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The Sennheiser HD598′s high-gloss burled wood accents, thickly padded headband, and ear cushions all lend a luxurious feel to the design. The tan-and-beige color scheme is a nice alternative to Sennheiser’s usual gray or black finishes. In addition to the HD 598 ($330) Sennheiser introduced two less expensive 500 Series models, the HD 558 ($230) and HD 518 ($170). Sennheiser isn’t the sort of company that jumps on trends; the goal for its audiophile-oriented designs is to make the most accurate-sounding headphones possible, and the HD 598 is the latest example of such thinking.

The HD 598 is a full-size, over-the-ear (circumaural) headphone. It weighs just 9.5 ounces, but its mostly plastic construction makes it feel even lighter. We found the velvet ear cushions extremely comfortable, even over extended listening sessions. The HD 598 is among the most comfortable Sennheisers we’ve tested to date.

The HD 598 features Sennheiser’s Eargonomic Acoustic Refinement technology, which uses acoustic baffles inclined at a slight angle to guide the sound directly to the ears. The technology appears to be derived from Sennheiser’s flagship HD 800 headphone. The HD 598 also features powerful neodymium magnets, Duofol drivers, and lightweight aluminum voice coils.

The headphone has a user-replaceable 10-foot-long cable, terminated with a 6.3-millimeter gold-plated plug, and you also get a gold-plated 3.5mm audio plug. Thanks to the clever attachment connection, the detachable cable isn’t likely to accidentally fall out. Other than the color difference and wood accents, the HD 598 is a near cosmetic twin of Sennheiser’s highly regarded HD 595 headphones. The HD 598′s impedance is rated at 50 ohms.

We listened to the HD 598 with an Onkyo TX-SR805 receiver, a Schiit Audio Asgard headphone amplifier, and an Apple iPod Classic. The headphone’s sound is superclean and has a wide-open soundstage. Tonal balance is a little brighter and emits more treble detail than we’ve heard from previous generations of full-size Sennheisers. Even so, it’s a very easy headphone to listen to over long listening sessions.

Deep bass on the Sennheisers has tremendous impact and power, so the big drums on Grizzly Bear’s “Vecktimest” CD sounded terrific and the soundstage is remarkably spacious. The headphone’s open quality works especially well with movies like “Cairo Time.” When Juliette Grant (Patricia Clarkson) first arrives in Cairo, she’s picked up at the airport by her husband’s friend Tareq (Alexander Siddig). As they drive away, the sounds of the busy city streets surrounded us, and the dialog sounded exceptionally natural.

The Sennheiser HD 598 sounds fine with Crosby, Stills, Nash Young’s live album, “4 Way Street.” The liveness and clarity of the recording is well preserved by the headphones, but while the HD 598 can play loud with iPods, the drive may still fall a bit short for some listeners.

Still, we wouldn’t recommend the HD 598 to buyers who only intend to use the headphone with an iPod or other portable music players. Bowers Wilkins’ similarly priced but smaller on-ear P5 headphone is more dynamic and transparent and has better bass definition used with an iPod, but we much preferred the HD 598′s sound over the P5′s at home plugged into a receiver or headphone amplifier.

Comparisons with Monster’s Beats Pro full-size headphone easily demonstrate just how different two headphones can sound. The Beats Pro has a lot more bass punch and treble detail, which makes for a more “exciting” sound, but the HD 598 is a more accurate-sounding design. The Beats Pro contains the sound field within the listener’s head, while the HD 598 allows the sound to appear from outside the earcups.

We compared the HD 598 with our 10-year-old Sennheiser HD 580 headphones, and the company’s sound “signature” is apparent on both models. The two headphones share a satisfying sense of clarity and a smooth frequency response without any overemphasized bass or treble peaks. But the HD 598 has better resolution and detail with more dynamic life.

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The $150 Image One is the first full-size, on-ear headphone from Klipsch. Its cushioned design is comfortable for short-term use, although we experienced mild discomfort over a long period of time. We’re impressed by its ability to maintain a rich tonal balance for the price, and the three-button remote on the cord makes it convenient for iOS devices. Coupled with an extended two-year warranty, the value of the Klipsch Image One rivals other headphones that sell for double the price and we recommend it as a suitable aftermarket headphone for jamming on the run.

Design and features
The lightweight, 138.3-gram design features leather-clad pivoting earcups with black gloss trim and chrome accents. The ear cushions are padded with unusually soft “memory foam” that contours to your ears to provide isolation from ambient noise and enhance bass response. We found the headphones only moderately comfortable over long listening sessions; the slightly high earpad pressure became a source of discomfort, but everyone’s head shape is different, so you may find the Image One perfectly comfortable.

Klipsch claims the Image One is one of the first on-ear (supra-aural) headphones to feature an iOS-compatible mic and a three-button remote system for taking calls and controlling music on Apple devices. The mic’s sensitivity can pick up sound from 360 degrees and also features echo cancellation to increase clarity. The Image One features 40-millimeter drivers and 32-ohm impedance.

The earcups fold flat for easy storage in the included semihard travel case, with a strap to secure the cable inside. The 53-inch long (approximately) rubber cable appears to be of average durability, but the molded plug’s “strain relief” design should provide some protection at the weakest point for headphone cables. Klipsch backs up its durability claims with a two-year warranty, double the warranty on most headphones. Accessories include a 6.3mm adapter and airline adapter.

Performance
We listened to the Image One in conjunction with our Schiit Audio Asgard home headphone amplifier and an Apple iPod Classic. The Image One has a fuller and richer tonal balance than Grado’s $200 SR225i headphones, and the Image One can play significantly louder than the Grado does with an iPod. The Grado features an open-back design so it sounds open and less “inside the head” than the closed-back Image One. The Image One’s bass sounded big and boomy as we listened to Robert Plant’s recent “Band of Joy” album, but the SR225i’s more controlled bass is more to our taste.

While the Grado is suitable for an iPod or other portable music players, it’s really better for use at home, so Bowers Wilkins’ P5 on-ear headphone ($300) is a better comparison for the Image One, since it’s designed specifically for portable music players.

Switching back and forth between the two while listening to CDs of Brooklyn soul group Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, we found the Image One and the P5 have a similar tonal balance. The P5′s bass has better definition and the soundstage is more open, but the Image One sounds more dynamic and rocks harder with more treble detail, so cymbals and brass instruments appear more lifelike.

The Image One also does a better job of blocking external noise than the P5. Considering the Image One sells for about half the P5′s price, we give the nod to the Image One.

Sennheiser’s HD 555 ($170) sounds even more open than the P5 and is also the most comfortable of the models we’ve mentioned here. Comparing the Image One with the HD 555 while watching the “Lost: Season 2″ TV series DVDs, we noted the Image One put the sounds of the island–the surf and jungle–more inside the head, while the HD 555 placed the sounds farther away, which sounded more natural. Sennheiser’s new HD 598 is even better in that regard.

The Image One’s big bass outperforms headphones that sell for double its MSRP, but the bass may feel like too much of a good thing to some buyers. Then again, some may love the abundant power. It’s not just the bass, however–the Image One’s richer tonal balance also covers the midrange, so voices and many instruments have a bigger and warmer sound than they do on other headphones.

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