HD 599 Open Back Headphone, Ivory

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.

Edit: In spite of wonderful sound and very comfortable ear cups, I returned these to Amazon. I am an engineer and therefore really picky about design and I hope this saves somebody a bit of research. I just couldn't live with the head band of these. It almost defies understanding that a company as fantastic as Senheisser would release a headband design like this. I will say again, that the sound and ear cup comfort of the 599 is fantastic. But they create a hot spot on top of the head where the head band with modest foam point loads the top of the head. No reason for it. Seinnheiser even understands this dynamic and sell both less expensive like the HD-559 and the more upscale HD 650 headphones with a much more padded and headband with a void at the top of the head which could cause irritation. If you guys and girls want to take the dive, look into the Seinheisser HD-6xx which is a knock off of the venerable HD-650 which is twice the price of the 599. These headphones are magic. Go out on youtube and watch some reviews. Best $200 headphone on the market. Just scored an open box purchase in new condition and these are even better in both sound and comfort to the 599. I had NO complaints about the sound quality of the 599 but I need complete comfort. Hope this helps and happy listening. I don't write a lot of reviews but I come from the world of tech and appreciate all genres of music. I recommend everybody interested in the HD 599 to go to youtube and watch some reviews which will be in more depth than mine. I am returning to earphone listening after many years. I built a new AMD CPU based computer which btw I love without a dedicated GPU but with Asrock on board sound which drives these headphones beautifully. Because of their low impedance, not essential to drive them through a dedicated amp. Comfort: Comfort for me for overall listening is ESSENTIAL. It is largely why I bought these. I have largish ears and where a large hat...not a small guy but not a huge guy either. I struggle with the comfort of many headphones. Not these. They are the best. Sennheiser gets it. Other companies not so much. Ear pocket are very large to completely cover my largish ears and my ears though not tea cups stick out a bit...not excessive but require deep and large ear cup openings. These deliver. What isn't understood about earphone design many times is...its a balance of clamping force to the head that determines headband pressure. Higher the clamping force, the less the head band pressure because lateral force negates vertical fall of the headphones. Many headphones with drivers and fidelity this size are heavy. These weigh 250 grams and are light. Therefore they don't require big clamping...rated only at .71 lbs mean clamping...no doubt head width specific.. In summary, because of low weight they don't dig in up top of the head even with low clamping pressure. Genius design and I am a design guy so I appreciate it. Sound: Wonderful. I am not formally a senior...a very active senior and listen to classic rock to some even hip hop...very little, to opera and classical music. I like it all from Mo town to some jazz to mostly classic rock which I grew up...the best music of all time. :-) These headphones deliver. Listen to the reviews. They aren't flat...slightly embellished. An audiophile headphone with a bit of lowest and highs added. What the absolutely non purist wants in a headphone. Very very slight embellishment...almost not. I don't like too much bass but love to hear it. My aging ears don't hear the highs like they once did. I can hear the highs with these. If I EQ them, I can tune them precisely how I like them. They sound magnificient. Btw, they are open headphones and not meant to keep all the sound within. That is design intent and what better listening headphones are. On an airplane, pick a pair of Senn closed headphones. Looks: Looks matter. I am a design guy. Shape, texture and appearance affects perception of the product. 5 out of 5. Perfect. I couldn't design them better. Arguably a 'hint' of retro. Not as retro at the 598. If only the 598 existed, I would get those but these are aesthetically more modern and better IMO. The color is a bit unique. You maybe tired of everything black like me. These are a bit different and absolutely beautiful. I have owned other high end headphones from other companies. These are my favorite. I only have had them for a couple of days. Even in the time I have owned them they have burned in and will burn in much more in the next 200 hrs of listening. My advice. If you like, try everything but own these. Happy listening everybody. Surf youtube for your favorite music. Some brilliant young artists out there.

Amazing product, I don't usually write reviews but this one is worthy Why 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 hours Cons: - 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 plastic Gaming: 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 options For 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’ve been eyeing seinheisers for about 10 years after continually hearing they are the standard for the audiophile community. I wanted to see if there is truly a noticeable difference in sound or if we were just dealing with sound snobs. However, I never pulled the trigger because of the price point. When i saw them at 45% off i decided to take the plunge on some entry level HD 599SE. So that being said, here is my opinion. Comfort - A+ Sound - They sound good, but not as good as the hype surrounding them (maybe because these are the low end side of things). The bass seems artificially dampened. Highs and mids seem on point. And overall is a good listening experience. It all depends on what you are listening to and how it was produced. So there are some releases that sound mind blowing and some sound just like your car radio. Durability: they seem to be decent quality, not flimsy Great purchase for $100. I don’t think i would be happy with them at full price. For the average music listener, I doubt these will blow your mind. If your primary style of music is hip hop, i would go with with a different headphone that emphasizes the lows/bass.

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!

great sound on these, though the volume will not feel as substantial as with closed back headphones. it goes a long way for my anxiety because i am able to hear what is around me and not be caught unawares. these are lightweight and very comfortable, fitting around the ear in a way that doesn't bother my piercings (of which i have several going all the way up both ears and an industrial). it's been an hour and so far no fatigue, no sweat in or around my ears, and no soreness from my piercings. i also wear glasses and no issues there either. the original cord is extremely long, and it's a bit tricky to swap to the smaller one. you have to twist then pull, it should come out easily so if it doesn't then twist the other direction and try again. if you like your music loud, then everything will be heard outside your headphones. at mid volume it's less noticable, but if you blast it, these headphones more or less will sound like an old 90s stereo to everyone around you. great for at home, but not public transport, planes, or gym. sound off, i can hear everything just the same as if i weren't wearing headphones. in use, outside sound is muffled and nearly disappears at higher volume, depending on what it is. for example my voice sounds muffled but clearly understanable when i speak while listening to Bach's Cello Suites at volume 60 on my mp3 player. but at the same volume listening to Papercut by Linkin Park, i can just barely hear my voice when speaking at normal volume. MUSIC and MOVIES: music sounds great with these, i've tried classical, EDM, acapella, rock, pop, cinematic, metal. not true basshead level but can be made so with eq or DAC. movie audio is awesome, as long as you slightly modify your bass level on equalizer and turn off all "enhancement" settings/plugins on your device. sounds nearly like being right there in a movie theater, it's awesome! Dune, for example, sounds absolutely insane. as do the Marvel movies and the original Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Nope, and The Thin Man (1934). GAMING: surround sound in games works with these! using Genshin as a lowest-denominator example, in-game i set audio and SFX to maximum and muted vocals and music, surround sound and full dyanmic range with my PC (Win11) volume set to 50. being right in front of a waterfall keeps the sound in both ears no matter the camera direction. but moving away, and slowly moving the camera as the waterfall sound very clearly in different directions. muted when camera is fully away(waterfall behind me), fully in one ear when left or right and quieter in opposite ear, facing the camera full toward the waterfall brings the sound forward in both ears again. the further away, the lesser the sound but the degree of difference remains the same. slowly panning the camera in a circle gradually alters the direction of the audio in sync with where the waterfall is. directly plugged into PC has full, crisp clear audio. when connected to a PS4 DualShock controller (via USB, not wireless), the surround sound effect is less substantial. it's comparable to limited/stereo where all sound is either left/right ear, behind, or in front with not much in between.

I primarily use these for gaming or watching videos, listening to music on YouTube. I'm not an audiophile but I really enjoy my "me time" on my PC so I want it to be a high quality experience. These deliver on every level. I don't really play many games that need a mic so I just bought an in-line mic add-on from a 3rd party made specifically for these headphones and attached it. It's a cheap boom mic but it picks up fine. The MOST important thing for me is comfort. I have fallen asleep with these on multiple times. It never leaves my ears or scalp sore. I used to have a pair of Astro A40s because of how comfortable they were, but these are superior in just about every way. These are absolutely worth the price if you can afford them. I've had mine for about 5 months. They're the best headphones I've ever used. I bought a nice little SoundBlaster DAC/soundcard to go with them to make sure I got the full range of the headphones and it made a big difference. These are phenomenal. I couldn't be more pleased with them. I plan on using these for as long as they will last, which judging by the high quality materials, I think they'll last many years just like my Astro A40s did. COMFORT: These fit OVER my ears. So many headphones are called "over-ear" yet lay on top of my ears. I have detached ear lobes so most headphones lay on my ear lobes slightly and after a few hours will make my ears sore. The clamp strength is also a huge factor. I have a big fat head (because I'm so smart) and most headphones start to feel too snug after awhile. These never do. I've fallen asleep for 6+ hours before at my PC and woke up, forgot I was wearing these, and never felt any discomfort. It's like they were made by a benevolent God just for my cranium. The top of the headphones never press down on the top of my scalp in an uncomfortable way either. The head cushion on my Astro A40s would get uncomfortable after extended sessions but I swear these NEVER do me wrong. These are a gift from heaven and I love them dearly. If you care about audio quality and comfort above all else, you will be pleased with these.

I got these headphones as a upgrade to my Bose Soundtrues I got 3 plus years ago. I heard about Sennheiser open headphones being one of the audiophile standards when wanting great audio, and I read lots of reviews on different ones on RTings.com. So when I decided to venture into the so-called realm of audiophiles, I wanted to do so without breaking the bank. So I looked and looked until I came across these Sennheiser HD599s. These are an upgrade to the HD598, a very popular premium, entry level open back headphone. However, one of the complains about the 598s is that it lacks in bass, this upgrade is supposed to correct that. The design is very premium looking, and I like the color pattern. Many people claim they don't it and prefer the standard black look most headphones have, but I like the cream and silver look. It reminds me of luxury cars like an Audi or a Bentley. The pads are very comfortable and look like the kind of material used in car seats further giving that luxery look. The pads never get irritating after hours of use, nor does the ears get sweaty from the inside, which most plastic foam materials cause. the build is also very sturdy. You'd have to drop these from a decent height more than once to seriously damage them. So how do they sound? In one word, great. These headphones have a well balanced sound with just enough deep bass to standout without being overwhelming. The mid-range is nearly perfect, meaning vocals are not to high and intrusive and not too low where you can't hardly hear them over the music. The treble is excellent. Symbols and other high sounding instruments come through clear without sounding distorted and ear piercing. The sound stage, which open back headphones are best at, is very immersive adding body and fullness to the music. It's for this reason that these headphones are also great for watching movies and playing video games. So are there any cons? Yes, but only a few. One, the headphones do not come with a carrying case, like most headphones do once you start paying well over 100 dollars for them. Second, the headphones come with two cords, a small standard 3.5mm cord for cell phones and the like, and a long 10ft stereo cord. The stereo cord, however, is kind of flimsy and has a receiver style jack at the end. Luckily, there's an adapter included that can change it into another 3.5mm output. Final note: I didn't use any fancy headphone or stereo amps, because these headphones has an impedance of 50, so it doesn't take much to drive. My review is based on using this like any other average headphone in different applications like my PC and Television. Bottomline: These are great open headphones for the price, especially if you are just starting to get into this whole audiophile thing. I know I won't be going back after these babies. My next pair which likely won't be for a while, will be something ever more premium like a Sennheiser 600 series, or a HiFiman, Focal, etc. I checked in and I can't check out.