Act fast and you can grab yourself an absolute classic set of PC gaming headphones for a truly bargain price. The Sennheiser HD 599 SE is a simple, open-backed headphone set that doesn’t include a microphone, but if you’re already sporting a dedicated gaming mic then these are an ideal accompaniment.
While we don’t maintain a best gaming headphone guide, instead focusing on a best gaming headset guide, the Sennheiser HD 599 Special Edition would certainly be worthy of a spot, especially at this incredible Black Friday deal price. In fact, this is such a good deal, I just bought a pair myself.
The Sennheiser HD 599 SE has been around for years, with the non-SE version existing since 2016, and the Amazon-exclusive SE version following shortly after. However, while modern wireless headsets with built-in microphones and batteries can be great – just check out our SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds review and Logitech Astro A50X review for evidence of that – a basic set of wired headphones is timeless. Outside of them completely breaking, they last for decades, with no batteries to swap, and you don’t have to worry about firmware and software updates either.
The headphones feature drivers (of unspecified size), which can deliver an incredibly wide frequency range of 12-38,000Hz. Most headsets deliver a nominal 20-20,000Hz range (the accepted normal range of human hearing), but often don’t really live up to that promise, with accuracy and amplitude dropping off towards the edges of that range. The extra range here ensures these headphones can maintain accuracy across the expanse of human hearing.
The tuning of the headphones is reasonably flat, with just a little bit of a mid-range boost for a warm sound, so they suit a wide range of music and gaming scenarios. Those who like a really strong sub-bass kick might find these a touch lacking, as is often the case with any open-back headphones. It can reach the lowest of notes but doesn’t knock you about the head with them. Meanwhile, overall detail, stereo image, balance, and sense of space are fantastic.
These really are very open-back headphones, though, so they don’t block any outside noise. That’s why I personally really like them, as they allow you to keep a sense of what’s going on around you, but they won’t be ideal if you’re regularly disturbed by outside noise Meanwhile, noise from your headphones leaks out a lot too. Someone standing a foot away from you will be able to clearly hear what you’re listening to if the volume’s reasonably cranked up, though by a few feet away the sound is mostly dissipated.
With an incredibly light 250g weight these headphones are comfortable to wear for hours on end, with the open-back design also helping as it keeps your ears from getting sweaty. The clamping force of the headset is quite strong, though, so those with larger heads – and particularly those who also wear glasses – may find these a little tight, but the padding is very soft and these don’t squish your ears. They also stay on securely.
The design here is plain and simple, with a mostly black finish highlighted with silver, and the non-SE version comes in other colors too. It’s perhaps a slightly dated look, but as this isn’t a set of headphones for use out and about, it’s a minor consideration. Build quality, meanwhile, is mostly plastic. Having used Sennheiser headphones for many years, I can attest to them standing up to years of use.
The cable on these headphones is also removable, so you can easily swap it out if it breaks. You also get a long 3m cable for use with a PC or stereo. and a shorter 1.2m cable for mobile/laptop use.
To grab this great deal, just head on over to Amazon UK via this link. Meanwhile, buyers in the US don’t have quite such a great discount on these headphones but they’re still at their lowest price in months with a 36% discount.
If you need a microphone to complete your audio setup, check out our best gaming microphone guide to find a wide range of great quality desktop mics.