HD 599SE Open-Back Wired Audiophile Headphones, Black

This headphone has been with me since February 2019 (forgot myself to write a review but now is the time to give praise to this veteran can) as a daily "ish" (I now use more the HD650 in my desk but still use the HD599 for my phone DAC/AMP in my office or house desk), it has blown me away with the performance for a first experience into proper audio headphones (coming from gaming headphones) since day one without any gadget it has been great but when I got a budget amp (not the beefy one in the photo) it became more amazing and that was the nail to my sentence to the journey. now to the pros of this headphone; +it is warm in the sound signature compared to the HD650 of mine, it has that distinctive warm relax signature which makes it great to not cause any fatigue to hours of listening, for games this thing has given me an edge into locating sounds directions and distance +It is light weight, and the clamp is like a pillow soft but won't move away by itself but won't dig into your head but the headband might cause discomfort but mitigated by raising the arch a bit but not too much or moving the position of it. (Maybe the clamp force got softer after many years) + it is designed to last if treated right, I had to replace cable due to rubber degradation, after this many years it was expected for the cable rubber to start becoming sticky (not a negative point since its replaceable) earpads and headband are as well being replaced whenever degradation happen, but the headphone prevailed for years sounding great. one key thing I noticed when I had to replace the headband for the first time, I saw that the arch is not a single piece that gets stretched and fatigued like a solid piece but 2 pieces united in the middle by screws links acting as a joint allowing it to flex without causing stress into the arch in the middle when you open it to place it into the head, reason why it hasn't failed for years. +the nature of the open back is perfect for anyone that has to be available to hear queue sounds outside the listening sessions so you might not miss a call from a relative or the doorbell if you aren't blasting the sound volume. great awareness. +Due to be the most popular headphone for years you can find replacements for dirt cheap or if you want to be OEM spec you must be ready to pay the premium. Now the cons; - Due to be the nature of being open back it will leak sound like crazy, not a cons for me but it might be for someone who plans to use it outside the privacy of a room -the headband is fake leather so expect it to flake and make a mess in your head once it begins to peel, the replacement process is messy and scary (you have to cut the original one and rip it off and stick the new one which is not perfect look and the process a bit difficult to place it right, the one I use it stick with double side tapes and velcro but it gives life to an old can that has been faithful) -/+ you might not like the color scheme as a gamer/streamer/young lad but when you put it on, you will forget the color scheme and enjoy the warm sound it gives. - It might drag you into a rabbit hole you believed it won't happen to you, but it might... you have been warned. I'm not too deep... but I'm creeping into it. Happy with this amazing piece, I recently saw it went on discount for $120 that's a steal for the experience it gives in return. (back in 2019 I got it for $200 still, worth every penny)

I’m still relatively new to collecting headphones, but I do have a small collection for reference. I have used the Samson SR850s, SR860s with after market earpads, Moondrop Chu’s, Moondrop Chu II’s, Tanchjim Zeros, and both iterations of the AirPod Pros. These in short the HD599s are good enough that I can easily tell the difference in quality from listening to an MP3 on a iPod verses the same MP3 on my phone. So if you want these for listening to your old iPod you are overspending. I can also tell the difference in quality in certain FLAC files verses their MP3 counterparts, though I will admit the difference is slight to my untrained ears. I bough these on sale for ~$120 which I feel is more than a fair price for the product I received. Now for the compare and contrasting… In terms of audio quality the HD599s and the Chu II are my favorite sounding headphones. (If you want less bass and a more sparkly sound get the original Chus or the Zeros. Lofi, classical instruments, and female vocals in particular sounds amazing with them) They are both fairly balanced with a warmer bass. They both have a very different quality of sound thanks to these being an open back headphone and the Chu II’s having more of a passive noise cancelation. I can’t put it into words. Some say open backs sound fuller thanks to their open nature, but that word doesn't hit the spot for me. Needless to say, I find myself switching between both frequently to scratch the itch each of the qualities provide depending on my mood. The HD599s are naturally a harder to run so I have to crank the volume on my phone more, but they are still perfectly drivable without a dedicated DAC/AMP. The Chu II’s start at $20, but if you are cursed with small waxy ear canals, like myself, then you will have to replace the filters fairly frequently (every ~5 days) which would cost me around $4 a month with my average use case. That is a bit of a hassle and a hidden cost that is rarely mentioned. The HD599’s always sound good since they are not subject to the same moist conditions. Can you get competing sound for cheaper if you go the IEM (in ear monitor) route? Yes, but sometimes you just want over the ear headphones for the sake of comfort, lack of hassle, and sharability. If your not interested in IEMs like the Chu II’s then here is a comparison to the SR850s (the SR860s are basically identical, but have another color way and are usually more expensive). In terms of comfort the HD599’s are far more comfortable out of the box. The pads of the SR850’s touch my ears which felt fine until I experienced better, now I don't care for them and wouldn’t wear them for long periods of time. The HD599’s actually sit around my ears with the inner pads being deep enough that they don’t touch my ears. The ear cups also swivel to conform to my head which also improves the experience. Where things get interesting is if you splurge for after market velour pads for the SR850s which cost an additional ~$20 (I got mine from TRANSTEK). These increase the total cost to around $60 but feel equally comfortable (if not slightly more so) than the HD599s. I haven't seen any aftermarket pads that look as thick and soft for the HD599s yet, but if I do, I will definitely give them a try and update this review. The sound quality is a matter of preference between the two, I like the warmer and slightly fuller sound of the HD599s and I think the top end sounds slightly more crisp/accurate. In terms of sound leakage the HD599s are definitely worse. You don't want to use these if you don't want people to listen in to your content. With the SR850s you can tend to avoid people listening in if you’re at a moderate volume. If you are in a noisy house with children then both of these may not be right for you. You would want to look into closed back or IEMs. I personally like open backs because you can still hear the world around you when you’re working. You are not in your personal bubble. The removable cable is the greatest quality of life feature of the HD599s. It comes with two cables out of the box: a long boi with a chonky 6.3mm jack with a step down adapter to 3.5, and a reasonably sized 3.5mm cable. The SR850s in contrast have a non removable long 3.5mm cable with a step-up 6.3mm adapter. As a result the SR850’s don’t leave my desk and the cables stay cable managed underneath it. The HD599s offer way more flexibility. I use my short cable for around the house listening on my phone, handheld game consoles, and occasionally on my AMP/DAC on my PC while reserving the long cable for watching TV on my sofa or bed. If you’re looking for solid stationary desk headphones for work and general use with a flat sound get the SR850s with the aftermarket earpads are fantastic for the money and will beat pretty much any “gaming” headphone on the market in terms of sound quality. They also dont have much audio leakage so they may work well in an office setting as you can still hear what is going on around you. If you want convenience buds for daily use that you keep on you 24/7 get the AirPod Pros (the first gen had better connectivity and range but the second gen sound slightly better). If you want great affordable sound (with some maintenance) go the IEM route and snag the Chu’s or Zeros for a flat accurate sound or the Chu II’s for a warmer sound that maintains the accuracy on the top end. If you want excellent open backs that can be driven without an external DAC/AMP that are slightly warm then the HD599s are great. I don't think I would buy the HD599s at the retail cost of $250 considering the HD600s (the de facto benchmark for over 20 years) often drop down to $300 on sale or $250 in used like-new condition, but at $120 I think they are a fair price for what they offer as a package. They are versatile, comfortable, and accurate enough that you can hear the differences between good and bad mp3 playback and (depending on the file or the quality/accuracy of your hearing) the difference between a FLAC and MP3. Welcome to audiophile country, open your wallets and enjoy the process of nitpicking sound quality to justify your purchases. I hope you enjoy your descent.

Edit: In spite of wonderful sound and very comfortable ear cups, I returned these to Amazon. I am an engineer and therefore really picky about design and I hope this saves somebody a bit of research. I just couldn't live with the head band of these. It almost defies understanding that a company as fantastic as Senheisser would release a headband design like this. I will say again, that the sound and ear cup comfort of the 599 is fantastic. But they create a hot spot on top of the head where the head band with modest foam point loads the top of the head. No reason for it. Seinnheiser even understands this dynamic and sell both less expensive like the HD-559 and the more upscale HD 650 headphones with a much more padded and headband with a void at the top of the head which could cause irritation. If you guys and girls want to take the dive, look into the Seinheisser HD-6xx which is a knock off of the venerable HD-650 which is twice the price of the 599. These headphones are magic. Go out on youtube and watch some reviews. Best $200 headphone on the market. Just scored an open box purchase in new condition and these are even better in both sound and comfort to the 599. I had NO complaints about the sound quality of the 599 but I need complete comfort. Hope this helps and happy listening. I don't write a lot of reviews but I come from the world of tech and appreciate all genres of music. I recommend everybody interested in the HD 599 to go to youtube and watch some reviews which will be in more depth than mine. I am returning to earphone listening after many years. I built a new AMD CPU based computer which btw I love without a dedicated GPU but with Asrock on board sound which drives these headphones beautifully. Because of their low impedance, not essential to drive them through a dedicated amp. Comfort: Comfort for me for overall listening is ESSENTIAL. It is largely why I bought these. I have largish ears and where a large hat...not a small guy but not a huge guy either. I struggle with the comfort of many headphones. Not these. They are the best. Sennheiser gets it. Other companies not so much. Ear pocket are very large to completely cover my largish ears and my ears though not tea cups stick out a bit...not excessive but require deep and large ear cup openings. These deliver. What isn't understood about earphone design many times is...its a balance of clamping force to the head that determines headband pressure. Higher the clamping force, the less the head band pressure because lateral force negates vertical fall of the headphones. Many headphones with drivers and fidelity this size are heavy. These weigh 250 grams and are light. Therefore they don't require big clamping...rated only at .71 lbs mean clamping...no doubt head width specific.. In summary, because of low weight they don't dig in up top of the head even with low clamping pressure. Genius design and I am a design guy so I appreciate it. Sound: Wonderful. I am not formally a senior...a very active senior and listen to classic rock to some even hip hop...very little, to opera and classical music. I like it all from Mo town to some jazz to mostly classic rock which I grew up...the best music of all time. :-) These headphones deliver. Listen to the reviews. They aren't flat...slightly embellished. An audiophile headphone with a bit of lowest and highs added. What the absolutely non purist wants in a headphone. Very very slight embellishment...almost not. I don't like too much bass but love to hear it. My aging ears don't hear the highs like they once did. I can hear the highs with these. If I EQ them, I can tune them precisely how I like them. They sound magnificient. Btw, they are open headphones and not meant to keep all the sound within. That is design intent and what better listening headphones are. On an airplane, pick a pair of Senn closed headphones. Looks: Looks matter. I am a design guy. Shape, texture and appearance affects perception of the product. 5 out of 5. Perfect. I couldn't design them better. Arguably a 'hint' of retro. Not as retro at the 598. If only the 598 existed, I would get those but these are aesthetically more modern and better IMO. The color is a bit unique. You maybe tired of everything black like me. These are a bit different and absolutely beautiful. I have owned other high end headphones from other companies. These are my favorite. I only have had them for a couple of days. Even in the time I have owned them they have burned in and will burn in much more in the next 200 hrs of listening. My advice. If you like, try everything but own these. Happy listening everybody. Surf youtube for your favorite music. Some brilliant young artists out there.

The Sehhheiser HD 599s are very nice looking headphones and are the most comfortable of five sets I have tried. That said I want headphones to sound good as well and the HD 599s just weren't cutting it This is where the HD 599s fall a bit short in my opinion. The build quality is pretty decent, a bit plasticky, but otherwise nice. The Ivory color is different, but I them to be very pleasing to look at. The ear cups are extremely comfortable, with nice velour cushions that I could probably have worn for listening to an entire record maybe even two. My only gripe about the build quality would be that the headband is a bit to easily adjusted. Now for the sound quality. I ended up getting a set of Sennheiser HD 560S and spent an hour or so listening to both of them on the same album, replaying the tracks of the record over and over, first listening to the HD 599s then the HD 560S. The album I was listening to was Wishbone Ash on Deca Records, and recorded on 180 gram vinyl. I also listened to both sets with my equalizer set flat, no adjustments. I found the HD 599s to be lacking in detail, a bit muddy, not as clear over-all and somewhat muffled or toned down. The top end is not as clear and concise as I found the HD 560S set to be. The soundstage of the HD 560S headphones I found to be more complete, spacious and quite good. In short, the HD 599s lack the detail, clarity and soundstage of the HD 560S headphones; if you like a mellow, less punchy sound the HD 599s might be for you. For me I want to hear the same detail and clarity as I'm hearing with my Polk Audio Signature S60 tower speakers hooked up to my Rotel receiver. The HD 560S come pretty close to that sound, but they are slightly less comfortable, which is a bit hard to understand as the build is very similar to that of the HD599s, maybe they will loosen up some and become just as comfortable. Only Time will tell. This is my second try at headphones in the $150 price range, the first pair were the Audio-Technica ATH-M50XGM, which if found to be excellent as far as sound quality, but after a very short period made my ears hurt. So I returned them and after searching and reading reviews, decided to give the HD 599s a try. My suggestion would be to buy all three of these headphones and give them a try. In this price range the HD 560S are my choice. I'd like to keep trying more brands but, not too many out there have the oval ear cups that actually sit completely over the ears. My ears are very sensitive and become sore easily, so the oval cups are a must for me. If you can tolerate a round ear cup, try the Audio-Technica ATH-M50XGM vs the Sennheiser HD560S. Good luck in your choice and happy listening.

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 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!

Just got this and was interested at the packaging. Looks like sponsored by Amazon. Plain brown box with some writing, was hoping I didn't buy rebuilt or returned headphones. Why would anyone return these? I took them out the box and all looked new and wrapped up. Ripping plastic off and plugged 1/4 inch cable. Plugged into my IFI headphone amp. Opened up Amazon Music, picked a song I loved from UltraVox. Adjusted the amp and found my headphones. These are super light and yet we'll built. They fit very comfortable. I listened to my song and heard a wide sound stage with a nice smooth bass, not over the top natural bass, just the right amount. The sound stage was balanced through the spectrum. At this 90ish dollars I recommend anyone buy. You will love these. At the regular price they are great too, but why when you can find these at a good price often. Give these a try.

I have a hard time finding hats that fit. If this sounds like you than you may be in luck. These headphones fit my head just fine with a little space to spare which is perfect for getting them positioned just right. I needed a headset for streaming purposes that was comfortable enough to wear all day. I also wanted something open backed so I could speak easily and ideally something that sounded good. I wanted all of this at the bare minimum budget price because I've decided I'm done spending a bunch of money on nice headphones. These have checked all of the boxes except the bare minimum budget box but it was worth paying a little more for these. I won't go too far into sound since others have already described it well but here are my one week pre burn in thoughts: 1) These headphones are tuned to feel engaging out of the box. They are not as clinical as a set of AKGs. This is an excellent set to turn on your favorite album, close your eyes, and get lost in the music. 2) As a lifelong basshead these headphones may not satisfy sub-bass enthusiasts. They're open backed so they're not meant for that. However the bass they do reproduce is clean and fills nicely out of the box. It's just not gonna bump hard enough to get your booty shakin. To do that you'll need an amp with bass boost or to play with an EQ. The headphones take well to mild equalization on the low end. If I EQ the sub-bass a bit too high they'll crackle. But if I EQ to just where the sub-bass starts to overpower the track somewhat and then step it down to where it blends these definitely got my booty shakin. If you absolutely must crank your bass then you really need go with closed back sets or IEMs. Some IEMs don't seem to care how much you EQ bass. They'll reproduce it happily without a crackle. Most importantly let's talk about comfort. These headphones are a dream to wear. After I put them on I forget I'm even wearing them throughout the course of a 6 hour stream. After I'm done I usually just keep them on and continue listening to music or working on things. I got done with a stream an hour ago and I'm still wearing them right now. The earpads are truly over ear and I have a big set of ears. No part of my ear touches the earpad or the driver so there's no pressure point other than the cloth pads resting on my head. Clamp force is perfect and doesn't cause any pain either. This is particularly nice since I wear glasses. If you have a big dome and need a set of all day work headphones buy these and you won't be disappointed! You may find you want to keep wearing them and listen to music after you're done working...

très bon casque, bonnes basses, voix claires et définies, fonctionne très bien sur mon ampli Denon et sur mon laptop ainsi que sur mon Iphone! je conseille!

Headphones, like most most things, have no literal price ceiling, but they do have a practical one, for regular mortals; it's somewhere around the price of this headphone. Sennheiser has been at this game for years, and they know what they're doing. Nothing is accidental, nothing is left to chance, nothing is "not quite right". From the connector, to the cable, the cup shape and size, padding, headband. Everything feels right. I appreciate the velour/cloth padding, after owning several leatherette headphones previously. It's easy to keep clean, it's comfortable, it breathes well, things don't get sweaty. You can wear these for hours at a time. Not being an audio engineer, I can't speak authoritatively about the sound quality, but it sounds just fine for me. Listening to compressed sound sources is not a big deal these days, players are really good at processing audio resampled and compressed 3 different ways to sound acceptable on 1000W stereo systems. Uncompressed/mixed audio, such as from video games or Blu Rays, sounds very good and clean and there's a good amount of bass. These are open headphones, so don't expect much insulation or dampening of outside noise. There's not really any, and in fact, some frequencies will be amplified inside the cans beyond what you could hear with the headphones off. While that's probably the only negative... back in the real world, closed headphones are heavier and have less ventilation. So, pick your devil. Overall, if you can find these headphones on sale, definitely push that button. The 5-series from Sennheiser are legendary in any variety. Long term edit: 1.5 years in, and nothing's really changed. The headphones still look great, even after probably a couple thousand hours of use. The cable and armor aren't wearing or stiffening, the headband fake leather is still looking like new. After some closer listening comparisons, I'd say the sound is tuned a bit towards the low end, so if you do lots of classical music you might have some complaints, but not a problem for me.

Enjoying this pair. Very competitive to wear. Sounds ten times better than its similarly prices bluetooth counterparts

Ótimo fone, bons graves e bem definidos, médios encorpados, e agudos suaves, confortável, ótimo fone para escutar música, filmes e jogos, não é um fone de referência para estúdio, mas cumpre bem sua proposta.

pierwsze wrażenie - świetne wyważone granie bez fajerwerków. Jest bas i jest czysta góra ale dość łagodna dla ucha, nie to co np philips Fidelio czy Audio Technica, które dają po uszach aż leci krew :) Słuchawki bardzo solidne i masywne, wcale nie są filigranowe ani tanio-plastikowe jak piszą inni recenzenci. Brzmienie ma taką estetykę Sennhisera, nie jest ocieplone, nie jest faworyzujące i nie stosuje tanich sztuczek ery XBass i ANC. Zdecydowanie nabierają klasy podpięte do wzmacniacza słuchawkowego ( u mnie ifi hip dac 2). Podobno wygrzane grają jeszcze lepiej, więc odniosę się do tego za kilkanaście dni. Póki co jest bardzo dobrze, a słuchawki nie dość że śliczne to grają zacnie.