Typical Sennheiser sound, solid performer
Pros:
Good sound balance and dynamic range, good bass, soft earpiece cushions, single-sided cord, lightweight
Cons:
Somewhat heavy clamping pressure from earpieces, low efficiency, slight lack of presence
The Bottom Line:
These should certainly go on anyone's list for considering headphones under $200, but be aware of the comfort issues and low efficiency.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
For those who love the Sennheiser sound, these headphones will not disappoint. The warm, powerful bass is there, along with the full midrange. The high-end is a bit muted, but more than adequate for rock and techno-music. Jazz, classical, and acoustic guitar fare less well with the HD595s.
Contrary to some of the published specifications and comments of other reviewers at different sites, I find the HD595s to be too inefficient to use with a portable media player unless you also use an external headphone amplifier. Fortunately, I have several that do a great job, but this automatically makes it necessary for me to take along another couple pieces of gear if I'm going to use the HD595s while travelling.
I find the design and construction of the HD595s to be a study in contrasts. They are actually much lighter in weight than they first appear, but they feel heavy on my head. The cushion on the headband is quite thick, but it is narrow and is quite noticeable as it presses on the top of my head. A broader, thinner cushion may have been a better design choice. The earpieces pivot over only a limited range and I find that they won't sit flat against the sides of my head if I expand the band to reduce the overall pressure on my head. The cushions on the earpieces are soft velour and they are sized to completely surround even larger ears. Even though these are open air headphones, they feel much more like closed headphones. The result is that you don't get the comfortable fit of most lightweight open-air headphones. I can't wear these for more than 45 minutes or so at a time.
There are many positive attributes, though. The single-sided cord (left earpiece) is always welcome and the cord itself is fairly lightweight. Imaging is superior to my Grados (probably due to the positioning of the transducers within the earpieces). They are also priced much lower than either their big brothers (the HD650s) or the higher-end Grados.
The HD595s are worthy of serious consideration for certain types of music, but spend a little extra time to make sure that you are comfortable with their fit and feel on your head. I don't advise buying these without trying them on for at least 10 to 15 minutes first.
