Welcome to my review of the Sennheiser HD 598 cs headphone.

The Sennheiser HD 598 cs are not the first pair of Sennheiser headphones that I have reviewed or used. In fact I have reviewed the Sennheiser HD 598 SE, HD 518 and Momentum Wireless 2.0. To recap on these reviews – Click HERE.

I have also owned the amazing HD 600 headphones.

I currently own the Sennheiser HD 598 SE headphones which are on open back version. This means sound leaks, so whatever you are listening to, everyone can dance to your tunes as well. So for commuting on public transport these are not ideal as you can also hear everything going on around you. But at home, in private, these are splendid and provide a massive detailed soundstage.

The Sennheiser HD 598 cs are a closed back design. This means you music stays private. I had not heard of this model until Amazon had it available as a Black Friday special deal of £89.99. It seems Amazon got Sennheiser to make a special version of the HD 598 SE (open back) headphones. Except, after a bit of digging it seems that the HD 598 cs could be the new Sennheiser HD 569 closed back headphones in disguise. In the useful links, at the end of this review, I left a link to the HD 569’s. See what you think. They look really similar and have the same ohm and SPL figures.

But there are more differences between the open back and closed back models. From a physical point of view, they look identical. However, the technical specifications are different. The 598 SE have an impedance of 50 ohms, whereas the 598 cs are 23 ohms. The 598 SE SPL is 112db whereas the 598 cs are 115db. These 2 technical specs mean the 598 cs version are considerably easier to drive from a phone, MP3 player, or any device for that matter and go louder faster and easier.

The open back 598 SE have a wider frequency range at 12 – 38,000 Hz. The 598 Cs are 10 – 28,000 Hz. The closed back version have a more punchier bass than the open back version, but these are not bass heavy headphones. I would classify them as bass perfect headphones at their price point.

So from a physical point of view there are differences. The 598 cs use velvet type ear cushions whereas the open back 598 SE use a velour material for the ear cushions. See photos. Also the headband on the 598 cs seems less cushioned (its not) but it doesn’t have the air suspension cushioning as the 598 SE. Also the 598 SE have the name Sennheiser embedded in the headband.

Photo above. 598 cs (closed back on left) and 598 SE (open back on right).

Another small difference is the fact that the 598 cs drivers seem to be slightly angled. Also the ear cups are finished differently. See below.

On the bottom is the 598 SE (open) and the speaker grill is perforated to allow the sound to spill out. On top the 598 cs (closed) has a material like finish.

Specs aside, what matters is how these sound. After 100 hours burn in the Sennheiser HD 598 cs absolutely rock. Because they are easier to drive they sound ace straight out of my iPhone 7+ and MacBook. They are so dynamic, engaging and incredibly musical that you just want to listen to every song you ever owned again and again. The 598 cs also rock out with so much ease and have tons of volume from both my iPhone 7 and MacBook.

In case you are interested, the Sennheiser comes with a HD 598Cs headset/ 1.2m cable with 1-button remote/ 3.5mm straight plug; 3m cable/ 6.3mm straight plug. The HD 598 SE have a 1.2m cable with a 3.5mm plug but without the 1 button remote.

In the title I asked “are these the best headphones made by Sennheiser?”. I am going to say yes in the context of most people will love these and more importantly afford them. You don’t need any fancy equipment, amps or dacs. At 23 ohms and with a sound pressure of 115db these are super efficient. Therefore, all you need is your current phone. You then will get the superb Sennheiser sound across the entire sound spectrum, mid, treble and bass. The headphones are not genre dependant either. They just rock with anything and don’t ruin the music.

Looks like I will be needed my Apple Lightning to 3.5m headphone adapter for a while longer!

These are more than recommended, these are probably the first headphone that is a must buy from me so long as you can cope with a wired connection. Even if these cost £150, they would be worth every penny.

Useful Links

More info on the Sennheiser HD 598 cs and the latest pricing
More information and the latest pricing on the Sennheiser HD 598 SE Open Back
More information and the latest pricing on the Sennheiser HD 569 closed back headphones