The Dr. Dre Beats is clearly a head-turner but more than its good looks and style a huge number of people today feel like they have this sort of “edge” compared to others when using the headphones, especially in public. This means that they are not merely users of a great headphone, but they are persons who can afford to buy a Dr. Bre Beats headphone. Owners of this type of toy always seems to differ from the pack and perhaps that is because owning one speaks a lot about the person’s status symbol, or whatever that’s called. While the Dre Beats headphone has its own unique allure, there is also another headphone that is attracting a big number of followers: the HD 598 from Sennheiser. The Sennheiser, as we all know, is also a force to reckon with. Let’s check out what this baby can do…
Audio quality
Since the comfort level allows us to listen for as long as we want, it would be unfortunate if the sound quality didn’t deliver, yet the 598s fulfill such a high demand. Sennheiser offers a “mid-centric” or vocal-forward presentation coupled with a wide soundstage to put listeners in the middle of the music, starting from the center out. Treble is present, but in line with the bass. Combined with the strong mids, the overall signature is warm and laid back, especially in comparison to Grado models. The 598s are both engaging and relaxing, depending on what the recording calls for.
Durability
As the Sennheiser HD 598s are open-backed, there are certain precautions that you need to take in order to preserve your high-priced cans. Because the electronics are essentially bare to the elements, you should not take the Sennheiser HD 598s outside, nor should you let them come into contact with humid air, as this may over time damage your cans. The good news? Even though cables are often the first things to break on headphones, the Sennheiser HD 598s allow you to re-cable your cans easily should they break or suffer unacceptable internal wear and tear. This is a great feature to have, as we can tell you from horrible, horrible experience.
Great treble
At the opposite end, treble sounds shine benevolently. There's plenty of breathing space in the midrange for vocalists to express themselves, and the HD598s integrate and organise every element confidently. A switch to the considerably more demanding Beethoven – The Symphoniesby Gewandhausorchester Leipzig under Riccardo Chailly rather exposes the Sennheisers as paper tigers, however. These are, at times, explosive recordings, brimming with drama and tension; the HD598s simply don't have the dynamic brawn to deal effectively with them. For all their insight, refinement and easygoing nature, they're short of the deep-breathing attack required to do the music justice.
Eye-catching
The open-backed Sennheiser HD 598 headphones offer a jazzed-up take on the HD 558, which have been part of Sennheiser's over-the-ears range for more than five years. They're more visually striking than their predecessors, but anyone spending around £160 on headphones is probably going to care more about sound quality than a flash wood-texture veneer. Few Sennheiser headphones look as eye-catching as the HD 598s. With a cream and brown colour scheme, they stand out clearly from the hundreds of black and grey cans that the market's stuffed full of - including the new, slightly cheaper HD 558.
Summary
The Sennheiser HD 598s are a decent pair of headphones. They offer good quality realistic sounds inside a nice luxurious package. However these are not ideal for anything other than using in the home. The lack of noise cancellation and the fact that everyone will be able to hear what you are listening to means that these are more suited to people with a preference for using their headphones indoors. As a pair of indoor headphones though, there are very few others on the market to rival the Sennhesier HD 598s, especially at a price of less than $500.
