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!

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.

So this year I really wanted to try open back headphones, it was a new world I found out about. I have bluetooth aukey and anker earbuds, Sony XB900N, HyperX Cloud PS4 (same as pc,xbox versions), and other wired earbuds. A big plus is I can hear my surroundings with open-back. This fall I did research, and learned so much about audio that I didn't care for before, but now fascinated. I'm still not doing the amp thing. SO I hope this review helps someone. My ultimate two choices came down to Sennheiser HD599se and Philips X2HR. These two are so opposite when it comes to available information on the web. Tons of X2HR forums, reviews, videos, etc., and HD599se not so much. I wanted an open back headphone, for primarily games, and secondary music and movies. I almost decided to keep both headphones because it was so hard to choose. Here are the differences first: - X2HR too heavy for me. I thought it wouldn't matter. Very comfy but gets heavy soon after and too noticeable. - X2HR definitely a boomier bass. Think deep rich smooth. - HD599se, super comfy, probably my most comfy headphone. Ears don't get hot or sweaty like my Sony ANC headphones. Can wear for hours which others I kind of need to take breaks. The first headphone I opened was X2HR. First song was a Paul Taylor's Push to Start. I almost cried, I don't think I've experienced a wide sound stage before. Deep bass and open audio experience like no other. It was like listening to song you knew but in a different way. Everything sounded great. Then I listened to more Paul Taylor, then Tobu, Axero, etc. Yeah there's awesome bass. Then I couldn't contain myself I had to try the HD599se. First I was underwhelmed. Not wide, actually felt almost like closed back headphones. But I was surprised to hear bass, I was worried it would be non-existent. There was bass, but not as much as X2HR. Then I tried both on my PS4 controller. Both can were loud enough so no issues here. Two days later I tried them again, but put on the HD599se first and listened. They were actually really good, not as bad as I remembered. Then I put on X2HR. Now I noticed the differences clearer. In Jazz, the sax was so much more clearer and cleaner. Guitars sounds beautiful. So much more balanced, not neutral, but everything is presented well. X2HR, bass does cloud the instruments, as its more pronounced I feel. Ultimately, after listening to more music from tobu, axero, gramatik, jack johnson, nora jones, paul taylor, haywyre, etc., and playing ps4, I really wanted to keep both for different purpose. But in the end I chose one because I knew I'd only use one most of the time. Here's why I chose the Sennheiser HD599se: - Audio is very balanced, and easy to listen to most genres. I like the bass doesn't overwhelm everything. Everything is pretty much at the same level. The instruments sounds much clearer. Its like if the artist wants more bass in the song, you'll definitely notice it. Its seems more a match for what the artist probably wanted you to hear. - I don't know if burn-in happened, or what exactly that is, but over time I feel like the bass and audio quality of HD599se got significantly better. Or maybe its that it sounds better on my PC than phone, and that's when I notice it. - Hip hop, jazz, blues, etc was a pleasure. Only edm sounded better on X2hr to me. - Gaming was much more enjoyable on HD599se. In FPS like call of duty, I could hear my surroundings better and anticipate people around me. In sports games, I felt like crowd noise was overwhelming on X2hr, such as FIFA. - Super comfortable and light. - I spend alot of time already listening to music on the HD599se because its really good. I appreciate these more and more as I listen to music. I'm not analyzing, just listening and doing my thing. In closing, I wish I could keep both. But won't. I wish Sennheiser had a little more bass, but its enough. You will hear the boom, bass hum, the usual, but just not as much or rich as X2HR. I wish HD599se had wider soundstage, which the X2hr had. Really like that openness... alot. If you like lots of bass and don't mind to sacrifice some of the audio of the instruments such as sax, piano, guitar, and ok with heavier headphone, then X2HR is amazing. I went back and forth so much between the two, and was hard to pick. I had to really listen alot. In the end I'm really happy with my decision and awesome black friday price. Maybe next year we'll see what options are available in the market.

I’ve been eyeing seinheisers for about 10 years after continually hearing they are the standard for the audiophile community. I wanted to see if there is truly a noticeable difference in sound or if we were just dealing with sound snobs. However, I never pulled the trigger because of the price point. When i saw them at 45% off i decided to take the plunge on some entry level HD 599SE. So that being said, here is my opinion. Comfort - A+ Sound - They sound good, but not as good as the hype surrounding them (maybe because these are the low end side of things). The bass seems artificially dampened. Highs and mids seem on point. And overall is a good listening experience. It all depends on what you are listening to and how it was produced. So there are some releases that sound mind blowing and some sound just like your car radio. Durability: they seem to be decent quality, not flimsy Great purchase for $100. I don’t think i would be happy with them at full price. For the average music listener, I doubt these will blow your mind. If your primary style of music is hip hop, i would go with with a different headphone that emphasizes the lows/bass.

I love the sound quality; it always feels like a downgrade going to earbuds for when my mates are sleeping. As open-backs others can hear your sound, so they can work as impromptu speakers at higher volumes. Comfy even while wearing glasses. Decent durability I think but I'm no rougher on my stuff than occasionally dropping it on the edge of the desk. The long cord has protected me from short-cord yanks.

Definitely a solid headset. They sound is clear and balanced. Very comfortable. Mainly use it for gaming and a little bit of movie watching. This model doesn’t require an amp to use but getting one helps with the fine tuning if you want the option. I use it on my PC and PS5. The lack of mic isn’t really a draw back. I don’t play online enough to care about voice chat. But they do make a mic if you want to get one as well.

I've had these headphones for 5 years. For me, Sennheiser is a trusted brand. I've only owned two Sennheiser phones in my life, and my first pair lasted me for 9 years. Technically they still work, but the plastic jacket for the wires are exposed. They still sound great; I was just not comfortable being around exposed cable. One of my favorite aspects of these headphones are the fact that they completely cover my ear. Earbuds tend to slip out of my ear more often than I'd like. Whenever I put these cans on, they stick, and I never have to adjust them. Not only are these phones extremely comfortable, you get the full range of sound. You do not need to turn up the volume too high. They are open back headphones, so if you are recording vocals, for example, there will be bleed over to the microphone, depending on how hot the mic is. However, I do not record very often - if at all - so it is no issue for me. Open back headphones allow you to hear the room around you, so if that is not desirable, consider closed back headphones. Please be mindful that I am just a random Amazon customer, not an audio engineer. The phones come with a 1/4" adapter, which allows one to plug into either an interface or even an amp for practice. I use it for the latter; a bass amp, to be specific. The bass sounds great through the phones, though sometimes I hear the headphones rattle because I tend to turn up the volume. This is because I wear earbuds underneath the Sennheisers - which are noise canceling - and that causes me to turn up the volume on my amp, thus causing the rattling. I wear earbuds because I usually practice at night and want to be able to hear the metronome/drum backtrack so as to not disturb my housemates. So it is a delicate balance to make sure I do not blow out the speakers on my phones. Something to keep in mind; I do not know if these headphones were necessarily made to blast the sounds of a bass amp. My amp is a Hartke HD75, and I typically practice with Low's/Mid's/High's at 12 o'clock and the EQ flat. I hear the rattling when turning up to approx. 3.5 on the volume knob. All that being said, I still give these headphones 5 stars because they are fantastic. I have noticed zero drop in sound quality in the 5 years I have used them, and I will 100% buy them again.

These headphones are all they claim to be and then some. Sound is great and seem to be well made, plus, they are very comfortable.