Quote:
Originally Posted by Artemis
Please note that an 'open back headphone' may 'disturb' others within near vicinity.
Headphones featuring closed back are more discreet (music, telephone conversations, etc.).
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Should have put the "may" in quotes. The output from the open-back design is minimal, at best. I've had the previous HD598 and 598SE for over a decade and they are my favorites out of a dozen headphones I've owned. Those include an over-the-ear Bowers&Wilkins pair that cost far more than the Sennheisers.
But I started out with over-the-ears since I was a kid—and still own my first pair of Superex ST-PRO-BV. Before buying the Sennheisers I had the advantage of a local Crutchfield store where I could try dozens of pairs of headphones in their store at their listening stations. Cans from over $1000 from several manufacturers and nothing above the Sennheisers in price impressed me more than the HD598. I had previously owned closed-back Senns for monitoring but shipped those to my daughter once I got the HD598. Honestly I only bought the HD598-SE because I never warmed to the cream-color HD598 with the "Maserati TC" inspired wood trim
. And the cord and connectors on the SE offer more versatility. I'll assume the 599s are similar.
Try them first, if you can. But Sennheiser is a good and safe choice. I never understood Grados. The Senns are so light and comfortable you can forget they're on your head.
I've owned headphones longer than I've owned BMWs—and I bought my first BMW before there was a BMW Motorsport.