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?
Lucky guy, grin. Wonder if you can get a good read on how well you’ll adjust to the Audeze weight penalty. The new headbands are supposed to go a long way to easing that issue. But apparently those heavy Audeze double-sided magnets are there for a reason and are hard to beat.
You tell me and we’ll both know. I’ve only heard the 600, and that with well-used ear pads. I’ve read and watched countless reviews, but the only take-away I feel at all confident in is that they all have the same confined, three-blobish sound stage. The meme is that the 6XX/650 is “veiled” compared to the 600 – meaning less bright in the upper mids and treble. But Crinacle’s measurements with recent specimens of 600 and 650 show little diff between the two, when both have fresh ear pads.
Does the 660S have slightly better technicals but a grainier treble than the earlier models? Some say so. Don’t think anyone’s claiming any stand out as being bass-prominent. Also don’t think many on this forum have heard all three at the same time and on the same electronics (except, of course, M0N, lol).
Anyone know where I can get the L/R headphone jacks for these cans? Or a replacement cable that isn’t a fake and doesn’t cost too much?
I got these generics a while ago. I happen to buy 2 pairs.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y21P482
But if you rather have cardas, this is on sale right now.
I got these for a custom cable build, they actually fit better than the stock connectors for me: https://www.ebay.com/itm/HD650-Connector-Best-Quality-Sennheiser-HD650-HD600-HD565-HD580-HD414-Plug/112846308638
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Been listening to my recently acquired HD600 for most of my listening session today because I had to do a little repair job. When it arrived, I notice a buzzing/static sound coming from the left driver whenever low bass rumble is played (intro track from Blade Runner: 2049), an issue that was not disclosed by the seller. Anyways, the seller did say that I could return them for a refund, but (from the outside) the cans looked almost brand new.
Before I first put them on my head, my OCD forced me to replace the pads and headband with new ones. When I removed the pads and foam inserts, I noticed a bunch of stuck hair in the foam insert (not a good sign) and distortion/static greeted me when I played the above-mentioned track when testing the cans out even after cleaning out any dust, hair, and other detritus from the cups. Still, I loathed to send these nice looking HD600’s back. So, for the first time, I got to disassembling a Sennheiser HD6x0 can, previously I only got as far as changing pads (an extremely easy affair). So, kudos to Sennheiser for making it easy to take apart their HD6x0 cans:
As shown above, several strands of hair from the previous owner found their way into the driver chamber somehow. Notice how one almost looks like it laid under the voice coil(!). If it did, attempts to remove the hair may lead to the snapping of the thin and fragile voice coil. Thankfully, the picture showed that the hair was above the voice coil. Taking care not to touch the voice coil and the driver (having a steady pair of hands helps), I removed all of the hair that I could find.
After putting the left cup together again, I was greeted with no distortion from the 2049 intro track. Mission accomplished.
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Hello, Hope you are all doing well.
I am looking for a headphone upgrade/sidegrade. My budget is about 350-400$.
I currently own the Philips Fidelio X2HR and they’re enjoyable for other genres, but for classical music their sound feels a bit too “artificial” and metallic in terms of timbre and naturalness.
So far i’ve heard good things about the hd600’s timbre in particular so I felt like this was the place to ask. I have also heard about the narrow soundstage which would not be optimal with orchestral music, but if the timbre compensates for that i’ll sacrifice the soundstage.
As I mentioned, the headphones I get will be my “classical cans” and timbre/natural sound will be the most important factor, along with clarity. Are these my best bet or would you suggest other headphones?
P.S. I will be getting the Fiio K5 Pro DAC/Amp with whatever headphones you will suggest, since it seems like a solid budget option with decent power output. (not too informed with dac/amps as this will be my first buy).
Thank you in advance.
the headphones I get will be my “classical cans”
Well, the HD600 is good enough for classical musicians (chamber ensemble in the video) to use them to check their mixes (countertop headband FTW):
For classical cans on a budget, I would be on the lookout for a used AKG K501 (they have long since been discontinued). They were specifically designed to be enjoyed with classical music (large concert hall-like soundstage).
A pretty good Amazon customer review of the AKG K501: https://www.amazon.com/AKG-K501-Hi-Fi-Headphones/dp/B0000D8BM7#customerReviews
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