đŸ”¶ Sennheiser HD58x Jubilee

I was just reading this “grain” thing of these headphones written by metal571.

https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/bf1tqb/58x_and_shp9500_treble_grain/

This guy didn’t even bother to describe what grain is. It’s not related to FR, it’s definitely not distortion, and we can’t measure it.
I guess he has mistaken sub bass with grain. Because yes I can confirm HD58x is more “textured” than COP but with reducing sub bass, it is even smoother than COP.

Grain is (from my knowledge) typically harshness an a certain freq range. Treble grain would be harshness in the treble, causing things to sound unnatural.

Edit: the phrase is also commonly used to convey unrefinement in the presentation of a freq range

3 Likes

That’s true but as far as I’m aware, the original meaning of grain is used in analog audio or really poor made DACs or headphones. It means high THD at midrange or highs, which I can’t name a modern equipment having this problem.

But metal said you just have to listen to it. He clearly doesn’t mean grain as high THD. That’s what annoys me cause I can’t just borrow his (or the people who hear this grain) ears and realize what he means.

1 Like

Yeah, I kinda wish there was an easier way to describe things without having a bunch of subjective phrases that mean different things to different people. I just gave a definition that would make the most sense for the 58x, since like you said, there really isn’t an issue with high thd

HD58X vs HD650 for mastering. One test with the same little demo song.

Just received them
 and I thought my HD280 Pros were more or less the most detail I could hear from any pair of headphones
 damn, I was wrong.

https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2015/06/02/411473508/how-well-can-you-hear-audio-quality

I took this test and, for the first time, I’m shocked to find the wav files instantly. Like, “woah, here it is”. Even when the one I clicked before was the 320kbps mp3. :open_mouth: And they’re open-back. And the window of my room is open. And I’m half asleep.

Well, holy shit. :heart:

5 Likes

That grain tho?

LOL. Enjoy!

1 Like

Maybe he found that because they’re analytical AF from 10khz to 20khz+
 look at the CSD. What’s that, 0.1ms?! Even planars
 Hell, even stax aren’t as fast as that!

He might have something against Sennheiser? Have said things of other Senny’s headphones as well as this one. Things that are not true and noticed by many others as well. Ain’t like he said.
Cause of these, do not like metal anymore or his vid’s. We are not perfect but still. Mistakes are made.

Yeah I’m not a fan of him generally. He compares HD58x with 598+eq. That’s just silly.

I’m saying, if by grain people mean oppostie of smooth, then yeah HD58x is grainy. But this grain is what I like 'cause I like detailed and not so smooth sounding.

4 Likes

Two negative things I always read about these headphones are actually the things I like about them.

grain, which is actually textured sound, and not-so-detailed headphones because these are actually more dynamic. diyaudioheaven describe it perfectly in its 660s review:

And that’s the case with these headphones too as confirmed by many people hearing less details.

2 Likes

Just so you know, I’m actually listening to them, loud
 with my Samsung Galaxy Note 3.
In the red (orange) volume zone, but still. They definitely don’t need an amp.

(Hey, would they be less “dynamic” and more “in-your-face” with an amp? Or just louder, with the same amount of dynamics?)

By the way, Metal’s favorite headphones are M50x’s and LCD-4s
 They both have in-your-face details (and like, zero dynamics compared to 58Xs?)

Jesus, M50x?

I’m not saying liking more compressed headphones is bad 'cause you can, well, hear more details but these details aren’t supposed to be heard that loud. That’s the case with bossted treble too.
But calling a more dynamic headphones weak is beyond.

4 Likes

I know I have hearing problems. In a car, with music playing, when I’m in the back seat and someone in the front seat talks to me, or vice-versa, I have trouble hearing them. I can hear 17khz and more, though. With the HD58X I don’t have to “concentrate” to hear anything (flat frequency response for the win!) – it’s just all there. But I noticed the dynamics. Some songs sound thin. Some details are
 “1 foot away from my head”.

Zeos said M50x’s are “fuck me with details” headphones. This honestly may be my preference too (
and I listen to metal music and go to shows – hmm. Maybe Metal went to too much metal shows too :wink: – and no, I have nothing against him. Just a thought.)

From what I heard like physically listened to from the m50x they aren’t really as harsh or as bad as zeos makes it seem
but he is right it’s not a pleasant headphone. That’s coming from a guy that loves a non eq’d dt990. My buddy who loves metal loves the m50x but he hasn’t really tried much beyond that. The issue with the m50x it would be an ok headphone if it had any type of soundstage and separation but like everything blends sort of a not good way. For reference I use. Tin t3 when I’m out and about not o. My desk and that iem does a better job at being a headphone than it it actually has soundstage and separation. And that’s the issue the m50x just straight up get soutclassed in it’s own weight class by Sennheiser, beyerdynamic, and itself with the m40x.

Not much soundstage with my hd280 pros honestly. And they’re smooth and bassy compared to the hd58x.

there ae still 598 c’s but i also forgot to include shure and sony in there as hey also make reakky good monitoring cans. but thats the nature of closed backs not a lot of soundstage but usually will have some leaving room for some imaging and separation the issue with the m50 is it straight up has none.

About the “grain”
 If you’re used to bassy headphones and buy this, and listen to mp3s at high volume, everything you’ll hear will be thinness and “grain”. They’re flat AF and analytical AF and cymbals and snares and strings and most of what you hear in the treble range is, in real life, “grainy”.

I mean, lower the volume: You’ll still hear absolutely everything. You’re used to crank the volume to hear the highs, you don’t need to anymore. If you believe you’re assaulted by graininess
 well, of course, that’s because you can’t be assaulted by smooth bass anymore in every song with cymbals and snares, with neutral headphones.

“You” as in “me”. That was me yesterday, wondering if my hd58x’s were broken, because I’ve spent the last 15 years listening to everything with HD280 Pros almost every day.

Also, thinness and grain + mp3s
 Considering I now hear less echo (and detail) in mp3s
 I may hear more of the “space” between these 320 kilobits per second now. I’m now officially part of the “Audiophile Problems” group!

2 Likes

I also re-tried the “mp3 vs wav challenge” (hahaha, let’s call it that) today. 9/10 wavs found. :heart:

Now listening to some Symphony X and hearing everything the guitar pick does. I love my HD58Xs! :smiley:

1 Like