We typically scoff and prepare for the worst whenever we see the word "audiophile" in the marketing for any headphone that we see cross our desks, because we've been exposed to some of the crazy things that people will buy simply because it's branded as such.

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

Based on the merits of sound quality alone, we would rate the HD 598 a 9.5. These cans sound remarkable, perhaps the best we've heard under $500.

Remarkable Sound; Extremely Comfortable; Lightweight

Unattractive Color; No case/pouch; Awkward with portable media devices (long adapter

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

I have several pairs of Sennheiser headphones that I use in the studio. The HD 360 PRO is the perfect match for my portable recording rig. These headphones provide uncolored sound- which is essential for recording, playback, and mastering.

sound quality; price

I very much recommend this specific pair of headphones. I did not know you could get this level of quality for $150. - $200. Sennheiser makes really good headphones , and these are my favorite.

The sound is clear, warm, and rich; I'm an old rock and roll guy, but the only really good quality (.flac) audio files I had on hand were a set of cello pieces; Mein Gott! I think I might have to change my favorite musical instrument.

Same old issue with the 1/8th inch headphone jack; All of my computer and stereo equipment has 3.5 mm jacks; I will eventually buy a 1.5 m cable with 3.5 in jacks on each end, and light weight to boot