We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-28 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want an open-back wired headphone built purely around natural, detailed stereo sound for home listening, choose Sennheiser HD 599; if you need a wireless, noise-canceling over-ear for commuting, travel and long work sessions, choose CMF BY NOTHING Headphone Pro Active.
• Sennheiser HD 599 — biggest strength: an open-back, around-ear design with 38 mm dynamic drivers, a 12 Hz–38,500 Hz range and a 50-ohm impedance, aimed at people who want an airy, natural presentation from a wired connection.
• Sennheiser HD 599 — biggest trade-off: it's wired only, with passive noise cancellation rather than active, and an open-back build means it lets sound in and out — not something to wear on a noisy bus.
• CMF BY NOTHING Headphone Pro Active — biggest strength: Bluetooth 5.4 with LDAC and Hi-Res support, up to 40 dB adaptive ANC, and up to 50 hours of ANC-on playtime (up to 100 hours with it off).
• CMF BY NOTHING Headphone Pro Active — biggest trade-off: it's a battery-and-app-driven product, so the experience depends on charging and the Nothing X app rather than a simple plug-and-listen setup.
• Pick the Sennheiser HD 599 if you listen at a desk or in a quiet room and want a wired, open, detail-first sound.
• Pick the CMF BY NOTHING Headphone Pro Active if you want one headphone for the commute, the office and the flight, with noise cancellation and a cable-free fit.
The HD 599 Special Edition is a wired, over-ear, open-back headphone. That single word — open-back — tells you most of what you need to know. The design is meant to let air move behind the driver, which is why Sennheiser describes the presentation as impressively open and spatial. The drivers are 38 mm dynamic units with aluminum voice coils, and the specs list a 12 Hz to 38,500 Hz frequency range with 50-ohm impedance and 106 dB sensitivity. Those are the numbers of a headphone intended to be driven properly rather than casually.
Comfort is clearly a design priority here. The earcups are large and covered in plush velour, and the headband is padded, which is exactly the kind of setup that suits long, seated listening sessions. It weighs 9.17 ounces, so it's substantial but not punishing. You also get two detachable cables: a 3 m cable terminated in a 6.35 mm jack for a home stereo or desktop setup, and a shorter 1.2 m cable with a 3.5 mm jack for phones, tablets and laptops. The jack on the headphone itself is listed as 6.35 mm, so the long cable is the natural home pairing. The finish is black with matte metallic silver accents, and there's a two-year warranty.
CMF BY NOTHING Headphone Pro Active: Who It's For
The CMF BY NOTHING Headphone Pro Active is the opposite philosophy: a wireless, feature-dense over-ear that tries to cover every situation. It runs Bluetooth 5.4 with LDAC and dual Hi-Res certification, and it uses custom 40 mm nickel-plated dynamic drivers. The frequency range is listed as 20 Hz to 96 kHz, with 120 ms of audio latency and a 10 m Bluetooth range. For anyone who splits time between iOS, Android, macOS and Windows, the built-in Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair mean it's ready to connect without a fuss, and there's a 3.5 mm jack and AUX support when you'd rather go wired.
The noise cancellation is the headline. It offers up to 40 dB of adaptive ANC, and a single press on the ANC button flips to Transparency Mode when you need to hear what's around you. Battery life is generous: up to 50 hours with ANC on, and up to 100 hours with it off. A five-minute charge is quoted as good for four hours of listening, and it supports on-the-go charging from a phone or laptop.
The sound-shaping tools are where it gets interesting for tinkerers. There's a bass and treble slider, a custom EQ, a Personal Sound Profile, and CMF Spatial Audio with cinema and concert modes that adjust soundstage width, depth and clarity for movies and music. Everything is controlled through the Nothing X app, along with touch controls and voice assistant access. Comfort comes from memory foam earpads and a cap-friendly headband, and it ships with a cable, a protective case and a user manual. Weight is 283 g, and the warranty is limited and starts from the invoice date.
Buy it if you want one headphone for commuting, travel, meetings and long focus blocks, and you like tuning your own sound. Skip it if you'd rather not manage charging, app settings and firmware — or if you specifically want the open, uncolored character that only a wired open-back design gives you.
• Best for quiet-room sound quality → Sennheiser HD 599. Open-back, wired, 50-ohm, 12 Hz–38,500 Hz — built for critical listening at a desk.
• Best for travel and commuting → CMF BY NOTHING Headphone Pro Active. Up to 40 dB adaptive ANC and transparency mode make it the one that survives a noisy cabin.
• Best for battery life → CMF BY NOTHING Headphone Pro Active. Up to 50 hours with ANC on, up to 100 hours off, plus a five-minute quick charge for four hours.
• Best for zero-charging simplicity → Sennheiser HD 599. Two detachable cables, no battery, no app, nothing to top up.
• Best for wireless freedom and multi-device use → CMF BY NOTHING Headphone Pro Active. Bluetooth 5.4, LDAC, Fast Pair and Swift Pair across phones and computers.
• Best for long seated sessions → Sennheiser HD 599. Velour pads, padded headband, lightweight-at-9.17-ounces feel designed for hours at a desk.
• Best for customizing your own sound → CMF BY NOTHING Headphone Pro Active. Bass/treble slider, custom EQ, Personal Sound Profile and spatial audio modes.
• Best for movie nights and immersive audio → CMF BY NOTHING Headphone Pro Active. Cinema and concert modes widen the soundstage on purpose.
• Best for plugging into a home stereo → Sennheiser HD 599. The 3 m cable with the 6.35 mm jack is made for exactly that.
In my opinion, this split comes down to where you actually listen, not which headphone is "better." If your listening happens at a desk, in a quiet room, with a cable and no interruptions, I'd buy the Sennheiser HD 599 — the open-back design, velour comfort and wired simplicity are exactly what that use case wants. If your listening happens on the move, in shared spaces or during long work blocks, I'd buy the CMF BY NOTHING Headphone Pro Active — the ANC, battery life and wireless flexibility are the features that actually matter there. One is a specialist; the other is a do-everything daily driver. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since that's the one variable I can't weigh in for you.
No. It's a wired headphone, and it ships with two detachable cables — a 3 m cable with a 6.35 mm jack and a 1.2 m cable with a 3.5 mm jack. There's no Bluetooth and no battery.
Yes. It offers up to 40 dB of adaptive active noise cancellation, plus a Transparency Mode you can toggle with the ANC button. The Sennheiser HD 599 relies on passive noise cancellation only.
The CMF BY NOTHING Headphone Pro Active. Active noise cancellation, a 10 m Bluetooth range, up to 50 hours of ANC-on playtime and a 3.5 mm wired option make it far better suited to travel than an open-back wired headphone.
The CMF BY NOTHING Headphone Pro Active, by definition — it's the only one with a battery. It's rated for up to 50 hours with ANC on and up to 100 hours with it off, and a five-minute charge is quoted at four hours of listening. The Sennheiser HD 599 never needs charging at all.
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