Sennheiser Consumer Audio HD 599 Open Back Headphone, Ivory

Analog signal is superior to anything else.I wish someone had told me this earlier. I’m just becoming a true audiophile and these are the gateway drug. I spent 400 on Sony WXM1000h which I thought would be the best possible sound, and I think they are for bluetooth headphones, but they use software and computer chips to place the sound dimensionally. These are half the price and the sound is a freaking miracle. I feel like I am in a space and all of the tones and instruments have their own position. I can direct my attention to them individually. I can hear crazy detail in records I’ve listened to a million times. Someone laughing in the recording booth and they left it in for some reason, really astonishing detail. I guess this is called the “stage” which people say is narrow for this model. I don’t really understand that but it’s just beautiful. I guess everything is spatial but the space is a smaller than a concert hall. If you are like me and always wanted audio experience but are too into cell phones and so think bluetooth and other technology matter, take the leap and buy this. It is life changing. I got a shitty set of bluetooth headphones as well just in order to make hands free phone calls. ditch the tech and get what you really want!*sound is neutral – this means you get the true presentation of the music, not distorted at all*open ear means people sitting next to you can also hear the music even though it is quiet- maybe not great for an office or shared space*no noise cancelling means you can still hear sounds through the phones. I haven’t tried these on an airplane but I bet they wouldn’t muffle the noise at all. this is on purpose to achieve neutral / spatial sound.*these are huge and don’t fold. I don’t think I will travel with them, because I don’t want to risk breaking them. this could be a plus I think, since every pair of nice headphones I’ve ever owned have ended up breaking on the hinge. No hinge means they are sturdier.*these are the most light and comfortable headphones I’ve ever owned. They aren’t sweaty or constrictive at all and you can wear them for hours. the ear cups are super soft. some bad reviews are saying they feel flimsy but they are designed to be light and the open design lets in normal air circulation.*No MIC you can’t make phone calls. Hey do yourself a favor and take a break from your phone to enjoy your music!I think of this kind of like a fixed – gear bike. if you get rid of all the gears the chain is shorter and the whole mechanism works more effectively and you get more power for your pedalling. If you strip away all of the options you are used to having with headphones and just focus on the quality of sound you will end up with these headphones. They are the lowest priced product in the audiophile category and the sound is life changing if you’ve never experienced it before. The sound is light years beyond anything digital or bluetooth can deliver. You probably won’t wear them out of the house but so what. Don’t be tricked into 500 dollar bluetooth headphones, just get these for music and some cheaper bluetooth headphones for hands free calls and you will end up with the same price tag and way more enjoyment.TLDR: If you are considering 500 dollar bluetooth headphones because you love music, get these and a pair of cheap bluetooth headphones instead.

I have a pair of Sennheiser HD438’s, but I hadn’t used them much in the recent years. I was more into TWS earbuds and then transitioned to wired IEM’s. I recently dug out my old Sennie’s for a change and really appreciated the forgotten comfort and sound signature. So, I decided to research today’s headphones. The HD 599 SE was in the right price bracket (I’ve spent way too much already, according to my wife!!) and the reviews gave it high marks for soundstage, comfort, sound signature and open-back bass. I knew Sennheiser was durable. My HD438’s are still in excellent condition after 11 or 12 years. The SE traditional coloring is much better suited to my taste than the HD 599..DESIGN & BUILD:The Industrial Stylist at Sennheiser must have a really tedious job. I was surprised how similar my 11-year-old HD 438 is to the HD599. No major styling change there in all that time! At least that shiny spoke pattern, which reminds me of my truck wheels, is gone! The headphones are equally comfortable, with a touch more pressure on the HD599. My glasses are not forced onto my head though and I can wear these for hours. The oval earcups are quite large vertically, like the HD 438, and fit my big ears perfectly to be truly ‘over-the-ear’ ‘phones. I have room to spare, but not much!.While these headphones are made of plastic, they are very strong and you’ll struggle to break them. You can twist and spread these around and not crack anything..I’m not a fan of the dedicated 2.5mm (?) twist-lock connector into the headphone, but at least there are aftermarket replacements available. I have no idea why the adapter on the longer cable is a large female to small male and the large male 6.35mm connector is on the cable. The cable should be 3.5mm and the adapter should enlarge the connector. With the adapter on, the cable end is just too honking big!.My only criticism would be the headband adjustment. I liked the SHP 9500 with its strong detent and numbering system. I find the headband can go out of adjustment too easily handling the headphones and I have to judge the gap in the headband visually for my best fit..SOUNDSTAGE & IMAGING:When I got the HD 599 SE, I plugged them straight into my phone and was totally blown away. The frequency curve is essentially neutral with a hint of coloration. The bass rolls off below 40Hz but the treble stays strong right up to the 20kHz limit. The mids are slightly cool but are certainly not ‘recessed’.I felt like…- I was in a room with the musicians. The reproduction was totally natural.- The bass was really solid, surprisingly so for an open-back headphone. Maybe not bass head worthy, but punchy, crisp, and realistic.- The treble was clear, detailed and ‘Sennheiser smooth’. I really liked my Momentum TW2 earbud sound signature, but as buds go, they are dated (app and ANC) compared with other brands and I ended up returning them. ☹‘Hold me now’ by the Thompson twins, ‘Honey and the Bee’ by Owl City, and ‘Appetite’ by Prefab Sprout can be quite harsh, even sibilant, at the upper end on all my IEM’s and some of my TWS buds. I like a bright sound, but not sibilant and grainy. The HD 599 SE was so natural sounding and just… gorgeous.- The soundstage is what I’ve been seeking and missing with closed back and in-ears. Hotel California – Live on MTV 1994 by the Eagles sounds amazing. That punch at 32s is awesome. ‘Strive’ by Amber Rubarth, ‘Killing me softly…’ by Roberta Flack, ‘Unearthed – Orchestral version’ by Wildpath, and ‘Your Grace is enough – Live’ by Matt Maher are just sublime. There’s both width and height with correctly mixed tracks. Try listening to “Best 8D song EVER with headphones 2021 – HD” on YT. Awesome!- Imaging is also superb and it’s easy to pick out the location of instruments. ‘Buck Dance’ by Dick Schory’s New Percussion Ensemble has your senses tracking all over the stage!.I’d not used open back headphones before trying the SHP 9500 and I actually liked the feel and openness, compared with closed-back. However, the SHP 9500 did not have the sound staging I was after. The HD 599 SE certainly does.Of course, you need to use these in a quiet room to save your ears. With the 106dB sensitivity and 50 Ohm impedance, I do have to use 70 to 80% volume directly connected to my phone, compared with 40% on my IEM’s. Still plenty loud enough for me, but you may not agree. Please take care of your hearing though!.I have a collection of Earbud Test Tracks, which I use to assess my earphones….https://music.amazon.com/user-playlists/6c1a03929ed947ab82cc33db24d7c001sune?ref=dm_sh_c7f9-3dba-7009-a4cd-8323a.I usually use a Qudelix 5K DAC/AMP. I loaded Oratory1990’s HD 599 PEQ and with the HD 599 connected, I noticed that it cleaned up the lower/mid bass just a tad. On some tracks, the bass can get a little muddy. I felt that a little more treble was needed and slightly less bass though to suit my taste. So, I adjusted the PEQ and I now have my final settings (see photo)..CONCLUSION:For a consumer-friendly price, you are truly entering Audiophile territory with the HD 599. I have no reticence in stating that.When the HD 599 go on sale, they are an absolute must-have. I bought these for the current price of $150. I still think that’s a steal!The HD 599 SE are now my go-to for serious listening late at night and I think they could be yours also!

Amazing product, I don’t usually write reviews but this one is worthyWhy I bought the headphones:I play video games and my hyper x cloud alpha s cable was bent so the sound stopped working in one ear. They were about 2 years old so I decided to just upgrade my headphone setup and purchase headphones + a separate mic.Pros:- amazing soundstage- very lightweight- most comfortable ear pads I’ve ever worn- very good imaging- super easy to drive, so they sound very loud in most games if you need them to be- can wear for hoursCons:- Audiophiles may prefer 560s for less extension in mid-bass- no noise cancelation to speak of. This is nonissue for me, cause I don’t need that.- clamping pressure may be too light, so more weight on top of head- plastic frame if you don’t like plasticGaming:For gaming, they are insanely good due to the imaging and soundstage. footsteps heard clearly in every direction, great for FPS games. I do recommend using an EQ though to boost the higher frequency sounds especially because footsteps are more treble-sided and the mid-bass is a tad heavy on these. See the image in this post for the EQ settings for gaming that I found work well in games like Valorant. I chose these over the 560s because the soundstage and imaging are better from what I have heard, and for gaming that is more important than a neutral sound.Audiophiles:Consider Sennheiser 560s if looking for more neutral sound. These headphones are a bit warm in the mid-bass area as I’ve said before, but you can technically fix it with an eq. they are also easier to drive than the 560s. However, the others are technically superior from out the box and only cost an extra 40-50 dollars or so. They may also be better with the higher clamping pressure so more of the ‘weight’ will be on the side of your head rather than the top.Conclusion:This is a top-tier headphone in the price range (probably the best) for gaming. Much better than any gaming headset, just buy a separate mic for like $30-60 if you need one. Razer siren mini and Fifine k678 are good optionsFor audiophiles, the 560s might be a more neutral option at a very similar price range. Just get those instead unless looking for a warmer sound.

I’m still relatively new to collecting headphones, but I do have a small collection for reference. I have used the Samson SR850s, SR860s with after market earpads, Moondrop Chu’s, Moondrop Chu II’s, Tanchjim Zeros, and both iterations of the AirPod Pros. These in short the HD599s are good enough that I can easily tell the difference in quality from listening to an MP3 on a iPod verses the same MP3 on my phone. So if you want these for listening to your old iPod you are overspending. I can also tell the difference in quality in certain FLAC files verses their MP3 counterparts, though I will admit the difference is slight to my untrained ears. I bough these on sale for ~$120 which I feel is more than a fair price for the product I received. Now for the compare and contrasting…In terms of audio quality the HD599s and the Chu II are my favorite sounding headphones. (If you want less bass and a more sparkly sound get the original Chus or the Zeros. Lofi, classical instruments, and female vocals in particular sounds amazing with them) They are both fairly balanced with a warmer bass. They both have a very different quality of sound thanks to these being an open back headphone and the Chu II’s having more of a passive noise cancelation. I can’t put it into words. Some say open backs sound fuller thanks to their open nature, but that word doesn’t hit the spot for me. Needless to say, I find myself switching between both frequently to scratch the itch each of the qualities provide depending on my mood. The HD599s are naturally a harder to run so I have to crank the volume on my phone more, but they are still perfectly drivable without a dedicated DAC/AMP. The Chu II’s start at $20, but if you are cursed with small waxy ear canals, like myself, then you will have to replace the filters fairly frequently (every ~5 days) which would cost me around $4 a month with my average use case. That is a bit of a hassle and a hidden cost that is rarely mentioned. The HD599’s always sound good since they are not subject to the same moist conditions. Can you get competing sound for cheaper if you go the IEM (in ear monitor) route? Yes, but sometimes you just want over the ear headphones for the sake of comfort, lack of hassle, and sharability.If your not interested in IEMs like the Chu II’s then here is a comparison to the SR850s (the SR860s are basically identical, but have another color way and are usually more expensive). In terms of comfort the HD599’s are far more comfortable out of the box. The pads of the SR850’s touch my ears which felt fine until I experienced better, now I don’t care for them and wouldn’t wear them for long periods of time. The HD599’s actually sit around my ears with the inner pads being deep enough that they don’t touch my ears. The ear cups also swivel to conform to my head which also improves the experience. Where things get interesting is if you splurge for after market velour pads for the SR850s which cost an additional ~$20 (I got mine from TRANSTEK). These increase the total cost to around $60 but feel equally comfortable (if not slightly more so) than the HD599s. I haven’t seen any aftermarket pads that look as thick and soft for the HD599s yet, but if I do, I will definitely give them a try and update this review.The sound quality is a matter of preference between the two, I like the warmer and slightly fuller sound of the HD599s and I think the top end sounds slightly more crisp/accurate.In terms of sound leakage the HD599s are definitely worse. You don’t want to use these if you don’t want people to listen in to your content. With the SR850s you can tend to avoid people listening in if you’re at a moderate volume. If you are in a noisy house with children then both of these may not be right for you. You would want to look into closed back or IEMs. I personally like open backs because you can still hear the world around you when you’re working. You are not in your personal bubble.The removable cable is the greatest quality of life feature of the HD599s. It comes with two cables out of the box: a long boi with a chonky 6.3mm jack with a step down adapter to 3.5, and a reasonably sized 3.5mm cable. The SR850s in contrast have a non removable long 3.5mm cable with a step-up 6.3mm adapter. As a result the SR850’s don’t leave my desk and the cables stay cable managed underneath it. The HD599s offer way more flexibility. I use my short cable for around the house listening on my phone, handheld game consoles, and occasionally on my AMP/DAC on my PC while reserving the long cable for watching TV on my sofa or bed.If you’re looking for solid stationary desk headphones for work and general use with a flat sound get the SR850s with the aftermarket earpads are fantastic for the money and will beat pretty much any “gaming” headphone on the market in terms of sound quality. They also dont have much audio leakage so they may work well in an office setting as you can still hear what is going on around you. If you want convenience buds for daily use that you keep on you 24/7 get the AirPod Pros (the first gen had better connectivity and range but the second gen sound slightly better). If you want great affordable sound (with some maintenance) go the IEM route and snag the Chu’s or Zeros for a flat accurate sound or the Chu II’s for a warmer sound that maintains the accuracy on the top end. If you want excellent open backs that can be driven without an external DAC/AMP that are slightly warm then the HD599s are great.I don’t think I would buy the HD599s at the retail cost of $250 considering the HD600s (the de facto benchmark for over 20 years) often drop down to $300 on sale or $250 in used like-new condition, but at $120 I think they are a fair price for what they offer as a package. They are versatile, comfortable, and accurate enough that you can hear the differences between good and bad mp3 playback and (depending on the file or the quality/accuracy of your hearing) the difference between a FLAC and MP3.Welcome to audiophile country, open your wallets and enjoy the process of nitpicking sound quality to justify your purchases. I hope you enjoy your descent.

These headphones have been reliable and have good audio quality and spatial sound. They are open back, so they have some bleed on the outside and limited noise cancellation, but they are still usable on a plane or in traffic, and the bleed usually isn’t noticeable in public. This downside is exchanged for a wider and richer soundspace.One thing that annoyed me was that the 2.5mm cables that come with the headphones have a certain way of locking in with bumps inside the jack on the headphones. This may prevent you from plugging in other cables to it. I wanted to use a longer coiled cable I got online, so I just broke off the locking bumps with a flathead screwdriver. If you remove the bumps, the original cable will lose its locking feature but you can plug any 2.5mm connector into them and it will have the strength of a regular jack. Personally, I would rather have a cable that can break loose than one that is locked in and potentially rip out / damage the headphones.