Pretty much the same, the 600 is just awesome on a good tube amp
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I have the eggshell color and it’s just pretty dang good looking lol
I feel the same, I prefer the 6xx on a budget solid state actually, but otherwise the 600 is my preference. The 660s is a deviation from what senn has done before, and isn’t really the same tbh
I am not a big Senn fan and was very underwhelmed by the 600’s. But when I put them on my low impedance tube amp (MAD Ear+ HD II), they were transformed. I ran them through six SS and hybrid amps and got nothing. Then, on @Mon’s advice I plugged them into the tube and Wow!
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How would you compare either the 600 or 6xx to the 58x?
My 600 is gathering dust in my office, where I run it off a Magni 2. I haven’t been there in 2 months! Now that I’ve been listening to the 650 nearly all day, every day, this would be a really good time to go back and fetch it and see how it compares. It will be like getting a new pair of cans!
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If you ever get the chance, try both of those headphones on a OTL tube amp. You’re in for a treat!
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im immediately clicking with the 600 and they’re much nicer than I remember… listening to Micheal kiwanuka’s home again the small soundstage with good imaging and instrument separation and very intimate vocals was a perfect fit for these cans… the timbre on the vocals and strings is spot on the my ears… the soundstage comes in a bit far left and right so it feels like youre somewhat surrounded and I feel like the sound signature helps create depth and separation between the vocals and drums… maybe its the production or the darkvoice but I really got sense I was in a small club right up close… but im romanticizing now so ill shut up.
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has anyone here done a side by side on the old model vs the new model?
I haven’t but I thought they were just a different colour ??
Pretty much with a bit cheaper feeling build, there wasn’t any intended sonic changes, but I’m sure the pairs sound a bit different due to manufacturing differences over the years
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I am looking for a pair of headphones to complement my 1990’s. I’m thinking about the HD 600’s because of their mids and warmth but I know they are quite old. Does anyone think I will notice a significant loss in resolution or if I’ll just have a worse experience everytime I switch to the 600s?
I think it depends on what you are looking for. If you are aiming for the highest resolution, then this is probably not what you are looking for.
I know a lot of friends that pick up HD600 + a tube amp and have that be the pinnacle (for them) for organic timbre and mids. That’s where this model shines the best.
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My experience using both the 1990’s and the 600’s with nothing special in amp+dac is that the 600’s are a step back in detail and in a sense of tight precision/authority in the delivery that the 1990’s have. This is with the 1990’s EQ’d to remove the treble peak and is also quite clear even when they are EQ’d to a matching FR.
Many report that the 600’s scale amazingly with high-end electronics. So it may be that they reverse ranking when you move sufficiently up the electronics chain.
I mostly EQ my 1990’s with either Oratory’s analytic preset, some random presets I’ve made to boost their bass or their mids or their stock sound with the treble peak removed. I just got a DAC recently and since listening to a sample rate of 192 000 their treble delivery has become smoother, I can even listen to them without any EQ with many songs now. If I don’t want to buy a tube amp (I know 600s are mostly paired with one) what other warm headphone would you recommend?
Acquired: interesting re the 192K effect on the treble spike. You don’t mention using the 1990’s with the balanced earpads as a bassier option. Plus, do you have or are you willing to acquire a headphone amp?
Comparatively you will notice a drop in resolving ability, but it’s quickly paid back in timbre.
It also depends on what amp you’re running off of. I’m using an Asgard 3 + Modius combo and when set to High Gain the HD600 shine remarkably.
I’d imagine running the HD600 through a more analytical amp would not make them as enjoyable.
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No, I use the Analytical ones. It’s been a while since I made the decision so I don’t quite remember why but I think it had to do with me finding the mids muffled or recessed. I have been looking into either the Hybrid or Velvet dekoni pads because apparently they tame down the treble and accentuate some low mids. Yes I have a liquid spark.
You really need to go full-on tube to get the best out of these cans. They will repay you. Not with transparency but by blowing magic dust into your brain.
Disclaimer: HD600 do NOT blow magic dust into your brain. Magic dust has not been discovered yet. The above statement is an exaggeration. You may or may not like them.
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That’s exactly why I asked how you get along with the balanced pads. The Liquid Spark opens up a world of possibilities. But a preference for non-recessed mids closes off a world of possibilities in turn, lol. Nearly all bass-emphasized headphones use much of the midrange to taper off from the bass elevation, just like the 1990’s balanced pads do. This results in recessed mids. Apparently, most/many people’s brains can adapt to this and cancel it out (brain burn-in). If, like me, you’re not one of them, that eliminates most options.
If it weren’t that it needs to be EQ’d, one intriguing option would be the Audeze LCD-2 (fazor). This is supposed to be a step up in most technicals from the 1990. Without EQ it’s FR is seriously wonky in the upper mids. But if you use your EQ skills to boost the bass and the upper mids, it rewards you with gobs of detail, bass quality, etc. Have no idea how well the LCD-2 would pair with the Liquid Spark, however. Resolve’s review here.
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Thanks, I’ll give them a serious look. I think there’s an Audiophile store who only carries Audeze and AKG headphones in town so I’ll be able to look at them physically before buying them. I’m still really considering the 600’s though or at least a member of the 600 line. What are the main differences soundwise between a 600, 6xx and a 660s?