[GoodBoy]

Listened to Momentum's 2 - great vocals, narrow soundstage, bass similar in quantity, but less quality in comparison to 598Cs. To my ears lower midragne is different and possibly better in M2. Overal M2 is like a stylish overpriced premium headphone, while 598Cs posses more balanced audiophile sound at half the price. Also tried MSR7 (harsh highs, too bright), MDR-1A (average vocals, otherwise very good unique relaxed sound, great for EDM, movies and most music), H6 (too neutral for me and uncomfortable). All of them are flawed in their own ways, 598Cs no exception, but nothing, absolutely nothing within 100-250E range beats 598Cs in micro detail retrival and general impression of "audiophileness". I imagine the only thing that can beat it is Fostex TH-X00, though crazy expensive...

Can't wait to try 598Cs in sheep skin leather pads.

 

[TJ Max]

Another thing I wanted to added to my initial impressions above is about the noise isolation. When playing back pink noise at 77 db, while the headphones are placed on a headphone stand that covers the ear cups and using a Tenma 72-860 sound meter placed 1 meter away. The HD 598cs have approx. 2.5 db less isolation than the HD 569.
Both are leaking a lot of sound, but not as much with the HD 569. Also the HD 598 cs are proving to be more comfortable than the HD 569. The clamping force is just a bit less, making them feel less weighty on the head.

 

[rocksteady65]

Intro

Hello Head-Fi members, today I will present you my personnal review of the pretty new Sennheiser HD598. I am still new to the audio world, but I already have listen to a good amount of stuff. My first headset was a Sennheiser HD 201 back in college. For a new guy I was pretty satisfied by the quality of the sound (back in this time I was listening to mp3, berk I know). After that I was tempted by upgrading my headset the Sennheiser HD 380 pro. This made a hella difference in term of comfort, noise isolation (as I was travelling in bus as a student) and of course of sound quality. After that, I replaced my mp3 library with CD and high quality files from different HD audio providers. Again, this made a hella difference. Now I am at a point I want to upgrade again my portable audio setup. My first tought was Sennheiser HD 650, but at 300 ohm I would need a portable amp… So I looked for the Sennheiser HD 598 seems like perfect, great sound, good reviews, low impedance, light, comfortable, etc. But of course the drawbacm of an open headphone. 2 weeks ago I saw on amazon a new model of Sennheiser HD 598, the Sennheiser HD 598 CS (close design). For a breaking price of 136$ instead of 300$, I couldn’t resist. I compared them a bit and noticed a differents specifications. After some research I found the HD 598 cs is pretty much a HD 569 with some cosmetic differences. Anyway why not test them ? So here’s my appreciations. *Sorry for bad english, I am a canadian french guy!

Test setup

· Nad T751
· Nad 513 CD player
· Ipod Classic 7^e generation
· Epos Epic black 5
· REL T Zero
· Sennheiser HD 380 pro

I choose to compare them to my HD 380 pro because they both are close headphones and for me the HD 380 pro is the best bang for the buck on the market. They are very neutral like pretty much all Sennheisers (a sound signature i really love), punchy bass, clear low and good mids with decent highs. I would’nt compare them to HD 598 because it’s like comparaing apples to oranges. I don’t have a high resolution portable player but Ipod classic is probably an ok overall portable player. I will also test them with my home setup with my NAD amplifier to have an idea when they are amplified.
Audio
I listened them with bad and good audio files and pretty much all variety of music except country. After using them for 3 weeks, switching between my two headsets, here’s the audio conclusion.

Hd 380 pro
Very neutral, without any coloration, like pretty much all Sennheiser headphones. I find them pretty good with classical music and electronic music. It’s perfect to mix music or recording purpose as they are clear and precise. To reach their full potential you need good quality source and audio file. They are painful with bad records. You will need a good power source to drive them although they are 54 ohms. They have a good separation between each instruments and your ear will feel pretty close to the audio signal. They have good noise isolation, when I listen to music I barely ear background noise and people around won’t hear my music. The pads can get sweaty if wore long sessions or the ambient temperature is warm. A bit bulky.

TECHNICAL DATA

· Impedance 54 Ω

· Connector 3.5 mm Jack, straight

· Frequency response 8 - 27000 Hz

· Max. sound pressure level 110 dB (1 kHz, 1 Vrms)

· THD, total harmonic distortion < 0,1% (1 kHz, 100dB SPL)

· Ear coupling circum-aural

· Cable length 1 m coiled, extendable up to 3m

· Transducer principle dynamic, closed

· Power supply 500 mW

· Weight w/o cable 220 g

HD 598 CS
They have a coloration (warm), they are less precise than the HD 380 pro. You hear less distinction between instruments (the sound seems all packed) but drum and distortion are very fun to listen. The bass is really punchy, that’s make them enjoyable and lively a bit in your face music. They are really easy to drive with their 23 ohms and 115 dB SPL, I have to crank volume at only 60-70 % on my ipod. So if you have low power source they are definitely a good choice. I found they were better with rock music, pop, rap and some jazz. Pink Floyd too! They are more merciful with bad recorded files and mp3. They will be less painful than Senn 380. The overall sound seems to be coming from far (I guess that is what you call sound stage).
TECHNICAL DATA

· Impedance 23 Ω

· Connector 3.5 mm straight plug & 6.3 mm straight plug

· Frequency response 10 – 28,000 Hz

o Sound pressure level (SPL) 115dB SPL (1kHz/1Vrms)

o THD, total harmonic distortion <0.2% (1kHz, 100dBSPL)

o Ear coupling Circumaural

o Cable length 1.2 m & 3 m

o Transducer principle Dynamic


Note: A strange thing I noticed is from the ipod the Sennheiser HD 598 CS was better and more fun than HD 380 pro but from the good amplifier I had the opposite result.

Comfort
First of all, WOW. Second, re-wow. This is by far the most comfortable headphone I’ve ever owned/tested. They are different from the HD598 open and in my opinion comfier. They have large pad (I have large ear and I don’t suffer of discomfort at all) made of soft protein leather. The almost non-existent pressure on the head will make you forget you are wearing them. The only thing which reminds me I have them on the head is the music going through my ears. Another difference is the headphone cups have a soft texture on the plastic. Comfort 10/10
Portability
Not enough tight on the head, I feel like I can lose them if I shake my head or run (I almost lost them just looking at the sky). Very easy to drive. And more than enough power, you won’t need to put your portable device volume at 100% maybe around 60%-80%. You don’t feel the weight of the headphone. Leak more sound than the HD 380 pro. Seems to be solid. Maybe hard to carry if not wearing since you cannot fold them. Would have been cool to have a transport case like with the HD380 pro. Light cable, and a nice remote control with microphone!





Build & Design

Almost identical to the HD569, and pretty close to the HD598 SE. They have a modern look and very good looking (like all the Sennheiser headphones I have owned).
Something I find weird about this headphone is they created a portable version of the HD 598 open but in my mind it’s a bit contradictory because the HD 598 is a bit of layback design with the comfort he offers (very comfy pads without any noise cancelling or attenuation, no pressure on the head, no possibility to fold and the HD598 CS is more heavy than the original version).
For portable use normally your looking for those specs/features:
· Light weight
· Solid build
· Low impedance
· A good SPL
· Low distortion
· Noise attenuation/noise cancellation
· Tight on the head (if you don’t want to lose them while moving)
· Not a long and heavy cable
· If you have a phone, remote cable is always fun
· Not too big headphone to look like an idiot each time you see yourself in a glass or a window
Improvements
· Maybe, get them a better noise attenuation/cancellation.
· Possibility of folding them.
· Include a transport case.
· A bit more pressure on the head?
· Lightier? Even if you don’t feel the weight, on paper they are heavy.


Pros
· Pretty good sound pressure
· Easy to drive
· Very comfy
· Have a sound coloration
· Phone/ ipod remote with mic
· Good looking
· Affordable
· Short and light cable
· Solid build
· Punchy bass
· Sennheiser
· Merciful with bad recording

Cons
· Sound leaking
· Lack of pressure on the head
· Not the deep bass I was expecting
· Not enough clear sound with good recorded music
· No transport case
· No possibility of folding them


Final thoughts

It’s am amazing headphone for portable use if you pay less than 150$. More than 150$ you have better option. They lacked a bit of the Sennheiser standards in my opinion. But nice to see finally a phone/ipod remote! Would I recommend them? Yes, for portable use, no for home/work use.

Note: I am wondering why did they call it HD 598 CS, I mean they maybe have the same design of the HD 598 without the metal flesh but in term of specs they have the same as the HD 569 and practically the same design without the aluminium ring around the cups. I know it’s an amazon specific channel but when I look at that I am wondering if its only a marketing ploy to sell more headphones. I have not heard the HD 569 but I am pretty sure I won’t notice a difference. The price of the HD 569 is 179,95$ and the HD 598 CS is 199,95, are we paying 20 more $ only for the aluminium ring and the tag name? Maybe. I lack of information about the model to be sure. Maybe Sennheiser can justify the name use and the price difference.

Guillaume Deshaies
22 years old informatics student

Pros: Sennheiser. Hmmm, I admit that I am confused. Would you care to elaborate on that?

 

[h1a8]

How does the akg k55x series compare in the bass, midrange, and soundstage to the 598 cs?
Also how do the 598 cs fare against 58x jubilee?

 

[h1a8]

Bump

How does the akg k55x series compare in the bass, midrange, and soundstage to the 598 cs?
Also how do the 598 cs fare against 58x jubilee?

Bump