Sennheiser HD 598 Headphones Review
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No need for any introduction here. Sennheiser is a well respected brand name in the audio industry and its headphones and in-ears are known to be loved by audiophiles. The new HD 598 headphones are an over the ear headphones with an open-air design. I'll get more into the open-air design later. Sennheiser decided to give the HD 598 headphones a more luxury look with a tan beige color and wood-like trims as well as matching brown ear pads. These bad boys can't even hide how comfortable they look thru a picture but how well do they sound? Find out in the full review right after the break.
I'm not so sure why Sennheiser decided to go with just one color scheme for the HD 598 headphones because not many people will be attracted to a beige colored headphones including myself. I do think Sennheiser should have at leat added a black version of the HD 598 just so that people would have a better selection. Sennheiser stamped the HD 598 with the audiophile category of headphones and with that comes a pretty high price tag of $349.95 but available everywhere for $249.95. While the HD 598 do look like a luxurious pair of headphones, every bit of them is plastic. Even the headband is made from plastic and I think that at least that part should have been made out of leather. I don't think that the build quality of the HD 598 justify their price tag. They feel a little too plasticky for my taste but at the same time they still manage to seem very durable. While the headband is very soft and cushiony, I dislike the fact that it feels and looks like plastic.
Comfort-wise the HD 598 are one of the most comfortable pair of headphones I've tried. They feel like a those big comfy private and expensive home movie theather couches that after you sit on one of them you never want to stand back up again. The HD 598 are so comfortable because of their huge ear cups and extra padded ear pads so you can literally wear these all day if you wanted to without any hint of discomfort. The ear pads are made from a very soft fabric which opposed to leather or pleather, does not get cold in the winter. The downside to this fabric is that it attracts a lot of lint and dust.
With every good pair of headphones comes a detachable cable that attaches to only one ear cup. You can also replace your cable if something bad were to happen to it like your cat chewing away on it while you're not home. The cable is so long making it impossible for portable use but great for home use. Not that the HD 598 headphones are meant for portable use in the first place because they are not. The cable does seem very durable and thick compared to other headphones and has a 6.3mm audio plug with a 3.5mm plug adapter included. When you combine the two plugs together in order to use the 3.5mm plug, it becomes a long mess which is not favorable towards portable devices what so ever.
Being an opened-air headphones the HD 598 leak a lot of sound, however this is normal and is something that will occour in every headphones with an opened-air design. If you don't want to disturb others with your music then you should look into closed-back headphones or even in-ears. Because the opened-air design, the HD 598 have a superb clear sound. Highs have such a clean and clear sound and vocals sound live-like. It's pure joy listening to music with these. The HD 598 have a very clean and clear sound overall. If you like your music with the treble turned higher than usual, you will love the sound of the HD 598. The mids are bright and very detailed, The bass is somewhat lacking if you love your bass but I don't think is disappoints and it's sufficant for listening to every music genre without compromising a clean and clear sound. The bass it tight and in place. The HD 598 headphones do need help from an amp if you're planning on using a portable audio source. I'm reviewing the HD 598 using a MacBook Pro as the audio source and I still think they need more power to get the best out of them.
Overall I think the sound quality is great and the HD 598 will appeal to people who appreciate good sound. I don't think the price fits the build quality though and the lack of color selection is disappointing. Price $349.95.
