[SOLVED] Sennheiser HD 599 Questions

Feb 24, 2021
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I've been using Corsair HS70's for the past 2 years and they're finally dead. The battery is non-existent and the pads started flaking as soon as the warrant ran out like they're on a timer or something . I wanted to upgrade to something that sounds better and is better quality. I did some research and decided that the hd 599's where the best option in my price range but I have a few questions.

1) I've never had openback headphones so i'm not sure how much they really leak or isolate noise like could I hear my pc fans running if music is playing?

2) How comfortable are these for wearing them a long time?

3) How much should I pay for them i've heard people getting them for $100 new but everywhere I look they're $199 new or $150 used.

I'm open to any other suggestions instead of these if you think they're better
 
Solution
1) Noise Isolation? That varies by headphones but yes you're going to hear Ambient noise with any open back when the volume levels are low.

2) 599's are very comfortable once you break them in, they are a bit tight on your earlobes at first, which is typical of all Sennheiser headphones.

3) $100 :unsure: sounds like a counterfeit at that price. Those run around $189-$199 new and used around $120+ depending on the pads and cables.

Philips Audio Fidelio X2HR $150

X2HR is slightly better than the 599's

+Bass is slightly better and gets a little lower
+Mid are nearly perfect, nothing in this price range can beat them.
+/-Treble "Mid Treble" is the only weakness which can be Eqed to add a little more life
+Sounds Stage is...

delaro

Judicious
Ambassador
1) Noise Isolation? That varies by headphones but yes you're going to hear Ambient noise with any open back when the volume levels are low.

2) 599's are very comfortable once you break them in, they are a bit tight on your earlobes at first, which is typical of all Sennheiser headphones.

3) $100 :unsure: sounds like a counterfeit at that price. Those run around $189-$199 new and used around $120+ depending on the pads and cables.

Philips Audio Fidelio X2HR $150

X2HR is slightly better than the 599's

+Bass is slightly better and gets a little lower
+Mid are nearly perfect, nothing in this price range can beat them.
+/-Treble "Mid Treble" is the only weakness which can be Eqed to add a little more life
+Sounds Stage is slightly better over the 599's
- 599's are more comfortable but that's not saying these are bad at all.

Either way, both are very good for that under $200 price point.
 
Solution

deesider

Honorable
Jun 15, 2017
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10,890
I have the HD 598 - which is a little older but very similar. They are very comfortable to wear for long periods, with very soft ear cups. They are also fairly wide so they go around my ears and don't rest on my earlobes at all, and I have medium sized ears.

The noise isolation is very minimal, but when music is playing you won't hear ambient noises. I find that a 'normal' amount of fan noise is not at all noticeable when wearing the headphones.
 
D

Deleted member 217926

Guest
I owned HD598s for almost 10 years. The 599 uses the same driver that's just been retuned a bit and had the build tweaked for even better comfort.

Yes they leak sound but not as bad as you might imagine.

Comfort is 10/10. You can wear them for hours and barely notice.

Don't pay $200 for the 599. The new $200 Sennheiser HD560S is the best headphone under $300. It's an upgrade to the 599 in every way unless you like the slight coloration of the 599 over the more neutral 560S. My money would go to the 560S. The 560S uses the same frame/enclosure so it should also be very comfortable.

At $150 it's closer but as delario said above the Fidelio X2 HR is only $150. The X2 is heavier and clamps harder but it's still a very comfortable headphone.

Yes indeed the HD599 has been as low as $99. Prime day 2 years ago I believe it was. The pandemic has kept the prices high though. Not sure why on the 599 specifically as I was able to get the ( normally priced at $499 ) HD660S for $329 last month. There's also an Amazon specific HD599SE that's the same headphone just with a different finish.

In a perfectly priced world the 599 would be $129, the Drop exclusive HD58X would be $159 and the HD560S would be $200.
 

delaro

Judicious
Ambassador
Better? No more like a trade-off but still worth the $$$

HD560S @$199
+Better Bass
+Better Midrange "Not as good as the X2HR but close"
+Sound scales better with higher-end equipement
-Treble can be peakish around 4-6K
-Slightly Smaller Soundstage

HD599 @$199
+Treble is more refined and less peakish
+Comfort
+Easier to drive 50Ω vs 120Ω
 
D

Deleted member 217926

Guest
The X2 has good mids but they aren't Sennheiser mid forward magic. They were always better than I thought they'd be but I kept the X2 less time than any headphone I've owned at around 10 months. My main complaint with them was congestion when things got complex and lack of air in the treble.

All the reviews I've seen say the 560S doesn't scale at all. That's actually a complaint. What did you amp them with to get better sound?

View: https://youtu.be/Jy4gvpz_SIc


The 598/599 has grainy treble where I don't think the 560S does. A little peaky maybe but not grainy. Resolution is supposed to be quite good for the price. But I haven't heard it.
 

delaro

Judicious
Ambassador
What did you amp them with to get better sound?

The 598/599 has grainy treble where I don't think the 560S does. A little peaky maybe but not grainy. Resolution is supposed to be quite good for the price. But I haven't heard it.

Played around with a few different combinations across a wide price range while in quarantine.

Sources
iBasso DX220

PC

Matrix Audio X-Sabre Pro
Cayin IHA-6
Roland Super UA
MODI, MAGNI "Original versions"
MODI Multibit, MAGNI Hersey
Roland UA-M10
Topping E30
Topping L30
Mayflower Objective2 with ODAC Rev B
GSX 1000
Creative G6
Fulla 3
FiiO E10K


Did they scale? Yes, was it anything like an HD6XX? No. Did it scale better than a 598/599? Also yes. When I say "Peaky" it's emphasizing the sounds of ‘SH’, ‘S’, ‘F’, and ‘T’ which slightly annoys me and becomes more apparent with low-quality recordings.