Introduction

The other headphones that I've used include the SHP9600, HD598 SE, and Urbanite XL. I listen to jazz, pop, and EDM primarily.

Build quality

Very similar to my HD598 SE which costs 5x as much. It's probably the best in it's price range.

Comfort

The ear pads and head band has a pretty nice texture. The head band is well padded but I wish the ear pads are not nearly as plushly padded but it's still okay. Overall, decently comfortable.

Passive noise cancellation

I could not hear much of the sound when I was at a busy junction and a very noisy restaurant blasting radio through the speakers. I'd say say that these headphones are okay for outside use. In quieter outside environments, I could still hear a sizable portion of the sound.

Sound

Bass

It can feel bloated or well controlled and lacking or deep depending on the song.

Mids

Instruments are airy and has a nice tonality. Vocals are clearly artificial but they're rendered fairly decently.

Treble

Pretty fatiguing. However, it's fairly detailed.

Soundstage and imaging

Pretty good considering the price range. It's so good, that my open back SHP 9600 doesn't feel that much better in this
regard.

Overall

This headphone has some pretty remarkable audio qualities from an audiophile standpoint but it's price point is kinda showing because when all the features of its sound quality is taken together, its sound can feel pretty awkward. Overall, a decent budget headphone but I'd prefer paying more. A headphone like the Momentum would deliver the same level of clarity while giving it a good bass boost, a much more dyanmic(less awkward) sound, and with significantly better build quality and comfort to boot.

These headphones have a pretty strong and deep bass. The treble is crystalline and aggressive. The vocals and instruments are fairly clean but clearly artificial. It does okay in most genres but it excels in pop and EDM. As for detail retrieval, soundstage, and imaging, the headphone is just fine. The build quality, comfort, and noise cancellation is good.

Would I recommend this? Well, I think it's discontinued but my thoughts on these headphones stand. Yes, I would recommend these if you're someone looking for a bass heavy yet balanced music.

Introduction

My previous headphones include the Sennheiser Urbanite XL and the Sennheiser HD598 SE. I mainly listen to pop, EDM, and jazz.

Comfort

It's a little heavy but the padding is fairly generous and soft on the ear pads and headband. Overall, it's fairly comfortable.

Build quality and design

The design reminds me of the HD800's design. It has a clean and slick look. It feels okay when handled too.

Sound quality

I live in a warmer climate and I find that the sound of my fan and the outside world from my open windows decrease the sound quality of these headphones quite a bit since these are open back headphones and much of the sound in my surroundings can seep into the sound. With that said, here's a review of the sound of this headphone under such circumstances.

Bass

If I had to rate the bass quantity of these headphones with 1 being practically bass-less and 5 being sub-woofer level bass, I would rate it a 2.3. However, it's fairly controlled with a nice texture.

Mids

Vocals and instruments clearly sound like they're coming from headphones instead of real life. However, it does replicate some detailing and tonality quite nicely.

Highs

The treble here is not fatiguing by much. Song elements have a fairly nice texture in general.

Detail retrieval

I notice parts of the song that I haven't noticed before though granted, I came from my phone's integrated speakers since my 2 previous headphones broke. Aside from new details, existing elements of the song that I already know also takes up a new nature with more rhythm and detail.

Soundstage and imaging

It's fair, that's all.

Verdict

I think the HD598 is a better headphone than this in many regards. For one, it's more comfortable with a lighter weight, a clamping force which hugs more, and it also stays on my head as opposed to the SHP9600 where the headphone can slide off a bit or feel like it's about to. Then, there's the sound quality. The HD598 SE had deeper and stronger bass which lends itself well in EDM and even in Jazz. The HD598 SE may not have the same detail retrieval but it's more aggressive and sparkly. Instruments feel more airy and luscious. Granted the HD598 SE was broken in thoroughly (when I first got them, the bass felt bloated and too lacking), I listened to them in a quieter environment, and it's not even been 2 weeks since I got these headphones but yeah, these are my impressions. Would I recommend these? I'm not sure. A lot of the sound improvements this headphone has over the HD201(my makeshift headphone while transitioning to another better headphone) were pretty subtle. I guess it's up to the reader to find out what they find important.