How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want the most natural, open, fatigue-free sound for long listening sessions at a desk or in a quiet room, choose Sennheiser HD 598; if you need wireless freedom with active noise cancellation and smart controls for commuting, flying or noisy offices, choose Sony WH-1000XM4. These two headphones sit in completely different worlds, and that's exactly why the choice comes down to how and where you listen — not which one is "better" on paper.
• Sennheiser HD 598 — biggest strength: an open-back design with E.A.R. (Ergonomic Acoustic Refinement) technology and aluminum voice coil transducers, built for natural, detailed, balanced sound and long-session comfort.
• Sennheiser HD 598 — biggest trade-off: it's a wired, 3.5 mm headphone with no noise cancellation, no microphone and no Bluetooth — so it's tethered to your source and useless for blocking out a commute.
• Sony WH-1000XM4 — biggest strength: Dual Noise Sensor active noise cancellation, Bluetooth 5 wireless, up to 30 hours of battery life and touch/voice controls in one travel-ready package.
• Sony WH-1000XM4 — biggest trade-off: it's a wireless-first design without a headphone jack, so it lives or dies by its battery, and this listing is a Renewed unit with a shorter warranty.
• Who each is for: the HD 598 is for home listeners who prize openness and comfort; the WH-1000XM4 is for people who listen on the move and want the world to go quiet.
The HD 598 is an over-ear, open-back headphone — that open-back design is the whole point. By letting air move behind the drivers, it contributes to the outstanding tonal balance, detail and definition Sennheiser engineered into this model. The transducers use aluminum voice coils and a special diaphragm geometry that minimizes intermodulation and harmonic distortion, which is the technical way of saying the sound stays clean and controlled even at higher output. E.A.R. technology angles the drivers to channel audio more directly into your ears for a more spatial, realistic presentation.
Comfort is where this headphone earns its keep. At 270 g it's lightweight, and the combination of velour-covered ear cushions with a padded leatherette headband is designed for exactly the scenario this headphone is built for: sinking into a chair and listening for hours. The styling leans warm and classic too — high-gloss burl wood accents with premium black metal mesh, inspired by European sports sedans.
Buy it if you do most of your listening in a quiet room, at a desk, or with a DAC or amp you already own, and you care more about a wide, natural soundstage than about features. Skip it if you need to take calls (there's no microphone in this configuration), if you want to silence a noisy train or office (there's no noise control of any kind), or if you want to walk around untethered — the 3.5 mm wired connection keeps you plugged in, and with 50 ohm impedance it's happiest driven by a decent source.
The WH-1000XM4 is the opposite philosophy: it's a wireless, closed-back travel headphone built around active noise cancellation. Sony's Dual Noise Sensor technology is the headline feature, and for anyone who flies, commutes or works in an open office, that's the single most useful thing a headphone can do. The sound side is handled by Edge-AI processing, and the Bluetooth 5 connection gives you roughly 10 meters of range from your device.
Then there's battery and convenience. Sony rates it at up to 30 hours of playback with a 3-hour full charge — and a 10-minute quick charge gets you about 5 hours, which is genuinely useful when you're heading out the door and realize you forgot to plug in. Controls are touch- and voice-based: tap to pause, play, skip, adjust volume, summon your voice assistant or take a call. Speak-to-Chat automatically drops the volume when you start talking, so you don't have to yank the headphones off to order a coffee.
Buy it if portability, noise cancellation and hands-free control matter more to you than an open, airy soundstage. One honest caveat: this particular listing is a Renewed unit, professionally inspected and tested to work and look like new, and it carries a 90-day limited warranty rather than a longer one — worth weighing against the HD 598's 2-year parts and labor coverage. Also note the WH-1000XM4 has no headphone jack, so wired listening isn't an option here.
• Best for blocking out noise → Sony WH-1000XM4. Active Noise Cancellation with Dual Noise Sensor technology is the entire reason this model exists.
• Best for soundstage and openness → Sennheiser HD 598. The open-back design is what gives it that wide, balanced, detailed character.
• Best for long, comfortable sessions → Sennheiser HD 598. Velour cushions, a padded leatherette headband and a 270 g frame are built for marathon listening.
• Best for travel and commuting → Sony WH-1000XM4. Bluetooth 5, no cable and 30 hours of battery make it the one you can actually leave the house with.
• Best for hands-free calls and voice assistants → Sony WH-1000XM4. Touch controls, voice control and Speak-to-Chat do the work for you.
• Best for charging convenience → Sony WH-1000XM4. A 10-minute quick charge buys roughly 5 hours of playback.
• Best for warranty peace of mind → Sennheiser HD 598. Two-year coverage on parts and labor beats the Renewed unit's 90-day limited warranty.
• Best for plugging into a desktop setup or amp → Sennheiser HD 598. The 3.5 mm wired connection with 50 ohm impedance is made for stationary sources.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the Sennheiser HD 598 — but only because of the way I listen. In my opinion, if your listening happens at a desk in a quiet room, the open-back design, natural tonal balance and velour-padded comfort are what you'll appreciate every single day, and the 2-year parts and labor warranty is a real bonus. That said, I'd recommend the Sony WH-1000XM4 without hesitation to anyone whose listening happens on planes, trains or in a busy office — noise cancellation, wireless freedom and 30-hour battery simply can't be matched by a wired open-back headphone. Decide where you listen first; the right answer follows immediately. Either way, check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since these two sit at very different points in the market.
FAQ
Not on this listing. The WH-1000XM4 here is wireless-only via Bluetooth 5, with no headphone jack. The HD 598, by contrast, is wired-only through a 3.5 mm jack — so if a cable matters to you, that's the one to pick.
The Sony WH-1000XM4, clearly — it's rated for up to 30 hours of playback with a 3-hour charge and a 10-minute quick charge for about 5 hours. The Sennheiser HD 598 is wired and has no battery at all, so there's nothing to charge.
Both are over-ear designs, but the HD 598 is purpose-built for comfort: lightweight at 270 g with velour ear cushions and a padded leatherette headband. The WH-1000XM4 is comfortable too, but its 16-ounce (roughly 454 g) weight is noticeably heavier for all-day wear.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: SEWOBYE Waterproof MP3 vs Sony WH-CH520: Music Headphones, Sony h.ear vs SHANLING Music1, Sennheiser Momentum Sport vs TPVision PHILIPS TAA