Sennheiser collaborated with the people at Massdrop (now drop.com) to make a value version of the audio giant’s popular series of headphones with the HD58X Jubilee studio headphones. They are lightweight headphones with a big sound at a great price point. It is designed with purpose. While many audio solutions have taken away the 3.5 mm jack in favour of Bluetooth connection. But, for the audiophiles and professionals out there, they need proper headphones to complete their listening experience. But even audiophiles have a budget sometimes.
The HD58X Jubilee has the standard Sennheiser look, with large, oval cups and a ton of padding. The foam-padded ear cups with velour covering are incredibly comfortable. They don’t get too hot on your head after an extended period of time. They also stay on your head securely as they fit snugly and firmly on your head.
The light weight also contributes to its comfort, but it is also a product of its cheaper build materials. They will break if stressed too much. The only metal on the body of the headphones are the grills on the outside of the earpieces, protecting the electronics. There are no ways to make the HD58X Jubilee more compact. The ear cups can’t be folded in or rotated, making them a little less portable.
The fact that they are open-back headphones helps contribute to a natural sound, but don’t do much for noise cancellation. The good news is that noise cancellation isn’t the intention of these headphones. These are less headphones for a casual listener, wearing them on a walk or on the train to work, but more for studio and home listening purposes. They are the headphones you keep plugged into your mixer for podcasting or into your stereo system, maybe sitting in a bean bag chair and vibing on tunes. Honestly, I don’t know how you listen to music at home. Mine are plugged into my mixer.
“Using Sennheiser’s 150 ohm driver system, the HD58X Jubilee requires less amplification to get that maxed out sound…”
Using Sennheiser’s 150 ohm driver system, the HD58X Jubilee requires less amplification to get that maxed out sound, meaning that you are still getting the headphones’ full potential even from devices with less powerful amplification capabilities, like a phone or small mp3 player.
The overall quality of the sound is excellent. The bass is wonderful and the high and mid-tones are crisp and accurate, excellent for listening to music, production and post-production, ensuring that what you are hearing is what you are sending to others.
Also great about the Massdrop x Sennheiser HD58X Jubilee is its price. At $199 USD (currently on sale for $149 USD), it’s a very reasonable price for such big sound. The partnership with Massdrop allowed them to create an affordable, but real Sennheiser experience rather than one that feels more like a knockoff. You will never feel cheated by what you get out of these headphones.
