If we’re being realistic, the mid-bass isn’t that much different from the HD600 and 650, but the sub-bass certainly is. This is what gives it that extra weight.

Headphones: Beyerndynamic DT 880 600ohm, Grado 125e, Sennheiser GSP 500, Sennheiser HD555 (everlasting) It’s definitely not wide like a K702, but it can be out of your head; more so than an HD600 or even a 650.

Would you invest in a 58X? What is your experience with these headphones? I would love to hear your thoughts. Until next time…

The treble feels identical when using my Shanling M5s DAP by itself and then using the same DAP as a source through my Heron 5. The same test with the HD6xx yields a superior sound quality everywhere when paired with a great amplifier. So if you don’t have a great amp, the HD58x is probably the better choice for you. Fidelity 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) The 58X is definitely the most “fun” or “colored” sounding out of the 3, while the 650 is assuredly the warmest and most “syrupy”. There are more examples, of course, but at the end of the day there is very little to argue in favour of the HD8XX’s tonal balance. It has the Hifiman centre-mid dip taken to an almost caricatural level that I’ve never heard in another headphone before, so while meaner fellows like I would brand the HD8XX as a terrible, no-good, very-bad headphone, the nicer amongst you may perhaps call it “unique-sounding”.

But make no mistake, a wonky tuning cannot and must not be handwaved off as being simply unique. The HD8XX is, in terms of tonal balance, definitely up there in terms of Sennheiser’s strangest. If we were to use the HD6X0 as the reference for “correctness” (not saying that it is, just as an example due to the HD6XX being the prime comparison point in this situation), you can see how a 10dB(!) recession at 2kHz can be a… cause for concern. This makes the HD58X a little bit more mid-focused, which is nothing bad per se, but the balance and naturalness is lost a bit. Concerning the level of detail, both meet at eye level with a slight advantage on the HD6XX, which doesn't fire a spectacle either, but acts a bit more defined and leaves a more mature impression.In the bass we have a quantitative increase to the HD6XX. But this increase does not turn the whole signature upside down, but provides a somewhat stronger punch compared to the HD6XX. Qualitatively, the two don't take much, it's just a bit more present, which could please one or the other, but also scare off others. In the subrange I still miss a bit of pressure, but nevertheless I have the slightly higher expansion on the HD58X.

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. Support me on Patreon to get access to tentative ranks, the exclusive “Clubhouse” Discord server and/or access to the Premium Graph Comparison Tool! My usual thanks to all my current supporters and shoutouts to my big money boys:

I started to use the HD58X with a Sound BlasterX G6, which is a very neutral and linear amp. The sound was great, I found it to be really enjoyable.

The 6XX, 600, and 650 all have a 300 Ohm Impedance and are harder to drive. Both the HD660S and 58X come in at 150. The set creaks a little too much for comfort, but that was again an issue on my Massdrop HD6xx that stopped almost entirely after a few hundred hours of usage. The same will happen with this HD58x.

HD58X Specifications

This, in addition to comfort, are what makes the 58X perfect for long listening or mixing sessions. Reference 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! What’s interesting about this headphone is that you can’t really tell it’s flawed until you put it up against a perfectly tuned headphone like Sennheiser’s HD560S.