Sennheiser HD598 vs HD600: Pros & Cons and Verdict

Headphones have become a necessity in today’s world, as it gives an auditory experience of videos, text and more.

Whether you’re watching a movie, some videos on audio, listening to your favourite music or even a podcast, a good pair of headphones can make a difference to your listening and possibly even understanding experience.

There are many good brands out there who fight it out to bring the best headphones for you. In this series, we will be comparing Sennheiser’s two models today, namely HD598 and HD600 to see which is better.

Sennheiser HD598 vs HD600 – Comparison

While comparing two products, it makes sense to compare them against different aspects, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do in this section.

Design

The design of Sennheiser 598 is luxurious and looks elegant. The combination of ivory and maroon colours give a rich feel to your headphones. Sennheiser 600, on the other hand, comes with a faux-marble finish that makes it look more natural.

The Sennheiser 598 headphones though are made of a plastic material on the inner sides and these are covered with nice plush material on the outside to give a rich feel. This is probably why it is not as durable as the 600 model, which is made of more solid materials.

Sennheiser 598 has left and right markings, so you know which headphones should go on which side  Also, the slight bump on the outer side make it easy enough for you to identify.

On the outer side of the headphones, you can see the words “Sennheiser” imprinted. They are big, but not too jazzy and doesn’t have any impact on the overall look and feel of these headphones.

So, overall Sennheiser 598 looks great in all aspects. Whether it is the area where you plug in your cable or the accents around the ear cups, everything is well-designed and blend well with each other. The detailed finish also adds to its aesthetics, and it makes you feel like you have a high-end headphone in your hands.

Moving on to Sennheiser 600, its design is more grounded than the flamboyant 598. It is mostly black in colour with patterns interspersed with grey to give a marble look.

There is nothing great about this marble look and could even turn off some people. There is nothing different or innovative here in terms of design and it is definitely not so eye-catchy.

It also comes with a grill on the outer side of the ear cups. Some people think this is cool while a few others are not too happy with this design. It again depends on you and your personal preferences.

When compared to the Sennheiser 598, the design of 600 is not so great. The words ” Sennheiser” is written in white and in bold at the top and this kind of stands out. In 598, the words were neatly embossed and did not look obvious or out of place. But the same can’t be said about 600.

The winner in terms of design? Definitely Sennheiser 598 because of its plush look and subtle detailing. Since the marble pattern is not a favourite of many people, it is not just a universal design that will appeal to everyone. This is why Sennheiser 600 is not the winner when it comes to design.

But, if you are fond of marble patterns, go for it by all means.

Accessories

Both the headphones come with a detachable cable. This is a convenient feature because you no longer have to discard your headphones when your cable is attached. All that you have to do is replace the cable and the headphones will be fine. This idea of detachable cable makes it convenient to carry and use as well.

Sennheiser 598 comes with a cable that’s about three feet long and ends in a gold-plated adapter. There’s also a 3.5 mm adapter that is ideal for mp3 and other portable devices.

This can be a spot of bother too because with time, the 3.5mm adapter pulls down on the headphones and this can cause the cable to break. Not something to worry about too much, but definitely it is good to be aware of it, especially if you plan to have the 3.5mm adapter plugged in for long periods of time.

One way to overcome this problem is to buy a cable that ends in 3.5mm adapter, so there is no extra weight pulling the cable down.

In 598, the cable sits tightly inside the headphones. All that you have to do is insert the cable and turn it a little bit so it snaps well. This way, the cable will not dangle out of ears when you’re listening to your favourite music.

The cable in Sennheiser 600 is slightly longer and is about 10 feet and ends in a 3.5 mm connector. You can add a quarter inch adapter to use in computers and other devices. The other end comes with a left and right connector, where one is red and the other is black. You can use them to connect to each ear cup. The black is for the right ear cup and right is for the left ear cup.

One small disadvantage with having two cables, one for each ear is that you should know which one goes into which ear cup. Also, if you notice closely, you’ll see that the endpoints of each cable have one slightly smaller ending while the other is slightly larger.

So, you should ensure that the larger ending goes into the larger hole in the ear cup while the smaller ending goes into the smaller hole.

Though the holes are fairly easy to identify because one hole sure looks bigger, it can still be a hassle to fix the same.

This way, Sennheiser 598 is a lot easier, as you’ll have to plug into only one hole and slightly twist it to get the perfect fit over having two cables and two holes at the end of each cable in 600. Also, the cable endings can get damaged if you don’t insert them into the right spots.

As we come to the end of this section, Sennheiser 598 edges out Sennheiser 600, especially because the cable is simpler to use and fit in when compared to the slightly more complex process of inserting the cable in Sennheiser 600.

There are obviously no other accessories that come with both these headphones except a detailed manual that describes more about the product and how you can use it.

Comfort

In terms of comfort, both the headphones score well.

Sennheiser 600 is bigger, so there’s more space between your ears and the headphones. This is probably why 600 has a more open sound than 598.

Sennheiser 598 headphones are adjustable, so it will fit almost any head size. In fact, it goes up to 18 clicks, which means, everyone from kids to adults can use the same pair. Of course, if everyone can share it without fighting over them!

The same can be said of Sennheiser 600 as well. It is adjustable and can fit heads of any size.

The inner side of the 598 headphones comes with faux leather and some padding to make it feel comfortable. In fact, you can wear it for long periods of time and there’ll be no kind of discomfort or pain. However, it is not too firm which means, there’s a possibility to create hotspots on your head.

As for Sennheiser 600, the inner side feels super comfortable. Whatever material the company is using here is great and gives you the most perfect and comfortable feel. It is firm and sits comfortably on your head, so there are no hotspots at all. Also, there is no fatigue even after many hours of use.

The ear cups of 598 is made of soft material and it sits very well on your ears. There is plenty of room as well, so any size ears would fit in well here. In addition, the ear cups move a bit horizontally and vertically, so there is some moving space and it doesn’t sit too tightly on your ears.

These movements also add to the comfort of wearing Sennheiser 598. All this means you can wear Sennheiser 598 all day long.

Sennheiser 600 scores well on this area as well. The ear cups are made of a thick and soft material to give you a good cushion-like feel to the ears. There is some amount of felt material inside the ear cups to ensure that your ears do not press hard against the drivers on the other side. This thoughtful design makes it comfortable to wear all day long.

In both the headphones, the ear cups will tend to compress a bit after many years of use. When that happens, simply replace the ear cup, so you continue to feel comfortable. But not to worry, these ear cups will last for a few years at least.

Moreover, the ear cups tend to pivot horizontally and vertically a little to give you the perfect fit. This is applicable in both the models and this way, you’re sure to get a great fit regardless of which model you choose.

One more aspect about Sennheiser 598 is the sound leak. It does leak out sound, especially when you listen to 75% or 100% of the max volume and this is something to consider if you want to use it around friends or family members. The same is true for Sennheiser 600 too. They leak sound too and can be disturbing for others around you.

In the area of comfort, Sennheiser 600 scores over Sennheiser 598. One of the main areas where 600 is better is that it can be worn on hot and humid climates all day long and you’ll not feel sweaty on your head. This can be attributed to the firm material used on the inner sides of the headphones.

Sennheiser 598 can create hot spots on your head and is not the best choice for a hot day outside.

Sound Quality

Sennheiser 598 draws more power from the amp due to their lower impedance, and this means, they will give a surround sound effect, rather than the stereo effect. This is good or bad depending on your preferences and expectations for headphones. Generally speaking, they will be louder than Sennheiser 600 for the same amp value.

When it comes to bass, both the headphones seem to score on one aspect but lack on the other. Sennheiser 598 will have more bass, but it will be less detailed and less sharp when compared to the Sennheiser 600. This makes 598 ideal for genres such as heavy rock, hip-hop and even EDB where the bass is important, but it doesn’t have to be very clear.

However, if you prefer to see bass as an instrument and not as a sound, then Sennheiser 600 would be a better choice. Sennheiser 600 gives a lot of detail to the bass aspect but is not so loud as 598.

In terms of treble, the Sennheiser 598 scores over the 600 model. The treble in 598 is pleasant and doesn’t sound jarring at any level. On the other hand, the treble from 600 is a little too bright and sometimes, even a bit artificial.

This is why treble on 600 can hurt the ears a bit, especially if you listen to it for long periods of time. Also, 600 is not ideal if you like music that comes with trumpets, horns or even flutes for that matter.

The only way to reduce this “brightness” is to reduce the volume, but then you’ll not be able to hear the lower notes well. You may even end up adjusting volumes so much that it will take the focus off your listening.

The mid-range notes and vocals are crisp and clear in both the headphones. There isn’t much difference between the two in that aspect.

So, what’s the final verdict? Which of the two is better in terms of sound? Before going into the verdict aspect, it is important to understand that both of these headphones are the best in the world, in terms of their sound delivery and listening experience. In fact, Sennheiser is believed to use the 600 model to fine-tune many of their amps.

That said, the answer to which of the two is better, depends on you really! Sennheiser 598 is ideal if you want to listen to music on the go or while doing some task.

This means, your entire focus is not on music and you just have it on your ears to listen to something. Also, if you like slam and grunt, then these are the ideal headphones for you because their bass is really loud.

Sennheiser 598 is ideal for a great gaming experience. You’ll be able to know who is coming behind you in your video game and what’s next. All this sure to greatly enhance your game. In addition, you can attach a portable amp to it for higher volume levels and take your listening experience to new levels.

On the other hand, if you want focused hearing, go for Sennheiser 600. These headphones focus heavily on clarity and detail, which means, you’ll get to hear every bit of sound and tone that comes through those cans. In this sense, it gives a more stereo kind of impact to your listening experience.

One downside with 600 is that you can’t make them too loud, as the brightness can affect the ears. You need to find that right balance where you can hear all the tones and at the same time, it is not too bright for you. These aspects make Sennheiser 600 ideal for genres such as jazz, classical, fusion and other similar ones.

5. Cost

Sennheiser 598’s price isn’t high, you can find online deals that could bring the cost down by a few tens of dollars. On the other hand, the Sennheiser 600 costs a lot more.

So, is the HD600 worth the price? Not really because Sennheiser 600 does not offer anything substantial enough to justify the price difference. In fact, the Sennheiser 598 is a great value for money considering its aesthetic design and sound quality.

UPDATE: Sennheiser has discounted the HD598. We advise getting the HD600, directly.

The winner in this category is hands down Sennheiser 598 because it offers a lot more value for the price. It is not that the Sennheiser 600 is bad, but the price doesn’t justify the difference in terms of sound output.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Let’s quickly glance through the advantages of HD598 and HD600 to help you get a glimpse of what each offers and don’t.

Sennheiser HD598 and HD600 Disadvantages

The not-so-nice aspects of Sennheiser HD598 and HD600 are:

These are the advantages and disadvantages of both Sennheiser models. We hope it gives a broad understanding what to expect from these headphones.

Closing Line

Now that we have compared both the models across different categories and have even looked at their pros and cons, it is time to decide on the better one of the two.

For the most part, both the models offer the same sound quality and delivery. Though the sound delivery of one model suits certain genres and situations, the other suits a different set of preferences.

If you’re particular about detailing and clarity and if you plan to use your headphones for critical reviews, go for Sennheiser 600. Also, if you tend to listen to genres like jazz more than say something like EDM, Sennheiser 600 is a good choice.

While the list price of HD598 is higher than the HD600 model, the latter often is on sale so it’s quite possible for you to find it at a cheaper price. If so, we recommend getting the Sennheiser HD600 since it’s a fresher, more complete and powerful model.