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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want an open-back, wired, over-ear headphone built for long, comfortable listening at a desk or in a quiet room, choose Sennheiser HD 598; if you need true wireless earbuds with adaptive noise cancelling, spatial audio and all-day battery, choose Technics Reference Class Hi-Fi.
• Sennheiser HD 598 — biggest strength: an open-back, over-ear design with velour cushions and a padded leatherette headband, made for comfort over long sessions and a natural, spacious sound.
• Sennheiser HD 598 — biggest trade-off: it's wired, has no noise cancelling and no microphone, and its open-back build leaks sound both ways, so it's a poor fit for commuting or noisy rooms.
• Technics Reference Class Hi-Fi — biggest strength: true wireless freedom with adaptive noise cancelling, Dolby Atmos with head tracking, 3-device multipoint and up to 10 hours of playback with ANC on.
• Technics Reference Class Hi-Fi — biggest trade-off: it's in-ear and battery-dependent, so you're charging a case rather than just plugging in a cable, and it can't match the open, airy presentation of an over-ear open-back design.
• Who each pick is for: the Sennheiser HD 598 suits a home listener who values comfort and an open, detailed sound; the Technics Reference Class Hi-Fi suits someone who wants portable, feature-rich wireless earbuds for commuting, calls and travel.
The HD 598 is a wired, over-ear, open-back headphone — and that combination tells you almost everything. The open-back enclosure is what gives it its character: it lets air move freely behind the driver, which in my reading of the design is what contributes to the tonal balance, detail and definition Sennheiser describes. The earcups pair a high-gloss burl wood accent with premium metal mesh, so it's a headphone you'd happily leave on a desk rather than stuff in a pocket.
Buy it if you listen mostly in one place, want a comfortable over-ear you can wear for hours, and prefer the open, spacious feel that only an open-back design gives. Skip it if you need noise cancelling, a built-in microphone for calls, or wireless freedom — because it has none of those. Its open design also means sound leaks out and ambient noise leaks in, which makes it a bad commute or open-office companion. Sennheiser backs it with a 2-year warranty covering labor and parts.
Technics Reference Class Hi-Fi: Who It's For
The Technics Reference Class Hi-Fi is the opposite philosophy in almost every way: true wireless, in-ear, and loaded with smart features. It uses planar magnetic drivers (Technics calls them magnetic fluid drivers) tuned for low distortion, accurate bass and smoother mid-high frequencies, with a 20 Hz–40 kHz range — a wider top end on paper than the HD 598. Bluetooth 5.3 handles the connection, and there's no jack at all, which is the whole point of the design.
The feature set is where it earns its keep. Dolby Atmos with head tracking means spatial audio that responds to your head movement — turn left and the sound shifts to your right, which is genuinely useful for films and immersive music. Adaptive noise cancelling reads your environment and adjusts, and a Voice Focus AI chip is there to keep calls clear. Three-device multipoint lets you stay connected to a laptop, phone and tablet at once and prioritise whichever you're using.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for comfort over long sessions → Sennheiser HD 598. Velour cushions, a padded headband and 270 g make it a wear-all-day over-ear.
• Best for blocking out noise → Technics Reference Class Hi-Fi. Adaptive noise cancelling is built in; the HD 598 has none.
• Best for portability → Technics Reference Class Hi-Fi. True wireless earbuds with a charging case versus a wired over-ear with a 3.5 mm jack.
• Best for calls and meetings → Technics Reference Class Hi-Fi. It has a microphone and a Voice Focus AI chip; the HD 598 has no mic.
• Best for spatial audio and movies → Technics Reference Class Hi-Fi. Dolby Atmos with head tracking is a feature the HD 598 simply doesn't offer.
• Best for plug-in-and-listen simplicity → Sennheiser HD 598. No battery, no pairing, no charging case — just a cable.
• Best for multi-device juggling → Technics Reference Class Hi-Fi. Three-device multipoint lets you switch between laptop, phone and tablet.
• Best for a quiet-room, open-back listening setup → Sennheiser HD 598. Its open-back design is the reason to pick it, and the reason to avoid it on the move.
In my opinion, these two aren't really competing for the same buyer — they're competing for the same budget, which is why the choice feels hard. If you want one pair of earbuds to cover commuting, calls, travel and late-night movies, I'd buy the Technics Reference Class Hi-Fi: adaptive noise cancelling, Dolby Atmos with head tracking, multipoint and up to 10 hours of playback do far more across a normal day. If your listening mostly happens at a desk in a quiet room and you care about comfort and an open, spacious sound above all else, I'd buy the Sennheiser HD 598 instead. Decide where you actually listen most, and the answer picks itself.
FAQ
Yes. They use adaptive noise cancelling that adjusts to your surroundings, plus a Voice Focus AI chip for calls. The HD 598 has no noise control, and being open-back it lets outside sound in.
Only the Technics has a battery: up to 10 hours of playback with noise cancelling on, or up to 28 hours with the charging case, which supports wireless charging. The Sennheiser HD 598 has no battery and never needs charging.
The HD 598 is built for it — over-ear, velour cushions, padded leatherette headband, 270 g. The Technics earbuds are in-ear and lighter overall, but fit depends on how the tip sits in your ear. For multi-hour sessions at a desk, I'd lean Sennheiser.
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