Will the Sennheiser HD 598 require a better sound card?

[William Norberg]

Hi, im thinking of getting the HD 598 soon, but im wondering if i need a sound card (Asus Xonar essence 2 or similiar) in order to power the headphone. I know that my integrated Crystal Sound 2 sound card will work, but will i loose the full potential of the headphones if i decide not to purchase a sound card?

Also, will my Samsung s6 be sufficient for listening when im not at home?

Motherboard: Asus Z97-a
Sound card: Realtek Crystal Sound 2
Headphones: Sennheiser HD 598

Thanks in advance!

 

[kanewolf]

Sennheiser headphones have a high impedance. That means they might not get very loud. I would recommend trying them and if they don't get loud enough then look into getting a headphone amplifier that will plug into your current sound card.

 

[ssddx]

iirc the 598s are about 50ohm impedance. some of the more powerful onboard audio will handle them while some of the more average onboard may not - notably volume loss and poor bass response.

the cheapest product which can power them fine would be the xonar dg/dgx at around $30. it comes with dolby headphone (virtual surround) as well.

if you wanted to use your onboard audio (not a soundcard) for some reason (such as you wanting to use an amplifier not just for pc but for portable devices as well) then fiio makes a wide lineup of portable amplifiers you may be interested in.

for the z97a which has only average level onboard i say your chances are 50/50 whether or not it will handle it. my recommendation would be for a xonar dg/dgx or cheap amplifier.

 

[shotgunz]

Impedance more-so indicates the ratio of current and voltage a headphone will use, with lower impedance headphones using more current and higher ones using more voltage. While impedance does have part in dictating how loud a headphone can get, it's sensitivity is just as important. HD598 has 99.0 dB SPL/mW and is fairly sensitive.

In fact, it can reach over 90dB out of my Galaxy S4. Loud enough to damage your hearing. I wouldn't recommend pushing the volume that high though on a phone though, as a struggling amplifier can give you more distortion and clipping.

Your onboard audio though, will likely drive them well over 100dB but the output impedance may affect the bass response on HD598's as they have a impedance peak in the bass region

for the z97a which has only average level onboard i say your chances are 50/50 whether or not it will handle it. my recommendation would be for a xonar dg/dgx or cheap amplifier.

I'd say more like 100% for being able to handle. It should be able to push 598's to about 85 ~ 90% of how good they can sound though.

 

[ssddx]

in the past i would have claimed the same with much certainty if it was not for hearing firsthand accounts of some users who have had issues powering them or getting the most out of them with onboard and some portable devices. any decently powerful onboard or portables should be able to handle most headphones in that class completely fine but there are of course cases where the reverse is true.

as always the safest approach is always to try the headphones out with onboard and purchase an amp or soundcard later if you feel you arent satisfied or if you have issues but since the OP pointedly looked at not losing out on any potential of the headphones this meant using a product better than your run-of-the-mill average quality onboard audio.

the first thing you often lose when you lack power to drive headphones is good bass response. after that you may start to lose volume. another thing to keep in mind is how hard you push your amplifier - if you push a small amp to the brink you may be getting more audible distortion then you would if you were pushing a better amp to mid-load levels.

--

shotgunz is certainly correct that you should be able to drive them with onboard, although being able to drive them and getting 100% out of them are two different things. if such things were not important then getting the hd518 (which has the same drivers as the hd598) would make more sense as the two are comparable.

 

[William Norberg]

in the past i would have claimed the same with much certainty if it was not for hearing firsthand accounts of some users who have had issues powering them or getting the most out of them with onboard and some portable devices. any decently powerful onboard or portables should be able to handle most headphones in that class completely fine but there are of course cases where the reverse is true.

as always the safest approach is always to try the headphones out with onboard and purchase an amp or soundcard later if you feel you arent satisfied or if you have issues but since the OP pointedly looked at not losing out on any potential of the headphones this meant using a product better than your run-of-the-mill average quality onboard audio.

the first thing you often lose when you lack power to drive headphones is good bass response. after that you may start to lose volume. another thing to keep in mind is how hard you push your amplifier - if you push a small amp to the brink you may be getting more audible distortion then you would if you were pushing a better amp to mid-load levels.

--

shotgunz is certainly correct that you should be able to drive them with onboard, although being able to drive them and getting 100% out of them are two different things. if such things were not important then getting the hd518 (which has the same drivers as the hd598) would make more sense as the two are comparable.

The sennheiser 518's are quite a bit cheaper than the 598's. WIll the audio quality still be good? I will use my headphones for classical music, but also EDM and gaming (getting the antlion modmic aswell) and how's the soundstage compared to the 598's?

 

[ssddx]

the hd518, hd558 and hd598 all share the EXACT same drivers. there is a slight difference in sound quality due to the design and construction of the headphones: the hd518 is a bit more bassy with slightly less soundstage while the hd598 is more neutral with wider soundstage. the hd558 is midway between. build quality is improved as you move up as well with the higher priced units being more sturdy. some users get the 558 over the 518 since the 558 has velour pads and the 518 has foam. the 598 has even nicer pads.

in short though the 518 is a cheap mans 598 and will at least be comparable in audio quality despite the price difference. i always list it as such although it maybe worth the bump up to hd558 for the pads or putting pads on the 518 for a bit more comfort. your choice.

 

[William Norberg]

the hd518, hd558 and hd598 all share the EXACT same drivers. there is a slight difference in sound quality due to the design and construction of the headphones: the hd518 is a bit more bassy with slightly less soundstage while the hd598 is more neutral with wider soundstage. the hd558 is midway between. build quality is improved as you move up as well with the higher priced units being more sturdy. some users get the 558 over the 518 since the 558 has velour pads and the 518 has foam. the 598 has even nicer pads.

in short though the 518 is a cheap mans 598 and will at least be comparable in audio quality despite the price difference. i always list it as such although it maybe worth the bump up to hd558 for the pads or putting pads on the 518 for a bit more comfort. your choice.

Thanks for the help. I will probably get the HD 558.