Legendary Line
As enthusiasts, we hope for a really great experience and value in what we buy.
Consistently (for the past 26 years), Sennheiser has been providing great value with a great musical experience in the HD580, HD600, and HD650/HD6XX. They all use the same driver design and materials.
These models are community recommended “go-to” favorite headphones. Massdrop’s own version of HD650 (the HD6XX) has sold over 50,000 pairs during the past year.
The only real requests for changes we see have to do with color, comfort, a “veil” to the sound perceived by some, and the amount of amplification they need to sound their best.
For colorway, the new HD58X goes back to the HD580 Jubilee roots and is black with dark grey grills.
For comfort, the pads do soften over time and the headband can be “massaged” by slightly bending the frame to make less clamping force. There are instructions online explaining how to do this.
For amplification, these are a bit easier to drive. Reports are coming back that these are about 4 decibels louder on portable devices like cell phones.
For the “Sennheiser veil” perceived by some...
New Driver Unveiling
What has not changed in the HD58X Jubilee?
-Still has 38mm dynamic drivers.
-Still audiophile quality.
-Same tooling, comfort, interchangeable 600/650/6XX/660S parts in the rest of the headphone.
What is different in the HD58X Jubilee?
-300 ohm resistance lowered to 150 ohms.
-Voice coil material has changed, it has a lower electrical resistance.
-Diaphragm shape has been revised.
-Different damping scheme and acoustic baffle.
These changes were made to lower impedance (easier to drive) as well as increase the top end of the frequency range. In the “air” treble region of 12kHz-15kHz, there is better extension as compared to the HD600/650. The bass rolls off a little earlier than typical for the line as a tradeoff for lower distortion in the area. We have requested an increase to bass extension if Sennheiser can do so without any negative effects by the time of production and they have agreed.
These new drivers have been characterized as clearer, faster, and more lively in presentation...without requiring specialized gear.
Audiophiles like to say that the 580/600/650/6XX “scales well” with better gear.
The HD58X are designed to perform well “out of the box” with almost anything you plug them into.
They're great with your laptop or phone but as with all headphones in this series, you gain a lot by adding a dedicated amplifier.
This driver is closely related to the driver in the new HD660S. EDIT: Same size (both 38mm as confirmed by Sennheiser), same materials, there are some differences in the damping scheme and driver housing.
This is the newest evolution for the line, another beginning deserved by the line-up that started with the HD580 25 years ago. Add these to your collection to complement HD6XX/K7XX/HE-350 or start your journey here.
Value
The packaging will be simplified to reduce cost. The 600/650/6XX come in hefty “presentation boxes” which may be piling up in your closet.
After the first drop, the price will increase in future drops. The magnitude of the increase is unclear pending production of the HD58X.
The Massdrop x Sennheiser HD58X Jubilee pays homage to the headphone that started it all and represents the start of the next chapter…
CEE_TEEI was under the impression the HD580, HD580 Jubilee, HD600,HD650 all used a 40mm driver and the HD58X Jubilee uses a 38mm driver. Your message seems a little confusing.
OdinkoI was trying to be kind in asking because what he wrote had some syntax that could be confusing. The HD58x has a 38mm (36mm membrane) and the HD580/580Jubilee,HD600,HD650, HD660S all use a 40mm.
As you can see below he posts:
"What has not changed in the HD58X Jubilee?
-Still has 38mm dynamic drivers. "
So why would he say "What has not Changed" in the HD58X? Nothing has changed these are new. He writes "Still" "still has 38mm" from what? What has happened? Nothing has happened concerning changes in the HD58x... why does he use "still"?
Then he posts:
What is different in the HD58X Jubilee?
-300 ohm resistance lowered to 150 ohms.
-Voice coil material has changed, it has a lower electrical resistance.
-Diaphragm shape has been revised.
-Different damping scheme and acoustic baffle.
What is the difference? Well one difference is that they have 38mm drivers as compared to the HD580 Jubilees 40mm drivers which he did not mention here.
So yes I did read the post... and your puppy is cooler then you. Puši kurac!
I_Need_MoneyStated above
" After the first drop, the price will increase in future drops. The magnitude of the increase is unclear pending production of the HD58X. "
So yeah, there will be future release for this unit but price will increase.
CEE_TEESo after reading so many changes, how one can call this as HD58X . It seems that is a different headphone never existed before. I am not saying bad I think this will be loved over original one. I guess it will have warmer and bassy sound than original HD580. And it will be a good alternative to taste a relatively cheap open back Sennheiser.
Wally999us SEA people have been left out of this and in the HD6XX. I was resolved in using port forwarding services but my CC and Paypal won't let me pay to MD because the addresses don't match :(
BigBoyLokiI have a friend in the Philippines, and they also can't get this from Massdrop. But since I a have friend that travel to the Philippines ( Airline Pilot) often I was able to purchase the HD6XX for him.
CEE_TEEthanks for the great drops, especially the Sennheiser HD 6xx. Would it be possible to have a thicker gauge wire and ferrite chokes to cancel out any interference?
Dec 23, 2017
tessierpg
Dec 24, 2017
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CEE_TEEYou just said: « The bass rolls off a little earlier than typical for the line as a tradeoff for lower distortion in the area. We have requested an increase to bass extension if Sennheiser can do so without any negative effects by the time of production and they have agreed ».
My question to you: when will you be able to confirm this bass extension ? With graphs? This issue is the main reason i’m holding myself from picking up this drop... I‘m scared that this headphone will have significantly less bass than the other 6 series headphones from Sennheiser. I do not want to get a headphone with too light bass like the HD598. I hope you may give us a straight answer on this soon, with proof using graphs. I would look forward in ordering this 58x lower impedance headphone if the bass extension increase may be confirmed...
CEE_TEEThanks Cee Tee! I would love to get in on these amazing Senn drops, especially because the retail prices are jacked up here in Korea! :'( Can't justify paying an extra $50 on a premium product with already high profit margins. Especially when it's been out for over 2 decades...
CEE_TEE Is the serial number going to be based on the order we joined in or randomized in that first 500? If it's in order am I getting bumped up every time someone leaves the drop?
CEE_TEESo it has the same 38mm drivers like the hd 600/650 ?? What do you exactly mean by "simplifying the package" ?? We're not getting that premium case right ??
DinoJoeThanks Joe for the prompt reply...and its good news for me because the outer packaging will give a one premium feeling when u are unboxing it for the 1st time but then its just a useless pile, although u can store the heaphones in it but is still useless for me as it cannot be used for carrying or other portable usage. I can actually save a lot on shipping charges now.
CEE_TEEI would like to place a request to ship these to Asian countries, being an Indian a joined the hd 6xx drop and im probably going to join this one too but unlike me most ppl do not trust 3rd party forowarders/carriers. Lot of my friends who wanted a part of the 6xx couldnt even join this one also for the same reason. The sale would be twice if u permit shipping to Asian countries and i do not understand this 'smart distribution policy of sennheiser' anyways....just a request.
CEE_TEERequesting for the HD58X to become available to Asia (specially PH) in the next drop as this appears to be a great value for the money. Filipino audio enthusiasts would be really happy to have the HD58X :)
CEE_TEECEE_TEE: Did you ever hear back from Sennheiser regarding the difference in driver size between the HD580 and the HD58X?
Edit -- Just saw your response to someone else:
"The HD800 uses a 56mm ring driver. Overnight, Sennheiser confirmed that the HD 600/650 drivers have always been 38mm."
It will be interesting to revisit advance reviews of the HD58X to see whether the authors revised them to reflect the lack of difference in driver size. I remember reading about all kinds of sonic attributes that were assigned to that (according to Sennheiser, imaginary?) difference.
VarholiaglimpThe real question that remains unanswered is whether the bass has been extended in the final production model compared to the pre-production model that has been reviewed by a few people at this time. Here is the original comment from Cee_Tee from Massdrop:
« The bass rolls off a little earlier than typical for the line as a tradeoff for lower distortion in the area. We have requested an increase to bass extension if Sennheiser can do so without any negative effects by the time of production and they have agreed. »
All graphs from reviewers regarding the HD58x show that it has less bass level and extension than either the HD600, HD650/6XX or HD660S and also most probably less than the original HD580 Jubilee, which by the way is the same headphone sonically than the HD600 (they only differ on cosmetical aspects).
So Massdrop, Cee_Tee, may you give us an update on this mod demand? This fact alone could do a difference in my decision to pull the trigger on these nice headphones.
PeteMtlMy sense is that one "real question" isn't being asked in a conversation involving two entirely different questions.
You're talking about bass extension and the amount of bass. I'm talking about driver size and the various reviews I've read that cited the (apparently) nonexistent difference. The conversations that followed sometimes buttressed references to measurements with (apparently) references to an incorrect difference in driver size and drew subjective conclusions that, if valid, must have originated from other differences. It would be interesting to know what those differences really are, and if they apply.
If reported differences were only a question of bass, then I wouldn't have seen references to the entire sound being different. These initial impressions from Marv of SBAF in December 2017 illustrate the potentially wider differences:
"This isn't anything like the HD580 BTW. It's wholly different driver, possibly more similar to HD660S, but also different from that. . . . HD58X does seem thicker and warmer. HD58X might be tiny more veiled than HD650. Measurements say less extension, but nothing I particularly noted. . . ."
As a person who has owned the original (non-Jubilee) HD580s and HD600 since their inception, and who now owns the Massdrop HD6XX, I'm aware of the similarities. However, I would say that the HD580 and HD600 are not the same headphones. They're very similar -- and the Jubilee model (which I don't own) is said to be closer to the HD600 than the original HD580 -- but the HD600 does sound more refined to me (esp. the highs) and is more durable in terms of individual parts. The drivers are more closely matched, but I wonder whether people actually hear that (or know what they hear if they do).
VarholiaglimpI’m just saying that the bass extension issue is a far more relevant issue with the HD58x than the 2mm driver variation issue. In the end, it’s how they sound the relevant end factor. But whatever, if you feel the 2mm is more important, it’s yours.
PeteMtlAnd I'm saying that reviews and threads about how differences in drivers were said to makethe HD58X and HD580 sound dissimilar are relevant to me.
The kinds of measurements you might be citing are often taken as gospel, but since there isn't a standard rig used by everyone for measurements, I'll have to assume the differences haven't been quantified because advance reviewers who heardthe HD58X didn't necessarily agree with the measurement-verified rolloff that CEE_Tee mentioned. Cf. the reviewer who noticed no drop in bass (referred to in my previous post).
I understand that bass response might be the most important thing to many headphone users, but I am not one of those users. Bass extension does matter to me, but the amount of bass does not.
I'm willing to acknowledge the importance of your question, and I'm interested in the answer to your question as well.
With regard to my question, I don't know whether it's right to judge its relevance unless you've (1) understood all its possible implications or (2) polled everyone who reads comments once the implications are explored (if they ever are).
Nick123456Size has never been what mattered to me. Misconceptions based on the idea that size did matter are closer to my interest, which involves reviews and threads in which measurements or reported limitations shape subjective responses. Knowing those things is helpful, but knowing them shouldn't dictate or tailor the listener's experience any more than peer consensus should.
When those two factors change people's presumptions about kit they haven't heard, and the presumptions become standard parlance, you can expect a different judgment to be handed down much later, as it was on the supposedly unanimous verification of the Sennheiser "veil" (which I remember from when I first joined Head-fi in 2001):
https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/very-important-sennheiser-hd-580-hd-600-and-hd-650
Nick123456Agreed! Bass can be fun, but it's too easy to exaggerate. Even slight overemphasis can sound out of character if you're listening to jazz and classical music. The original HD580 does everything well (in my incredibly humble opinion). I'm curious about the HD58X.
The impedance also worries me because I don't listen at high volumes. Sometimes, I'm dependent on physical volume controls that cant to one side level-wise at low volumes. That's especially true with some of my portable kit.
VarholiaglimpI understand, but you could turn this comparison all around: look at every similarity between the two. Because they arent so many. If you read carefully Sennheiser representative‘s comments on Massdrop (https://www.massdrop.com/profile/Sennheiser) regarding these headphones, you will see that it uses a totally new driver, usused in any other headphone before, and its technology derives from the same as the driver in the HD660S without being the exact same driver. So the HD58x has a different driver than the HD660S, and also a different driver than the HD580. In fact the name « HD58X Jubilee » is only a marketing wink to the Headphone that started the whole six hundred series headphones in the nineties. That’s all. So that is why I find that a driver comparison between the HD580 and the HD58X is irrelevant, and sorry if I do persist and sign. Sennheiser is using new technologies that were not available in the nineties to built the new driver. In the end, I find important to compare the sound qualities of the headphones more than its driver size. That’s all, it’s my opinion, no blame, no susceptibilities, no harm intented, relax and enjoy the music.
VarholiaglimpYeah man, i mostly listen to vocal centric music, and too much bass can lower the clarity. I hate listening to loud volumes because it destroys the overall soft musical tone.
PeteMtlI've been reading comments on the HD58X on Massdrop and multiple forums for weeks, but you make a good point about fewer similarities versus more differences (if that proves true).
That's particularly relevant to me because there isn't much reason for an owner of the HD600 and HD580 to buy these headphones except as a possible spare to keep at work (if the HD58X lives up to the line).
I've also read several comparisons between the HD58X and the HD660S, which originally was the main point of comparison on many sites, precisely because people assumed they did share the same drivers.
Even though what's relevant to me isn't necessarily relevant to you, I was never discussing driver size itself. I was always discussingassumptions about sound predicated on possible misconceptions about things like driver size.
I think we can agree that the amount of bass matters to you.
I also think we can agree that if the HD58X truly is that different (or dissimilar) from the series, then it's important to know what the HD58X sounds like in its own right.
I'll have another look at the Sennheiser responses.
PeteMtlI just want to add an important thing. Tyll said that the hd 660s has the 150ohm hd700 driver. He didnt find the hd 660 as refind as the 600/650, and its lower impedance somewhat helps to achieve good sound through portable players but when connected REAL amplifiers, it does not behave or have those legendary sound qualities.
Now ur saying that the 58X driver is based on the hd 660s which has the same lower impedance. Dont know about anybody else but Tyll in specific may not have a good feeling about the hd 58x after his experience with the hd 660s.
Nick123456If the HD58X doesn't scale well, that's a reason for me not to buy it. I read Tyll's review of the 660S, but I didn't retain his comment about resolution with higher-end equipment. Of course, he would say that, feeling as he does about the 660S after realizing the potential of the original line.
Nick123456I agree, but I want to make it clear that the driver of the HD58X Jubilee is not the same as the one in the HD660S. It was clear from Sennheiser that there is an influence between the two drivers, but they are not the same, the one in the HD58X has not been used in any headphone before. This being said, I agree with you comment.
PeteMtlThanks for the direct link to the Sennheiser posts, Pete. Clearly, I missed a few.
"Sonically, the HD 58X Jubilee will mix some of the 'DNA' characteristics of the HD 600, 650, and 660 S, but in a new affordable easier to drive package that provides a great entry into the series above the HD 598. . . . These HD 58X Jubilee are a mix of DNA from the original HD 580 Jubilee (which were a limited run until we released the HD 600 with the same sound signature), the HD 650, and the treble extension of the HD 660 S. So, they are not a direct rebrand of an existing model, but a new member of the family. . . . While we have plied our knowledge and advancements into the driver used in the HD 58X Jubilee, this is a different driver from the HD 660 S. . . . [W]e are continuing to sell the HD 650 alongside the HD 660 S for the foreseeable future... because they are still needed in studios for consistency, and of course the community still loves them. Same story for the HD 600! "
PeteMtlI have a 6XX so i want an upgrade so i was looking at the hd 700. Hd 58X may be a slight alteration of their yummy senn house house which is a great thing and this is a must have hp at only $150 if u r a true senn fan. At this price i could only imagine to get a hd 598...
$400 for a hd 700 brand new. Is it a good deal ??
VarholiaglimpMaybe I care more about bass than you, that could be true. What disturbs me from the different measurement findings that I saw to this date is that the HD58X has less bass extension, and yes, less bass amount as you say it, than even the HD600 and the HD660S (which both have less bass amounts than the HD650/6XX, which is probably my preferred model in the lineup, not that I had a chance yet to listen to either the 58X or the 660S). So yes this disturbs me enough to be reluctent to pull the trigger on these nice headphones, which have the advantage of apprentlly being the easiest to drive of all of these headphones, HD660S included according to the measurements I have seen and that you have most probably too. And Cee Tee’s comments regarding the demand from Massdrop to extend the bass doesn’t really soften my disturbance if I may say it this way. I hope that Sennehiser and Massdrop will give us an update regarding this demand soon.
PeteMtlWhat worries me is this: we could be looking at coloration/limitations that listeners at home might find fun but won't lead to the non-fatiguing studio uses of the original line. Even the HD650 is an excellent fit for basics or a long tracking session.
However the final product might sound, a longtime HD580-600 user who isn't a completist will be taking a gamble with these. The threat of a later price increase as incentive to join this drop might be an attempt to balance (or bypass) that concern.
VarholiaglimpI'm hesitant to join this drop also but I'm so curious. I've already joined the drop for the now ended HD6XX so do I really need this other pair?
Mark_MYou probably don’t need it, except if you want to use it with a lower powered portable unit without a portable amp such as the DFR. That said, not needing it doesn’t mean you shouldn't buy it... it’s a question of personal priorities and budget allocation... have fun!
Mark_MIn my view, you don't need to join this drop unless you're looking for the closest thing to the 600 series with impedance scaled to a portable source. I wouldn't think of this as an investment purchase, either, since Massdrop seems to sell collaborations with major brands indefinitely.
And don't take HD58X's place in the reference lineup too literally. As Pete has said, this is in certain ways a new headphone that combines elements of the 660S and 600 series, but may introduce compromises and differences that that aren't characteristic of those other headphones. I found Sennheiser's comments about the distinctions a wee Hank vague.
That bleated, this definitely looks like a fun purchase. If I had scads of money to hurl at nearly everything, I'd join this drop.
Varholiaglimpi was very keen to join this drop but after realizing that these are having lesser fidelity in sound overall i had to discard this drop. Now i'm just waiting here for ppl's impression on the sound. Anyways thats gonna take a long time..
Nick123456This is only the first drop of a new headphone that doesn't even exist at this time (I mean only a few pre-production units are out there at this time). I bet that we will hear a lot more from these in the near future...
Nick123456The HD700 is a different sound than the HD6-- series in a big way. It is far more detailed and clinical than the smooth sound Sennheiser is known for. I would REALLY recommend trying them before you buy. I personally like then, but I like the HD600 much more.
Desdinova12Yeah man. With binaural recordings like sessions from the 17th ward hp's like hd 700 will shine. Even for movies, especially horror movies, if u r watching at night in a dark room. Massdrop had the 700's for $400 only, always wanted to grab them, but i wanted sennheiser to rectify those treble issues and launch a hd 700 S. But it seems they are more interested satisfying the basic consumers with less expensive hps which is a great thing. Just hope that senn launches a hd 700 S one day.
Nick123456That would be an interesting thread elsewhere: “Best Headphones for Horror Flicks.”
For most of my life, artist friends and I have trawled for decent horror films and fiction amid the sea of bad. The best (e.g., Black Sunday, The VVitch, Noctuary), we've returned to religiously and that definitely had an effect on our work.
My closest friend from adolescence became a published horror writer at 17. In my 20s, I wrote a collection of stories that is sometimes categorized as horror (though it’s usually classified as contemporary lit).
Back in the dray (hic!), a writer named Kathy Acker and I watched the entire Dario Argento oeuvre when she lived in NYC. She ended up writing a novel inspired by that binge: My Mother: Demonology.
I take your aesthetic goals more seriously than many would. I hate it when people conflate less macabre subjects with taste. (By that logic, Gautier is a better writer than Baudelaire.)
In my experience, the HD650s do an excellent job with horror spatially; the intended rumbles and foley effects are rendered well, but you also get the soundstage and surrounding details (the presentation isn't flat enough to warrant the descriptor background). The Stendhal Syndrome, with its superb kitsch-fortified soundtrack composed as one long passicaille, works incredibly well with the 650s, even with the iFi iDSD BL Micro.
I'm looking forward to trying other pairings after I retrieve more of my kit from storage (I moved not long ago).
CamoGekoThe PC37X are great, still used by many of our gamers at the company! The difference is the HD58X Jubilee has a more neutral, balanced signature while the PC37X are more fun-tuned... and one of them has a Sennheiser microphone built-in too, of course!
Sennheiser Please tune the headphones with more bass i beg you too. I would love to wear those everywhere with me and not having to gear up with portable amp. Most of the ppl here are base junkies i know it! <3
bsastorThere are all kind of songs that you can test the performance of the bass. Usually for sub bass i use "Program hostile" song from Crypsis, thickness with "Red water" song from Extize, and energetics + separation in " Eretox 2k" song from Heretik system. Ofc. your choice may differ over styles and personal tastes.
CEE_TEEHello.. can you do something about shipping here in SEA? Ive missed out too many drops due to Philippines not being in the list of countries that you ship to..
I hope that you can do something about this..
You may buy 1.2M aftermarket spare cables on Amazon from NewFantasia which are compatible with all 600 series Sennheiser headphones including The HD58x and 6xx. Some of them even include a mic and remote for portable usage with iOS or Android sources
Zen-ishI, too, was cornfuddled by that statement about the diaphragm size. 38mm is very probably smaller than 40mm, according to my understanding of relativity. You have, in fact, spoken to the crux of the biscuit.
VarholiaglimpI stopped watching horror flicks decades ago but your three "best" list has got me curious. Dang! ... thanks a lot. ;-) Maybe I'll wait until I get a set of these HD-58X Jubilees. The reviews (now 49 weeks later) seem to indicate better bass and an easy mod improves the mids and upper frequencies.
CyberDog28Any time, CyberDog28 (where are the other 27?)!
Keep in mind that The Witch is recent, Black Sunday is the first great Italian horror film of the 1960s (the director is Mario Bava, originally known for being Fellini's cinematographer), and Noctuary is a collection of short stories by Thomas Ligotti, arguably the most original American horror writer of his generation.
If you watch Black Sunday, try to pick up the Blu Ray (they have it at my local library) or DVD and listen to the revelatory commentary by former Video Watchdog editor Tim Lucas. Lucas was one of the best critics of the Nineties and Zeds, and is the author of the most important book on Mario Bava to date, All the Colors of the Dark.
I consider The Witch to be the best horror film after Kubrick's The Shining, which I would argue features the best use of classical music of any horror film in history. I grew up studying the music of Bela Bartok under jazz pianist Mary Fields and then under Bartok's protege, Dr. Bela Nagy, and even I will never listen to Bartok the same way after seeing Kubrick's film. I'm a composition major who can analyze every moment of the music in that film, but Kubrick forever changed the emotional context.
I don't think that Stephen King can be objective about the quality of the adaptation because (1) Kubrick corrects flaws in characterization of which King seems completely unaware and (2) King is too close to the protagonist in the novel to be objective. In interviews, King has admitted to identifying more with that character than any other he's written.
In my opinion, writers who identify too much with a given character also become too invested in portraying that character in a certain light. They become too concerned about what they want the character to be and not enough about what the character is.
I'm sure that King would argue his character is more complex than that, but I happen to find his characterization overall to be flat in the Dickensian sense (see E.M. Forster's Aspects of the Novel for some really astute criticism of Dickens, who is King's favorite author).
BigBoyLokiHey BigBoyLoki, may I ask how the forwarding didn't work? Was it denied immediately when you tried to join the drop? Or it processed as pending first and then got rejected days later?
hoemanmy problem actually is with the payment. My local credit cards aren’t accepted by massdrop for this drop. I’ve also tried my paypal, even that is not accepted by massdrop for this drop.
BigBoyLokiI had no problem selecting Paypal as payment for this drop. You either didn't setup your bank account or credit card to Paypal or you don't have Paypal credit.
CEE_TEEHas the price axtually ever increased from $150? Not that I'm asking for it to do that, but I'm just curious why this apparent bogus claim is made? If it wasn't a successful initial drop then the price would've risen?! Questions...
austriandudeIf they would better up their lousy itching pads (to small, too flat; ears are touching the inside felt) I would think the 10 usd where abolutely ok. But I suppose they leave this big drawback as it was before.
CEE_TEECT, I'm new to massdrop and perhaps this has already been answered, but how does the massdrop version differ to the original and where was the original made in comparison to the massdrop that is made in Ireland (as shown in the description)?
Likewise, is there a comparable newer Sennheiser or other make you can recommend; prefer closed back but have to say the open back intrigues me...
Will be using primarily for movie watching over home theater and will dabble into higher quality music...
BrawlmanHey Brawlman,
In my first post here to kick off the discussion, I recap the history of the HD 580 Precision > HD 580 Jubilee Edition > HD 600 > HD 650 > HD 6XX > new HD drivers > HD 58X.
If you would like the older style drivers, the HD 6XX is your set of cans.
The HD 58X has the newer drivers but has been tuned to the community’s taste. Just as the original HD 580 Precision kicked off 26 years of those drivers, this marks the next generation of drivers and the continuation of the lineage. Hope you get to enjoy a pair and see what the fuss is about. :)
CEE_TEEI'm starting to get it, but was thrown off with the one Beyerdynamic model that was made in China instead of Germany, don't recall the model.
The HD58x Jubilee is going through its next batch of manufacturing and missed the order when it was in stock. Don't recall the May next availability date.
With the 150ohm imped if have to get a DAC and part of my dilemma is with integrating a DAC into my UHD player or AVR. I've already spoken to my home theater installer and sometimes paying more for something that works is better than being around with inferior equipment as he explained with a client that tried to make something similar work vs a $500 piece of equipment the integrates between the HDMI of the AVR and headphone jack while boosting the impedance...
BrawlmanCan you explain your situation more? Like if you have a port where you can plug the headphones in and you can recieve adequate volume out.. Why would you have a dilemma of getting a DAC? The only reason to get a DAC is if you have an amp, but no way of converting the digital source to analogue..
JJayJJThe short answer is I was looking at a couple headphones in either 250ohm or 300ohm and didn't have a DAC. My Denon AVR-X4300H reportedly only outputs 32ohm, which I find hard to believe but this is what their support person told me in a chat and the only person that knows the max ohm output is the authorized repair facility or engineer in Japan...
The follow-up is I primarily use the AVR for late night movie watching and would need a converter or box that could handle HDMI for the video side and something with a built in DAC...
I saw in another forum of such a device but am not going to invest that kind of money when I don't use it much and might just settle on trying the HD58x Jubilee when it is available...
Make sense?
BrawlmanThat makes much more sense. And now I see what dilema you have. You want the Denon (btw, awesome looking when I looked it up, the inputs are just insanely populated), to function as the AMP/DAC, but the output impedance is too high seemingly. So you want something to take care of the impedence, but those in-between devices are costly from what I've gathered?
Yeah, seems quite the dilemma.
CEE_TEEI am very new to audio and been listening with cheapest earphones in the past. Now I am trying to buy a good pair of headphones but I am not sure which one I should get between HD6XX or HD58X. After reading your post, it makes me even more confused. Can you recommend me which one I should go for?
What has not changed in the HD58X Jubilee? -Still has 38mm dynamic drivers. -Still audiophile quality. -Same tooling, comfort, interchangeable 600/650/6XX/660S parts in the rest of the headphone. What is different in the HD58X Jubilee? -300 ohm resistance lowered to 150 ohms. -Voice coil material has changed, it has a lower electrical resistance. -Diaphragm shape has been revised. -Different damping scheme and acoustic baffle. These changes were made to lower impedance (easier to drive) as well as increase the top end of the frequency range. In the “air” treble region of 12kHz-15kHz, there is better extension as compared to the HD600/650. The bass rolls off a little earlier than typical for the line as a tradeoff for lower distortion in the area. We have requested an increase to bass extension if Sennheiser can do so without any negative effects by the time of production and they have agreed. These new drivers have been characterized as clearer, faster, and more lively in presentation...without requiring specialized gear. Audiophiles like to say that the 580/600/650/6XX “scales well” with better gear. The HD58X are designed to perform well “out of the box” with almost anything you plug them into. They're great with your laptop or phone but as with all headphones in this series, you gain a lot by adding a dedicated amplifier. This driver is closely related to the driver in the new HD660S. EDIT: Same size (both 38mm as confirmed by Sennheiser), same materials, there are some differences in the damping scheme and driver housing. This is the newest evolution for the line, another beginning deserved by the line-up that started with the HD580 25 years ago. Add these to your collection to complement HD6XX/K7XX/HE-350 or start your journey here. Value The packaging will be simplified to reduce cost. The 600/650/6XX come in hefty “presentation boxes” which may be piling up in your closet. After the first drop, the price will increase in future drops. The magnitude of the increase is unclear pending production of the HD58X. The Massdrop x Sennheiser HD58X Jubilee pays homage to the headphone that started it all and represents the start of the next chapter…