The Sennheiser HD 599 are over-ear headphones intended for audiophiles. Their sound profile is slightly warm and smooth but well-balanced overall. By design, they aren't ideal for use outside quiet spaces, like at the office or during your commute, since they don't isolate you from ambient noise and leak a lot of audio. That said, they have a very comfortable fit and a wired design, with a couple of audio cables included, so they work well for long listening sessions at home or in the studio.
Our Verdict
The Sennheiser HD 599 are impressive for neutral sound. They lack a bit of low-bass, but overall they have a warm, well-balanced sound profile, with vocals and lead instruments that sound present and clear. Their open-back design helps to create an open, spacious-seeming soundstage. Some slight over-emphasis in high-bass and low-mids can make mixes sound boomy and muddy with some tracks. They also don't have a companion app that you can use to customize their sound.
- Lightweight and comfortable design.
- Good passive soundstage.
- Don't block out ambient sound, by design.
The Sennheiser HD 599 are poor for commute and travel. They block out virtually no ambient sound and leak a lot of audio, so your music is likely to bother people sitting near you on the bus. While they have a very comfortable fit, they aren't very portable and don't come with a case or pouch for protection.
- Lightweight and comfortable design.
- Don't block out ambient sound, by design.
- Leak a lot of sound.
The Sennheiser HD 599 are inadequate for sports and fitness use. They're comfortable but aren't intended for sports use and aren't stable enough to stay on your head during a workout or run. They may make you sweat more if you wear them during exercise, and although we don't test for it, they lack an IP rating for dust and water resistance, like most audiophile headphones.
- Lightweight and comfortable design.
- Don't block out ambient sound, by design.
- Leak a lot of sound.
The Sennheiser HD 599 are poor for office use. Because of their open-back design, they isolate you from almost no ambient sound and leak a lot of audio, so they aren't ideal for use in a shared space, like an office. They have a very comfortable fit, but their wired design means they lack useful Bluetooth features like multi-device or NFC pairing.
- Lightweight and comfortable design.
- Don't block out ambient sound, by design.
- Leak a lot of sound.
The Sennheiser HD 599 are wired gaming headphones, and you can't use them wirelessly.
The Sennheiser HD 599 are okay for wired gaming. You can plug their audio cable into a PC or console controller to receive audio. Since it's an analog connection, they have virtually no latency. Their well-balanced sound profile has a bit of extra boom that can help bring out sound effects in action-packed games, too. However, they don't have a microphone, so you can't use them to chat with your teammates. They also lack onboard controls.
- Lightweight and comfortable design.
- Virtually no latency because of analog connection.
- Don't block out ambient sound, by design.
- Leak a lot of sound.
The Sennheiser HD 599 don't have a microphone, so they aren't suitable for making phone calls.
Changelog
- Updated Aug 30, 2021: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
- Updated Jun 29, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Feb 05, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Sennheiser HD 599 come in one color, 'Ivory', which we tested. There's also an HD 599 SE or 'Special Edition' variant in 'Black'. Aside from the color, they seem to be identical, and we expect our result to be valid for that variant as well.
If you come across another variant or your headphones are different, please let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Sennheiser HD 599 are wired over-ear headphones intended for audiophiles. Their warm, well-balanced sound and spacious passive soundstage should please fans of neutral sound. However, like most open-back headphones, they lack some low-bass and aren't very versatile, since they leak a lot of audio and don't isolate you from background noise.
If you're looking for more options, see our recommendations for the best wired headphones, the best headphones for studio use, and the best audiophile headphones.
The Sennheiser HD 599 are marginally better audiophile headphones than the Sennheiser HD 598, but both are great for neutral sound and you may prefer either. They're nearly identical in terms of comfort and build quality. The HD 599 sound a bit better, with a less underemphasized bass response, but it's a small difference and may not be noticeable for all listeners. The HD 599 also seem to isolate the wearer better than the HD 598, but neither of them isolate you from very much noise since they’re open-back headphones.
The Philips SHP9500 and the Sennheiser HD 599 are very comfortable headphones that are great for neutral listening. The Sennheiser are a bit sleeker and a bit more stable to wear. They're also more consistent in their audio delivery. Depending on your tastes, you may prefer the brighter voicing of the Philips compared to the mid-rangey Sennheiser sound profile. The Philips also have a more open and spacious sound.
The Sennheiser HD 600 and Sennheiser HD 599 are very similar headphones in performance, and the HD 599 may offer better overall value for most users. Their sound profiles are fairly similar, but the HD 599 are noticeably more comfortable, deliver audio more consistently and don't feel as tight as the HD 600. On the other hand, they don't feel as well-built as the HD 600 and have a less stable fit on the head.
The Philips Fidelio X2HR are slightly better open-back headphones for neutral sound than the Sennheiser HD 599. The X2HR look and feel better built and have a slightly better-balanced sound profile. On the other hand, the Sennheiser are more comfortable and feel somewhat more stable on the head.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
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