I also found out you can put the 598CS pads on the 599, this makes the sound closer and bass heavy, on the other hand the 599 pads on the 598CS makes the sound super tinny and just awful. I think the 599 is basically a perfect headphone, for my taste as is, I don't even need to EQ the bass unless I'm listening to literal basshead stuff. I wish I could try the HD600 "to see what lies beyond that" but I can't afford them. Even when listening to discs on which bass was not skewed (Paul Simon “Stranger To Stranger”, Radiohead “A Moon Shaped Pool”), one does not feel their exaggeration. But that’s not all – good control of this range is complemented by clear, transparent, and saturated sound colors. When needed, the low components can surprise you with real momentum and freedom, but even then each hit seems precisely programmed. The specific “violent storm” known from the HD 589 has given way to “accuracy of mathematical machine operations”, which turned out to be good for the whole presentation.

Honestly I wonder why these cans aren't more recommended all over the place, these are ridiculously good even at 180€, far better than the 598CS and the classic 598. Even in gaming these are better than the 598 because the soundstage is more precise and more sperical compared to the regular 598 and their tunnel-like soundstage (at least that's what I remember from before I sold the old 598). It has a range of frequency from 12 - 38500 Hz, an impedance level of 50 Ohms, and sound pressure levels of 106 dB. The total harmonic distortion is < 0.1%. All of these specifications simply mean that the HD 599 plays music that is much snugger, more focused, and has a more profound bass than its early predecessors.

Specifications

The Sennheiser HD 598 has a range of frequency from 12 Hz to 38500 Hz, a sound pressure level of 112 dB, and an impedance of 50 Ohms. You can play the Sennheiser HD 598 in high volume without sacrificing its precise and detailed sound. Sennheiser’s Marketing Dpt says the following: “The new HD 500 range has been refreshed with Sennheiser’s elegant contemporary design language, which discretely communicates refinement, purpose and exceptional build quality. The HD 599 features subtle premium design cues that reveal their superior performance at a glance. The HD 599 combines a timeless ivory color scheme with a headband finished with brown stitching which, with the matte metallic detailing on the ear cups and headband, create an immediate impression of substance and quality”. If an even-to-flat sound is your cup of tea, though, you’re better off opting for the slightly more-expensive HD 600 – for a clinical sound, the 600 reigns supreme. In fact we have a pair of HD 599 demo unit in our office which, in my opinion, sounds slightly better than the HD 598. I can say that the sound signature of the HD 599 is the same, if not better, than the HD 598. Do keep in mind that due to burn-in and HD 598 will initially sound different than brand new HD 599. But if both are brand new, then they will sound very similar."

Disclaimer: The Sennheiser HD599 was sent to us on loan by Sennheiser’s PR agency. It will already have been returned when this review is published.The HD555/595 design that the 558/598/599/etc are based on were never designed for gaming, they were designed for music, movies and media devices. The Sennheiser HD 599 is the upgraded version of the HD 598, and one look at this revamped headphone, and you’ll know that Sennheiser did a great job with the upgrade. It has a luxurious-looking stitched headband, with the Sennheiser logo accentuated in a matte metallic plate. Sennheiser HD 598’s bass may not be as strong as other models’ basses, but it does have a powerful and well-balanced bass. You can play your favorite hip-hop tunes and not be disappointed with its sound quality. The HD 598 and HD 599 are extremely close in sound performance, with a slightly tweaked driver. Indeed the specs are the same – it’s mostly a facelift with different colour scheme and materials used. I would recommend FiiO K3 ( low power @ ~200mW its like the E10K just new and better ) or the FiiO K5 ( no DAC, but you can use FiiO DAP as DAC - 1.5W ).