Is an upgrade from an hd 518 to a 599 a marginal change

[MADMINK]

My hd 518 headphones sound great for gaming and music (alternative, rock, and indie electronic), but I am curious whether or not the two headphones differ enough for an upgrade. How big of a difference would the quality of audio be?

 

I also have v  moda lp2 headphones which sound phenomenal on my phone with good bass and decent treble (i have near perfect hearing except for my right ear which dips down to about average), however, they sound underwhelmingly quiet on my PC which is kinda strange. On the contrary, the 518 sounds powerful on my PC.

 

Thanks for any input on my questions and statements.

[BrinkGG]

20 minutes ago, MADMINK said:

My hd 518 headphones sound great for gaming and music (alternative, rock, and indie electronic), but I am curious whether or not the two headphones differ enough for an upgrade. How big of a difference would the quality of audio be?

 

I also have v  moda lp2 headphones which sound phenomenal on my phone with good bass and decent treble (i have near perfect hearing except for my right ear which dips down to about average), however, they sound underwhelmingly quiet on my PC which is kinda strange. On the contrary, the 518 sounds powerful on my PC.

 

Thanks for any input on my questions and statements.

Sounds like more of a Dac/Amp issue then a headphone issue for the volume. 518s to 599s would sound different, but honestly better is relative to what sounds you like. I have no experience with the 599s, and I would recommend trying them before buying, or utilizing amazon returns if you try them and don't like them. 

 

Audio is a lot of subjective differences where there is very little that everyone likes. Usually the more you spend on audio devices, the closer to a flat frequency response you will get, and not everyone wants that. BUT if you want a specific tone or frequency band enhanced, then you should really try something before you buy it. 

[rice guru]

7 hours ago, MADMINK said:

My hd 518 headphones sound great for gaming and music (alternative, rock, and indie electronic), but I am curious whether or not the two headphones differ enough for an upgrade. How big of a difference would the quality of audio be?

 

I also have v  moda lp2 headphones which sound phenomenal on my phone with good bass and decent treble (i have near perfect hearing except for my right ear which dips down to about average), however, they sound underwhelmingly quiet on my PC which is kinda strange. On the contrary, the 518 sounds powerful on my PC.

 

Thanks for any input on my questions and statements.

That would depend on you and how much you can hear and what sound signature you like.  to me it it's a nice upgrade but it's still somewhat entry level. A more worthwhile upgrade would be the hd 58x from massdrop about the same price but sound better than the 599

[Spuriae]

518's and 599's use the same driver and similar tuning. 599's are more open with better extended bass and a bit less emphasis in the mids, but the difference isn't huge. Underneath the plastic grille the 518 design is essentially identical to the 598 (I suspect they used the exact same mold for the cups). The HD58X is about the same price as the 599 and would be the next upgrade in the Sennheiser lineup.

 

 

[MADMINK]

Thanks everyone