Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 vs Sennheiser HD 598 CS

Short answer: the Sennheiser HD 598 CS, if you are buying new, though neither ranks well in its class. The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 measures as well as it (#112 vs #114 of 134 over-ear headphones, 2.9/5 vs 2.9/5) but is discontinued, so only consider it used; the Sennheiser HD 598 CS is still sold new at $449. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 134 over-ear headphones; for better sound, the HIFIMAN Ananda Nano ranks #3 at $319.

Why pick the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700: Wireless noise cancelling headphones with SBC and AAC, Bluetooth 5.0, a built-in microphone, a wired option, an IPX4 splash rating and a rated 20 hours of battery. The catch: Treble is rolled off, about 5.4 dB under target from 6 to 10 kHz and 3.5 dB under above that, with a 9 dB dip near 10.9 kHz, so cymbals and vocal detail sound dull.

Why pick the Sennheiser HD 598 CS: A low 23 ohm impedance and very high 115 dB sensitivity let it play loudly from a phone or laptop with no headphone amp. Watch for: Treble is the weak point, running about 6 dB below target from 6 kHz up and dropping into a 13.5 dB dip near 9.9 kHz, so cymbals, air and detail sound dull and closed in.

Buy the Sennheiser HD 598 CS if you want one new; the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 is discontinued, so only look for it used.

Want more options? Browse the full Headphones rankings.

Specifications Side By Side

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• Sennheiser HD 598 CS vs Beats Studio3 Wireless
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The Two Headphones In Full

Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700: $369.00 Discontinued Amazon eBay

Pros: Wireless noise cancelling headphones with SBC and AAC, Bluetooth 5.0, a built-in microphone, a wired option, an IPX4 splash rating and a rated 20 hours of battery. At 250 g it is light for a full-size ANC headphone. The warm tuning, with the upper bass about 3 dB over target, suits listeners who like a smooth and relaxed sound.

Cons: Treble is rolled off, about 5.4 dB under target from 6 to 10 kHz and 3.5 dB under above that, with a 9 dB dip near 10.9 kHz, so cymbals and vocal detail sound dull. The Harman preference score of 58 shows a response well off the target. Battery life of 20 hours is short for a wireless ANC model, and there is no aptX or LDAC support. Discontinued.

Full Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 review and specifications →

Released	Apr 2019 (7 years ago)
Active Noise Cancelling	Yes
Back	Closed
Battery Life	20 hours (Manufacturer specified)
Bluetooth Codecs	SBC, AAC
Bluetooth Version	5.0
Built-in Microphone	Yes
Connection	Wireless and wired
Deviation From Target	2.75 dB standard deviation
Form Factor	Over-ear
Harman Preference Score	58 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
IP Rating	IPX4
Tonal Tilt	-1.39 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)
Weight	0.6 lbs (250 g)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -7.0 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	-2.5 dB	0.70
Peak	180 Hz	-3.8 dB	0.99
Peak	1,236 Hz	+2.7 dB	4.06
Peak	27 Hz	+3.7 dB	0.98
Peak	8,335 Hz	+6.8 dB	1.58
High shelf	10,000 Hz	+0.3 dB	0.70
Peak	4,828 Hz	-4.2 dB	5.68
Peak	3,430 Hz	+1.4 dB	2.66
Peak	6,625 Hz	+1.8 dB	6.00
Peak	816 Hz	-0.7 dB	2.91

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 vs Beats Studio3 Wireless

Sennheiser HD 598 CS: $449.00 Amazon eBay

Pros: A low 23 ohm impedance and very high 115 dB sensitivity let it play loudly from a phone or laptop with no headphone amp. The closed-back build keeps sound in and outside noise down, which is useful for shared spaces. Bass is close to target, only about 1 dB above it, so the low end is warm without being boomy.

Cons: Treble is the weak point, running about 6 dB below target from 6 kHz up and dropping into a 13.5 dB dip near 9.9 kHz, so cymbals, air and detail sound dull and closed in. Presence between 3 and 6 kHz is also about 4 dB low, which pushes voices back. The Sony MDR-M1ST has a higher rating at a lower price.

Full Sennheiser HD 598 CS review and specifications →

Released	2016 (10 years ago)
Back	Closed
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	2.84 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Form Factor	Over-ear
Frequency Response	10Hz - 28kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	58 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	23 ohms
Sensitivity	115 dB
Tonal Tilt	-1.31 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -4.8 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	-2.1 dB	0.70
Peak	10,000 Hz	+6.1 dB	0.40
Peak	1,121 Hz	-2.7 dB	0.57
Peak	178 Hz	-3.9 dB	1.12
Peak	297 Hz	+4.2 dB	1.74
High shelf	10,000 Hz	-3.6 dB	0.70
Peak	3,480 Hz	-3.3 dB	5.91
Peak	4,410 Hz	+1.7 dB	4.27
Peak	2,845 Hz	+1.7 dB	5.08
Peak	55 Hz	-0.4 dB	1.59

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Sennheiser HD 598 CS (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Sennheiser HD 598 CS vs Beats Studio3 Wireless