Sennheiser HD 598 – Review

Sennheiser HD 598

Sennheiser HD 598

| Over-Ear | Open-Back | Neodymium Magnets | Burl Wood |



? Sennheiser HD 598, the open-back version of the HD 598 series.

The Sennheiser HD 598 features single dynamic drivers with Duofol diaphragms and aluminum voice coils on an open design – the brand specifies that this headphone makes use of their with “Eargonomic Acoustic Refinement” (E.A.R.) design.

This headphone model is placed as the 2nd top of the line headphone of the HD 5 series, sitting right below the Sennheiser HD 599 and the Sennheiser HD 600.

The Sennheiser HD 598 are the first generation of the HD 598 open-back models (ivory color) with attractive retro looking aesthetics and a form factor inherited from nearly all the HD series.

As we mentioned during our Sennheiser HD 598 CS review, the 598 series are probably one of the most popular yet one of the most confusing of all Sennheiser headphones due to their versions variants and extremely similar names.

Some of the models of the HD 598 line are:

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Sennheiser HD 598 Review

Tests & Scores


A

Accessories & Packaging

The Sennheiser HD 598 comes packed with a detachable cable and a 1/4″ to 3.5mm adapter – not much else is usually expected on 1st brand’s full-sized, wired headphones.

The packaging is a quiet simple rectangular box with with a transparent front and a precise size to fit the headphone inside.

gramophone-256607/10


CB

Cable

The cable of the Sennheiser HD 598 is detachable, with Sennheiser’s standard twist & lock connector that uses a 2.5mm stereo plug; the source end of the cable, instead has an universal 1/4″ connector – the cable attaches to the bottom of the left earcup.

The cable has an OFC design, straight connectors, a rubberized finish and fairly thick girth.

As a picky critic, the black colored cable breaks up the harmony of the aesthetics of the ivory/brown headphone but owners can easily replace it with any other compatible cable whenever wanted.

 

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W

Weight

Sennheiser HD 598 weight in Ounces and Sennheiser HD 598 weight in grams.

 


CQ

Construction Quality and Build

Nearly all the construction of the Sennheiser HD 598 is plastic, from the earcups up to the headband structure, which might not make it the most rugged headphone but they do not feel extremely flimsy – truly, they are inline with every other plastic-made headphone from the Sennheiser HD series.

Despite this, the big grids on the rear section of each cup are made of metal and the shiny-brown details found through out the headphone are actually true burl wood.

Certainly, the Sennheiser HD 598 do not feel build like the harman/kardon NC, Bowers & Wilkins PX nor AKG K553 PRO but they look quite nice.

Sennheiser HD 598
Sennheiser HD 598

B

Bass & Sub Bass

The Sennheiser HD 598 has a punchy mid-bass personality and surprisingly deep sub-bass for a fully open-back headphone.

Despite their punchy mid-bass, they are not excessively out of control nor too bouncy.

Still, do not expect a super clean and refined bass like on the AKG K701, AKG K612 PRO but do not get surprised if you feel a bass style more inline with the Philips Fidelio X2, Fostex T50RP mk3 or Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO.

With an EQ, a crazy amount of sub-bass depth was unleashed and some extra punch was able to be added.

gramophone-256608.5/10

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M

Mids & Vocals

The Sennheiser HD 598 exhibit noticeably warm mids with a non-aggressive vocals approach but, also, some perceivable mid-bass bleed that adds a bit of congestion to their lower mids – yet, this is not overly accentuated.

Moreover, their upper mids are not too forward nor too rolled-off, remaining coherent with their lower midrange and never becoming harsh.

Overall, their midrange presented a relaxed, gentle and smooth personality with a pleasant and warm feel to them that will be welcomed by people sensitive to harsh mids.

The use of an EQ can help out their lower mids and male vocals to sound remarkably clearer and less laid-back, while higher mids can be tuned for a crispier response without getting harsh spikes.

Just beware of not overdoing your EQ bump for vocals or some tinny sounds might start to show up, if you reached this level just dial down the EQ dB a bit.

gramophone-256608.5/10

Sennheiser HD 598
Sennheiser HD 598

H

Highs & Treble

The Sennheiser HD 598 highs resolve a substantial amount of detail and offer enough brightness as not sounding muffled nor too dark.

Yet, similar to their mids personality, their highs are not aggressive and tend to a bit of recession with a darkish tint.

On the other hand, this grants them a smooth and non-fatiguing sound where piercing highs will never be a problem and sibilance that will be rare or mild.

Treble sensitive people will love their mids and highs.

Applying an EQ, highs will benefit from clear improvement over brightness and the level of detail resolved; with a vast general optimization of their highs and opening up of it’s sound.

We can see why the Sennheiser HD 598 is a massively loved open-back headphone by general consumers; as the HD 598 are relaxed and warm sounding open-back headphones that will be loved by people liking a less technically “perfect” frequency response and whose predilection is towards warmth, non-fatiguing/fun sound and full bass over analytical or aggressive mids/highs.

gramophone-256608.25/10


SL

Sound Leak

Sound leakage on the Sennheiser HD 598 is high and very hearable, as every good open-back headphone should.

Nonetheless, this model’s leakage is still marginally lower than on other fully open-back models.

gramophone-256602.75/10



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Sennheiser HD 598
Sennheiser HD 598

SI

Sound Isolation

The sound isolation provided by the Sennheiser HD 598 is nearly non-existent, as expected from a well-designed open-ear headphone.

As you might imagine, this is not the right headphone to get if you are looking to have music listening sessions isolated from the noises of your surroundings.

gramophone-256601.5/10

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C

Comfort

Nearly any editor in our team has ever loved that the brand always (mostly) opts for an all-plastic construction, even on their high-tier product lines; still it needs to be admitted that this decision makes their products light-weighted and particularly comfortable for hours.

Aided by their large earcups, soft padding and velour ear cushions, the Sennheiser HD 598 is a phenomenally comfortable headphone that can be worn endlessly without any discomfort.

In addition to this, the top headband offers a generous amount of padding (and area) while the oval-shaped cups are large enough to even fit Dumbo’s ears.

gramophone-256609.75/10

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Sennheiser HD 598
Sennheiser HD 598

EQ

Response to Equalization

The response to EQ of the HD 598 has demonstrated a very efficient capability for reorganizing and retuning many frequency ranges with nearly no issues.

gramophone-256609.25/10

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SF

Size & Fit

Sennheiser HD 598 size and Sennheiser HD 598 fit.

Sennheiser HD 598
Sennheiser HD 598
Sennheiser HD 598
Sennheiser HD 598
Sennheiser HD 598
Sennheiser HD 598
Sennheiser HD 598
Sennheiser HD 598
Sennheiser HD 598
Sennheiser HD 598

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Frequency Response (raw)

Sennheiser HD 598 Frequency Response Curve

Sennheiser HD 598 frequency response curve
Sennheiser HD 598 frequency response curve

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Sennheiser HD 598 Technical Specifications

Specifications

TypeDynamic
Driver UnitUnknown
Sensitivity112dB/mW
Power CapacityUnknown
Impedance50 ohms
Frequency Response12-50,000Hz
DiaphragmDuofol
MagnetNeodymium ferrous
CordY-type, round cord
Cord Length3m
PlugStereo mini plug
WeightApprox. 270g
Supplied Accessoriescable; 1/4″ adapter

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Scores Scores

Sennheiser HD 598 Scores

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FAQ

Sennheiser HD 598 FAQ

How many drivers does the Sennheiser HD 598 have?

The Sennheiser HD 598 is a single driver headphone. Which means that the Sennheiser HD 598 has 1 driver per side.

What type of headphone is the Sennheiser HD 598?

The Sennheiser HD 598 is an over-ear headphone.

The Sennheiser HD 598 is an open, semi-open or closed back headphone?

The Sennheiser HD 598 is an open back headphone.

 Does the Sennheiser HD 598 have a microphone?

The Sennheiser HD 598 does not have a microphone and a remote.

What is the price of the Sennheiser HD 598?

You can check the most up-to-date price of the Sennheiser HD 598 by following THIS LINK.

Where can I buy the Sennheiser HD 598?

You can buy the Sennheiser HD 598, here

Which Sennheiser HD 598 colors are available?

The colors available for the Sennheiser HD 598 are: ivory, black

What cable do the Sennheiser HD 598 have?

The Sennheiser HD 598 have a detachable, single-sided, round cable.

Are there replacement cables for the Sennheiser HD 598 ?

The Sennheiser HD 598 cables can be replaced with compatible Sennheiser replacement cables.

Does the Sennheiser HD 598 have Bluetooth / The Sennheiser HD 598 is a wireless headphone?

The Sennheiser HD 598 does not have Bluetooth but you can buy adapters such as the FiiO BTR3 to make it wireless Bluetooth.

Is the Sennheiser HD 598 compatible with Apple devices?

The Sennheiser HD 598 is fully compatible with Apple devices.

Is the Sennheiser HD 598 compatible with Android devices?

The Sennheiser HD 598 is fully compatible with Android devices.

Reviews of models named in this Sennheiser HD 598 Review article:

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Photos

Sennheiser HD 598 Photos

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Sennheiser HD 598

9.2

SCORE

9.2/10