Stereo type: Thank you for soliciting my opinion... I was actually just about to write a review, so your request came at the perfect time. Also, there’s just something nice about being asked for your thoughts on something… the implication there being that my thoughts on these cans are important to some degree. Again, thanks.
Sennheiser HD 598 Review:
Style: I feel compelled to start with style because these headphones are oh-so-sexy. I read somewhere that the khaki colored leather accents are not made with real leather to which I reply, “Don’t care.” If, in fact, fake leather is used on the headband, I can’t tell a difference--- looks like real leather, smells like real leather, feels like real leather, so no problems there.
The burl wood accents accomplish the intended effect which is to bring to mind a European sports sedan’s interior. There’s no denying that these headphones make the wearer feel richer, more accomplished in life, better endowed, so on and so forth.
Design: There are a couple of design features that I really appreciate. The first is a Braille-like series of dots that protrude out of the left side of the headphones. If you’re not looking for them, you wouldn’t normally notice them. When I fist saw them, I checked the right side, but there are no dots over there. My conclusion is that the dots are a tactile indicator of which side is which, something to tell the listener which way he is holding the headphones without having to look down. This comes in handy when listening to music in low-light settings when reading the standard “L” and “R” indicators can be a challenge. Also, these dots are located in a spot that my left thumb naturally goes to when I pick up the head phones. As soon as my hands touch the headphones, I know which side is which. Minor design feature, but helpful and clearly well thought out.
The shape and size of the cans contribute to the comfort of these headphones. Because there is not a single part of the ear which touches the headphones while they are in use (the ears are contained within the oversized cans), ear aches are a total non-issue.
The padding which does make contact with the area around the ears is covered in something heavenly, something velvety that doesn’t get hot, doesn’t get cold, but feels just right all the time.
The jack plug is 6.3mm with a 3.5mm adapter… the way it should be, not the other way around.
The tangle-proof cord is pure gold. No tangles. “Not once, not never.” I have no idea how this works, but I like it a lot.
Flexibility of overall apparatus is wonderful. Some cans are really stiff and seem to threaten breaking at any point. Not these. These headphones can be twisted, stretched, wiggled and jiggled and all the while the impression that I got was that they are designed specifically to allow for imperfect handling.
Sound: Suffice it to say that these headphones sound phenomenal. Some folks have complained that the low end isn’t all that great; while I agree that the bass is not particularly noteworthy, I don’t think that there is anything wrong with the way these headphones distribute sound meaning I never once have thought that more bass was needed, but I did notice that the bass was not overpowering and did have some limitations should I feel so inclined to boost the low end. If I crank the bass on my Marantz, there is less change than if I am playing music through my Polks and crank the bass.
Listening to just about anything that is a stereo recording (most everything I own) is out of control. I was listening to MGMT and felt myself being sucked into outer space. Before long, I was floating above the earth, guided only by the current of guitar and synth. True story.
Each instrument is perfectly distinct no matter what you’re listening to.
My Marantz has no problems at all powering the headphones. I would go deaf at half volume.
General Summary: 10 out of 10. A+. The sound quality alone justifies the price. The stunning aesthetics are just a (HUGE) bonus. With a little shopping around, these can be purchased for under $200 (new) despite Sennheiser’s list price of $350.