Sennheiser HD 598CS

| Over-Ear | Closed-Back |

Sennheiser HD 598CS, one of the most popular over-ear headphones from Sennheiser.

The Sennheiser HD 598CS features a closed-back design, the brand’s classic earcups ergonomics/looks and Sennheiser’s proprietary E.A.R. technology with aluminum voice coils that promises excellent dynamics, low distortion and realistic, spatial sound.

The cups of the Sennheiser HD 598CS are large, have an oval shape and can hold the ears inside without touching any edges or the pads.

The headband of the Sennheiser HD 598CS is padded and made of leatherette, the earpads are well-padded and pleasant with soft fabrics.

The Sennheiser HD 598CS belongs to Sennheiser’s HD line of headphones, specifically to the HD 598 family which sit among the highest of the HD line of over-ear closed-back headphones.

The Sennheiser HD 598 line is probably the most confusing of all in their catalog with many different models being named almost identical but being very different. The Sennheiser HD 598 line is formed by the:

• Sennheiser HD 598 – classic over-ear open-back model with ivory color and wood-like details
• Sennheiser HD 598SE – a later introduced version being classified as the “special edition” of the classic Sennheiser HD 598 with also an open-back design but in black color
• Sennheiser HD 598SR – a updated version of the Sennheiser HD 598SE with some design changes like the headband padding and an extra cable with microphone
• Sennheiser HD 598CS – the over-ear, closed-back version of the HD 598 line, and the model being reviewed in this article

The general construction of the Sennheiser HD 598CS is made of plastic with a quality that is more rugged than their entry-level / budget line models (such as the Sennheiser HD 201 and Sennheiser HD 206), expect the same construction quality of their nearby siblings: Sennheiser HD 579, Sennheiser HD 569 and Sennheiser HD 599.

The cable of the Sennheiser HD 598CS is singled-sided and detachable and uses Sennheiser’s 2.5mm connector with their twist-lock design.

You can buy the Sennheiser HD 598CS in black color.

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Sennheiser HD 598CS Review

Tests & Scores

Weight

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

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Accessories & Packaging

The Sennheiser HD 598CS unboxing results in: 1x 3m cable with a 6.3mm jack and 1x 1.2m cable with a 3.5mm jack with an inline remote/mic.

^7_/10

Bass & Sub Bass

The Sennheiser HD 598CS bass is energetic with strong mid-bass punch and profound sub-bass. Their bass style is fun and “alive”, with a strong personality that will cover all music genres (even EDM and bass-intense tracks).

Do not expect a conservative nor shy bass response from them.

An EQ, makes their lower frequencies crazy powerful with much punchier and deeper bass.

^_8/10

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Mids & Vocals

The Sennheiser HD 598CS mids have slight mid-bass bleed strength, yet lower vocals sound alive and clear but could get somewhat congested at times when mid-bass is strongly called. Higher mids are crisp enough and are not rolled-off nor forward or harsh.

Overall, their mids are very warm, cozy and energetic but with a relaxed style.

Applying an EQ, gives them much cleaner lower vocals with a radically better sound that extends from lower to higher mids and, still, not reaching harsh peaks.

^_8/10

Highs & Treble

The overall highs of the Sennheiser HD 598CS have a darkish tint but still provide sufficient brightness and detail for normal listening session. The degree of recession on their treble makes their highs free of piercing peaks and sibilance, which makes them a non-fatiguing headphone to listen to.

With an EQ there is a noticeable amount of extra brightness but not too much additional detail. The general result gives a sensation of a much less congested sound but still with some darkish tint.

^_7.75/10

Sound Leak

The sound leaking out of the Sennheiser HD 598CS is substantially low. A moderate-high volume can be set and their leaking levels will be noticeably subdued and very acceptable under almost every circumstance.

^8_/10

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Sound Isolation

The sound isolation provided by the Sennheiser HD 598CS is efficient and very noticeable, with a level of isolation clearly stronger than most average over-ear headphones.

^8_/10

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Comfort

The clamping force of the Sennheiser HD 598CS is almost perfect, providing a precise amount of pressure to permit a secure fit and seal but not becoming too tight as to introduce discomfort. The pads are nicely padded, soft and deep while the cups are large and very well designed to offer a fully over-ear fit.

The earcups of the Sennheiser HD 598CS offer slight rotation and tilting movements to better adapt to each head.

We have to recognize that we are not big fan of most Sennheiser’s housings, headband and structure plastic materials but it has to be highlighted that Sennheiser achieves an outstanding level of comfort and light weight by utilizing these plastics.

^10_/10

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Response to Equalization

The response to EQ of the Sennheiser HD 598CS was excellent with highly efficient tuning and customization of their sound. Lower frequencies could be perfectly pushed for insanely punchier and deep response, mids were polished and cleaned up impeccably with a groundbreaking improvement of their sound. Highs also could be pushed to provide a lot more of brightness and a bit of additional detail.

^9_/10

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Size & Fit

Sennheiser HD 598CS size and Sennheiser HD 598CS fit.

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Scores

Sennheiser HD 598CS Scores

• Design - 9.75/10
  9.8/10
• Bass - 8/10
  8/10
• Mids - 8/10
  8/10
• Highs - 7.75/10
  7.8/10
• Sound Leak - 8/10
  8/10
• Sound Isolation - 8/10
  8/10
• Comfort - 10/10
  10/10
• Response to EQ - 9/10
  9/10
• Value for Money - 9/10
  9/10

Summary

AWARDS

Pros

• ✅ Good balance of higher mids, crisp but not harsh

✅ Sufficiently bright and detailed highs

✅ Cozy and warm mids & vocals

✅ Energetic bass, punchy and deep

✅ Fun but not muffled sound

✅ No piercing nor sibilant peaks

✅ Nice design

✅ Comfortable fit

✅ Good headband and earpads padding

✅ Single-sided detachable cable

✅ Elegant aethetics

✅ Low impedance and easy to driver, even with smartphones

✅ Excellent response to EQ

Cons

• ❌ Plastic construction

❌ Slight mid-bass bleed

Conclusion

• The Sennheiser HD 598CS are excellent over-ear closed-back headphones that offer a nice balance of fun and energetic bass but not muffled sound, with good enough brightness and detail and cozy vocals. Adding the fact that Sennheiser tuned their sound to not exhibit piercing nor sibilant highs and neither harsh higher mids makes a SQ combination that is widely liked by general listeners.

 

Certainly Sennheiser understands what kind of sound signature is massively accepted as "good sound" by consumers and with the Sennheiser HD 598CS they created a headphone that can be easily recommended to most people looking for a fun and sufficiently clear sound packed in a very attractive and elegant looking design.

8.6/10

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Sennheiser HD 598CS Frequency Response Curve

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Sennheiser HD 598CS Technical Specifications

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Photos

Sennheiser HD 598CS Photos

Sennheiser HD 598CS

8.6

SCORE

8.6/10