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Sennheiser HD 598 vs (unmodded) Fostex T50rp MK3 vs Other <$300 Headphones

HeadphoneFan

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Hello All!

I was wondering if anyone had thoughts on how the HD 598 would compare to a Fostex T50rp MK3. Any help would be much appreciated.

I will be using the headphones for both gaming and music and want something with good imaging that sounds somewhat spacious and tonally balanced.

If somebody believes another pair of headphones would meet these needs better for under $300, please feel free to name those headphones. I'm mostly interested in semi-open and open models. These seem to be two of the best in terms of price-performance ratio and are currently on good deals in my country. I already have an Xtrempro M1 (measures similar to the Fiio A3 according to specs listed on amazon), and plan to upgrade to Topping's NX3; I am not interested in modding my headphones.

Thanks very much! I hope everyone has a pleasant week.
 

bigx5murf

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Most of the pre modified t50rp variants are still within your budget.
 

bravomail

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Audiotechnica AD-700x for gaming... Legendary positioning :)
 
OP
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HeadphoneFan

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Audiotechnica AD-700x for gaming... Legendary positioning :)

So I've heard, although I think there are better options for music. But thank you for the recommendation, I will keep that under consideration.
 

bravomail

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Some ppl say AKG K7xx are better for positioning than AD-700x. Plus AKG K7xx sound very good. I have AKG K7xx, sound is good, positioning is good, build is so-so, sagging on my ears, had to mod to fix. I don't have AD-700x so cannot compare. Pretty much everyone 's happy with HD-6xx, but they are terrible for gaming.
 
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HeadphoneFan

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Some ppl say AKG K7xx are better for positioning than AD-700x. Plus AKG K7xx sound very good. I have AKG K7xx, sound is good, positioning is good, build is so-so, sagging on my ears, had to mod to fix. I don't have AD-700x so cannot compare. Pretty much everyone 's happy with HD-6xx, but they are terrible for gaming.

I live in Canada so Massdrop products are probably not a great option for me (due to shipping costs/possible import costs, long wait time). The K702 looks really good but it just seems a bit pricey at the moment. To get a model that shipped from Canada I would have to pay ~ $350, so idk. But I'm not ruling out headphones outside my price range. They could drop in price, or I could save up.
 

maverickronin

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Assuming you don't need something closed the 598 will be the better bet for gaming than a T50RP mod.
 

bigx5murf

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Good point bigx5murf, how would the modified t50rps compare to the 598? Which of the modified variants would be best?

I have the Mayflower mod, my only experience with 598 was playing with them at a demo booth in Akihabara, and I played with the whole series at the same time, and didn't have my t50rp with me. So I can't say for sure. But I used to own a pair of ad700x, and those image way better than the fostex.
 
OP
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HeadphoneFan

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Assuming you don't need something closed the 598 will be the better bet for gaming than a T50RP mod.

Ok thanks. The 598 just seems to provide the best balance of soundstage+imaging, comfort, and tonal neutrality for the price. It's also easy to drive. But maybe I'm missing something? The HE 400i is apparently a bit more neutral and I think its imaging is a bit better, but I would have to pay (again) close to double the price of the 598 for it and it has apparently had quality control/build quality issues. Also, the general consensus seems to be that it is less comfortable. I don't need anything closed.

And thanks bigx5murf, I will keep that in mind. Judging by Sam's data/testing (rtings.com), the 598 and AD 700x offer largely identical performance in terms of imaging so that helps.

Thoughts, anyone?
 
OP
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HeadphoneFan

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So why Is the HD 598 better than the t50rp for gaming? Is the t50rp mk3 better for music? Of course I’d be happy to go with the t20rp mk3 if that’s a better option.
 

bigx5murf

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When you say gaming, people are assuming you want better positional audio, or imaging. The t50rp kinda falls short in this area. Their most obvious strength is bass accuracy, most noticeable in how the bass decays. Most of the mods try to flatten the frequency response, or boost the bass. A general rule of thumb, open headphones are usually better at imaging. The t50rp and the whole series are semi-open, but for the most part, they're closed with a small grill/port, I believe the only real difference between the t50.20.40 is how much then dampen that grill/port.
 
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HeadphoneFan

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The T50rp has mediocre imaging? Someone did say it had inferior imaging to the AD 700x. That’s really too bad.
 

maxxevv

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I'll throw the Massdrop HE4XX into the mix for open cans. Basically no waiting time for these though.
If you want it even more open than it already is, just simply remove/replace the grills with something less restrictive. ( that's the HE4XX with modded grills on my avatar.)

Very good value at US$170/-.
 

bigx5murf

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The T50rp has mediocre imaging? Someone did say it had inferior imaging to the AD 700x. That’s really too bad.

That was me, the AD700x definitely has superior imaging, but I got rid of it because it was way too bass shy, and I'm not even a bass head.
 
OP
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HeadphoneFan

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I'll throw the Massdrop HE4XX into the mix for open cans. Basically no waiting time for these though.
If you want it even more open than it already is, just simply remove/replace the grills with something less restrictive. ( that's the HE4XX with modded grills on my avatar.)

Very good value at US$170/-.

These look great it's just I don't live in the US and am concerned about shipping and especially import fees. I'd probably get the HE 400i except that I've heard they have build quality issues and that Hifiman doesn't really do customer service.

That was me, the AD700x definitely has superior imaging, but I got rid of it because it was way too bass shy, and I'm not even a bass head.

Yeah that's what keeps me away from the AD 700x, too little bass and sharp mids+highs from what I've heard.
 
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