These headphones are great for the discerning listener who commutes frequently and has ample space to store them upon their person. The HD 598 Cs are a closed back variation of Sennheiser's HD 598 headphones. This means that they leak very little sound and isolate the listener fairly effectively from external sound sources, again great for commuting. There are several other differences between the two models, the HD 598 Cs have less padding on the headband and the ear cups are made from a material better suited to noise cancellation, as opposed to the velour pads of the original HD 598. These ergonomic differences detract only slightly from the overall comfort of these headphones, indeed the HD 598 Cs are some of the most comfortable headphones in this price range, second only to their open backed cousin.



I have tested both the HD 598 Cs and the original HD 598 with my listening setup of choice, A Fiio X3 2nd Gen hooked up via line out to a Fiio Q1 headphone amplifier. I have tested both with lossless, 96Khz/24bit and 44Khz/16 bit audio files; I have used both to sample a diverse selection of music. In short, the open back HD 598 headphones are superior in every respect, they seemingly resolve more detail, they have superior clarity, their bass is far more precise and they suffer from substantially less distortion. The soundstage of the original HD 598's is, as would be expected, leaps and bounds ahead of the HD 598 Cs. This is the most striking difference between the two in terms of sound quality, and this is an unfortunate compromise of closed back headphones. If you primarily listen to high quality, live music or classical music, and you do so in the comfort of your own home where external noise isn't an issue, then opt for the original HD 598 headphones. As already stated, if you're looking for a pair to use on your commute, the HD 598 Cs are a fine choice.



It must be stressed that these headphones are not worth the £200 price tag; I purchased them for £89 as part of Amazon's black Friday deal. The most I would recommend anyone pay for these headphones is £140. The HD 598 Cs perform favourably when compared to the competition at this price point. I believe them to be superior to Sennheiser's own "Urbanite" range and comparable to the Bowers & Wilkins P5 Series, if not considerably less portable. And portability is an issue with these headphones, they come without a carry case and they do not fold down to save space. Compromise is the word that comes to mind when reviewing these headphones. It appears Sennheiser has compromised on sound quality to provide a closed back variant of the much lauded HD 598's, and compromised on portability to keep production costs down. The lasting impression of the HD 598 Cs is however a positive one. They're comfortable, they have a decidedly neutral sound signature (not too bass heavy), and they are a joy to listen to. If you've never spent more than £80 on a pair of headphones before, you'll be very satisfied.