[MRK1]

I just bought these in a moment of madness for 180€ on Amazon during Black Friday. I searched around the internet and it seems these are still not very well known, maybe because the price is outrageous and everyone is still using their old 598. Anyway, my first impressions after a few hours of listening are very positive, these impressed me from the first listening session unlike the old 598 and the closed 598.

Compared to the old 598 these have a more lively sound, the bass is very nice on these, while on the old 598 the bass was definitely lacking, also, these don't seem to have any "veil" compared to the old ones where, imo, everything sounded a bit distant and veiled. I think the sound of these is very immersive and very detailed, they're definitely a bit more detailed than the 598CS that I still have, the sound is less compressed and a bit less fatiguing considering how smooth they are, and of course being open they are, well, more open and airy. Even with no burn in whatsoever I can't find any complaint, these just sound smooth and comfortable, with the right amount of bass compared to the older ones and unlike the 598CS the mids are not aggressive and fatiguing. Everything sounds good on these, from classical to trance, even if the bass seems to be lacking in some electronic tracks I like, they make up for it in sheer clarity and immersiveness of the sound. I don't even have any amp or anything, just listening to them straight out of my phone and computer, the volume is basically the same as the 598CS, that is, dangerously high.


I'm liking them very much but I don't think they're worth the massive amount of money compared to the old 598 or the 598CS which costs literally half the price while on sale, but anyway, I think that with these, Sennheiser perfected the already likeable 598 signature sound. Anyone else having them? What do you think? Did they change with burn-in?

 

[MRK1]

I'm going to add a few more details even though nobody seems to care about these cans for some reason.

I've been using them on and off with the 598CS and man the 599 is far superior in every single aspect. Even the bass is much better defined on the 599, it goes deeper and is also faster and more precise with no "boom" whatsoever, that's pretty odd for open headphones compared to closed ones! They're also clearer despite this, I mean it, the sound is crystal clear and the soundstage is immense compared to closed cans.

On their page Sennheiser claims "You may have listened to headphones that are quite good. The HD 599 will show you what lies beyond that. Be warned: there is no turning back." and I guess it's kinda true because even though the 598CS definitely sounds pretty good and they're very clear and spacious for closed back headphones these are on a whole other level, the sound is much smoother and complete.

I also found out you can put the 598CS pads on the 599, this makes the sound closer and bass heavy, on the other hand the 599 pads on the 598CS makes the sound super tinny and just awful. I think the 599 is basically a perfect headphone, for my taste as is, I don't even need to EQ the bass unless I'm listening to literal basshead stuff. I wish I could try the HD600 "to see what lies beyond that" but I can't afford them.

Honestly I wonder why these cans aren't more recommended all over the place, these are ridiculously good even at 180€, far better than the 598CS and the classic 598. Even in gaming these are better than the 598 because the soundstage is more precise and more sperical compared to the regular 598 and their tunnel-like soundstage (at least that's what I remember from before I sold the old 598).

Also, here's a pic of the drivers; it seems like nobody has ever posted a pic of the 599 drivers yet. It looks identical to the 598 to me but it's definitely not the same.

 

[GoodBoy]

Tried 598SR (same as SE) didn't like them sound too flat and unengaging for my taste. Generally prefer closed cans, while opens need to posses immersion from closed ones, otherwise no use for me. My guess is they tweaked 599 to have similar or like MRK1 said even better joyful signature 598Cs, but in an open design. On the other hand I'm a bit concerned, because there are reports changes are minimal and they still sound basically 99% as the old ones, which for me would be bommer...
Currently 599 can be obtained for 149E amazon germany this is the new regular price discounted from 249E. Maybe I try them when they make black version for 99E just like they did with 598SR/SE. But I dunno if it's worth it compared to HD6xx which are basically same price, but much higher-end model, this may be the reason why people are skipping HD599 at this price point.

 

[MRK1]

Tried 598SR (same as SE) didn't like them sound too flat and unengaging for my taste. Generally prefer closed cans, while opens need to posses immersion from closed ones, otherwise no use for me. My guess is they tweaked 599 to have similar or like MRK1 said even better joyful signature 598Cs, but in an open design. On the other hand I'm a bit concerned, because there are reports changes are minimal and they still sound basically 99% as the old ones, which for me would be bommer...
Currently 599 can be obtained for 149E amazon germany this is the new regular price discounted from 249E. Maybe I try them when they make black version for 99E just like they did with 598SR/SE. But I dunno if it's worth it compared to HD6xx which are basically same price, but much higher-end model, this may be the reason why people are skipping HD599 at this price point.

150€ is a good price, I would go for them if I were you. The 599 definitely has a deeper and more engaging bass than the 598CS, which was pretty surprising to me. I had the same reaction as you when I got the original 598, very flat and unengaging (even though I wouldn't say they are "flat" if the bass is flat out non-existent, I would say the 598 had a reverse v shape with weak bass and veiled highs).

Here in Italy I paid 185€ for the 599, but the 600 still costs over 300€, on top of that for the 600 you would need an amp due to the high impedance, while the 599 sounds just fine even out of a phone at 50% volume. I'm pretty sure the 599 is a better deal than the 600 especially if you listen from portable devices often because not only it costs much less but it doesn't require an amp at all.

 

[Shaqo_theOwl]

I just bought these in a moment of madness for 180€ on Amazon during Black Friday. I searched around the internet and it seems these are still not very well known, maybe because the price is outrageous and everyone is still using their old 598. Anyway, my first impressions after a few hours of listening are very positive, these impressed me from the first listening session unlike the old 598 and the closed 598.

Compared to the old 598 these have a more lively sound, the bass is very nice on these, while on the old 598 the bass was definitely lacking, also, these don't seem to have any "veil" compared to the old ones where, imo, everything sounded a bit distant and veiled. I think the sound of these is very immersive and very detailed, they're definitely a bit more detailed than the 598CS that I still have, the sound is less compressed and a bit less fatiguing considering how smooth they are, and of course being open they are, well, more open and airy. Even with no burn in whatsoever I can't find any complaint, these just sound smooth and comfortable, with the right amount of bass compared to the older ones and unlike the 598CS the mids are not aggressive and fatiguing. Everything sounds good on these, from classical to trance, even if the bass seems to be lacking in some electronic tracks I like, they make up for it in sheer clarity and immersiveness of the sound. I don't even have any amp or anything, just listening to them straight out of my phone and computer, the volume is basically the same as the 598CS, that is, dangerously high.


I'm liking them very much but I don't think they're worth the massive amount of money compared to the old 598 or the 598CS which costs literally half the price while on sale, but anyway, I think that with these, Sennheiser perfected the already likeable 598 signature sound. Anyone else having them? What do you think? Did they change with burn-in?

Nice impression, definitely looking to spring for the HD599 too. You seem to have a similar taste in cans as I do. Any chance you know how these compare to the HD579 and/or AKG 712 PRO?

 

[Slashn77]

I just ordered these to replace my HD 6xx aka 650s which I got for $199 and the 599 for $185 because the 650s aren’t that good for gaming so I will probably keep them for music only since I only have about 30-40 hours into my 6xx but I tried my buddy’s 598s for gaming and they were much more engaging and I could hear footsteps better.
I know the 650s aren’t made for gaming but that’s the reason why I am “down grading” to the 599 for basically the same price

 

[MatukaHiFi]

I bought these last week and got them today, SennHeiser HD599. First pair of sennheisers for me and love the comfort+sound, great audio. I was surprised, so much bass leans on the bass, at times boomy+bassy feeling. Even coming from closed back Audio-Technica ATH-M50s! I have M50s and these, those are my only cans. Cheapest price was only 149€. Sweetspot price for HQ headphones. No need for an amp/dac.

Very good and wide soundstage. Airy/Live(ly)/Natural/Detailed/Bass-leaning/enjoyable/spacious sound! Defo recommend these... Best of the 500-range/series I guess... 500 series perfected. So if you want open-back+balanced sound with extra bass, these are your cans in the 140-170€ price range !

 

[paulguru]

So what i read seems to be the truth.

599 model have much more amount of bass, and the male-female voice are more recessed, right ?

So if i like natural sound ( specially for vocal and bass with zero enphasize ), this is not for me, right ?
HD 579 i think should sound the same or almost the same, right ?

 

[MatukaHiFi]

So what i read seems to be the truth.

599 model have much more amount of bass, and the male-female voice are more recessed, right ?

So if i like natural sound ( specially for vocal and bass with zero enphasize ), this is not for me, right ?
HD 579 i think should sound the same or almost the same, right ?

Yes I think that's right. I still love my pair of SennHeiser HD599 and they are lovely and bassy. Spacious, open, bassy, detailed. But not super neutral/balanced due to the bass. I'm not an expert though. But what you're implying sounds right to me. These are my daily drivers, I listen to music and do gaming etc daily with em, my M50s are now my backup(s). I recommend HD599s.

 

[ganeshrajarajan]

Hi
I'm planning to buy sennheiser HD599 which is around 200 dollars but today I came across sennheiser HD599 special edition which is priced around 100 dollars.

Now my question is, are they both sounds the same or is there any difference between those 2 models??
If they both sounds the same, I would love to save 100 dollars and will go for the special edition.
Though I couldn't find any information about the HD599 SE when googled. so pls provide your valuable inputs.

Thanks

 

[GoodBoy]

Exactly the same, the only difference is color. I'm also getting one for 99 euros amazon.de

 

[495709]

They are also on sale at Amazon.es for 99 euros and free shipping depending where you are.

 

[GoodBoy]

How's the bass in these? Anyone compared them to 58x Jubilee? I know jubilees are better, but 599 at 99$/euros can be a very good alternative, and the comfort is way better based on what people say

 

[495709]

I have tried both.The 58x is better,but I wouldnt say the difference is really that noticeable.For 99 euros the 599 is a no brainer.

 

[495709]

To me it looks like the HD599 being sold on Amazon.es is the standard model,no mention of special edition.