Sennheiser HD595 Review
A look back at an all-time favorite
The Sennheiser HD595, as old a model as it may be, is still one of our favorites. Why? Because it’s just so easy to listen to that all that’s left for us is to enjoy the music. And that’s what music lovers want, don’t we? Enough of the critical over analysis of frequencies, tonality, staging, what-have-yous, these cans make us enjoy that which matters the most—the material.
So after nearly three years of constant use, what can we add to what has already been said (repeatedly)? Some rants about the build quality for starters. We saw cracks on the (plastic) part that connects the cups to the headband, and the velour pads started to tear off after only about a year of use—from the inside, exposing the foam (it’s still in one piece though).
It still looks nice though, and might still be the most comfortable pair we’ve used (except maybe for the Sennheiser HD555, which is basically built the same). By the way, that (comfort) also adds a lot to the “listening to the music” experience.
The cable and the headband still looks and works the same, even after a couple of unintentional drops. We still use the included headphone rack and we still enjoy it being a “plus” after all these years.
So, to go back a little on why we liked these in the first place, let’s review its sound and value. Back then, in terms of value, one might have questioned the fact that they were not proportionally priced to the lower-classed HD555s (so did we, but we got them anyway). The HD555s were justly priced, and at nearly double its price, the HD595s did not double the overall performance.
And that’s what we thought, except after a couple of marathon listening sessions, we began to understand what more 595s had to offer. We still have very high regard for the HD555 to this point especially when we start looking at its price tag, but the HD595 adds so much more to the listening experience that we’ve justified (and forgiven) its worth.
The Sennheiser HD595 is a well-balanced headphone in our book. It gives an accurate reproduction (fidelity) of the original material which makes your either appreciate or dislike (not hate) a recording. They are not overly critical—as in making bad recordings unbearable to listen to, but you get an appropriate feel of how the record was made. You appreciate good recordings more, but they still give enough slack to bad ones, especially if the song is really good.
Highs are clear, detailed and soft (natural, organic). They provide enough energy to cope with demanding recordings without having to sound harsh. They do not carry the Sennheiser “veiled” sound, but they still sound quite laid back (as opposed to maybe an AKG or a Grado).
The mids are well-balanced and detailed. Ambient sounds are easily distinguished and can be placed. They work wonders on female vocals and acoustic instruments, and we consider this type of music as its forte. They can handle heavier recordings but, to put it lightly, they weren’t made for those. But hey, nothing can suit all types of music, which is why we look for balance.
Bass is tight, clear and ample. They maybe the type which we’d imagine the younger generation to label “weak,” but we feel they reproduce the recorded bass frequencies just the way they were intended to. These are not DJ headphones anyway, but again we go back to that overall balance.
The soundstage is really deep on the HD595. Alright, maybe they’re not that wide but they do sound full. But for a fuller, albeit wider soundstage, we’d already go to a flagship model, and the 595s are not.
So, “balance” just might have been the focus of our review (look back), but that is what we really like about the HD595. If we were to leave only one pair from our collection, I know a couple of our editors would definitely go for these cans. I myself have enjoyed countless of listening sessions with these. And on those times, I did not for once criticize (or maybe even thought of what I was using) the cans for I was so engulfed with the music.
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