We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-19 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want an open, airy, all-day listening experience you can wear for hours without your ears getting hot, choose Sennheiser HD 599; if you need a closed-back, sound-isolating monitor for studio, broadcast and mobile work, choose Audio-Technica ATH-M60x.
• Sennheiser HD 599 — biggest strength: An open, over-ear design with a wide sound stage that keeps your ears cool and makes instruments, voices and in-game cues easy to place.
• Sennheiser HD 599 — biggest trade-off: Being open-back and wired, it lets sound in and out, so it's a poor choice for noisy rooms or anywhere you need to block the world out.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M60x — biggest strength: A closed-back, on-ear, sound-isolating monitor with 45mm drivers, a 15 Hz–28 kHz range and three detachable cables plus a case and holder.
• Audio-Technica ATH-M60x — biggest trade-off: The on-ear fit and clamping isolation trade some of that spacious, open feel for focus, and you're tied to a cable like the Sennheiser.
• Pick the Sennheiser HD 599 if you want relaxed, detailed hi-fi listening at home, in the office or on the move.
• Pick the Audio-Technica ATH-M60x if you want a workhorse monitor for tracking, mixing, broadcast or travel that shuts out background noise.
The HD 599 is an open, over-ear wired headphone built around a dynamic driver. The whole point of that open design is air. Because the cups aren't sealed, your ears stay cool during long sessions, and the sound stage opens up in a way closed headphones rarely match. That's why Sennheiser positions it for music lovers who want high-resolution, detailed sound — the kind of listening where you want to hear the space between instruments rather than have everything pressed right up against your ears.
It's also a genuinely versatile wired set. Sennheiser lists compatibility with phones, tablets, computers and most audio devices, plus gaming headsets, and the description leans into travel, remote work and hybrid setups. In my opinion, that's the real strength here: it's the headphone you leave plugged into a laptop all day, or drop into a bag for a commute, and it just works. Gamers and people doing casual mixing get a bonus too — the precise spatial representation keeps instruments, voices and in-game clues clearly separated, which is exactly what an open back is good at.
Where I'd steer you away: if your room is loud, if you share a space, or if you need to block out a noisy office or a bus engine, skip it. The HD 599 uses passive noise cancellation only, and an open design is the opposite of isolating. It also leaks sound outward, so it's not the one to wear in a quiet library or on a call where a mic would pick up your music. It's a "listen in peace" headphone, not a "shut the world out" headphone. If that trade-off suits you, it's a lovely thing to own.
The ATH-M60x is a closed-back, on-ear monitor headphone — and it's aimed squarely at people who need to focus. Audio-Technica describes it as carrying the widely praised sonic performance of the ATH-M50x into a lower-profile, on-ear shape, built for professional studio and broadcast production, daily listening and mobile use. The 45mm large-aperture dynamic drivers, the closed-back enclosure and the stated 15 Hz to 28 kHz frequency response all point to one goal: clarity with deep, accurate bass and extended bandwidth, while the sealed design isolates you from what's going on around you.
Comfort is clearly part of the brief. There's plush memory foam in both the headband and the replaceable earpads, which matters a lot on an on-ear model — that padding is doing the work of keeping things bearable over a long session, and the fact that the pads are replaceable means you're not stuck when they wear down. Audio-Technica also throws in three detachable, single-sided cables: one coiled (roughly 3.9 to 9.8 feet) and two straight (about 9.8 feet and 3.9 feet). Each ends in a gold-plated 3.5mm plug, and a 1/4-inch screw-on adapter is included for interfaces, mixers and receivers. That's a genuinely useful spread — the coiled cable for a desk, the short straight one for a phone, the long one for reaching across a studio.
The bundle is worth calling out because it changes the value math. You get the headphones, an Auray headphones holder with a padded cradle and adjustable angle, an Auray UHC-725 universal case, the three cables, the adapter and a carrying pouch. So it arrives ready to hang on a desk or travel protected, rather than needing extras bought separately. The trade-offs are real, though: it's on-ear, so some people find that fit less comfortable than a big over-ear cup over long stretches, and the sound-isolating design is inherently more "in your head" than an open back. If you want a wide, airy stage, this isn't the tool — but if you want to hear exactly what you're working on, with the outside world turned down, it is.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for all-day comfort with cool ears → Sennheiser HD 599. The open over-ear design is built for long, relaxed sessions.
• Best for blocking out a noisy room → Audio-Technica ATH-M60x. The closed-back, sound-isolating design is the whole reason it exists.
• Best for a wide, spacious sound stage → Sennheiser HD 599. Open-back headphones are the natural pick when you want instruments and voices spread out.
• Best for cable flexibility → Audio-Technica ATH-M60x. Three detachable single-sided cables plus a 1/4-inch adapter cover desk, mobile and interface setups.
• Best for travel and hybrid work → Sennheiser HD 599. Sennheiser explicitly frames it for travel, remote and hybrid use, and it's a simple plug-in-and-go wired set.
• Best out-of-the-box package → Audio-Technica ATH-M60x. It ships with a holder, a hard case, a pouch, three cables and an adapter.
• Best for gaming and casual spatial cues → Sennheiser HD 599. The open design's precise spatial representation keeps in-game clues clear.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the Audio-Technica ATH-M60x. In my opinion it's the more complete package for most people: it isolates, it's tuned for clarity and accurate bass, it comes with three cables and a proper case and holder, and it works just as well at a desk as it does on the move. The Sennheiser HD 599 is the better choice only if you specifically want that open, airy, cool-eared listening experience and you're never fighting background noise. Decide which of those two worlds you live in, then check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
The ATH-M60x. Its closed-back, sound-isolating design is made to keep outside noise out. The HD 599 is open-back with passive noise cancellation only, so a loud room will bleed straight into your music.
Yes. The bundle includes three detachable single-sided cables, a 1/4-inch screw-on adapter, a carrying pouch, an Auray headphones holder and an Auray universal case. The HD 599 doesn't list a case or extra cables.
The ATH-M60x. Its 45mm drivers, 15 Hz–28 kHz response and monitor tuning are aimed at critical listening and isolation. The HD 599 is more of a relaxed hi-fi and gaming listen than a closed studio tool.
Both are wired and work with phones, tablets and computers. The HD 599 is described as compatible with most audio devices, and the ATH-M60x uses a gold-plated 3.5mm plug with a 1/4-inch adapter included. For current pricing on either, check the price on Amazon.
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