Get insider access
Preferred store
Your browser is not supported or outdated so some features of the site might not be available.
We've recently released our Test Bench 1.8 update for Headphones! Read the R&D Article to learn more about our new direction. As we ramp up and retest products, expect delays in testing new and updating preexisting reviews. Sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience!

  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style
    2. Comfort
    3. Controls
    4. Breathability
    5. Portability
    6. Case
    7. Build Quality
    8. Stability
    9. Headshots 1
    10. Headshots 2
    11. Top
    12. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Sound Profile
    2. Frequency Response Consistency
    3. Raw Frequency Response
    4. Bass Profile: Target Compliance
    5. Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
    6. Treble Profile: Target Compliance
    7. Peaks/Dips
    8. Imaging
    9. Passive Soundstage
    10. Virtual Soundstage
    11. Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    12. Test Settings
  6. Isolation
    1. Noise Isolation - Full Range
    2. Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios
    3. Noise Isolation - Voice Handling
    4. ANC Wind Handling
    5. Leakage
  7. Microphone
    1. Microphone Style
    2. Recording Quality
    3. Noise Handling
  8. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. App Support
  9. Connectivity
    1. Wired Connection
    2. Bluetooth Connection
    3. Wireless Connection (Dongle)
    4. PC Compatibility
    5. PlayStation Compatibility
    6. Xbox Compatibility
    7. Base/Dock
  10. Comments

Sennheiser HD 598 vs Sennheiser HD 600

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Sennheiser HD 598
Sennheiser HD 600

Tested using Methodology v1.5

Updated Jun 21, 2023 01:02 PM

SEE PRICE
Walmart.com

Tested using Methodology v1.8

Updated Aug 23, 2024 07:52 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Sennheiser HD 598 Picture
Sennheiser HD 600 Picture

Variants

  • HD 598 (Black)
  • HD 598 (Ivory)
  • HD 600 (Black)

Our Verdict

Sennheiser HD 598

Sennheiser HD 600

The Sennheiser HD 598 are slightly better headphones than the Sennheiser HD 600, mostly due to comfort. The HD 598 have a better over-ear fit that does not clamp your head and feels very comfortable. They also have a slightly more elevated high-bass which some may like since it adds a bit more punchiness than the HD 600, and they come with an additional cable in the box. On the other hand, the HD 600 deliver audio more consistently and won't sound as boomy on some tracks as the HD 598. The HD 600 also have a slightly better build quality which can be advantageous if you plan on using them frequently.

0

Check Price

Notice: Two or more of the products selected have been tested with different test methodologies, so some of the results below aren't directly comparable. Learn how our test benches and scoring system work, and read more about the latest changes to our headphones test methodology.

Main Differences for

Threshold 

0.10

Neutral Sound 

8.0
8.0

Bass Accuracy 
 

7.0
6.1

Mid Accuracy 
 

9.0
9.6

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

7.2
8.9

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture 2  

Sennheiser HD 598 Design Picture 2
Sennheiser HD 600 Design Picture 2

Type  

Over-ear
Over-ear

Enclosure  

Open-Back
Open-Back

Wireless  

No
No

Transducer  

Dynamic
Dynamic

Show text

Comfort 
 

8.5
7.0

Comfort Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Comfort Picture
Sennheiser HD 600 Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.55 lbs
0.57 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

0.68 lbs
1.4 lbs

Show text

Controls 
 

0.0
0.0

Controls Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Controls Picture
Sennheiser HD 600 Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

No Controls
No Controls

Ease Of Use  

No Controls
No Controls

Feedback  

No Controls
No Controls

Call/Music Control  

No
No

Volume Control  

No
No

Microphone Control  

No
No

Channel Mixing 
 

No
No

Noise Cancelling Control  

No
No

Talk-Through 
 

No
No

Additional Controls  

No
No

Show text

Breathability 
 

7.4
7.2

Breathability After Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Breathability After Picture
Sennheiser HD 600 Breathability After Picture

Avg.Temp.Difference  

3.1 °C
3.6 °C

Show text

Portability 
 

5.6
5.4

Portability Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Portability Picture
Sennheiser HD 600 Portability Picture

 

7.5" (19.0 cm)
7.7" (19.5 cm)

 

6.7" (17.0 cm)
6.9" (17.5 cm)

 

3.3" (8.5 cm)
3.9" (10.0 cm)

Volume  

167.56 in³ (2,745.80 cm³)
208.16 in³ (3,411.12 cm³)

Transmitter Required  

No
No

Show text

Case 
 

0.0
0.0

Case Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Case Picture
Sennheiser HD 600 Case Picture

Type  

No case
No case

 

N/A
N/A

 

N/A
N/A

 

N/A
N/A

Volume  

N/A
N/A

Build Quality 
 

7.0
7.5

Build Quality Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Build Quality Picture
Sennheiser HD 600 Build Quality Picture

Show text

Stability 
 

6.5
7.5

Stability Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Stability Picture
Sennheiser HD 600 Stability Picture

Show text

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Angled Picture
Sennheiser HD 600 Angled Picture

Side Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Side Picture
Sennheiser HD 600 Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Front Picture
Sennheiser HD 600 Front Picture

Rear Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Rear Picture
Sennheiser HD 600 Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Top Picture
Sennheiser HD 600 Top Picture

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 In The Box Picture
Sennheiser HD 600 In The Box Picture

Show text

Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Sound Profile  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Normalization Frequency 
 

900 Hz

Bass Amount 
 

-4.18 dB
-5.6 dB

Treble Amount 
 

-2.01 dB
-0.9 dB

Show text

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

7.2
7.6

Consistency L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Consistency R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. Std. Deviation 
 

0.57 dB
0.47 dB

Show text

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Bass Profile: Target Compliance 
 

7.0
6.1

Bass Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

4.11 dB
7.8 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

59.93 Hz
61.69 Hz

Low Bass 
 

-7.63 dB
-11.15 dB

Mid Bass 
 

-0.41 dB
-3.33 dB

High Bass 
 

3.45 dB
0.57 dB

Show text

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance 
 

9.0
9.6

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

1.34 dB
0.62 dB

Low Mid 
 

1.9 dB
0.57 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

-0.01 dB
-0.03 dB

High Mid 
 

-0.46 dB
0.83 dB

Show text

Treble Profile: Target Compliance 
 

8.9
8.7

Treble Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

1.7 dB
2.09 dB

Low Treble 
 

0.57 dB
-0.23 dB

Mid Treble 
 

-0.3 dB
-1.85 dB

High Treble 
 

-7.76 dB
-4.26 dB

Show text

Peaks/Dips 
 

7.8
7.9

Peaks/Dips Graph 
 

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Peaks 
 

1.56 dB
1.15 dB

Dips 
 

0.62 dB
1.64 dB

Show text

Imaging 
 

8.5
8.6

Group Delay  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Phase Response Mismatch  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.27
0.18

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

7.86
4.41

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

0.45
0.92

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

1.77
1.76

Show text

Passive Soundstage 
 

7.6
7.3

PRTF  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.) 
 

2.33 dB
2.91 dB

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

2.66 dB
2.43 dB

PRTF Distance 
 

10.37 dB
9.21 dB

Openness 
 

9.5
9.1

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

8.4
8.6

Show text

Virtual Soundstage 
 

0.0
0.0

Virtual Soundstage  

Sennheiser HD 598 Virtual Soundstage
Sennheiser HD 600 Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling 
 

No
No

Speaker Modeling 
 

No
No

Room Ambience 
 

No
No

Head Tracking 
 

No
No

Virtual Surround 
 

No App
No App

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

7.2
8.9

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

WHD @ 90 
 

0.163
0.068

WHD @ 100 
 

0.519
0.083

Show text

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

No Firmware
No Firmware

Power 
 

Passive
Passive

Connection 
 

Wired
Wired

Codec 
 

PCM, 24-bit, 48kHz
PCM, 24-bit, 48kHz

EQ 
 

No EQ
No EQ

ANC 
 

No ANC
No ANC

Tip/Pad 
 

Default
Default

Microphone 
 

No Microphone
No Microphone

Show text

Isolation

Noise Isolation - Full Range 
 

1.2
1.9

Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Noise Cancelling  

No
No

Overall Attenuation 
 

-2.81 dB
-4.34 dB

Isolation Audio 
 

Bass 
 

-0.05 dB
0.09 dB

Mid 
 

1.32 dB
1.05 dB

Treble 
 

-9.37 dB
-15.64 dB

Show text

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios 
 

1.7

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph  

See details on graph tool

Airplane Noise Attenuation 
 

-3.06 dB

Airplane Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Office Noise Attenuation 
 

-3.15 dB

Office Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Street Noise Attenuation 
 

-3.11 dB

Street Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Noise Isolation - Voice Handling 
 

Female Voice 1 
 

Male Voice 1 
 

Female Voice 2 
 

Male Voice 2 
 

ANC Wind Handling 
 

ANC Wind Handling Graph  

Sennheiser HD 600 ANC Wind Handling Graph

ANC Wind Noise 
 

N/A

Leakage 
 

2.1
1.6

Leakage  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

61.7 dB
63.75 dB

Show text

Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

No
No

In-Line 
 

No
No

Boom 
 

No
No

Detachable Boom 
 

No
No

Mic  

No
No

Recording Quality 
 

0.0
0.0

Microphone Frequency Response  

Sennheiser HD 598 Microphone Frequency Response
Sennheiser HD 600 Microphone Frequency Response

Recorded Speech 
 

N/A
N/A

LFE 
 

N/A
N/A

FR Std. Dev. 
 

N/A
N/A

HFE 
 

N/A
N/A

Weighted THD 
 

N/A
N/A

Gain 
 

N/A
N/A

Noise Handling 
 

0.0
0.0

SpNR  

Sennheiser HD 598 SpNR
Sennheiser HD 600 SpNR

SpNR 
 

N/A
N/A

Noise Gate 
 

No
No

Speech + Pink Noise Handling 
 

N/A
N/A

Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample  

N/A
N/A

Speech + Subway Noise Handling 
 

N/A
N/A

Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample  

N/A
N/A
Active Features

Battery 
 

0.0
0.0

Battery Type 
 

No Battery
No Battery

Continuous Battery Life 
 

N/A
N/A

Additional Charges 
 

N/A
N/A

Total Battery Life 
 

N/A
N/A

Charge Time 
 

N/A
N/A

Power-Saving Feature 
 

No
No

Audio While Charging 
 

No
No

Passive Playback 
 

Passive Headphone
Passive Headphone

Charging Port  

None
None

App Support 
 

0.0
0.0

App Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 App Picture
Sennheiser HD 600 App Picture

App Name  

No App
No App

iOS  

No
No

Android  

No
No

macOS  

No
No

Windows  

No
No

Equalizer 
 

No
No

ANC Control 
 

No
No

Mic Control  

No
No

Room Effects 
 

No
No

Playback Control 
 

No
No

Button Mapping  

No
No

Surround Support 
 

No
No

Show text

Connectivity

Wired Connection 
 

9.5
9.9

Cable Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Cable Picture
Sennheiser HD 600 Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

Yes
Yes

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Detachable 
 

Yes
Yes

Length 
 

4.40 ft (1.34 m)
9.84 ft (3.00 m)

Connector 
 

1/8" TRS
1/8" TRS

Latency - Analog 
 

0.2 ms

Latency - USB 
 

0 ms
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

Recorded Latency Connection  

Analog

Show text

Bluetooth Connection 
 

0.0
0.0

Bluetooth Version 
 

No Bluetooth
No Bluetooth

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

No
No

NFC Pairing 
 

No

Quick Pair (Android) 
 

No

Quick Pair (iOS) 
 

No

Line Of Sight Range 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - SBC 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - aptX 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (High Quality) 
 

N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency) 
 

N/A

Latency - LDAC 
 

N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

N/A

Recorded Latency Codec  

No Bluetooth Audio

AAC Support 
 

No

PC Latency (aptX HD) 
 

N/A

PC Latency (aptX-LL) 
 

N/A

iOS Latency 
 

N/A

Android Latency 
 

N/A

Wireless Connection (Dongle) 
 

0.0
0.0

Line Of Sight Range 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - Dongle 
 

N/A
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

N/A

PC Compatibility 
 

Analog 
 

Audio Only
Audio Only

Wired USB 
 

No
No

Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Show text

PlayStation Compatibility 
 

PS4 Analog 
 

Audio Only
Audio Only

PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

PS5 Analog 
 

Audio Only
Audio Only

PS5 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS5 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Show text

Xbox Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

Audio Only
Audio Only

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Analog 
 

Audio Only
Audio Only

Xbox Series X|S Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Show text

Base/Dock 
 

0.0
0.0

Type 
 

No Base/Dock
No Base/Dock

USB Input 
 

No
No

Line In 
 

No
No

Line Out 
 

No
No

Optical Input 
 

No
No

RCA Input 
 

No
No

Dock Charging 
 

No
No

Power Supply 
 

No Base/Dock
No Base/Dock

Check Price

Sennheiser HD 598

Sennheiser HD 600

Comments

  1. Comparison

Sennheiser HD 598 vs Sennheiser HD 600: Main Discussion

What do you think of these products? Let us know below.


Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.

PreviewBack to editorFormat guide
No comments yet, refresh to see new ones