1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:08,240 I am back for yet another edition of Awesome Stuff Week sponsored by YouTube. 2 00:00:05,279 --> 00:00:12,080 This time it's awesome stuff unwrapped with the theme of holiday gifts for 3 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:15,360 others or that you can buy for yourself if you're into that sort of thing. And 4 00:00:13,759 --> 00:00:19,520 they've even got this experimental new ad unit that allows you to buy the item 5 00:00:17,359 --> 00:00:24,240 that's being featured through the video itself. Crazy, right? Anyway, Monday's 6 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:29,010 focus for Awesome Stuff Unwrapped is right in my wheelhouse. You guessed it, 7 00:00:27,119 --> 00:00:37,760 makeup. 8 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:43,280 Corsair's RMI series power supplies feature premium components for great 9 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:47,440 performance with very low noise. Check out the link in the video description to 10 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:52,960 learn more. So, I was racking my brain for an awesome tech gift. I went, you 11 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:56,640 know what? I am really tired of seeing people buy crappy headphones for each 12 00:00:55,120 --> 00:01:00,879 other. And when you combine that with the fact that I've never covered one of 13 00:00:58,239 --> 00:01:06,080 the primo value audio file headphones out there, the Sennheiser HD598s, and 14 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:09,360 the fact that they just launched a black SE variant, not to mention that we 15 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:14,400 didn't have a lot of time to throw this video together, and I already have a fair bit of experience with this 16 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:18,560 product's very similar predecessor, and we've got ourselves a recipe for a 17 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:22,240 video. So, let's take a look at today's prize, Philly. Inside the box, you'll 18 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:26,400 find the headphones themselves with a cleverly locking detachable 3meter cord, 19 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:30,159 a headphone jack adapter, so you can use them with anything from your MP3 player 20 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:34,640 to your standalone headphone amplifier, and in the case of the SE, a shorter 1.2 21 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:38,479 meter cord that will likely be preferred by folks who want to use their new 22 00:01:36,079 --> 00:01:44,799 headphones with a portable music player. On that subject, at 50 ohms, the HD598s 23 00:01:41,759 --> 00:01:46,799 are a little on the high impedance side 24 00:01:44,799 --> 00:01:51,119 to get the most out of them with any but the best portable amps. But with that 25 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:55,840 said, I didn't find them entirely lifeless with my Xperia Z5 Compact to 26 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:59,119 the point where I would entirely avoid them if you want to use them while 27 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:03,759 you're on the go sometimes without a standalone powered amp. Not that most 28 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:07,200 people are going to want to use the regular one while they're out and about 29 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:12,160 anyway. I can't think of too many outfits that would go with this 30 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:13,360 particular color scheme. So, I I don't 31 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:17,280 know. I guess it's hard for me to describe these physically any further 32 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:21,840 other than to say that well, they're headphones. Uh you'll find the 53mm 33 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:26,640 dynamic drivers angled strategically towards your ear canals in each cup 34 00:02:24,239 --> 00:02:30,239 surrounded by velour pads. There are two hinges. You got your up and down and 35 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:33,920 your left and right to help the headphones fit on a variety of head 36 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:38,000 shapes better. And then between the cushioned headband and the ear cups 37 00:02:35,599 --> 00:02:42,800 themselves is a regrettably plastic, but from my experience, still fairly robust 38 00:02:40,239 --> 00:02:47,200 size adjust mechanism. Enough about those though. What else will I be 39 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:50,959 comparing them against? I still don't have an ABX listening setup, 40 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:55,120 unfortunately. Uh part of the reason why you won't be seeing me evaluate any amps 41 00:02:53,120 --> 00:03:00,080 or DAXs, which are much more difficult to tell from each other until that 42 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:05,360 changes. So, I am stuck with adjusting my listening levels to 80 dB with a 1 43 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:09,120 kHz test tone and then just switching between headphones and giving you guys 44 00:03:06,959 --> 00:03:14,040 my impressions. So, I went with a higherend lower reference point in 45 00:03:11,159 --> 00:03:20,080 Sennheiser's signature sound, my old HD555s and my daily driver HD600's. And 46 00:03:17,519 --> 00:03:25,920 then to represent similar tier models from other popular manufacturers, I've 47 00:03:22,239 --> 00:03:29,120 got the K7XX from AKG and DT990 Pros 48 00:03:25,920 --> 00:03:31,040 from Bear Dynamic. Let's talk fit first. 49 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:36,319 Since nothing in my test suite today falls into the uncomfortable category, 50 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:40,799 the HD598 has its work cut out for it 51 00:03:36,319 --> 00:03:43,440 here. AKG's K7XX suspension and leather 52 00:03:40,799 --> 00:03:47,760 head strap system works really well because their massive ear cups allow 53 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:51,920 sufficient clamping pressure to keep most of the weight off of the top of the 54 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:55,440 head without pressure points. While both Sennheiser and Bayer Dynamic take a 55 00:03:53,920 --> 00:04:00,599 different approach here and feature velour cushioned ear cups and cushioned 56 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:05,040 pleather headbands. Compared to the DT990s, I wouldn't say I like 57 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:09,680 Sennheiser's approach better, but I'd call it more of a tradeoff. For the 58 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:15,040 headband, Sennheiser goes for a thicker kind of you can actually hear it airride 59 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:19,600 type system that I find doesn't distribute the weight on my head as 60 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:24,479 well, but is by no means uncomfortable. And then again on the ear cups, the 61 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:27,919 HD598s use a firmer foam and a a 62 00:04:24,479 --> 00:04:30,639 shallower velour that is comfortable but 63 00:04:27,919 --> 00:04:36,639 kind of lacks the warm hug from a friend on my head effect. The flip side of that 64 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:41,759 is that the HD598s keep my head and ears cooler while I am listening. So, from a 65 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:47,919 comfort perspective, there's really no loser here, except I would say the 66 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:50,560 K7XXs get edged out by both the DT990s 67 00:04:47,919 --> 00:04:54,639 and the 598s. But with that said, I can wear any of these models for hours 68 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:59,280 without that, oh goodness, my head is finally free feeling once I remove them. 69 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:05,199 Which actually leads to another super positive thing I noticed here. The last 70 00:05:01,280 --> 00:05:07,280 time I bought a new headphone, my HD600s 71 00:05:05,199 --> 00:05:11,919 were secondhand from Sennheiser's openbacked audio file lineup was the 72 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:16,400 HD555s, and those things grabbed your head like a vice out of the box and only 73 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:21,759 started fitting like a a perfectly tailored glove after a few months. The 74 00:05:19,199 --> 00:05:25,680 598s, on the other hand, are awesome out of the box. And while I'm actually 75 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:29,680 comparing them to the 555s, in terms of build quality, they're similar except 76 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:35,360 that the plastic at the hinge here, which on my 555s cracked like so many 77 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:37,360 others, seems to be a bit more robust. 78 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:41,199 Let's get into how they sound. I used a light harmonic geek out for all 79 00:05:39,039 --> 00:05:44,960 listening today with my usual mix of top 40 music because that's what I listen to 80 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:50,720 and so do a lot of people. In a nutshell, the HD598s are worth every 81 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:55,039 penny of what the nonSE model is going for at the moment. Depending on where 82 00:05:52,639 --> 00:05:59,600 you're shopping, and even at their MSRP, you're not going to be, you know, upset 83 00:05:57,199 --> 00:06:03,039 that you got ripped off. Take that with a grain of salt from me, though, because 84 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:08,080 I'll be the first to admit that I've always loved the Sennheiser sound 85 00:06:05,840 --> 00:06:12,080 signature, derisively referred to by people who don't like it as the 86 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:16,960 Sennheiser Veil because of the way their frequency response falls off a cliff in 87 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:22,240 the high-end. That has the undesired effect of reducing clarity or sparkle in 88 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:26,400 the high range. But with poor quality recordings, pretty common thanks to the 89 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:31,360 loudness war of audio mastering, it makes highfrequency instruments, 90 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:34,319 particularly percussion, less fatiguing 91 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:40,319 to listen to, which I personally prefer. By comparison, the K7XX and DT990 Pros 92 00:06:37,919 --> 00:06:44,720 do a better job of retaining details in the highs with the DT990s also hitting 93 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:48,600 the bass a bit harder, but not to the point where, you know, anything that I'm 94 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:53,199 looking at today would be a bass headphone either. Overall, I think the 95 00:06:51,759 --> 00:06:59,039 best way to describe the listening experience with the HD598s is smooth and 96 00:06:56,880 --> 00:07:03,759 easy. And and I know those are stupid audio file words that don't really tell 97 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:08,479 you anything objectively, but if you were interested in objective data, then 98 00:07:05,479 --> 00:07:10,639 headphone.com is the place to go anyway. 99 00:07:08,479 --> 00:07:15,120 And honestly, I don't need that to reach the conclusion about this video. 100 00:07:12,639 --> 00:07:19,199 compared to almost all of the more consumer oriented headphones out there, 101 00:07:17,199 --> 00:07:23,440 even Sennheiser's own Urbanite line that did I did not get a positive review from 102 00:07:21,199 --> 00:07:28,080 me about a year ago. Whether you go with the brown or black edition with the same 103 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:32,000 internals, the HD598s aren't going to knock your earrings out with thumping 104 00:07:29,599 --> 00:07:36,240 bass, but they're a bang for the buck winner. If you or someone you know is a 105 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:42,160 budding audio file who wants to listen to his or her music the way it was 106 00:07:38,479 --> 00:07:42,160 really meant to be listened 107 00:07:51,639 --> 00:07:58,639 to. Speaking of listening to listen to 108 00:07:55,039 --> 00:08:00,400 me talk about iFixit for $10 off your 109 00:07:58,639 --> 00:08:05,120 purchase of $50 or more. You guys can go to ifixit.com/Linus and enter the code 110 00:08:03,039 --> 00:08:07,520 techtips at checkout. Well, hold on a second, Linus. What's iFix ifixit? Why 111 00:08:06,319 --> 00:08:12,240 would I want to buy anything there? Ah, great question. If you've ever wanted to 112 00:08:09,919 --> 00:08:17,680 repair a tablet or a notebook computer or phone and you've been like, best 113 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:21,919 guide for repairing device X, the odds are excellent that you've ended up over 114 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:26,160 on ifixit.com. They've got all kinds of fantastic guides for tearing down 115 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:30,400 devices and repairing them, replacing batteries to get the most out of the 116 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:33,839 stuff that you paid your good hard money for. And the thing that most people 117 00:08:32,479 --> 00:08:36,880 don't know and where the offer code comes in is that iFixit not only has 118 00:08:35,519 --> 00:08:42,080 these guides, but they've got all the tools you need. Suction cups, prying 119 00:08:39,279 --> 00:08:46,080 tools, tweezers, magnets, hard to find screwdriver bits, all that stuff 120 00:08:43,919 --> 00:08:50,080 available on their site. They even got they even invented a tool to apply 121 00:08:47,839 --> 00:08:54,160 consistent heat directly to adhesive laden case components so you can get 122 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:58,240 them apart. It's called the eye opener because it's for opening eye devices. 123 00:08:55,920 --> 00:09:02,399 Anyway, um anyway, don't worry about the jokes or the product names. Worry about 124 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:06,640 heading over to ifixit.com/Linus and entering code techtips at the 125 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:09,839 checkout. So, that's pretty much it, guys. Thanks for watching. If you just 126 00:09:07,839 --> 00:09:12,800 liked this video, you know what to do. You guys are so good at finding that 127 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:16,480 button. That's what I like about you guys. But if you like the video, hit the 128 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:20,640 like button. Get subscribed to the channel. And don't forget to even wait, 129 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:23,760 no, I lost my train of thought. Even consider supporting us directly by using 130 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:27,839 our affiliate code to shop at Amazon. Instructions up there, buying a cool shirt like this one, or even with a 131 00:09:26,560 --> 00:09:32,000 direct monthly contribution to our community form to get a cool little contributor badge. Now that you're done 132 00:09:30,959 --> 00:09:38,399 doing all that stuff, you're probably wondering, "What should I watch next?" So, click that little bit bitten button. 133 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:44,080 Click the button top right corner. Check out the video where I build a router. 134 00:09:40,399 --> 00:09:44,080 Yes, let's go with that today.