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Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee Headphones
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Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee Headphones
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keyboard_arrow_downKewster
26
Jul 31, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
These headphones make my ear drums dance with insane clarity. Never regretted the decision to purchase them from Massdrop. Hightly recommended.
(Edited)
Rutgersbaby
58
Jul 28, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
The best choice for most people
After a few months trading back and forth between these and the HD6XX, I really think most people will be much happier with these. I do most of my listening to my ripped ALAC collection and/or Tidal on my iPhone through the lightning adapter. The Hd6XX are fine with this, but definitely don’t shine like they do when plugged into my desktop computer or receiver, whereas the HD58X sound pretty much the same (great) no matter what you plug them into. If you had to have just one and will do any listening through a portable source, go for these.
As for actual performance, they sound like a slightly more energetic set of Sennheiser open-back headphones. Bass guitars come to life on these, and there is enough sparkle on the high end to satisfy most folks. A really great set of headphones at any price.
Recommends this product? Yes
maximal
14
Jul 27, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Best Sounding Headphone I've Had
This is my first set in the entry level audiophile category. Paired with a JDS Labs OL Dac and Atom Amp. Not sure how effective burning in a headset is but I spent the last few nights playing pink noise / music as I slept and I've noticed a slight difference.
I use it about 60% for gaming and 40% for music. So far it's far and above any set I've had to date (all of which have been gaming headsets). The soundstage really is larger than anything I've had, but it did take a while to adjust to the nature of an open back headset (just turn the amp up loud enough to drown everything out).
Highly recommended.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
MattBorchert
64
Jul 7, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Incredible detail and clarity for a solid price.
Video review comparing these against the HiFiMan HE4XX - https://youtu.be/AN5U8EWcXZc
The HD 58X's are an EXCELLENT pair of headphones if you're on the hunt for truly detailed sound. The clarity of these headphones is quite stunning for the price range, and when you compare these against many of the lower-end headphones on the market, you'll start to understand why these have been such top sellers on Drop.
The video I linked above will cover everything in much greater detail while comparing them against the also great HiFiMan HE4XX's, but here are some high level pros and cons to the 58X's in my mind:
Pros:
Cons:
- EXCELLENT detail and clarity
- Mids and treble in particular are very well detailed
- Solid bass, although it lacks some of the same detail that the mids and treble have
- An intense sound that makes you feel closely surrounded by the music
- Fairly easy to drive, although like most headphones, they will benefit from a dedicated amp
- These are still made in Ireland along with much more pricey Sennheisers
- FANTASTIC price point for the quality of the drivers
Cons:
- The high gloss finish on these headphones makes them look cheap in comparison to the natural plastic finish on the 4XX's
- Personal preference, but I would have greatly prefered a semi-gloss, matte, or natural plastic finish
- While the soundstage on these is good, it falls well short of some other offerings in open-backed headphones (the 4XX's EASILY outshine these when it comes to soundstage)
- The treble is a bit too intense on these for my personal liking
- The clamp on these is fairly tight against my head
- Not a deal breaker, but does detract from comfort
Recommends this product? Yes
AbsolutZeroGI
81
Oct 9, 2018
checkVerified Buyer
I purchased this after watching a lot of reviews, opinions, and posts on various websites. It seems right up my alley. A more exciting HD650? Sure. Basically as good as the HD660 at a fraction of the price? Why not? At $150, it's not like I'm buying a car or something. So I ordered one.
A bit of background. I have either used or owned the K7xx, the HD650, the HD600, the HD558s, HD598CS (closed back), and the Philips Fidelio X2. My comparisons are mostly to those since those are the frame of the reference that I have. I like my headphones relatively relaxing. I like stuff I can use all day. My daily drivers are the HD558s and HD598CS. The rest were either sold or were borrowed. Anyway, my observations below are based on the headphones I have previously owned. Obviously when I say the clarity is excellent, I don't mean compared to something like Stax lol, I mean compared to the stuff I've listened to before.
Also, I do not own a single amp/dac. This review comes from a completely un-amped experience.
Okay let's go.
Sound Quality: The sound quality on these are impressive. Everything sounds quite clear. These headphones are fast and accurate. Faster music like metal sound fantastic and cluttered compositions like classical still manage to sound clear, airy, and uncluttered.
Treble: I'm a little sensitive to treble, so hearing everybody say that they were brighter than the HD650 made me a little nervous. Thankfully, these are in no way "bright" headphones. However, there is definitely no "Sennheiser veil" either. High hats and other treble-y noises are prominent in the music and very noticeable. They are in no way over-powering, though. I noticed the treble presence the most in metal music (the high hats and symbol crashes, mostly) and they sounded fantastic. They were there in the mix, loud enough to add to the musical experience, but in no way sharp, sibilant, or "too strong". This, in my opinion, is the perfect treble (which means it may not be enough for people who want exactly even treble or even strong treble). More treble than the 558s, 598CS, and 650s. It's about as much as the 600s. The K7xx had more treble, but it sits differently in the mix so it sounds like there's less but there isn't, if that makes sense. The K7xx and the 58x are just as good in the treble, but the 58x sounds better to me.
Mids: The mids are very present, but sit further back in the mix than I'm used to. This is definitely not the "thick midrange" of the 558s or the 598CS, but it's also not quite the same as the 650s or 600s either. It's full without being full. In other words, you don't miss any notes, but it sits in the mix in a way that makes the sound easier to digest. Think of it like an insulated blanket vs a full comforter. A comforter keeps you warm, but it's heavy, thick. An insulated blanket is much lighter and thinner, but it keeps you exactly as warm, and that's about what the midrange is like in these headphones. It's very much like the 600s to me. However, the 600s have a VERY sharp upper midrange (mostly noticeable with snare drums in some rap songs like Atmosphere's Sunshine). The 58x turns this sharpness down to a tolerable level, and thus I like the midrange in this headphone more than the 600s. Like the treble, it's basically perfect for me. Less full sounding than the cheaper Sennheisers, but better sounding and more in control than the 600s or 650s. The K7xx has a more recessed (but still very pleasant) midrange comparatively. The lack of that "too full" sound in the midrange also greatly contributes to this headphone's clarity.
Bass: This is a weird one for me. The 558s and 598CS actually have fairly powerful bass, but it's muddy. The 600 and 650 have clear bass, but not a ton of extension, and the K7xx has excellent bass extension but not a ton of volume. The 58x kind of meet all of these experiences in the middle. More clarity than the 558s and 598CS by a long shot, more extension than the 600 or 650, and more volume than the k7xx. These are NOT bass heavy cans by ANY stretch of the imagination. There is enough there to feel a bump, but it never takes control of a track (unless it's designed that way, like most Maroon 5 songs). Of all of the portions of the phone, this one is the easiest to explain. Good extension, good volume, never over-powering. Basically, perfect, from an objective standpoint, and not mine lol.
Clarity: Outstanding. My test tracks for clarity include any Slipknot song, large band music (thing big band like the 1920's), classical compositions, and some video game and anime soundtracks. Anything with a ton of instruments and dynamic range (like Apocalypse Noctis on the Final Fantasy XV soundtrack has a huge, loud intro and then it tapers off to this sweet, quiet little strings section, that's what I consider to be dynamic range). The 58x handled it all perfectly. At no point did the sound just mash together into a giant blob, as was wont to happen with the cheaper Sennheiser cans. The 600s, 650s, and k7xx also have outstanding clarity and to be honest I'm not entirely certain which of the four (600, 650, k7xx, or 58x) has the best clarity, because they all present the music in a slightly different way. Suffice to say, in no song I listened to could I not pick out each individual instrument (or in the case of classical, set of instruments). Considering I paid $80 for the 558s (used, 5 years ago), and $80 for the 598CS (also used), the idea that these are less than twice the price is amazing to me.
Soundstage: There is not a ton of soundstage with the 58x. It reminds me a lot of the 600 and 650 in this regard. Everything has its place, but it's all pretty close together. You're not getting the ridiculously airy sound of the k7xx or the Fidelio X2 with these. You won't accidentally confuse these for speakers somewhere in the room. However, after conducting a couple of binaural tests, these things have the capacity to sound like real life and throw a noise really far away if they have to.
Comfort: These have some serious clamping force, like basically the entire 58x/6xx range of Sennheiser cans. The ear cups are comprised of a cloth (velour?) covered foam and it's not memory foam. They're a little stiffer than I'm used to (especially after the mind-melting softness of the Fidelio X2 and the k7xx), but by no means uncomfortable. I bend the metal extenders out a little bit to lessen the impact on the sides of my face and the padding on top does its job admirably.
I may switch out some parts of this for others. For instance, I prefer the HD600 headband padding (four bumps > two long bumps, imho). Of course, eventually, when the pads wear down, I'll need to buy 660/650/600 pads to replace them and I guess there's a subtle difference between the 600/650 and the 58x/660 ear cups. We'll see when the time comes. In any case, these are definitely comfortable once you loosen the clamping force a little bit (unless you like headphones hugging your face like a terrified cartoon character or like, well, face huggers in Alien lol).
The good (pros): 1. They sound fantastic, even, and non-fatiguing. The 558s and 650s have an even more relaxing and non-fatiguing sound, but the 58x are more exciting overall to listen to. 2. Good bass extension without being obnoxious about it. Good treble extension without being awful about it. 3. The 3.5mm cable that comes with it is good for walking around with a phone in your pocket and probably good enough for laptop and desktop use for most people. I appreciate that because I am so tired of the 10ft cables Sennheiser includes with their stuff. 4. Surprisingly good efficiency. They sound more than loud enough on my laptop, desktop, and phone without need for an amp. I'm sure an amp would clean up the sound even more, but I'm not in a rush to get one. These are louder at a lower volume than my 50ohm 558s (on most songs). 5. Amazing price for these cans. 6. Repairable with HD600, 650, 660, etc parts if I ever need it. I may go with the 4 bump headband of the HD600s as I prefer them over the 650 style, which these have. 7. Lightweight which is nice for the long, long listening sessions I have planned for these things.
Cons 1. Slightly (and I mean slightly) hot in the upper midrange section like the rest of the 6xx series (you can see it in the frequency response chart in the 4-7kHz range). It's really only noticeable on a few songs, though, and it's not nearly as prominent or over-powering as the HD600, which is why I don't own those anymore. Really, I've only had a problem in a couple of poorly mastered rap songs where the snare drum just slaps you in the face for the whole song. 2. Clamp force is ridiculous, but that's a temporary and fixable thing. 3. Wish the pads were a little softer but they'll soften up over time so it's not a huge deal. 4. Wish the headband weren't glossy. Matte is the superior finish. Preference thing, though, and not a real complaint.
Conclusion: Keep in mind that all of my observations are completely un-amped on a Galaxy Note 9, an HP Omen laptop, and a desktop with a Ryzen 7 1700 (and a midrange motherboard). Additionally, my "audiophile (lulz)" experience is basically restricted to the headphones I listed earlier, so I can't tell you how this compares to something like the HD800, Stax, or basically any planar headphones. What I said above is strictly based on the sound quality and characteristics of what I've heard before.
I'm also sure you can get some changes in the audio by giving it some proper power, tube vs solid state, and whatnot. However, these get loud enough for me at around 50% volume on my Note 9 (sometimes louder if the track is generally quieter) and I honestly don't feel like additional accessories are necessary right now (but y'know, probably in the future). These headphones are accurate, fun, non-fatiguing, comfortable, and completely repairable. I'm very happy about these. They are worth every penny.
*Edit* I picked up a Topping NX1s for like $35 on Amazon just to see what these sound like with an amp.
In short, there isn't much of a difference at low to medium volume. Maybe the bass gets a little stronger? Maybe? I might be stretching it just to say something lol.
However, where did I notice a significant difference is at higher volumes. At 90%+ volume on my Note 8, the 58x starts to get a little out of control. Like they aren't getting enough power to its sound signature. Bass gets a little boomy compared to the midrange and the treble dips a lot.
With the amp, the sound signature stays consistent all the way up to 100% volume. That's awesome, but it's also the only difference I noticed. It helps the headphone "hold it together" at higher volumes. Like I said earlier, I didn't notice any changes to the sound signature aside from maybe a bit of extra bass response.
100% is a little loud for me, so I likely won't use the amp a whole bunch as they sound fine at the 50% volume I usually listen at. I do plan to keep it though, just in case I want to jam out a little louder.
A bit of background. I have either used or owned the K7xx, the HD650, the HD600, the HD558s, HD598CS (closed back), and the Philips Fidelio X2. My comparisons are mostly to those since those are the frame of the reference that I have. I like my headphones relatively relaxing. I like stuff I can use all day. My daily drivers are the HD558s and HD598CS. The rest were either sold or were borrowed. Anyway, my observations below are based on the headphones I have previously owned. Obviously when I say the clarity is excellent, I don't mean compared to something like Stax lol, I mean compared to the stuff I've listened to before.
Also, I do not own a single amp/dac. This review comes from a completely un-amped experience.
Okay let's go.
Sound Quality: The sound quality on these are impressive. Everything sounds quite clear. These headphones are fast and accurate. Faster music like metal sound fantastic and cluttered compositions like classical still manage to sound clear, airy, and uncluttered.
Treble: I'm a little sensitive to treble, so hearing everybody say that they were brighter than the HD650 made me a little nervous. Thankfully, these are in no way "bright" headphones. However, there is definitely no "Sennheiser veil" either. High hats and other treble-y noises are prominent in the music and very noticeable. They are in no way over-powering, though. I noticed the treble presence the most in metal music (the high hats and symbol crashes, mostly) and they sounded fantastic. They were there in the mix, loud enough to add to the musical experience, but in no way sharp, sibilant, or "too strong". This, in my opinion, is the perfect treble (which means it may not be enough for people who want exactly even treble or even strong treble). More treble than the 558s, 598CS, and 650s. It's about as much as the 600s. The K7xx had more treble, but it sits differently in the mix so it sounds like there's less but there isn't, if that makes sense. The K7xx and the 58x are just as good in the treble, but the 58x sounds better to me.
Mids: The mids are very present, but sit further back in the mix than I'm used to. This is definitely not the "thick midrange" of the 558s or the 598CS, but it's also not quite the same as the 650s or 600s either. It's full without being full. In other words, you don't miss any notes, but it sits in the mix in a way that makes the sound easier to digest. Think of it like an insulated blanket vs a full comforter. A comforter keeps you warm, but it's heavy, thick. An insulated blanket is much lighter and thinner, but it keeps you exactly as warm, and that's about what the midrange is like in these headphones. It's very much like the 600s to me. However, the 600s have a VERY sharp upper midrange (mostly noticeable with snare drums in some rap songs like Atmosphere's Sunshine). The 58x turns this sharpness down to a tolerable level, and thus I like the midrange in this headphone more than the 600s. Like the treble, it's basically perfect for me. Less full sounding than the cheaper Sennheisers, but better sounding and more in control than the 600s or 650s. The K7xx has a more recessed (but still very pleasant) midrange comparatively. The lack of that "too full" sound in the midrange also greatly contributes to this headphone's clarity.
Bass: This is a weird one for me. The 558s and 598CS actually have fairly powerful bass, but it's muddy. The 600 and 650 have clear bass, but not a ton of extension, and the K7xx has excellent bass extension but not a ton of volume. The 58x kind of meet all of these experiences in the middle. More clarity than the 558s and 598CS by a long shot, more extension than the 600 or 650, and more volume than the k7xx. These are NOT bass heavy cans by ANY stretch of the imagination. There is enough there to feel a bump, but it never takes control of a track (unless it's designed that way, like most Maroon 5 songs). Of all of the portions of the phone, this one is the easiest to explain. Good extension, good volume, never over-powering. Basically, perfect, from an objective standpoint, and not mine lol.
Clarity: Outstanding. My test tracks for clarity include any Slipknot song, large band music (thing big band like the 1920's), classical compositions, and some video game and anime soundtracks. Anything with a ton of instruments and dynamic range (like Apocalypse Noctis on the Final Fantasy XV soundtrack has a huge, loud intro and then it tapers off to this sweet, quiet little strings section, that's what I consider to be dynamic range). The 58x handled it all perfectly. At no point did the sound just mash together into a giant blob, as was wont to happen with the cheaper Sennheiser cans. The 600s, 650s, and k7xx also have outstanding clarity and to be honest I'm not entirely certain which of the four (600, 650, k7xx, or 58x) has the best clarity, because they all present the music in a slightly different way. Suffice to say, in no song I listened to could I not pick out each individual instrument (or in the case of classical, set of instruments). Considering I paid $80 for the 558s (used, 5 years ago), and $80 for the 598CS (also used), the idea that these are less than twice the price is amazing to me.
Soundstage: There is not a ton of soundstage with the 58x. It reminds me a lot of the 600 and 650 in this regard. Everything has its place, but it's all pretty close together. You're not getting the ridiculously airy sound of the k7xx or the Fidelio X2 with these. You won't accidentally confuse these for speakers somewhere in the room. However, after conducting a couple of binaural tests, these things have the capacity to sound like real life and throw a noise really far away if they have to.
Comfort: These have some serious clamping force, like basically the entire 58x/6xx range of Sennheiser cans. The ear cups are comprised of a cloth (velour?) covered foam and it's not memory foam. They're a little stiffer than I'm used to (especially after the mind-melting softness of the Fidelio X2 and the k7xx), but by no means uncomfortable. I bend the metal extenders out a little bit to lessen the impact on the sides of my face and the padding on top does its job admirably.
I may switch out some parts of this for others. For instance, I prefer the HD600 headband padding (four bumps > two long bumps, imho). Of course, eventually, when the pads wear down, I'll need to buy 660/650/600 pads to replace them and I guess there's a subtle difference between the 600/650 and the 58x/660 ear cups. We'll see when the time comes. In any case, these are definitely comfortable once you loosen the clamping force a little bit (unless you like headphones hugging your face like a terrified cartoon character or like, well, face huggers in Alien lol).
The good (pros): 1. They sound fantastic, even, and non-fatiguing. The 558s and 650s have an even more relaxing and non-fatiguing sound, but the 58x are more exciting overall to listen to. 2. Good bass extension without being obnoxious about it. Good treble extension without being awful about it. 3. The 3.5mm cable that comes with it is good for walking around with a phone in your pocket and probably good enough for laptop and desktop use for most people. I appreciate that because I am so tired of the 10ft cables Sennheiser includes with their stuff. 4. Surprisingly good efficiency. They sound more than loud enough on my laptop, desktop, and phone without need for an amp. I'm sure an amp would clean up the sound even more, but I'm not in a rush to get one. These are louder at a lower volume than my 50ohm 558s (on most songs). 5. Amazing price for these cans. 6. Repairable with HD600, 650, 660, etc parts if I ever need it. I may go with the 4 bump headband of the HD600s as I prefer them over the 650 style, which these have. 7. Lightweight which is nice for the long, long listening sessions I have planned for these things.
Cons 1. Slightly (and I mean slightly) hot in the upper midrange section like the rest of the 6xx series (you can see it in the frequency response chart in the 4-7kHz range). It's really only noticeable on a few songs, though, and it's not nearly as prominent or over-powering as the HD600, which is why I don't own those anymore. Really, I've only had a problem in a couple of poorly mastered rap songs where the snare drum just slaps you in the face for the whole song. 2. Clamp force is ridiculous, but that's a temporary and fixable thing. 3. Wish the pads were a little softer but they'll soften up over time so it's not a huge deal. 4. Wish the headband weren't glossy. Matte is the superior finish. Preference thing, though, and not a real complaint.
Conclusion: Keep in mind that all of my observations are completely un-amped on a Galaxy Note 9, an HP Omen laptop, and a desktop with a Ryzen 7 1700 (and a midrange motherboard). Additionally, my "audiophile (lulz)" experience is basically restricted to the headphones I listed earlier, so I can't tell you how this compares to something like the HD800, Stax, or basically any planar headphones. What I said above is strictly based on the sound quality and characteristics of what I've heard before.
I'm also sure you can get some changes in the audio by giving it some proper power, tube vs solid state, and whatnot. However, these get loud enough for me at around 50% volume on my Note 9 (sometimes louder if the track is generally quieter) and I honestly don't feel like additional accessories are necessary right now (but y'know, probably in the future). These headphones are accurate, fun, non-fatiguing, comfortable, and completely repairable. I'm very happy about these. They are worth every penny.
*Edit* I picked up a Topping NX1s for like $35 on Amazon just to see what these sound like with an amp.
In short, there isn't much of a difference at low to medium volume. Maybe the bass gets a little stronger? Maybe? I might be stretching it just to say something lol.
However, where did I notice a significant difference is at higher volumes. At 90%+ volume on my Note 8, the 58x starts to get a little out of control. Like they aren't getting enough power to its sound signature. Bass gets a little boomy compared to the midrange and the treble dips a lot.
With the amp, the sound signature stays consistent all the way up to 100% volume. That's awesome, but it's also the only difference I noticed. It helps the headphone "hold it together" at higher volumes. Like I said earlier, I didn't notice any changes to the sound signature aside from maybe a bit of extra bass response.
100% is a little loud for me, so I likely won't use the amp a whole bunch as they sound fine at the 50% volume I usually listen at. I do plan to keep it though, just in case I want to jam out a little louder.
ElMJ
0
Jul 16, 2021
TxrtleYes it did. I didn't want to risk damaging them so I didn't stretch them myself too much. I actually let them rest on something when I wasn't using them, something about the size of a head or slightly bigger you know so they would stretch themselves a bit at night or whenever. After a few days they were good. Its actually the metal itself that you need to loosen up a bit.
mrcrunch08
158
Sep 26, 2018
checkVerified Buyer
This is a tough review to write. I know these are not 5 star headphones but every time I change it to 4 I feel like I am selling them short. I have plenty of headphones that are technically better in every single way but found myself having to listen to music I normally wouldn't in order to appreciate what they had to offer. The problem I always had was the music I like is normally poorly recorded and those headphones would just suck the fun out of most of my favorite albums. This includes the 600's and 6xx's.
I'm not sure what I expected when I bought these. I've been daydreaming about the 660s and seen another 150ohm Sennheiser with the 6xx series looks for $150 and figured why not. Massdrop shipped them quick and they got here in no time despite the normally slow fedex/usps thing. I have a regular new headphone ritual where I open up foobar and play Reasonable Doubt. Normally I skip through that album in a couple minutes because those other headphones makes the poor quality samples and overall poor recording quality unbearable to listen to. I usually have to use my jbl s700's or ATH-WS1100's for old school hip hop.
This is where this review may get a little weird so I apologize in advance. Now I have these on and hit play. Can't Knock the Hustle starts playing and the heart beat starts. At the 30 second mark it dawns on me I am sitting here with my eyes closed remembering when I first bought the cassette back in the day not really even listening. Then the 42sec mark hits and sitting in a room alone I actually say ooh. I sat there with my feet up and eyes closed and listened to the entire album. Not once did I have the flaws of the album forced on me or even thought to look for them. The entire time I was having memories of the first time I listened to the album and enjoyed it just as much as I did then.
I know all that probably sounded weird but what I'm about to say may sound even more weird. All of my so called "audiophile" grade headphones always gave me the impression they were tuned by someone a generation older to fit the music they enjoyed when they were younger. These are the first quality pair of headphones that feel like they are tuned by someone from my generation. A lot of audiophile headphones don't seem to like hip hop or at least late 80's early 90's hip hop but these do. Everything just sounds pleasurable. My collection of music is just not hip hop and I normally have to switch headphones depending on what I want to listen to but I haven't felt the need with these.
The only real shortcomings I think these headphones have is the soundstage and separation. I'm strictly speaking stock in this review because those can be improved. I find the soundstage to be very close to the 600's and separation of instruments to be a bit less or softer than both the 600's and the 6xx's. I would definitely like more soundstage stock but I think the way these do separation is part of why they work so well with all music and are so pleasurable. If your playlist goes from wu tang to rage to Biggie to Nirvana to Dessa to Wayne to you get the point these are for you. I have seen some comments of owners saying they had some graininess with theirs but I have no sign of that with mine. I did have that with those ATH-WS1100's but it went away after a week of use so hopefully those who have/had that issue with these will have the luck I had with those.
I'm not sure what I expected when I bought these. I've been daydreaming about the 660s and seen another 150ohm Sennheiser with the 6xx series looks for $150 and figured why not. Massdrop shipped them quick and they got here in no time despite the normally slow fedex/usps thing. I have a regular new headphone ritual where I open up foobar and play Reasonable Doubt. Normally I skip through that album in a couple minutes because those other headphones makes the poor quality samples and overall poor recording quality unbearable to listen to. I usually have to use my jbl s700's or ATH-WS1100's for old school hip hop.
This is where this review may get a little weird so I apologize in advance. Now I have these on and hit play. Can't Knock the Hustle starts playing and the heart beat starts. At the 30 second mark it dawns on me I am sitting here with my eyes closed remembering when I first bought the cassette back in the day not really even listening. Then the 42sec mark hits and sitting in a room alone I actually say ooh. I sat there with my feet up and eyes closed and listened to the entire album. Not once did I have the flaws of the album forced on me or even thought to look for them. The entire time I was having memories of the first time I listened to the album and enjoyed it just as much as I did then.
I know all that probably sounded weird but what I'm about to say may sound even more weird. All of my so called "audiophile" grade headphones always gave me the impression they were tuned by someone a generation older to fit the music they enjoyed when they were younger. These are the first quality pair of headphones that feel like they are tuned by someone from my generation. A lot of audiophile headphones don't seem to like hip hop or at least late 80's early 90's hip hop but these do. Everything just sounds pleasurable. My collection of music is just not hip hop and I normally have to switch headphones depending on what I want to listen to but I haven't felt the need with these.
The only real shortcomings I think these headphones have is the soundstage and separation. I'm strictly speaking stock in this review because those can be improved. I find the soundstage to be very close to the 600's and separation of instruments to be a bit less or softer than both the 600's and the 6xx's. I would definitely like more soundstage stock but I think the way these do separation is part of why they work so well with all music and are so pleasurable. If your playlist goes from wu tang to rage to Biggie to Nirvana to Dessa to Wayne to you get the point these are for you. I have seen some comments of owners saying they had some graininess with theirs but I have no sign of that with mine. I did have that with those ATH-WS1100's but it went away after a week of use so hopefully those who have/had that issue with these will have the luck I had with those.
AudioFaze
200
Oct 3, 2018
mrcrunch08This was a pleasure to read. One of the best. Thank you for sharing.
Soham1255
513
Oct 3, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Review: Sennheiser HD 58X (The Best Headphones under $200!)
Read the full review here: https://auralwerkz.com/2019/03/sennheiser-hd-58x/
A company like Sennheiser needs no introduction. So, instead of telling you guys about the company, I will tell you why these headphones were created and why am I so excited to get these. In the year of 1991, a guy named Axel Grell had joined Sennheiser and he had created the headphones that had basically the first generation of the legendary 6xx series of Sennheiser, i.e., the HD 580 Precision.
Then after a few years he launched the HD 580 Jubilee which was basically a HD 600 and then later on released the HD 650, which even to this date, is used as a benchmarking tool for all other headphones.
But where does the HD 58X Jubilee fit in all this? This headphone is actually a collaboration between Massdrop and Sennheiser to actually bring back the old HD 580 which had started it all and this headphone has been tuned by Axel Grell himself!
I’ve had the Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee for about a month now and have listened to them for a total time of at least 40 hours and have burned them continuously for 30 hours. I’ve used them mostly daily during this time period to listen to all genres of songs (rock, EDM, pop, movie soundtracks, Western classics, etc.).
Don’t want to read the full review? Here’s the takeaway:
Bass Remember when I told you in the HD 598SE’s review that those had one of the most boring and flat sounding bass? Well, these headphones are just the reverse…. They have bass that can bring a smile to anyone’s face from a hardcore bass head to a proper audiophile. These headphones have one of the best sounding bass that I have heard from a pair of open-back headphones at this price point! I have checked with Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro, DT990 Pro, HD 650/6XX (this one has a deep bass, but it decays a bit slower than the HD 58X), Audio Technica ATH-M50X (not a fair comparison to be honest) and none of them had bass like this one had.
Treble I don’t know what magic Sennheiser has done on the HD 58X but even the treble sounds simply awesome! Let’s start with those cymbals and hi-hats. They have great energy and decays very quickly and they never sound splashy (meaning the sound does not spread and stays in its place). Then comes guitar. Man, I simply love musics which only have a single acoustic guitar playing. Those are the best type of soundtracks to test a headphones’ capabilities. With these headphones, you can hear the squeak of the guitar string in the greatest fidelity as the guitarist changes the chord. It’s already getting difficult describing the quality of sound these pair of headphones produce. The guitar strings sounds natural to say the least and extension of the sound of the strings is just great. Also, as you might have already guessed, there isn’t the slightest hint of sibilance in most of the songs. Only in the most sibilant tracks did I get to hear that familiar hiss when the vocalist is pronouncing the “s”. Again, Sennheiser has killed it in the treble department. I am honestly not making this up, but these literally are an all-rounder pair of headphones! Tracks used:
Soundstage, Imaging and Separation
(a) Soundstage Now, there are 2 ways to accurately measure a headphones’ soundstage. First, is to use well-recorded binaural tracks (see track list below for more info). The second method (which I personally prefer more) is gaming. I have used two games specifically for this purpose. One is the well known CS:GO and the other is Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (the latter is a much more immersive experience). Now, soundstage. Even though these are open-back headsets, they didn’t give me that same “wow” factor I had got when I had first tried the HD 598SE. This is simply because, these do not have as wide a soundstage as the HD 598SE. But on closer inspection, I noticed these were much accurate in their representation. In Senua’s Sacrifice, there are voices whispering in your ears. Sometimes, in the HD 598SE, I felt the voices were all over the place. But in these, I could pinpoint the source of the voice. The same goes for CS:GO. When someone shoots at say my left, I could guess where they are accurately with these headphones.
Drivability You may drive them out of a smartphone but only barely. A proper Digital Audio Player (DAP) or a DAC/AMP is definitely required to get the most out of these headphones. They have an impedance rating of 150Ω and a sensitivity of 104dB so, you might face a bit of difficulty while driving them out of your smartphones. Since these already packs a bit of punch in the bass department, I would suggest you to pair it with a neutral DAC/AMP like the Fiio Q5, Chord Mojo, etc. Tracks used: Random Comparison Now, I am going to compare the HD 58X to 3 other headphones which are HD 650, Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250ohm and my old HD 598SE. I’ll be making the comparison a bit easier to read by indicating the superior earphone/earbuds with “<” or “>” or “=” (when they’re equal). So here we go!
Technical Specifications
Conclusion At $150, I had high expectations from the HD 58X. But after I tried them personally, only these 3 words came to my mind, “Oh my god”! I mean for $150, you are getting solid bass, forward and energetic mids and top-notch treble performance. It easily goes toe to toe with its older sibling, the HD 650 and there is literally no other pair of headphones that can come close to the sound fidelity it provides. So, I am bestowing upon the HD 58X, The Best Headphones under $150!
At the price of $150, there is nothing that comes close to it in terms of sound quality.But wait! Before you dive into the review, I have a quick disclaimer for you: I have bought these headphones from Massdrop with my own money and I have not been incentivised or pressurized by Massdrop OR Sennheiser to write this review for them. All the words used in this review are my own and this review is written in the most unbiased way that I could have done. Now, on to the main review. Unboxing the Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee Even though they are a $150 pair of headphones, I honestly expected a bit more accessories. The packaging is basic in every standard, although a tad bit more premium feeling than their own HD 598SE. I anticipate it to have at least a carrying case along with these headphones. Even though I won’t be taking them outside of my apartment, still I will rather have it inside a case than it rolling around on the floor! The box of the Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee Upon opening the box, you will see the headphones themselves and the 3.5mm cable. The packaging of the HD 58X Jubilee Stowed beneath the plastic box is the 3.5mm to ¼ inch adapter.
- The headphones themselves.
- 1 6’ long 3.5mm detachable cable
- 1 3.5mm to ¼ inch adapter
- PC -> Fiio Q1 (Mark-1) -> HD 58X
- Asus Zenfone 5Z -> Fiio Q1 (Mk.1) -> HD 58X
If you plan on purchasing these headphones or any other high-end headphones for that matter, I suggest you get a good DAC/AMP to go with it. It will go a long way to make your listening experience much more enjoyable.
Bass Remember when I told you in the HD 598SE’s review that those had one of the most boring and flat sounding bass? Well, these headphones are just the reverse…. They have bass that can bring a smile to anyone’s face from a hardcore bass head to a proper audiophile. These headphones have one of the best sounding bass that I have heard from a pair of open-back headphones at this price point! I have checked with Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro, DT990 Pro, HD 650/6XX (this one has a deep bass, but it decays a bit slower than the HD 58X), Audio Technica ATH-M50X (not a fair comparison to be honest) and none of them had bass like this one had.
The bass in these headphones is one of the best, if not THE best I have heard from any pair of headphones at this price!It is tight, fast paced, energetic and the best part is it does all that without bleeding into the mids. Plus, the rumble of the bass on these headphones are just incredible! Sennheiser has done an extraordinary job on tuning these headphones. Tracks used:
- Axel Thesleff – “Reincarnation”
- Martin Garrix – “Animals”
- Alessia Cara – “Here”
- Zara Larsson – So Good (album)
- Jordan Comolli – “Alone”
- Marshmello – “Alone”
The mids are just perfect on these headphones. I literally couldn’t ask more at this price point.People might seem to think after reading the bass part that there might be some issue with the mids of these headphones. Believe me when I say this: the sound signature is balanced (W-shaped in my opinion) with a slight priority towards the bass. The male voices sound best on these headphones as they tend to be a bit warmer than the female voices. Both male and female voices in “Marvin Gaye” by Charlie Puth were easily distinguishable with both the female and male voice getting equal priority. Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” literally sounds perfect on these headphones with the guitars positioned in the left and Ed seemingly singing and pouring his heart out beside me! Again, in Sigrid’s “Everybody Knows”, Sigrid’s voice sounds so mellow and soft with the piano in the background playing a dark note with the occasional drum beats, the song was taken to a whole new level! So again, full marks received by Sennheiser in the mids’ department. Tracks used:
- Adele – 25 (album)
- Charlie Puth – Nine Track Mind (album)
- Ed Sheeran – X / Divide (album)
- Amber Rubarth – Sessions from the 17th Ward (album)
- John Newman – “Love Me Again”
- Elvis Presley – “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You”
- Sigrid – “Everybody Knows”
Treble I don’t know what magic Sennheiser has done on the HD 58X but even the treble sounds simply awesome! Let’s start with those cymbals and hi-hats. They have great energy and decays very quickly and they never sound splashy (meaning the sound does not spread and stays in its place). Then comes guitar. Man, I simply love musics which only have a single acoustic guitar playing. Those are the best type of soundtracks to test a headphones’ capabilities. With these headphones, you can hear the squeak of the guitar string in the greatest fidelity as the guitarist changes the chord. It’s already getting difficult describing the quality of sound these pair of headphones produce. The guitar strings sounds natural to say the least and extension of the sound of the strings is just great. Also, as you might have already guessed, there isn’t the slightest hint of sibilance in most of the songs. Only in the most sibilant tracks did I get to hear that familiar hiss when the vocalist is pronouncing the “s”. Again, Sennheiser has killed it in the treble department. I am honestly not making this up, but these literally are an all-rounder pair of headphones! Tracks used:
- Led Zeppelin – IV (album)
- Ed Sheeran – X / Divide (album)
- Amber Rubarth – Sessions from the 17th Ward (album)
- Pink Floyd – Dark of The Moon (album)
- John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Paco De Lucía – Friday Night In San Francisco (album)
- Ludovico Einaudi – Islands: Essential Einaudi (album)
Soundstage, Imaging and Separation
(a) Soundstage Now, there are 2 ways to accurately measure a headphones’ soundstage. First, is to use well-recorded binaural tracks (see track list below for more info). The second method (which I personally prefer more) is gaming. I have used two games specifically for this purpose. One is the well known CS:GO and the other is Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (the latter is a much more immersive experience). Now, soundstage. Even though these are open-back headsets, they didn’t give me that same “wow” factor I had got when I had first tried the HD 598SE. This is simply because, these do not have as wide a soundstage as the HD 598SE. But on closer inspection, I noticed these were much accurate in their representation. In Senua’s Sacrifice, there are voices whispering in your ears. Sometimes, in the HD 598SE, I felt the voices were all over the place. But in these, I could pinpoint the source of the voice. The same goes for CS:GO. When someone shoots at say my left, I could guess where they are accurately with these headphones.
Basically, what an open-back headset does is let the sound get outside of the headphones through the grilles or slits of the headphones. Since the sound now goes outside of the headphones, the experience feels as if the sound is coming from the entire room.I have compared these headphones’ soundstage (in fact the total sound) with 4 other headphones namely, Sennheiser’s own HD 650, Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250ohm and the HD 598SE. You can check it out in the comparison section of this review. For now, to sum it up in brief, I will say that even though they are not as wide as the HD 598SE they are as accurate as the HD 650. (b) Imaging and Separation The imaging and separation on these headphones are exceptional for its price. As a reference, its as detailed as the HD 650 except for a few micro details which I found somewhat hard to detect on these headphones but they were literally non-existent on the HD 598SE. As far as separation goes, I tried my level best to get it confused in busy tracks like the Fifth Symphony by Ludwig Von Beethoven, Richard Wagner’s “Rise Of The Valkyrie” but it handled those songs like a champ. Literally, I am yet to find a flaw which annoys me on these headphones. Tracks used:
- Amber Rubarth – Sessions from the 17th Ward (album)
- Yosi Horikawa – Vapor (album)
- Led Zeppelin – IV (album)
- John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Paco De Lucía – Friday Night In San Francisco (album)
- Beethoven – Symphony No.5 (album)
Drivability You may drive them out of a smartphone but only barely. A proper Digital Audio Player (DAP) or a DAC/AMP is definitely required to get the most out of these headphones. They have an impedance rating of 150Ω and a sensitivity of 104dB so, you might face a bit of difficulty while driving them out of your smartphones. Since these already packs a bit of punch in the bass department, I would suggest you to pair it with a neutral DAC/AMP like the Fiio Q5, Chord Mojo, etc. Tracks used: Random Comparison Now, I am going to compare the HD 58X to 3 other headphones which are HD 650, Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250ohm and my old HD 598SE. I’ll be making the comparison a bit easier to read by indicating the superior earphone/earbuds with “<” or “>” or “=” (when they’re equal). So here we go!
- Neutrality: HD598 > DT990 > HD58X > HD650 (I felt the HD 650 tends to gravitate towards darkness, whereas the HD598 were the most neutral and flat sounding in the bunch with the HD 58X somewhere in the middle with its liveliness in its sound signature)
- Timber/Naturalness: HD 58X > DT990 > HD650 > HD598SE
- Detail/Resolution: HD58X = HD650 = DT990 > HD598
- Imaging & Positioning: HD58X = HD650 > DT990 > HD598 (I felt the imaging was slightly better than the DT990 Pro)
- Soundstage: HD598 > HD650 = HD58X > DT990 (again I felt the DT990 were slightly less wide than the HD 58X)
- Bass Quantity: HD650 = HD58X > DT990 >> HD598 (some people, after seeing HD 58X’s graph were thinking that these were going to be darker sounding than the HD650, but that’s not the case. They have similar bass with the HD 58X having a bit more sub bass rumble in it)
- Bass Quality: HD58X = HD650 = DT990 > HD598
- Mids Quantity: HD58X > DT990 > HD650 > HD598
- Mids Quality: HD58X = HD650 > DT990 > HD598
- Treble Quantity: HD58X = HD650 = DT990 > HD598
- Treble Quality: DT990 > HD58X > HD650 > HD598
- Amount of Sibilance:HD650 = HD58X = DT990 = HD598
- Comfort: HD598 >> DT990 > HD58X = HD650
- Apparent Build / Durability: DT990 > HD58X = HD650 > HD598
- Immersion/Engagement: HD58X = DT990 = HD650 = HD598
- Overall Sound Quality: HD58X = HD650 > DT990 > HD598
Technical Specifications
- Brand: Sennheiser
- Model: HD 58X
- Driver: 40mm Dynamic driver
- Impedance: 150 Ω
- Headphone sensitivity: 104dB (1 kHz/1 Vrms)
- Frequency range: 12–38500 Hz
- Interface: 3.5 mm / 6.25mm (via adapter)
- Cable Length: 6ft
- Weight: 260 g
- Interface Type: 2-pin connector
- Special Note: Made in Ireland
Conclusion At $150, I had high expectations from the HD 58X. But after I tried them personally, only these 3 words came to my mind, “Oh my god”! I mean for $150, you are getting solid bass, forward and energetic mids and top-notch treble performance. It easily goes toe to toe with its older sibling, the HD 650 and there is literally no other pair of headphones that can come close to the sound fidelity it provides. So, I am bestowing upon the HD 58X, The Best Headphones under $150!
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
Soham1255
513
Feb 1, 2021
Okay, what dac/amp were you using if any? Because it seems to be most likely either a source issue or the headphones themselves (leaning more towards them being defective, that is)
(Edited)
Kobke
65
Sep 17, 2018
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$500 dollars sound for $150 such a good deal, I'm not going deep into the sound details because many reviews have already, but what I can say is that I've tried some other ''Top notch'' headphones for around the same price, and this ones for $150 dollars they just stomp all of them.
They are excellent for critic listening, and gaming because the clarity it's probably the best por this price, and the soundstage it's incredible, and you mod them by just removing the earpad and taking out the little piece of foam so they'll look more like the 660s and they'll even sound more close to them, with the 58X Jubilee having some extra bass and being more fun all around. it's a different sound signature if you compare them with the 660s though, but the sound is very similar all around with a fre changes, great addition indeed for the rig.
Excellent purchase, and I only waited two days for them! the messiah representation of a headphone on earth
They are excellent for critic listening, and gaming because the clarity it's probably the best por this price, and the soundstage it's incredible, and you mod them by just removing the earpad and taking out the little piece of foam so they'll look more like the 660s and they'll even sound more close to them, with the 58X Jubilee having some extra bass and being more fun all around. it's a different sound signature if you compare them with the 660s though, but the sound is very similar all around with a fre changes, great addition indeed for the rig.
Excellent purchase, and I only waited two days for them! the messiah representation of a headphone on earth
ashberic
15
Sep 17, 2018
they're 150 ohm headphones so probably. depends what you're trying to drive them with though. if your phone, definitely. with a PC ... depends.
MLSensai
79
Jul 31, 2018
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So normally I write reviews in german language. So I hope you apologize any mistake. Thus I will give you my quick opinion.
I already owned the HD598Cs, HD600, HD700 and listened to the HD650. I currently own the HD660S and till receiving the HD58X the 660s was my top Sennheiser pair of headphones. For my taste the HD58X is the best headphone money can buy if you want to get the entry in the Sennheiser world audiophile headphones.
Tyll Hertsens complained about a grainyness with the HD660S. Now comparing the HD660S and the HD58X I know what he said. The HD58X has the best bass extension and the best highs. Mids are not emphazised and sound very neutral for me. Everything is impressive and controlled. The HD58X sounds like the HD660S very lively an authentic.
The harshness of the 660S in the upper highs are missing. Perfect!
I use Sonaworks and the HD58X sounds flat nearly the same like the HD660S with Sonaworks operting but without compenation of the listeners age. ;)
I love the HD58X and ordered a second pair as backup. They are at the same grade as the Focal ELEX I own, too.
For 149 USD and approx. 175€ included shipment and tax they are not only a bargain, they are perfect!
Herewith my mesurements HD600, HD660S and HD58X. Btw. if they would ask me the HD58X should be sold as HD6600 in future from Sennheiser directly. ;) Just an old fashion screenshot with my smartphone. Top measurement is HD58X, lowest is HD600. So decide on your own.
I love the HD58X and ordered a second pair as backup. They are at the same grade as the Focal ELEX I own, too.
For 149 USD and approx. 175€ included shipment and tax they are not only a bargain, they are perfect!
Herewith my mesurements HD600, HD660S and HD58X. Btw. if they would ask me the HD58X should be sold as HD6600 in future from Sennheiser directly. ;) Just an old fashion screenshot with my smartphone. Top measurement is HD58X, lowest is HD600. So decide on your own.
Pierre111
413
Aug 3, 2018
MLSensaireally really like the Jubilee. Having the Elex, the 6xx and the 58x, I still feel that to me I would put them in the order that they are priced. The 58x is an amazing deal and really like the bass extension but I still give very slight edge to the 6xx/650. Nothing to complain but to me the 58X have just a touch too much mid bass that make the signature, to my ears, sightly boomy. It's nitpicking here and I'm conscious of that. At this level it's taste and subjectiveness but I do enjoy the 6xx slightly more. Now for the Elex to me they are certainly superior, on every levels even tough it's true their tonality are based around the same "flavour"
tydlwav
73
Aug 10, 2018
checkVerified Buyer
Just got my pair today. Wow, this is really worth its price. I think it's very comparable to headphones up to the $300 price range. I'm surprised by how much of an upgrade to my ATH M50X considering it's only $20 more expensive.
I'm a college student, and I use it while in the dorm or library. The sound leak is minimal that I can push the volume to a reasonable degree without having friends around me complain. They might hear something, but it's quiet enough that people don't really bother. Especially if you get the volume down, and its sound leak really blends in to the ambient noise unless you get your ears a feet within the headphone grills.
Since I'm nearly always on the go, I didn't really invest in a dac/amp to lug around all day. This pair of pure awesomeness is easy to drive, and it can get uncomfortably loud when cranking my volume to max on my smartphone. To be honest, even though it's 4 times more resistant than my M50X, but it's only about 30% to 50% harder to drive to the same volume. Sound on phones and laptops aren't bad. They don't get muffled up and quiet like headphones with higher impedance. The sound straight from my phone is still very enjoyable. I don't have a dac/amp around, so I can't judge how much potential the headphones have left, but they're definitely better performers than my M50X on smartphones.
Compared to the M50X, it's got a wider sound stage, not huge, but decently so that I feel awkward going back to the M50X when listening to some more demanding tracks like James Blunt's "You're Beautiful". In most songs where the left and right channel don't differ that much, it's a similar experience, and I have to REALLY pay attention to identify the difference. I heard the HD58x's sound stage is smaller than its older brothers, but I'm OK with that since it's only $150 (only half the price than HD600, the previously cheapest headphone in the lineup), and it's an upgrade to my M50X. If you only got closed backs before, I definitely recommend these for the price. The only thing you lose is the noise isolation, which if you don't take the bus/train/plane a lot, it's going to be sufficient. Especially if you already have headphones or iems for that purpose.
Then let's talk about sound (on my smartphone). Simply put, it's great. It's a steal for the price. It doesn't look premium like the other HD 6's, but it doesn't slouch too much when listening to them. The sound is pretty neutral, not too much bass, not too much treble. The sound lines up well with the M50X, which is a pretty flat monitor, but maintains the Sennheiser richness that its brothers are renowned for. It's got a good separation, allowing me to recognize the different instruments in an orchestra even when most of the orchestra is playing together. The sound is fun to listen to, and not fatiguing at all. The highs are controlled, but brilliant. Soprano voices are absolutely beautiful, and energetic. "Der Holle Rache" is a piece that reaches High F for the Soprano, and these headphones rendered them with ease and elegance. The beauty of the highs led me to discover that the Renee Doria version of "Les Oiseaux Dans La Charmille" on Spotify has ugly crackling sounds, which I didn't notice before. It's such stark contrast to the other songs that it becomes unbearable, something that never happens with my M50X or Shure SE215. Switching tracks to Aya Makino's version, the sound is great. It even manages to make that notorious prolonged High Eb at the end sound tamed. Lows are well controlled and kind of "bouncy" if you know what I mean. In songs, the drum rolls come off nicely, not overpowering, but still clearly discernible. They are much less muddier than those of my M50X. Mids are nice, not really a lot of comments on the mids. They sound rich, but not overly dark. The cello sounds are especially beautiful in this range. Put up some of Yo-yo Ma's solos and you'll understand what I mean. Great sounds overall, but since I don't have dacs or amps lying around, I won't say how far these will take you. It sure isn't the best sounding headphones, but for this price, and its ability to be used on portable devices, it's definitely worth a try.
Finally, comfort. A pair of great-sounding headphones is worth nothing if you hate the feeling of them on your head. The HD58x is exceptionally comfortable. I wear glasses, which usually limits my time with the M50X, but not with the HD58x. They are comfortable as hell. I have been listening to them for nearly 6 hours straight right now, and I'm still willing to do it for another few hours. The cushioning are soft enough that I don't even feel my glasses, and the clamp is just right for me. If they do feel a little tight, you can always stretch the headband to make them a little looser. The adjustment for head size on my unit is pretty tight, and I need to use a concerning amount of force to adjust it, but it's not meant to be a "take it with you" kind of headphone, so I don't need to do this constantly.
Overall, it's a steal at this price. For those who don't have too much experience with headphones, this is surely one of the best entry-level headphones money can buy. It's got a long cable, but you'll get used to it eventually. For those who already own some nice headphones, this will be a great addition to your collection, especially at this price. It's now going to replace my M50X as my daily driver.
I'm a college student, and I use it while in the dorm or library. The sound leak is minimal that I can push the volume to a reasonable degree without having friends around me complain. They might hear something, but it's quiet enough that people don't really bother. Especially if you get the volume down, and its sound leak really blends in to the ambient noise unless you get your ears a feet within the headphone grills.
Since I'm nearly always on the go, I didn't really invest in a dac/amp to lug around all day. This pair of pure awesomeness is easy to drive, and it can get uncomfortably loud when cranking my volume to max on my smartphone. To be honest, even though it's 4 times more resistant than my M50X, but it's only about 30% to 50% harder to drive to the same volume. Sound on phones and laptops aren't bad. They don't get muffled up and quiet like headphones with higher impedance. The sound straight from my phone is still very enjoyable. I don't have a dac/amp around, so I can't judge how much potential the headphones have left, but they're definitely better performers than my M50X on smartphones.
Compared to the M50X, it's got a wider sound stage, not huge, but decently so that I feel awkward going back to the M50X when listening to some more demanding tracks like James Blunt's "You're Beautiful". In most songs where the left and right channel don't differ that much, it's a similar experience, and I have to REALLY pay attention to identify the difference. I heard the HD58x's sound stage is smaller than its older brothers, but I'm OK with that since it's only $150 (only half the price than HD600, the previously cheapest headphone in the lineup), and it's an upgrade to my M50X. If you only got closed backs before, I definitely recommend these for the price. The only thing you lose is the noise isolation, which if you don't take the bus/train/plane a lot, it's going to be sufficient. Especially if you already have headphones or iems for that purpose.
Then let's talk about sound (on my smartphone). Simply put, it's great. It's a steal for the price. It doesn't look premium like the other HD 6's, but it doesn't slouch too much when listening to them. The sound is pretty neutral, not too much bass, not too much treble. The sound lines up well with the M50X, which is a pretty flat monitor, but maintains the Sennheiser richness that its brothers are renowned for. It's got a good separation, allowing me to recognize the different instruments in an orchestra even when most of the orchestra is playing together. The sound is fun to listen to, and not fatiguing at all. The highs are controlled, but brilliant. Soprano voices are absolutely beautiful, and energetic. "Der Holle Rache" is a piece that reaches High F for the Soprano, and these headphones rendered them with ease and elegance. The beauty of the highs led me to discover that the Renee Doria version of "Les Oiseaux Dans La Charmille" on Spotify has ugly crackling sounds, which I didn't notice before. It's such stark contrast to the other songs that it becomes unbearable, something that never happens with my M50X or Shure SE215. Switching tracks to Aya Makino's version, the sound is great. It even manages to make that notorious prolonged High Eb at the end sound tamed. Lows are well controlled and kind of "bouncy" if you know what I mean. In songs, the drum rolls come off nicely, not overpowering, but still clearly discernible. They are much less muddier than those of my M50X. Mids are nice, not really a lot of comments on the mids. They sound rich, but not overly dark. The cello sounds are especially beautiful in this range. Put up some of Yo-yo Ma's solos and you'll understand what I mean. Great sounds overall, but since I don't have dacs or amps lying around, I won't say how far these will take you. It sure isn't the best sounding headphones, but for this price, and its ability to be used on portable devices, it's definitely worth a try.
Finally, comfort. A pair of great-sounding headphones is worth nothing if you hate the feeling of them on your head. The HD58x is exceptionally comfortable. I wear glasses, which usually limits my time with the M50X, but not with the HD58x. They are comfortable as hell. I have been listening to them for nearly 6 hours straight right now, and I'm still willing to do it for another few hours. The cushioning are soft enough that I don't even feel my glasses, and the clamp is just right for me. If they do feel a little tight, you can always stretch the headband to make them a little looser. The adjustment for head size on my unit is pretty tight, and I need to use a concerning amount of force to adjust it, but it's not meant to be a "take it with you" kind of headphone, so I don't need to do this constantly.
Overall, it's a steal at this price. For those who don't have too much experience with headphones, this is surely one of the best entry-level headphones money can buy. It's got a long cable, but you'll get used to it eventually. For those who already own some nice headphones, this will be a great addition to your collection, especially at this price. It's now going to replace my M50X as my daily driver.
TheWinterWonton
4
Dec 26, 2020
tydlwavDo you think it could be driven on an iPhone 7? What kind of phone do you have?
tydlwav
73
Jan 1, 2021
TheWinterWontonOf course it can. I daily drive a OnePlus 6T and it works fine. I mostly use this headphone with a dac and an amp on my desktop machine, though. I also have an AKG K7XX and I prefer that (I listen to a lot of orchestras and I like the wider soundstage and more pronounced treble on that one), and I'm tempted to get a Senn 6XX. Since I already own the 58X, I'm kinda hesitant to shell out the 200 bucks. I'd say if you only want to listen on your phone (esp. on the go), you should get the THX Panda if you can afford it. Wired headphones + phones are just too inconvenient these days. You should get some other quality wireless pairs if you can't shell out the 400 bucks. If you're planning to upgrade later on to a decent dac and amp (Schiit magni + modi 3, or a good dac with Atom, THX AAA ONE, Liquid Spark, etc.), I'd recommend you to dish out some extra cash and get the 6XX. It benefits a lot from amps and you'll hear the difference once you pair it with good gear. The warm 6XX/650 sound is also legendary, and I heard they work especially well with vocals. They don't sound bad with mobile phones either, and I know people who do occasionally drive them with phones. I regret not shelling out the extra when I bought the 58X now that I have a decent setup.
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