Sennheiser HD 599 Review - The Audiophile Gateway Drug

Summary

The Sennheiser HD 599 headphones offer a refreshed take on the classic HD 598 design, boasting an open-back experience with impressive bass extension and controlled roll-off. Despite a predominantly plastic build, the headphones are comfortable with easy-to-replace velour earpads. The sound profile is warm with slightly forward mids and treble peaks, providing a pleasant listening experience that can be further tailored with EQ adjustments. The HD 599 excels in soundstage and imaging, making it ideal for gaming and genres like rock music. Sensitivity to output impedance is noted, with the recommendation to pair with a properly designed amplifier for optimal performance.

Takeaways

• 🎧 The Sennheiser HD 599 is an open-back headphone with dynamic drivers and a 50-ohm impedance.
• 🔨 The build quality is solid with a predominantly plastic construction, featuring a leather-like headband and velour earpads.
• 🔍 The headphones are easy to repair with replaceable parts readily available from Sennheiser, especially the earpads.
• 👂 The HD 599 offers impressive comfort with lightweight design and minimal clamping force, making it suitable for long listening sessions.
• 📉 The bass performance is notable for an open-back headphone, with better control and extension compared to the HD 598.
• 🎶 The mid-range is slightly aggressive, which some listeners may find appealing, but it can be adjusted with EQ for a more neutral sound.
• 🔊 The treble has a peak around 8-10 kHz, contributing to a 'glistening' sound that is characteristic of Sennheiser's house sound.
• 🎮 The soundstage is wider than the HD 600, with good imaging, making the HD 599 ideal for gaming and other immersive experiences.
• 🚫 Due to its open-back design, the HD 599 is not suitable for use in public spaces or where noise isolation is required.
• 🔌 The headphones are sensitive to output impedance from amplifiers, which can affect bass performance if connected to a source with high impedance.
• 💰 The HD 599 offers good value for money under $200, especially for those looking to start with open-back headphones, but the price may vary.

Q & A

What is the Sennheiser HD 599 headphone's primary driver type?

The Sennheiser HD 599 uses dynamic drivers.

What is the impedance of the Sennheiser HD 599 headphones?

The impedance of the Sennheiser HD 599 is 50 ohms.

How is the build quality of the Sennheiser HD 599 described in the script?

The build quality is described as solid and plastic-heavy, but still good, with a headband that might be made of metal or hard plastic and leather or pleather on the headband.

Are replacement parts for the Sennheiser HD 599 easily available?

Yes, replacement parts, especially the pads, are easily available through Sennheiser.

How easy is it to replace the earpads on the Sennheiser HD 599?

It is very easy; the earpads can be pulled off and snapped back in place within seconds.

What is the comfort level of the Sennheiser HD 599 headphones?

The comfort level is described as amazing, with velour pads, low weight, and low clamp force, making them easy to wear for extended periods.

How does the bass performance of the Sennheiser HD 599 compare to its predecessors?

The bass performance is described as impressive, with better roll-off control and extension than the HD 598 or 558.

What is the soundstage like on the Sennheiser HD 599 headphones?

The soundstage is described as wider than the HD 600, with very good imaging, making it great for gaming.

What are the Sennheiser HD 599's amping requirements?

The HD 599 is sensitive to output impedance from the amplifier; high output impedance can cause the bass to become out of control.

What are the included accessories with the Sennheiser HD 599 headphones?

The accessories include a locking cable with a quarter-inch end, a portable cable with a three-and-a-half-millimeter ending, and a quarter-inch to three-and-a-half-millimeter adapter.

What is the reviewer's overall recommendation for the Sennheiser HD 599?

The reviewer recommends the HD 599 as a great option for those looking to get into the hobby, especially as an open-back headphone under $200, and suggests it could be an instant buy if the price comes down.

Outlines

00:00

🎧 Sennheiser HD 599 Overview

The video discusses the Sennheiser HD 599 headphones, highlighting their build quality and features. The headphones are described as having a solid plastic construction with leather on the headband and velour earpads. The script notes that they are easy to repair, with replaceable parts readily available from Sennheiser. The HD 599 is compared to the HD 598, with slight differences in design, but both are praised for their comfort. The headphones are also noted for their impressive bass, especially for an open-back model, and their soundstage is described as wider than the HD 600, making them suitable for gaming.

05:00

🔊 Sound Quality and Bass Performance

This paragraph delves into the sound quality of the Sennheiser HD 599, focusing on the bass extension and neutrality. The bass is described as extending further than the HD 598, which is considered a significant improvement. The mid-range is noted to be slightly aggressive, which some listeners might find appealing, while the treble has a peak around 8-10 kHz, contributing to a typical Sennheiser 'glistening' sound. The script also mentions that the headphones can be EQ'd to sound more neutral if desired. The soundstage is again highlighted, emphasizing the headphones' suitability for gaming due to their wide soundstage and good imaging.

10:02

🎶 Genre Pairing and Amplifier Compatibility

The final paragraph discusses the ideal genres for the Sennheiser HD 599 and their compatibility with amplifiers. The headphones are recommended for genres derived from rock due to their coloration, which adds warmth to the bass and a slight aggressiveness in the upper mids. The script warns about the sensitivity of the headphones to output impedance, advising that they perform best with a properly designed amplifier. The HD 599 is positioned as a potential replacement for the HD 598 and 558, offering good detail, imaging, and a tweakable frequency response. The pricing is mentioned, with the HD 599 being slightly more expensive than its predecessors, but still offering great value for the money.

Keywords

💡PEZ metal

The term 'PEZ metal' is not explicitly defined in the script, but it appears to be a reference to the brand or type of the product being discussed, which is a metal object related to the headphone in question. It is used to introduce the topic of the video, indicating the specific model of the Sennheiser headphone being reviewed.

💡Sennheiser HD 599

Sennheiser HD 599 refers to the specific model of headphones being reviewed in the video. It is a high-fidelity, open-back headphone with dynamic drivers, and is part of the Sennheiser brand's line of audio equipment. The script discusses its features, build quality, and sound performance in depth.

💡Open-back headphone

An 'open-back headphone' is a type of headphone design that allows for the sound to leak out from the ear cups, providing a more natural and spacious soundstage. In the script, the reviewer discusses how this design affects the sound quality and the suitability of the HD 599 for different environments and uses.

💡Build quality

The term 'build quality' refers to the materials and construction of a product, which can affect its durability and comfort. The script mentions the HD 599's build quality, noting the use of plastic and leather, and the reviewer's assessment of its sturdiness and comfort.

💡Velour earpads

Velour earpads are a type of cushioning material used in headphones, known for their comfort and breathability. The script describes the HD 599's earpads as being made of velour, which contributes to the overall comfort of wearing the headphones for extended periods.

💡Soundstage

Soundstage is the perceived spatial representation of audio, creating an illusion of the size and positioning of audio sources. The script discusses the HD 599's soundstage, comparing it to other models and noting its suitability for gaming due to its wide soundstage and good imaging.

💡Bass

In the context of audio equipment, 'bass' refers to the low-frequency sounds. The script evaluates the bass performance of the HD 599, noting its extension and control, and comparing it to other models like the HD 598 and 558.

💡Mids

The 'mids' in audio terminology refer to the mid-frequency range, which includes a lot of vocals and some instruments. The script comments on the mids of the HD 599, describing them as slightly forward and potentially aggressive, which can affect the perceived balance of the audio.

💡Treble

Treble pertains to the high-frequency range in audio. The script mentions a peak in the treble region of the HD 599, which adds a 'glistening' quality to the sound, characteristic of Sennheiser's house sound.

💡Output impedance

Output impedance is a measure of how much an audio source resists changes in current. The script warns that the HD 599 is sensitive to the output impedance of the amplifier it's connected to, which can affect the bass performance if the source has high output impedance.

💡Comfort

The term 'comfort' in the context of headphones refers to how pleasant and pain-free it is to wear them for long periods. The script emphasizes the comfort of the HD 599, highlighting its lightweight design and the form-fitting nature of its velour earpads.

Highlights

The Sennheiser HD 599 is an open-back headphone with dynamic drivers and a 50-ohm impedance.

Build quality is solid with a mix of plastic and leather on the headband, but no metal in the headband.

Velour earpads are comfortable and easy to replace, showcasing Sennheiser's repair-friendly design.

The HD 599 has a refreshed design compared to the HD 598 with slight differences in the earpads.

Bass performance is impressive for an open-back headphone, with better roll-off control than average.

The headphone's mid-range is slightly aggressive, which some listeners may find appealing.

Treble has a peak around 8-10 kHz, contributing to the 'glistening' Sennheiser house sound.

Soundstage is wider than the HD 600, and imaging is very good, making it great for gaming.

The HD 599 is sensitive to output impedance, which can affect bass performance with certain sources.

Comfort is exceptional due to the lightweight design and velour pads, making it easy to wear for long periods.

The headphones come with a locking cable and a portable cable, including an adapter for different connectors.

The HD 599 is a good value under $200, especially for those new to the headphone hobby.

It's recommended for use in quiet environments due to its open-back design and sound leakage.

The HD 599 pairs well with genres derived from rock, enhancing the listening experience with its colorations.

The headphones can be EQ'd to match different preferences and room acoustics.

The HD 599 is a potential replacement for the popular HD 598, offering similar sound quality with improvements.

Sennheiser provided the HD 599 for review, highlighting its position as a reference for under $200 open-back headphones.

Transcripts

it's a PEZ metal 5 7 1 here and today

we'll be talking about the Sennheiser HD

5 9 9 this headphone is a now Sennheiser

claims it is a near audio file which i

think is kind of funny term don't don't

sell yourself short it's an audio file

open back headphone 50 ohms and its uses

dynamic drivers other is to it nothing

fancy no planar magnetic stuff going on

here so the build quality as we always

do first I mean you can kind of hear

that's pretty good I mean even from

something that's using so much plastic

there seems to be actually I don't know

if the I don't think the headband is

metal but I could be wrong it might be

metal but it looks like just really hard

plastic and you've got leather on the

headband here which is good probably not

genuine probably pleather this price

point I don't know for sure about that

either they don't listen that once on

the website that I could find you have

velour earpads talk about comfort in a

second but really it's a very plastic

you build but it's a very solid building

but I still wouldn't sit on it I still

would and I'm not sure if it would

survive the crush test this is basically

a HD 598 that's been refreshed slight

differences in the saddle talked about

that in a minute but again like we're

like I said we're going over the build

quality the other thing that's nice as

you can find replacement parts for this

pretty easily through Sennheiser

especially the pads they tend to wear

out easy to replace actually you know

what I'll take one off right now to show

you how easy it is done I'm serious

that's all you do all you do is you just

pull them right off and they just snap

and then you just snap them right back

in and that's it so that's what's great

about Sennheiser's they're very easy to

repair if you had to I just removed and

replaced the pad in like five seconds

there maybe not all the way but almost

anyway said also I thought I wish that

the L&R markings are a little bit more

obvious they're actually up here I I

find then this is not a unique this

headphone just something that I thought

of and a lot of new headphones coming

out have

orell written writing here in the ear

pet opening which is nice

this does not s'more traditional and

another thing I'm missing here that I

have on some other headphones is usually

they have the number it will not usually

but sometimes there are numbers so you

can you know if you're really OCD like

me trust me you're not the only person

out there who is that OCD but I like to

have my head pan set to the same number

of clicks on each side so I should have

to count them and you do you have to

count them on this one other than that

though build is good for the price I

think they could use more metal but if

they use more mail than it would've been

a lot heavier and that drastically would

have affected the comfort which by the

way is amazing I mean obviously this is

a Sennheiser with velour pads and it

weighs almost nothing kinda clamps

almost none what do you expect crap

you're not gonna get crap here this is

Sennheiser we're talking about and maybe

this might be the most comfortable in

the price range I mean right up there

that some used dt8 80s can go for around

this price as well maybe sometimes new

under $200 you can find DTS and that and

I would say it's probably its high with

these man it's just so so easy to wear

these for like forever this is a

combination like I said it the weight is

very low the clamp is low but they stand

your head well has a supersoft is plenty

of room when the air pad and they're

just like form-fitting they're great and

actually this is a little more

comfortable in HD 600 and 650 right out

of the box because which you can see

right there because the clamp is a lot

lower on these in the 600 650 right out

of the box and that's something that

does break in over time with HD 600 but

because the clamp is kind of high when

you first get them in each to 600 will

actually be less comfortable and this is

you just take that little bicep on your

head and you can just listen to forever

that is if you like the sound which

we'll go over and now so as we always do

what's a base like on this headphone

impressive in a word for the price here

and the fact this is an open back

headphone the roll-off is much better

controlled than average

and it isn't just me Arden's has

measured this headphone not

inter-facility yet so I used some of

their measurements as a reference here

but it really you really can hear that

these do dig deeper than the for example

I have a 5 9 8 modded 558 here from a

friend of mine that I compared against

and it's clear that this digs lower than

that does now that's not to say that

it's gonna beat the HD 600 650 an

extension but I'd say it's more on par

than it's ever been

I can't tell you exactly for sure what

we frequency this is cutting off an of

course but you notice immediately

swapping between and you'll do that

you'll notice if you're upgrading from a

5 9 8 or or a 550 a to the 599 that the

base does extend further which is great

and I'm really impressed with that

that's probably the biggest improvement

here on the sound other than that the

base is relatively the neutral I mean I

hate using that word but it except as

usual there are exceptions the upper

base has a bunch of warmth here arting

says it's about 5 DB above their target

iq2 winter hertz down by around 3 DB mic

here you'll find in the description as

always if you want to try it out to make

the headphones sound more neutral to my

taste anyway that's just me and I'll

continue to explain why acute it the way

I have well first of all the upper base

here you're supposed to have a bit of a

lake a I don't know what they call it a

dip in there in the response as you go

towards the base because relative to the

low mids and the and the upper mids see

my video on neutrality for kind of the

curves that I tend to follow on

frequency response for sounding right

but it even even being used to the other

headphones I have which are tuned much

more carefully through EQ and went on

this headphone in the upper bass sounds

a bit gloomy and it doesn't really

interfere that much it just adds a lot

of warmth to the base where it normally

wouldn't be and it's something that you

can correct with the EQ of it bothers

you I mean it's not even that bad though

like I said it's at the most maybe 5 DB

off which is you know deal breaker for

some audio files not so much for others

this is a subjective hobby man

I'm just telling you what's there now

the mid-range though is the Tambor is

just about spot-on however I think that

the mids are a little aggressive I've

kind of always felt this way about five

9/8 and 558 so you know it's kind of a

love it or hated thing the mids are a

little bit forward of neutral in my

opinion but some people really like that

this ain't no great oh it doesn't have

massive 2k peaks of like 8 DB that's

stupid

these has a as the right shape like just

the right shape of the mid-range but

it's a little bit aggressive so things

like electric guitars will sound a

little bit more forward than sometimes

they would on other headphones that I

find more more in neutral but again you

can EQ it if you don't want if you don't

mind and you can leave it if it's a

little aggressive and eq's out perfectly

especially because it's only about 2 or

3 DB in my opinion too hot now the

treble again the Tambor is right on but

there's a bit of a peak around somewhere

between 8 and 10 K sounds like it's

somewhere between 3 & 5 DB too high and

so these are like really typical spots

for headphones to be boo me or no this

is a really typical spot for headphones

to have a little bit of extra penis and

it's kind of the sennheiser house sound

here to have slightly forward mids and

the treble to be glistening Lieb right

now there is still some grain throughout

this headphone and it's what really

separates it from the HD 600 I talked

about this when I reviewed the 558 along

with the 5 9 8 CS and the HD 600 and but

I think for under $2 and especially on

150 bucks this is a great value for the

money but it's it's not perfect because

all these regions I'm talking about they

have these little bumps but as a whole

the headphone is really nice it's just

really great sounding in general I think

most people putting them on will have

one of two reactions wow this is really

clear or where in the world's all my

beats bass it's probably one of those so

now that we got the bass beds in trouble

now we're going to talk about soundstage

soundstage here

classically just like a five nine eight

it's it's wider than the HD 600 yes

that's true and it's still many things

very good imaging which makes this

fantastic for gaming absolutely

recommend this headphone it is so

obvious how much better this is in the

SHP 9500 for gaming I don't know why

people are roasting me over that video

because I don't know

side by side this is what I would buy

for about 150 bucks for gaming no

questions asked

as long as you can use an open-back

obviously isolation yeah there's not

there's no isolation here do not buy

this headphone and we're on a train next

to people do not buy this headphone and

wear it in a library buy this headphone

to wear in your listening room and

you're in your single dorm at home in

your own in a room like this with a door

that shuts so you don't bother the crap

out of everybody that's will you buy

this for it's an open back it leaks like

crazy just like a laptop about volume of

sound coming out of this all the time

that's just the nature of the beast and

that's what sound quality comes from so

for genre pairing I think that this is

particularly cool when you pair with

some genres especially anything derived

from rock and I think that's cool

because as a guitarist obviously I think

it's hard some really nice through this

thing they're not perfectly neutral but

I think the colorations are cool like

the upper bass has some warmth so you

get that the base notes of the guitar

and then in the upper mids you have a

little aggressive attack as long as you

don't listen super loudly you know or

even if you do maybe you do like that if

this is a great headphone and that it's

colorations are somewhat subtle

especially to an untrained ear and these

will sound very very neutral but

somebody like me I can hear those subtle

differences and they add up to a great

experience

you've got the upper bass bump you have

the upper mids being slightly forward of

neutral and then you have the 10k peak

which adds a nice shimmer to well

recorded I should say drums and you have

that all together and it's great it's

fantastic now you can EQ it further to

match your your and after my EQ this

works with every Sean room

and that's really cool because

electronic music heads normally would

not be so happy about open bags

especially dynamic open backs I should

say because the base has to roll off

quite a bit but you can fill in the base

region of these as long as you don't go

crazy and aren't a super bass head and

they will produce those frequencies down

to maybe like thirty Hertz or so which

is awesome so that's punching above the

price point for 150 bucks I would say

now amped needs it's something that

should be noted about this headphone is

that like the classic 598 as far as I

can tell these are using the same

drivers maybe slightly tuned differently

but they sound very similar to the 598

and so of course and these are very

sensitive to output impedance from the

amplifier if you plug these into a

source with a high output impedance the

bass will go crazy out of control and

really blew me and not sound right at

all so you can plug these to any almost

any source you want but if they have a

high up load impedance you're gonna have

a problem that's just the way these are

but they'll run out of a phone and

they're not very hard to drive but you

will get the best sound out of them if

you plug them into a properly designed

amplifier and that's about it except for

my conclusions on this headphone which

is I think this is a great replacement

I've always liked the 598 at 558 because

it gives you a nice sound to work with

which has good detailed good imaging

good soundstage amazing comfort and a

tweakable frequency response that isn't

overly aggressive in any specific way

and it's just if I had one headphone

recommend to people for an open-back to

start out the Hobby where this would be

it of course this is the new one the

five classically the pricing goes

something like the 558 is about a

hundred bucks the 590 it's about 150

they've jacked them up a bit right now

as of this video the 579 which is kind

of like a 558 I believe is running

around 160 170 and this 599 is about 200

I think that's a little bit pricey but

if these

when the 590 goes out of production and

I'm hoping that the 599 will come down

to around 150 and the 579 would come

down below with that maybe 120 at least

then these becoming like an instant Buy

in my opinion if you're looking for a

starting open back and you don't know

what you want there you go

and as usual I missed the accessories

again so it'll talk about that really

quick comes with a locking cable these

cables are cool because you put them in

and then you twist them and then they

stay in and then you just untwist them I

even put that in the way and then they

come right up back out so they don't

fall out when you pull them they're

really nice this one is long and has a

quarter-inch obviously designed to be

used with you know your a favorite and

this one is a strangely a portable cable

yet don't use this on a bus this is it

open back like I said but they give you

it anyway with a three-and-a-half

millimeter ending and then they give you

a quarter inch to three-and-a-half

millimeter adapter so that all comes in

the box and that's about it so that's

the sennheiser HD 5 9 9 I want to thank

Senator for sending me this for review

it's it's a great option if you're

looking to get into the Hobby for the

first time and actually it's kind of my

reference for under $200 open backs so

there you have it guys I'll see you the

next video