Sennheiser HD 599 vs HD 560S: Which Open-Back?

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The Difference Is Tuning, Not Tier

Both are open-back, wired, over-ear headphones from the same manufacturer, built around the same idea: cups that are perforated rather than sealed, so sound passes both ways. That gives a wide, natural presentation neither could produce closed.

What Sennheiser says separates them is short and, unusually for marketing, accurate:

• HD 599 SE — a wide, airy soundstage with relaxed, natural mids, and bass that is polite rather than punchy
• HD 560S — neutral and accurate, precision-tuned to reveal subtle detail, aimed at content creation as much as listening

Read that again as a buying instruction rather than a spec: one is tuned to make music enjoyable, the other to make problems audible. Those are different goals, and neither is a better version of the other.

A neutral headphone is not a nicer headphone. It is a more honest one, which means a badly mastered album sounds badly mastered rather than pleasant. That is exactly what you want when editing and exactly what you do not want at the end of a long day.

What Both Give Up

Because they share a design, they share two limitations, and both matter more than the difference between them.

They leak, completely. Anyone in the room hears what you are playing and you hear them. These are quiet-room headphones — useless in an office, on a train, or anywhere near a live microphone. If you record, our best headphones for podcasting guide explains why open-back is disqualified there.

Neither is a phone headphone. Both are wired, and open-back designs at this level ask more of a source than a laptop jack comfortably gives. An audio interface or a headphone amplifier gets meaningfully more out of either — check what your listing states before assuming a USB-C dongle will do.

Sennheiser HD 599 SE Open-Back Headphones

The one most people should buy, and it happens to be the cheaper of the two. Its relaxed, natural midrange and airy soundstage make long listening effortless — this is a headphone you forget you are wearing, in the sense that nothing about the sound demands attention.

The bass is polite rather than punchy. If you want low-end weight this is the wrong family entirely, not the wrong model; open-back designs trade bass authority for openness by construction.

Buy it for listening to music you already like, for gaming where soundstage matters more than accuracy, and for long sessions where fatigue is the real enemy. Our best over-ear headphones for audiophiles guide covers where it sits against the wider field.

Check Price on Amazon · $149.19 as of August 13, 2026 — check Amazon for the latest price.

Sennheiser HD 560S Open-Back Over-Ear Headphones

The one to buy if you are making decisions rather than enjoying music. Its neutral tuning is the point: it reveals detail across the range without flattering any part of it, which is what mixing, editing and critical listening actually require.

Sennheiser positions it for content creation, and that framing is honest. If you are cutting audio or video and need to hear whether something is wrong, the extra fifty dollars buys you a tool that tells you.

Two cautions. It is less forgiving — poor recordings sound poor, and a large part of most people's libraries is poorly recorded. And it is the more expensive headphone while being the less pleasant one for casual use, which is a strange thing to buy unless the job requires it.

Check Price on Amazon · $199.95 as of August 13, 2026 — check Amazon for the latest price.

How to Choose

You listen to music for pleasure: HD 599 SE. Warmer, more relaxed, fifty dollars cheaper, and better rated by its owners.

You edit, mix, or make audio decisions: HD 560S. Neutrality is the whole product.

You game: HD 599 SE. Soundstage and comfort over long sessions matter more than analytical accuracy here.

You want bass: neither. Open-back gives up low-end weight by design. A closed-back headphone will do more for you — see best wired headphones.

You share a room, commute, or record near a microphone: neither. Both leak fully in both directions, and no amount of volume management changes that.

You want one pair for both jobs: buy the HD 599 SE and accept it flatters slightly, or buy the HD 560S and accept some listening will be less fun. There is no model here that does both.

FAQ

Is the HD 560S better than the HD 599? It is more accurate, which is better for editing and worse for casual listening. For most buyers the HD 599 SE is the more useful headphone, and it costs less.

Which has more bass? The HD 560S is more even across the range; the HD 599 SE is warmer through the mids. Neither delivers the low-end weight a sealed headphone does — that is the open-back trade.

Do I need an amplifier? Both benefit from more than a laptop jack. An audio interface or headphone amp gets more out of either, and the HD 560S is the more demanding of the two. Check the impedance figure on the listing before you buy a source.

Can I use them for gaming? Yes, and open-back is genuinely good for it — a wide soundstage makes directional cues easier to place. The HD 599 SE is the more comfortable of the two over long sessions.

Will people hear my music? Yes. Both are fully open, so anyone nearby hears what you play and you hear them. This is not a headphone for shared spaces.

Are they comfortable for hours? Both are, which is a Sennheiser strength at this level. The HD 599 SE is the more relaxed fit of the two.

Verdict

The HD 599 SE is the right buy for most people, and the fact that it is also the cheaper one makes the decision easy rather than close. Relaxed mids, an airy presentation and comfort across long sessions are what a music headphone should offer, and it does not ask you to enjoy accuracy for its own sake.

Buy the HD 560S for one reason: you need to hear what is actually in a recording, because you are going to change it. On that brief it is the better tool and the extra money is well spent.

If you are choosing between them for casual listening, stop comparing and buy the cheaper one. The more expensive Sennheiser here is not a better headphone — it is a more demanding one, and demanding is only a virtue when the work requires it.