HD595

Coming in with a slightly different sound to the HD600s that we reviewed earlier, the Sennheiser HD595s nonetheless exhibit elements of the traditional Sennheiser sonic signature. A comfortable model with a solid all round style makes them a great option in the high-mid range of headphones.

Their sound is quite laid back, as most Sennheisers are, although the presentation is much more forward than that of the HD600. They sport a similarly dark sound, with a low tone underlying most of the music. This isn't to say that bass is particularly prominent. With their HD600s and 650s well known for having strong, heavy bass, the 595s were a bit of a disappointment. Bass response was quite slow and deep, but lacked the impact of its elder brethren. With music such as rock, dance, metal or R&B strong bass can give songs a powerful feeling, so these headphones may be more suited to classical or jazz music.

There was a slight lack of detail surrounding complicated sections of guitar, which combined with the slow bass give these headphones a warm sound, which some people will enjoy. For those looking for a colder, more detailed sound you may wish to look elsewhere. This sound seemed to effect electric guitar in particular, giving a gentle fuzz over the sound, as if you are listening through a piece of material.

The mid and treble ranges were both sweet, with none of the high note roll-off that we heard on the HD600s. For the price, the level of detail presented was stunning, bringing background sounds that you have previously never heard to the fore. In that price point, the sound was quite comparable with the Audio Technica A900, although the 595 was a little less bassy and the treble wasn't quite so bright, but it had a smoother sound. Personal preference will ultimately split these two, although for our money we enjoyed the Audio Technica A900, a little more, probably because we listen to a lot of rock music, and because of their versatility in operating un-amplified.

The soundstage was quite impressive; a very natural presentation. Instruments were well placed, giving a third or forth row from the front impression, and they make great multipurpose headphones to game and watch movies on. The open design lends it self to a detailed soundstage, which is great for positional audio in games. It also however leads to significant sound leakage. The HD595s offered virtually no isolation at all; people in their own offices across the hall could hear our music as we were testing.

We tested the HD595 both amplified and un-amplified and it was quite effective in both scenarios, however it really did need an amplifier to reach the above mentioned sound quality. It sounded a little thin running directly off a portable source, so keep the cost of an amplifier in mind when purchasing.

We love how these headphones looked. Tall, slim cups, with a leather head strap, velour cup coverings and a matt silver colour scheme makes for a fantastic unit. They were comfortable to wear, even over long listening sessions, and we suffered none of the clamping effect we felt with the HD600s. The build quality however did feel a little sub-par. Many people have complained of this particular model breaking after a little use, so if you make the purchase be careful.