It's kind of weird how they're closed headphones, but at the same time have very little portability and pretty satisfactory sound isolation. That being said, for my home use where there's other people constantly doing their own things these work great.

Comfortable; highs; mids; nice soundstage; build quality

Bass; sound leak; not foldable; cable

In the past we've raised an eyebrow at the brave colour choices for headphones, (such as the Phiaton MS300 s' gleaming red finish) but these Sennheisers take things to a whole other level.

Supremely comfortable; rugged build; detailed; well-integrated sound

Is ‘boring' too strong a word?

Ever since I got into the hobby of ear-sized transducers, I've been wanting to sample a high-end set of Sennheiser headphones. The Germans are known for their attention to detail and insiders go as far as calling them "industry lions".

Bass is a little pronounced; which benefits certain types of music; Fairly forgiving on poor sources and lower quality music; Fairly easy to drive

Midrange is not as sweet as we'd like; Soundstage is flat; A little overpriced in India; MRP is 50% higher than US prices

The Sennheiser HD598 phones are an unusual color but they do sound excellent. Any shred of veil is gone now. These phones are lively, have long bass extension, real presence, excellent detail, good sound stage and are very easy to listen to for hours.

The Sennheiser HD 598 are a timely update of the older Sennheiser HD 595 over-the-ear headphones and come with a nice designer twist. The cream and brown plastic and leather look is off-set by a nice Burl Wood veneer trim that certainly helps these cans stand out from the crowd.

In terms of style and build quality, these have to be some of the best looking and well-built headphones around; From the metal grills of these open-backed cans to the plastic and real leather lining of the headstrap, they're a joy to wear.

The Sennheiser HD 598 may have an innovative twist-and-lock cable fitting but the 3 metre cable itself is too long for use on the street; while the audio converter means it's too large for comfortable pocket stuffing

The open-backed Sennheiser HD 598 headphones offer a jazzed-up take on the HD 595, which have been part of Sennheiser's over-the-ears range for more than five years. They're more visually striking than their predecessors, but anyone spending around ￡160 on headphones is probably going to care more...

Wide "open-back" sound; Well-measured; powerful bass; Good with movies and games too

Eye-catching looks an acquired taste; The look comes at a slight premium

Sennheiser is one of the world?s leading headphone brands. Their new HD 598 headphones offer a jazzed-up take on the HD 595 and while they are not cheap they do offer something a little different in both looks and sound quality.

Wide "open-back" sound; Well-measured, powerful bass; Good with movies and games too

Eye-catching looks an acquired taste; The look comes at a slight premium

The Sennheiser HD598's high-gloss burled wood accents, thickly padded headband, and ear cushions all lend a luxurious feel to the design. The tan-and-beige colour scheme is a nice alternative to Sennheiser's usual grey or black finishes.

Lightweight German design is extremely comfortable; Highly dynamic and detailed sound; 3.5mm headphone plug adapter

No storage case included

Call us boring, but we're not sure we prefer the bold colour scheme of the Sennheiser HD 598 to the standard black and grey, but any qualms blew away once we donned these headphones.

Wide "open-back" sound; Well-measured, powerful bass; Good with movies and games too

Eye-catching looks an acquired taste; The look comes at a slight premium

Crutchfield has collected 11 user reviews for this product with an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars. The most recent reviewer said, "I was amazed on how comfortable these headphones are. I would highly recommend this to anyone.