a wide soundstage and natural bass. Bass heavy music would be better served by something closed. Check out Audio Technica or Ultrasone.
1808088
I'm very picky about what headphones are comfortable. I guess I have sensitive ears, since a lot of headphones people have said were very comfortable for them turned out to be a huge pain for me to wear. That being said, the 558s are incredibly comfy, light as a feather with nice big cushy pads on the side and the top. Coupled with a huge soundstage and incredible overall sound quality, these are one of the best headphones that exist, bang for the buck.
1307255
Under 3500usd? A lot!! Beyer t1 sennheiser HD 700 HD 800 just some of the obvious ones
658283
I never saw or heard the hm-700, but you can consider the re-400 ear pieces balanced, if colored sound is your concern. They are very lean on the bass, more mid-range focused. When my pair were burned in after about a week of use, they lost all the bass, I couldn't tolerate them, so they were returned. If you want analytic audio gear, you will love these.