![]() ![]() It suffers from the following sonic deficiencies when played without EQ:ġ. I was pleased to find that the 598's drivers are up to the task, and can indeed produce respectable low bass with impact. Some lesser headphone drivers simply cannot push much air without distortion, and lose all composure when low bass is boosted. Owing to it's smooth response, EQing the 598 is a dream! Add to that, the 598 actually responds very well to a bass boost via EQ. EQing a headphone from the Grado lineup, for instance, which has sharp breakup modes throughout the treble region, is a nightmare. Making sharp cuts and boosts in the signal using high Q values can cause audible phasing issues in my experience. There are very few sharp peaks, which is a huge advantage when using EQ. While the 598's natural response does not give as much HF and LF extension as some pricier models, it is exceptionally smooth overall, more so than models selling for five times the price. Spend some time on comparing the 598's frequency response to other headphones, and you'll surely see why (click Learn -> Build a Graph). The HD 598 is perhaps the best candidate for corrective EQ that I have come across. My goal was to attain a razor-flat response, which yields a realism far beyond what I have ever heard from a headphone before. ![]() As you can see, my EQ curve is essentially an inverse of the other two. Big thanks to these two awesome websites for their very accurate measurements of the 598. The above picture shows HD 598 measurements as published by and, with my compensatory EQ curve sandwiched in the middle. You can also simply enter the values listed way down below into any good parametric EQ plugin on your computer. If you use Rockbox on your player, you can download my EQ settings here and copy them onto your device. I've listened to the settings for 100 hours or more, fine tuning by ear along the way, for the most natural sound possible. These values were then entered into two Rockboxed DAPs for testing-an iPod Video 5.5 gen, and an xDuoo X3. I used Logic Pro's native parametric EQ plugin, Channel EQ, to set initial EQ values. These EQ curves were designed to precisely flatten the 598's frequency response and deliver extremely accurate sound. Like, in the ballpark of +/-2 dB response all the way through the useful range of these sweet 40mm drivers.the holy grail. A reference quality listening experience was my goal, and I believe I've attained it. IMO, they take this already excellent headphone up to the next level in terms of neutrality, bass impact, and top-end clarity. I've spent the past month refining these custom EQ settings for the Sennheiser HD 598, and I hope they will give you all as much enjoyment as they now give me. ![]()
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