WEBVTT 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:08.240 I am back for yet another edition of Awesome Stuff Week sponsored by YouTube. 00:00:05.279 --> 00:00:12.080 This time it's awesome stuff unwrapped with the theme of holiday gifts for 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 00:00:13.759 --> 00:00:19.520 they've even got this experimental new ad unit that allows you to buy the item 00:00:17.359 --> 00:00:24.240 that's being featured through the video itself. Crazy, right? Anyway, Monday's 00:00:22.320 --> 00:00:29.010 focus for Awesome Stuff Unwrapped is right in my wheelhouse. You guessed it, 00:00:27.119 --> 00:00:37.760 makeup. 00:00:37.760 --> 00:00:43.280 Corsair's RMI series power supplies feature premium components for great 00:00:41.360 --> 00:00:47.440 performance with very low noise. Check out the link in the video description to 00:00:44.800 --> 00:00:52.960 learn more. So, I was racking my brain for an awesome tech gift. I went, you 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:56.640 know what? I am really tired of seeing people buy crappy headphones for each 00:00:55.120 --> 00:01:00.879 other. And when you combine that with the fact that I've never covered one of 00:00:58.239 --> 00:01:06.080 the primo value audio file headphones out there, the Sennheiser HD598s, and 00:01:03.440 --> 00:01:09.360 the fact that they just launched a black SE variant, not to mention that we 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 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:18.560 product's very similar predecessor, and we've got ourselves a recipe for a 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 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:26.400 find the headphones themselves with a cleverly locking detachable 3meter cord, 00:01:24.720 --> 00:01:30.159 a headphone jack adapter, so you can use them with anything from your MP3 player 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:34.640 to your standalone headphone amplifier, and in the case of the SE, a shorter 1.2 00:01:32.880 --> 00:01:38.479 meter cord that will likely be preferred by folks who want to use their new 00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:44.799 headphones with a portable music player. On that subject, at 50 ohms, the HD598s 00:01:41.759 --> 00:01:46.799 are a little on the high impedance side 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 00:01:49.680 --> 00:01:55.840 said, I didn't find them entirely lifeless with my Xperia Z5 Compact to 00:01:53.840 --> 00:01:59.119 the point where I would entirely avoid them if you want to use them while 00:01:57.360 --> 00:02:03.759 you're on the go sometimes without a standalone powered amp. Not that most 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:07.200 people are going to want to use the regular one while they're out and about 00:02:05.600 --> 00:02:12.160 anyway. I can't think of too many outfits that would go with this 00:02:09.080 --> 00:02:13.360 particular color scheme. So, I I don't 00:02:12.160 --> 00:02:17.280 know. I guess it's hard for me to describe these physically any further 00:02:15.280 --> 00:02:21.840 other than to say that well, they're headphones. Uh you'll find the 53mm 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:26.640 dynamic drivers angled strategically towards your ear canals in each cup 00:02:24.239 --> 00:02:30.239 surrounded by velour pads. There are two hinges. You got your up and down and 00:02:28.720 --> 00:02:33.920 your left and right to help the headphones fit on a variety of head 00:02:31.840 --> 00:02:38.000 shapes better. And then between the cushioned headband and the ear cups 00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:42.800 themselves is a regrettably plastic, but from my experience, still fairly robust 00:02:40.239 --> 00:02:47.200 size adjust mechanism. Enough about those though. What else will I be 00:02:44.480 --> 00:02:50.959 comparing them against? I still don't have an ABX listening setup, 00:02:49.040 --> 00:02:55.120 unfortunately. Uh part of the reason why you won't be seeing me evaluate any amps 00:02:53.120 --> 00:03:00.080 or DAXs, which are much more difficult to tell from each other until that 00:02:57.200 --> 00:03:05.360 changes. So, I am stuck with adjusting my listening levels to 80 dB with a 1 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:09.120 kHz test tone and then just switching between headphones and giving you guys 00:03:06.959 --> 00:03:14.040 my impressions. So, I went with a higherend lower reference point in 00:03:11.159 --> 00:03:20.080 Sennheiser's signature sound, my old HD555s and my daily driver HD600's. And 00:03:17.519 --> 00:03:25.920 then to represent similar tier models from other popular manufacturers, I've 00:03:22.239 --> 00:03:29.120 got the K7XX from AKG and DT990 Pros 00:03:25.920 --> 00:03:31.040 from Bear Dynamic. Let's talk fit first. 00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:36.319 Since nothing in my test suite today falls into the uncomfortable category, 00:03:33.280 --> 00:03:40.799 the HD598 has its work cut out for it 00:03:36.319 --> 00:03:43.440 here. AKG's K7XX suspension and leather 00:03:40.799 --> 00:03:47.760 head strap system works really well because their massive ear cups allow 00:03:46.080 --> 00:03:51.920 sufficient clamping pressure to keep most of the weight off of the top of the 00:03:49.680 --> 00:03:55.440 head without pressure points. While both Sennheiser and Bayer Dynamic take a 00:03:53.920 --> 00:04:00.599 different approach here and feature velour cushioned ear cups and cushioned 00:03:58.080 --> 00:04:05.040 pleather headbands. Compared to the DT990s, I wouldn't say I like 00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:09.680 Sennheiser's approach better, but I'd call it more of a tradeoff. For the 00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:15.040 headband, Sennheiser goes for a thicker kind of you can actually hear it airride 00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:19.600 type system that I find doesn't distribute the weight on my head as 00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:24.479 well, but is by no means uncomfortable. And then again on the ear cups, the 00:04:21.160 --> 00:04:27.919 HD598s use a firmer foam and a a 00:04:24.479 --> 00:04:30.639 shallower velour that is comfortable but 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 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 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:47.919 comfort perspective, there's really no loser here, except I would say the 00:04:44.120 --> 00:04:50.560 K7XXs get edged out by both the DT990s 00:04:47.919 --> 00:04:54.639 and the 598s. But with that said, I can wear any of these models for hours 00:04:52.240 --> 00:04:59.280 without that, oh goodness, my head is finally free feeling once I remove them. 00:04:57.600 --> 00:05:05.199 Which actually leads to another super positive thing I noticed here. The last 00:05:01.280 --> 00:05:07.280 time I bought a new headphone, my HD600s 00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:11.919 were secondhand from Sennheiser's openbacked audio file lineup was the 00:05:09.720 --> 00:05:16.400 HD555s, and those things grabbed your head like a vice out of the box and only 00:05:14.320 --> 00:05:21.759 started fitting like a a perfectly tailored glove after a few months. The 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:25.680 598s, on the other hand, are awesome out of the box. And while I'm actually 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:29.680 comparing them to the 555s, in terms of build quality, they're similar except 00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:35.360 that the plastic at the hinge here, which on my 555s cracked like so many 00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:37.360 others, seems to be a bit more robust. 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:41.199 Let's get into how they sound. I used a light harmonic geek out for all 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 00:05:42.880 --> 00:05:50.720 and so do a lot of people. In a nutshell, the HD598s are worth every 00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:55.039 penny of what the nonSE model is going for at the moment. Depending on where 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 00:05:57.199 --> 00:06:03.039 that you got ripped off. Take that with a grain of salt from me, though, because 00:06:01.360 --> 00:06:08.080 I'll be the first to admit that I've always loved the Sennheiser sound 00:06:05.840 --> 00:06:12.080 signature, derisively referred to by people who don't like it as the 00:06:09.680 --> 00:06:16.960 Sennheiser Veil because of the way their frequency response falls off a cliff in 00:06:14.400 --> 00:06:22.240 the high-end. That has the undesired effect of reducing clarity or sparkle in 00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:26.400 the high range. But with poor quality recordings, pretty common thanks to the 00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:31.360 loudness war of audio mastering, it makes highfrequency instruments, 00:06:28.080 --> 00:06:34.319 particularly percussion, less fatiguing 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:40.319 to listen to, which I personally prefer. By comparison, the K7XX and DT990 Pros 00:06:37.919 --> 00:06:44.720 do a better job of retaining details in the highs with the DT990s also hitting 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 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:53.199 looking at today would be a bass headphone either. Overall, I think the 00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:59.039 best way to describe the listening experience with the HD598s is smooth and 00:06:56.880 --> 00:07:03.759 easy. And and I know those are stupid audio file words that don't really tell 00:07:01.440 --> 00:07:08.479 you anything objectively, but if you were interested in objective data, then 00:07:05.479 --> 00:07:10.639 headphone.com is the place to go anyway. 00:07:08.479 --> 00:07:15.120 And honestly, I don't need that to reach the conclusion about this video. 00:07:12.639 --> 00:07:19.199 compared to almost all of the more consumer oriented headphones out there, 00:07:17.199 --> 00:07:23.440 even Sennheiser's own Urbanite line that did I did not get a positive review from 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 00:07:25.120 --> 00:07:32.000 internals, the HD598s aren't going to knock your earrings out with thumping 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 00:07:34.400 --> 00:07:42.160 budding audio file who wants to listen to his or her music the way it was 00:07:38.479 --> 00:07:42.160 really meant to be listened 00:07:51.639 --> 00:07:58.639 to. Speaking of listening to listen to 00:07:55.039 --> 00:08:00.400 me talk about iFixit for $10 off your 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 00:08:03.039 --> 00:08:07.520 techtips at checkout. Well, hold on a second, Linus. What's iFix ifixit? Why 00:08:06.319 --> 00:08:12.240 would I want to buy anything there? Ah, great question. If you've ever wanted to 00:08:09.919 --> 00:08:17.680 repair a tablet or a notebook computer or phone and you've been like, best 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:21.919 guide for repairing device X, the odds are excellent that you've ended up over 00:08:19.440 --> 00:08:26.160 on ifixit.com. They've got all kinds of fantastic guides for tearing down 00:08:24.080 --> 00:08:30.400 devices and repairing them, replacing batteries to get the most out of the 00:08:28.080 --> 00:08:33.839 stuff that you paid your good hard money for. And the thing that most people 00:08:32.479 --> 00:08:36.880 don't know and where the offer code comes in is that iFixit not only has 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:42.080 these guides, but they've got all the tools you need. Suction cups, prying 00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:46.080 tools, tweezers, magnets, hard to find screwdriver bits, all that stuff 00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:50.080 available on their site. They even got they even invented a tool to apply 00:08:47.839 --> 00:08:54.160 consistent heat directly to adhesive laden case components so you can get 00:08:51.600 --> 00:08:58.240 them apart. It's called the eye opener because it's for opening eye devices. 00:08:55.920 --> 00:09:02.399 Anyway, um anyway, don't worry about the jokes or the product names. Worry about 00:09:00.320 --> 00:09:06.640 heading over to ifixit.com/Linus and entering code techtips at the 00:09:04.760 --> 00:09:09.839 checkout. So, that's pretty much it, guys. Thanks for watching. If you just 00:09:07.839 --> 00:09:12.800 liked this video, you know what to do. You guys are so good at finding that 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 00:09:14.720 --> 00:09:20.640 like button. Get subscribed to the channel. And don't forget to even wait, 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:23.760 no, I lost my train of thought. Even consider supporting us directly by using 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 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 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. 00:09:36.160 --> 00:09:44.080 Click the button top right corner. Check out the video where I build a router. 00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:44.080 Yes, let's go with that today.