Sennheiser HD 599 SE Open-Back Headphones, Premium Design, Natural Balanced Audio, Comfortable Fit, Wired Headphones for Music, Gaming, School, Work, Black

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!

Allen D. Reinecke · 2022-04-23 · via amazon

These are by far the best headphones I’ve ever used. I’ve been using a pair of B*se quiet comforts, which I originally bought for airplane trips. Those work well for noise cancellation but they have no range or depth compared to these. The Sennheiser’s go on sale from time to time, and if you can get them under $90 then they’re a no-brainer. Someone who wants the best possible sound for the lowest cost of acquisition and who is going to be using these at home in a quiet / private environment will be very happy with this purchase. I would not recommend these for airlines or other forms of public transportation, as the open back model allows others to hear what you are listening to, at the same volume. These are not appropriate for public places. Likewise, you will hear everything around you, and not in a good way. The wire makes these inappropriate for any sort of exercise as well. You would be better served with a bone speaker which is wireless and which allows for the ambient noise around you to still be audible. These are very appropriate for someone who is listening/mixing/producing music at home, or for someone who is playing video games or watching movies in a private room. The surround sound is spot on and clear, the range is vast, and the sounds are crisp. Moreover the ear muffs themselves are very very comfortable. The microfiber lining allows for hours of wear. The holes for your ears are very large, so if you have big ears then these are good. Note, these are good for ears which sit close to the head, if you happen to have ears like dumbo the elephant which are seated far from your head then these may not be for you, as I can feel them rubbing one of my ears not from the top, bottom or sides but from the outside and it is uncomfortable from time to time. These also fit people with large heads, I have a large head and a lot of hair and these fit very nicely for long stretches of time (IE several hours without removing them). The last thing to note is that the volume on these at “10” is equal to my Bluetooth headphone when the volume is set to “60”, so you’ll get a much louder headphone. If you have very very sensitive hearing then that could be an issue, but if you are not super sensitive these will be better than Bluetooth in that regard. At $200 they’re alright, but under $90 they’re really something. I would rate these as a buy, but unless you have money to burn then wait for them to go on sale and you’ll be very happy indeed.

Hinkydoo · 2023-04-11 · via amazon

Best Buy

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Newegg

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VALUE SCORE

Price

$24.99

Price

$24.99