Sennheiser HD 598’s bass may not be as strong as other models’ basses, but it does have a powerful and well-balanced bass. You can play your favorite hip-hop tunes and not be disappointed with its sound quality. Even when listening to discs on which bass was not skewed (Paul Simon “Stranger To Stranger”, Radiohead “A Moon Shaped Pool”), one does not feel their exaggeration. But that’s not all – good control of this range is complemented by clear, transparent, and saturated sound colors. When needed, the low components can surprise you with real momentum and freedom, but even then each hit seems precisely programmed. The specific “violent storm” known from the HD 589 has given way to “accuracy of mathematical machine operations”, which turned out to be good for the whole presentation. Well, i didn't heard the 599, but i heard from other "audiophiles" thats a bit better than 598 ( its like between 598 and HD600 ). I would go with 6XX or 4XX, 4XX is more flat than 6XX and better for gaming as i know. 6XX should be better for music.

P.S. I've noticed that the 598 sounds bit darker on my onboard compared to AMP, so that also could be the case for not having an amp. Marketing people always find interesting statements, don’t they? I do see what they mean though and for a whole lot of people who never experienced decent sound this most likely will be the case. The keywords that come in to mind when listening to the HD599 are smooth, engaging and musical and all that in a very possible way. The HD599 simply sounds smooth and is easy to listen to and it to a lot of ears will sound natural with a lovely warmness. Sennheiser achieved to make the HD599 smooth and detailed at the same time and because of that it will please both the new listener as well as the more experienced one. The H599 is a headphone you can perfectly use for watching movies and for listening to music to, it’s a great all-rounder. In fact we have a pair of HD 599 demo unit in our office which, in my opinion, sounds slightly better than the HD 598. I can say that the sound signature of the HD 599 is the same, if not better, than the HD 598. Do keep in mind that due to burn-in and HD 598 will initially sound different than brand new HD 599. But if both are brand new, then they will sound very similar."It's a necessary evil, where it overpowers the song but also contributes to the airiness and openness of the song itself. Not saying the 598 won't pull ahead or be more enjoyable in some respects. i just find that even though the hd600 is a bit darker, I find it more linear, natural and refined over the 598. I've also did some research on the Massdrop AKG K7XX and seems like its level below 6XX / 4XX. The AD700X i know has huge soundstage, but probs arent that good in sound quality ( since they're around 60-100eur and i've seen used for like 40-50eur ). If an even-to-flat sound is your cup of tea, though, you’re better off opting for the slightly more-expensive HD 600 – for a clinical sound, the 600 reigns supreme.

At only 50 ohms and 106 db/ 1 V RMS, the HD 599 se doesn't seem hard to power at first glance. Unfortunately, they requiere you to have a good-great headphone output, connecting it to a cheap laptop or phone 3.5 port is a mediocre experience. Any dongle Dac would be just fine, DON'T BUY A HEADPHONE AMP. What seems to change for the most part is detail and bass control. According to Sennheiser the HD 599 is your first step into the world of audiophile sound and I couldn’t agree more. It’s smooth, easy to like and listen to but you also get good detail and depth resulting in a musical and natural sound. When you look at the HD599’s press material you immediately notice this headphone is branded as a top of the line “do-it-all” headphone for watching movies and for listening to music and basically anything that can be done with a headphone. The HD6XX and all the higher end models are marketed as pure audiophile headphones for music listening.It has a range of frequency from 12 - 38500 Hz, an impedance level of 50 Ohms, and sound pressure levels of 106 dB. The total harmonic distortion is < 0.1%. All of these specifications simply mean that the HD 599 plays music that is much snugger, more focused, and has a more profound bass than its early predecessors. The Sennheiser HD 599 is likewise powered by Sennheiser’s patented transducer technology, Ergonomic Acoustic Refinement (E.A.R.) design, which explicitly channels all audio signals to the listener’s ears. With Sennheiser HD 599, you’ll experience vibrant and realistic sound devoid of any muffle or distortion.

The Sennheiser HD 599 headphones give a mature sound with a colorful midrange and a delicate and beautifully extended treble. Read everything you need to know about these headphones in our Sennheiser HD 599 review. The HD599 – according to Sennheiser – lets the listener enjoy their choice of home entertainment with exceptional wearing comfort assured, thanks to the large ear cups and soft, replaceable ear pads. Created with Sennheiser’s “Ergonomic acoustic refinement” (E.A.R.) technology, the headphones have been designed to more effectively channel the audio signal directly into the ears of the listener for a more satisfying listening experience. Offering a step into the world of audiophile sound, the HD599 is a premium headphone for those seeking sophisticated sound, design and build quality. The top-of-the-range model impresses with a natural spatial performance. I don't know what Sennheiser was trying to achieve here. Low midrange is accentuated making male vocals and guitars louder, while high midrange is recessed. This is pretty evident with good records where the voice is not mastered very loud. Detail is just average. I've been using them on and off with the 598CS and man the 599 is far superior in every single aspect. Even the bass is much better defined on the 599, it goes deeper and is also faster and more precise with no "boom" whatsoever, that's pretty odd for open headphones compared to closed ones! They're also clearer despite this, I mean it, the sound is crystal clear and the soundstage is immense compared to closed cans.When I listened to RapCaviar though, it becomes the Achille's heel of these headphones. It detracts from the vocals rappin out and overpowers the song along with the Lower-bass. Lower bass is good itself, but if combined with this part of the frequency it just detracts from the song entirely. Sennheiser’s Marketing Dpt says the following: “The new HD 500 range has been refreshed with Sennheiser’s elegant contemporary design language, which discretely communicates refinement, purpose and exceptional build quality. The HD 599 features subtle premium design cues that reveal their superior performance at a glance. The HD 599 combines a timeless ivory color scheme with a headband finished with brown stitching which, with the matte metallic detailing on the ear cups and headband, create an immediate impression of substance and quality”.

Also what do you dislike about them? For me the 598 was quite decent and had that nice sound profile where everything is almost perfect and well balanced. Don't give up on your HD600 for gaming just yet. A headphone doesn't need to be 'designed for gaming'. If you read such a thing that is pretty much marketing. I assumed that the 599s were supposed to be more of an "entertaining" headphone, so I thought the comparison to the SR-80 might be closer, but the SR-80 blew them away. But since this headset is nearly dead, I want to replace it and the HD599 just didn't do it for me. So i'm kinda wondering if trying the hd600 is worth it as I didn't like the sound signature of the hd599.But i had only 200Eur budget for next upgrade so i got the HE4XX instead of 6XX and i totally don't regret it, they're clearly level above the 598 ( maybe they're even better than 6XX especially for gaming ). The Sennheiser HD 598 has a range of frequency from 12 Hz to 38500 Hz, a sound pressure level of 112 dB, and an impedance of 50 Ohms. You can play the Sennheiser HD 598 in high volume without sacrificing its precise and detailed sound. On "Don't Drift...", they're essential to the openness of the song. It sounds very spacious in there and you're relaxed. However, it can be a bit overpowering there as sometimes it can distract you from the detail, but more often than not, you will feel relaxed and happy with this mid-bass open on this song. On classical same story.