Sennheiser HD 598 Special Edition Over-Ear Headphones - Black (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

Ok so this review will be different than most. There will be slight rant because although for the most part this product has mostly 5 star reviews, I feel like some of the reasons that it didnt get a good review is unfair to the product. But before that... The Sennhheiser HD 598s are a beautifully crafted headphone. Although plastic, they have a very premium look and feel to them. The velour ear pads are a LITTLE stiff to the touch, but once you put them on, you are greeted with a very soft hug that indeed is quite comfortable and can be worn for hours. There is a slight warmth to your ear when wearing them, but nothing I find to be uncomfortable. Outside of the ear cushions I feel nothing else and it is ALMOST as though nothing is on my head. I spent quite a bit of time researching these headphones before purchasing and I do honestly feel that some of these reviews put the headphones on a pedestal that, SOMEWHAT, ruined my first impressions of the headphones. The sound stage was not as wide to me as most reviews had suggested but was far from disappointing. Upon first using the headphones out of the package, I was a tad disappointed. All the reviews had hyped these headphones to be so much more than what they deliver out of the box. BUT (and this is a huge but), as my ears adjusted to these headphones and they in turn adjusted to my various listening preferences and burned in, I began to see what the rave was all about. I could distinguish every sound and instrument used in a song very easily. The 598s give a level of clarity that can be appreciated and savored. With that said, I think there a few things to be noted regarding the sound in the headphones: 1) Source is a very big part of your experience. My computer, iPod (latest generation) and iPhone 6 each produce a different sound even though they are all set with a flat EQ. I didnt see anyone mention this and this could explain where some poor reviews could be coming from. Of course uncompressed music will sound the best, but where that uncompressed signal is coming from will dramatically change your experience. 2) Obviously using a digital to analog converter (DAC) and amplifier (amp) will give you the most quality of sound, but these headphones do not NEED and DAC/amp. I saw reviews that said a DAC/amp is absolutely necessary and others that said you dont need them to get the best out of these headphones. Both are absolutely NOT TRUE. While using them on a mobile device or computer is very doable, a DAC/amp will help you get the most out of your investment. Overall I think these are a fantastic piece of audio equipment and have been undersold and in a few cases oversold in terms of quality and comfort. Some advice is to not let most reviews tell you a grand story about how wonderful they are because right off the bat (AT LEAST TO ME) they dont seem to be particularly flattering. But do give them some time to burn in because they do impress more and more as the drivers settle in. Of course, on the other side of the token, I think that both the sometimes acquired replicas or not choosing the proper source in terms of both quality and what that quality is coming out of, have somewhat diminished Sennheisers reputation a bit and that just isnt fair. Now onto the small rant. It seems as though a lot of people have removed stars or listed a con because they leak sound and arent portable. This isnt a con because they are, by design, supposed to leak sound and are meant to stay at home. The Sennheiser HD 598 is meant to give you a nice and spacious sound. So because of that, we can assume that making the 598s open backed wasnt an accident. And since we are on the track of assuming that these are open back by design coupled with the fact that they were originally supplied only with a 10ft cable with a 1/4 inch plug as the primary means of receiving sound, we can further assume that they are meant to stay at home, use an amp and not be portable. I think people should do their research properly and thoroughly before complaining about what they purchase. I mean you wouldnt blindfold yourself, go into a grocery store, load your cart, give them money, take off your blindfold and complain about what you received, would you?

These are very good for the price. A pleasant surprise.

I love the sound of these better than the HD650s I owned. Super comfortable.

I wanted headphones that I could wear for hours with comfort, that would deliver high-quality audio that would put me in a good mood while working at home. I have been using these for 4 years, and I frequently sit with these headphones on for 4-6 hours and work with no pain. The soundstage makes it seem like Kurt Cobain is playing unplugged in my office. I do recommend buying at least a small amplifier if you want to listen to your music loud. I ended up getting a small FIIO unit that has been going strong for 4 years. It gives the bass an extra punch and lets me jam to big rock ballads when I want to. I still recommend these to friends and if you are reading this, buy them! Also, note though, these are the opposite of noise canceling. You can hear what is going on around you, and your music will be audible to others around you.

These are superb quality and superb value. I needed a pair of monitors for when I am recording voice overlays onto pre-recorded video. These work exceptionally well. Sound is crisp and clear.

En general todo el proceso de compra fue muy satisfactorio. El producto llegó perfectamente embalado y sellado. Los audífonos son de un acabado y presencia muy buena. El sonido es espectacular, te envuelve en lo que estás escuchando. Solo recuerden que no son auriculares para usar en lugares donde se pueda molestar a otras personas, lo que tu escuchas, lo escucha el de al lado. Muy satisfecho, excelente relación calidad / precio

Five weeks ago, I was sent a pair of Bose SoundLink Around-Ear Wireless Headphones for review. In the course of that review, I remarked that 20-odd years before, I had paid £120 - a vast sum at that time - for a pair of Sennheisers, which I had loved; but that after many years, they fell to pieces, (because I wasnt as kind to them as they were to me), and the newer ones didnt cut it for me in the same way. But I did pay about the same money for the second pair of Sennheissers - which means that in effect they were a significantly cheaper model. I managed to step on those, too... And now there suddenly arrives this new pair of Sennheisers to review... what a surprise. Odious comparisons at the ready... My use for headphones is nowadays limited almost entirely to the electronic keyboard instruments I own. For several years, since I stepped on the last pair of Sennheisers, Ive been using the significantly cheaper Audio-Technica ATH-M40X studiophones, and have been moderately, although not totally content with them. My principal test for these significantly more expensive pairs is simple; I plug them into the Lowrey organ with its 12 speakers, and if they sound exactly the same to me as the speakers do, they have passed. The Sennheisers passed this test easily (as did the Bose). In fact, I cannot detect the slightest difference between the naked organ in full spate, and when heard over either of these two pairs of headphones, with its speakers silenced; the same goes for the Tyros 5 keyboard - but both do make my clapped-out, 15-year-old Roland G1000 sound brilliant ! And as far as sound quality is concerned they both therefore match my definition of perfection. They might not match yours, however. Headphone purchase is a confusing and complex business; you have to know whether you want the kind that excludes all ambient noise - traffic, kids and whatnot - and/or the kind that dont annoy your partner by allowing those irritating tinny noises to escape when he/she is trying to sleep... Worse still, they need to be matched to ones own particular (and very variable) audio sensory capabilities and musical taste - which makes it very difficult to sensibly review headphones for the benefit of others. For example, my hearing, although still pretty good, is nevertheless ravaged by time, and I have anyway known for over 40 years that it is deficient in the high frequencies; so an equaliser setting acceptable for me may sound atrociously scratchy and hissy to others, even with the best headphones. Im in no doubt that there are others who are equally deficient in their low frequency sensitivity. I may also be for all I know ! On top of all that, headphones will surely sound different with different sound reproducers. Aside from sound quality, however, these two products are very different in their practicalities; the Sennheisers are open-backed, which means that you can hear everything else thats going on around you when youre wearing them - which, of course, is no different to when youre listening to your speakers. The Bose are closed, on the other hand, and muffle external sounds to a significant degree (but not entirely). The latter also have leatherette earpads, whilst the Sennheisers are a velvet-like material, which, whilst very cosy, I fear will accumulate dermal oils in time. The Sennheisers are also significantly bigger in every dimension (and therefore 60g heavier, but still very light), and thus sit very easily round large ears; the Bose do - just - cover my ears, but have to be manoeuvered into position in order to do so and are slightly less comfortable in this respect, whilst still not being in the least bit UNcomfortable. The biggest difference, though, is that the Bose are wireless-equipped, and at the end of the day, that may be the key factor for most, albeit at the cost of an extra £50 at the time of writing; they also come with a very smart zipped pouch, and to my eyes are also prettier than the slightly more chunky and macho Sennheisers - choose your style. And, oh yes ! How could I forget ? Bose wind the wire tags around the cables much more tidily... Inexplicably, these Sennheisers can apparently be bought in a beige finish, with just one less cable, for a staggering £60 less. At that price, they surely have to be the bargain of the year.

REVIEW FOR SPECIAL EDITION, not the standard HD598 - - Comfortable and very high sound quality. There is deep (yet tight) bass - no extra reverb, sharp highs, and a reasonable midrange. These reproduce without any distortion that I could identify, even at high volume and even at the boundaries of harmonic range. The headphones themselves are large and comfortable. They come with two cords - one short and one very long (maybe 10m). They are very adjustable (fit my large adult head, and tried them on my 7yo daughter too). These are NOT noise cancelling or even sound isolating head phones - you will still be able to hear the world around you. They have a standard 1/4 plug, but also a 3.5mm adapter so you can use it with your iphone, etc. They do not come with a case and are fairly large (bulky) for travel use. What makes these special edition different than the standard fare? No real clue. Seems like just an extra cable. The specs are the same. It is black, not tan.

Great sound...shipped quick..great product

casque léger, confortable. Qui se fait oublier lors de longues heures découtes Son spatial et précis et équilibré. Merci aux ventes flash de mavoir fait découvrir ce produit :)