Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee Headphones Reviews | Drop

Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions

Free Standard Shipping in the US on orders over $99

Showing 1 of 4587 reviews about:

Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee Headphones

Jul 7, 2018

Verified Buyer

Great bass extension and impact, fair mids, better alternative for portable usage / no amp

I just got the HD58x that arrived late June and had a couple of months of listening sessions with my iPhone X and Audioquest Dragonfly Red (with its 2.1V max output rms). The setup i’m using is the same as the setup I normally use with my HD6xx and HD600 in portable mode (when i’m not using my living room headphone amp). So here are a few comments after a couple of months of usage. - Bass is firmer and more extended than with HD6xx. Bass is heavier than HD600. - It’s also without the famous HD650 mid bass bump, the sound is less thick. - the sound is dryer in the mids, yet more dynamic, imaging as good as HD6xx or HD600. - the highs are similar in level, maybe a little more present, but comparable, without any sibilance. The HD58X are a little brighter in the lower treble than either the HD600 or HD650/6XX. HD600 is also bright. HD650/6XX seems to have more harmonics and better high treble extension. But the thing is the mids are not as good as either the HD650/6xx or HD600. For now, they lack emotion, they lack sweetness, they lack the air, the harmonics that the HD600 or HD650/6XX are capable and have been famous for. The HD650/6XX is slightly more euphonic than the HD58X to my ears. I tried a few songs from jazzy/soul/pop Canadian singer Charlotte Cardin and some of the emotion in her beautiful soul/jazz voice is not as present with the HD58x as it is with the HD6XX. The mids are not only pushed back (less forward), they are also slighty dry and shouty in the high mids(1khz), I felt the same listening to The Chain from Fleewood Mac on Rumours and listening to Dire Strait’s Private Investigations. These two songs are famous for their acoustic sound qualities. They give me goose bumps when I use the HD6XX and even with my closed back HD25-1II. Not as much with the HD58X. The harmonics of the strings on the guitars are not as spectacular as they are on the HD650/6XX. There is a loss in harmonics, in the mids and also in the highs. Slightly less musicality with the HD58X, yet more sub bass presence and firmer bass and impact. The voices of Stevie Nicks in The Chain are simply not as outstanding on the HD58X as they are on the HD650/6XX or HD600. Don’t get me wrong: the mids on the HD58X sound a lot better than many of my other headphones I own (better than HD25/Amperior, better than HD4.40BT, better than ATH-50X, better than PX100i and probably at par but still sounding different with less emotion than Momentum 1 and Momentum Wireless), but they are definitely a step backwards to the HD600/650/6XX. I cannot compare with HD660S because I never had the chance to hear them. I cannot complain for the price I paid, at 149$ they are very good, just not as good as the HD650/6XX. Everything else apart from the mids and the harmonics is « very good » (and a steal for the 150$ price), but the mids are only « good », maybe because they are slighty « cold/dry » and slightly « shouty » compared to its 600 series siblings. The problem is than most of the emotion in the music I listen to is in the mids. I guess that if you are into EDM or rock concert type music, the HD58x are up to expectations, with its firmer and more impactfull sub bass and impactfull highs, but even EDM music and rock benefit from good mids when there are singing portions in the music (most rock songs have some singing). I must state that on my first day of listening my opinion was more against the HD58X. Over time I recognize the relative sound quality provided by this open air high quality headphone. And the advantage to carry better sounding headphones with my iPhone without the need for a portable DAC/amp. But to sum it up: they are very good, I recommend them for the price, I recommend them in particular for portable usage, they have very good tight extended bass, but they would never be a remplacement to my HD6XX’s with its fabulous musicality and mids. Just Adding a comment: raising the 400hz and lowering the 1khz sliders on my music app (I use Spotify or Apple Music most of the time) does bring back part of the naturalness of the mids closer to the HD6XX, but never like using the real HD6XX. They are then smoother and less shouty. Maybe the lack of emotion I find on the HD58X is something like a slighty cold and too shouty (1khz) sound, which seems to be in common with the HD660S according to Tyll. Maybe I’m biased by many hours passed with my HD600 and HD6xx to truly enjoy the HD58X mids at this time. But I nevertheless give it a 4 star sound rating because of the overall sound quality, good firm bass (reminds me a bit of the HD25-1II bass although less firm since it‘s an open headphone contrary to the HD25). Because of the portability, fantastic bass and fair price, I would increase my rating to a full 5 stars. I cannot think of a better headphone at this price. It’s also better sounding to me than most 500 series Sennheiser headphones, just not as musical and euphonic as the HD650/6XX headphones to my ears. One more word on the built quality. I do not agree with many comments that say the built quality is not at par with other 600 series Sennheiser headphones. In fact, they have the exact same build qualities. you may or may not like the colour choices of the the grills and headband, but I assure you that the construction, build quality is identical. The finishing and colour is a bit more basic, I agree, but they remind us of the original HD580 finish. There is no doubt in my mind that these headphones will last as long as a new pair of 600/650/6XX/660S. I recognize that my review has some reservations about the overall sound (mostly the mids) and is not in line with many other more positive reviews on this site or on other headphone forums, but they are my sincere opinion of them, for the better or the worse, and I was able to do a direct comparison with my other headphones I currently own in my living room, such as the HD600, HD6XX, HD598, HD25-1, etc. After a couple of months using the headphones this summer, I happen to find that I use these headphones more than my HD6xx and HD600 combined. It has to do with its portability (the ability to use them with my iPhone and iPad without an external portable amp in the way). This is not an indication that I prefer the sound of these versus the HD6XX. I must admit however that these headphones are growing on me every week and that I sometimes prefer them over the HD6XX, mainly with EDM or sub bass driven dance music or similar. I also bought an aftermarket cable from Newfantasia on Amazon that has a similar 4ft lenght, but also has a mic and remote incorporated on the cable, which makes my HD58x a truly portable headphone to be used with my iPhone X. It is still an open design, which has its pros and cons for portable use, but it suits me fine. I still use my Momentum Wireless on planes and when I don’t want to disturb around me in certain circumstances, but the HD58x suits me fine in portable use, while lying on a chair outside or even walking in the neihborhood. At least I hear the cars coming when I walk on the sidewalks and cross the streets with them...

(Edited)

Recommends this product? Yes

Was this helpful?

See More Reviews