I bought my first pair of HD-600 back in the 1990's, just shortly after they came onto the market. It was a huge expense at the time because they sold for around $500. I've been an audio guy my entire lifetime and am nearly 60 years old now and at the time I bought these I needed a good quality headphone because I was working a second shift job and not getting home from work until after midnight when my wife was sleeping. When I was 38 my wife and I had our son and I didn't want to wake him, either. So about a year or so after he was born I made a mistake and left them sitting on my desk within his reach and he found them. I don't think he was quite yet walking on his own but he was able to stand up and could get around pretty good. As I was off to work one night when the following incident occurred, and please realize that I have to fill in some blanks here. My wife was home at the time but didn't see this happen and it was likely that it happened as she was doing something which distracted her just for a moment. Long story short, they wound up in the bottom of the dishwasher and at some point that night she used said dishwasher unaware of what the Demon Spawn had done. It didn't end well. Yes, every single part is replaceable but it wasn't feasible to do so, it would have been cheaper just to buy a new pair. I chose to buy a cheaper pair until he was old enough to know better, and yes, he is still alive but I was a bit agitated at the time! I purchased a second pair about five years ago after owning many other headphones over the past two decades and I will keep them always, they are still an excellent sounding pair of cans. I prefer the 600 to the 650 personally but as the 650 replaced the 600 at one time in the Sennheiser top spot of the 600 series lineup, I think there is a cheaper alternative to experiencing such a headphone for less money on Drop.com. They won't be delivered immediately, there will be a waiting period, and they aren't available at all times but they offer the 6XX which is a cooperative venture between Drop and Sennheiser, same headphone pretty much, currently selling at around $220.00. I have never purchased from them but do check in from time to time and they do have some decent deals. The 600 is a terrific sounding headphone. It's bass presentation is tight and controlled, it's plenty deep in the low end but it won't be the kind of slam the kids love in their tuner cars that rattle the bumpers and license plate frame. Use an EQ if you appreciate a modest boost. As for the mids, this is the 600's bread and butter. It's outstanding. The high end of the 600 is good if not spectacular but again, use an EQ if you're a bit older as I am and don't hear the way we did as teenagers. I've never quite bought into the entire Sennheiser veil thing but that's me. Sennheiser has come out with higher end headphones but you are going to need to pony up a fortune. I don't listen to my 600's as often as I once did because I decided to experience the Planar Magnetic Audeze line and own both the EL-8 and LCD-2, as well as the HiFiMan Sundara with the LCD-2 being my absolute favorite. The LCD-2 is a great big heavy pair of cans that make you fully aware of how light the 600's are as soon as you pick them up but the 600 in all of it's 1990's faux finish plastic is a very durable product that will last a lifetime so long as you learn the proper way to maintain and clean them.
Wow! I’Ve just tried these among several other headphones! Wow! The characteristic you give “effortless” - is 100% true. The best way I can describe them after half of a day of listening. I came to buy absolutely another pair. And I kept returning to hd600 all the time. They pulled me again and again! Thanks for the review!
Today is a glorious day for me. After many years of wanting, waiting and dreaming I finally got my pair of this fabulous headphone. I never will want another headphone as much as I have these. Now I can die a happy man. But not before I can enjoy these for many years to come.
I have been using it for a few days and put simply the beautiful sound and comfort is outstanding. The mids, highs and bass all combine to really bring out all the detail in music. And movies sound very good. Soundstage, imaging give a good and pleasing experience. The comfort is very good. Ounce I put on I never have to adjust. I was using the AKG Q701, HIFI MAN 400I, Audio tecknica m40x. I have retired all those headphones because the Hd600 has everything I have wanted in a headphone.
@@opiekrumpus4182 I´ve just ordered a pair myself today. Will have it tomorrow. I always have a hard time putting headphones for few hours. SO i hope i wont have troubles with those. Was more looking for one with a mic to game with but i guess i can buy a wirless mic later one.
I'll give you just ONE hint, why this is the best headphone ever created by Sennheiser. For ages in the Sennheiser website, you could find the frequency response diagram. After releasing few follow up models, the diagram is removed - simply because they haven't managed to get that flat / natural / stereo image / dynamic sound they achieved in this pair of headphones. This is my opinion - one of the best piece of gear out there whether you are an audio-phile (with no budged :D), a producer, a music enthusiast....
So true and so honest. My small experience as a 'basic' customer...i own 5 years ago an senheiser hd600, a beyerdynamics DT880 and an akg q701 after reading some review (each headphone having their own style blablabla refering to reviews). My first taste went to the hd600. then 1 year ago i decide to get a plenue M and transfer all my music(flac) on it. Quite enjoyable. Then 1 month ago my cat(!) eat the cable from my senheiser (cry)...but i decide not to replace it and use the two others... I don't know if my taste was blindly go to hd600 but...well it is not the same feeling... i just receive my spare part then make the replacement and use the hd600 again...what a pleasure i had, it is indescriptible...so soft, not agressive, i can wear it and listen for hours and hours and not being tired. english is not my native tongue (and you own a new subscriber).
I'm glad you got to experience the 600's. I have been so torn between them and the 650's for so long. I always here that the soundstage is a bit narrower on them compared to the 650's. Looks like a great headphone none the less. Great video.
Yea, I can confirm that the HD 650 work great for anything, that includes a lot of genres (I basically listen to almost everything, electronic, classic, orchestral, instrumental, old school rap, rap, pop, rock, metal and these work great for it all) and it includes gaming, the soundstage on these is just enough for games (you don't want a too wide soundstage either because things will sound too distant than they really are), six siege sound perfect on these and any other game works great, you can pinpoint enemies positions, I doubt it get's better in terms of imaging in a headphone, at least these image as best as I've heard in headphones, dt990 also imaged like these do, but because of the sub bass some people couldn't pinpoint enemies positions as well, I had no problems though. Cheers.
I doubt. Im working as sound engineer, trust me :D just check out how speaker is built, it is phisically impossible for this kind of construction to work better after 20 years. Maybe frequency response didn't change that much, but for sure transient response, micro structure of membrane has changed a lot. Imagine a paper (which membrane is) that u are bending 301493024923 times but really really soft. Wouldnt it be creased? also you have coil and (...).
I’ve had mine for 20 years. Keep trying upgrades. But I keep coming back to these. I can wear them for hours. I might die with them! Replaced the ear pads last year. Cables still good. Warm sound, beautiful mid range, top end is good - far from bright, not sure where that comes from. Bass lacks slam, but is tonality pleasing - fast and textured. String bass and cello is delicious. Value prop.
Thanks for a great review. I have finally managed to buy a pair of these, after decades of budget audio supermarket 'phones. Looking forward to how they will sound with 2.1home hifi. They will be used pretty much for that alone. Went for the HD600 cause they seem to be favoured for that really neutral, natural sound. Will be driven with an Elekit TU8200, or Nad 356BEEG depending on whats hooked up at the time ( prob 95% the TU8200 ).
I got in on the Massdrop x Sennheiser HD6XX version of the HD650 and I love them. I ended up getting the Bravo Audio V2 tube headphone amp with the 12ax7 tube (which I subsequently upgraded) as a solution for laptop and (I suppose) iPhone use. I looked at the Fiio amp/dacs and quickly fell down the rabbithole trying to find one with enough drive to really do the Sennheisers justice. Really, though, I leave them plugged into my dedicated turntable and amp setup for vinyl listening, where it doesn't need a headphone amp. I bought a Made-in-China version of the Omega headphone stand off of Amazon, and it sits proudly next to the stereo. It's between these and my ATH m50x's as my go-to cans. The one upshot to the AT's is that it doesn't need an amp for most of the stuff I do.
There's a lot of stuff out there for amp/dacs for sure. I had considered the Schiit setup for a little bit-- I love the look of them. But, yeah, if you have a decent soundcard, it seems really redundant frankly. Plus, I'm not that diligent with my digital audio collection. I try to upgrade stuff as I can, but outside of WAV rips of CD's at 44.1K I don't have a lot that justifies an outboard DAC. My personal recordings are higher than that, but then I'm using the audio card for that (it's an maudio Delta 1010LT currently with a Behrenger Eurorack mixer, which I use as my headphone amp). I still dig the m50x's. I have a Pioneer DDJ setup, and having the ability to flip the can around for one-handed use and the replaceable cables make those pretty handy-- if utilitarian.
theJTL- I have a home studio and mix projects there from time to time. In a few weeks, I'll be moving from a house to an apartment so I won't be able to use my Mackie HR824's as much as I would like to. So for those nights where I want to tweak a mix at 1 am, do you think the HD 600's would suffice? I've heard these are the ones to get for that application specifically or the HD 650's, 800, 800S which the later two are a great more costly. Your thoughts?
Yeah, I enjoy your laid back style too Jason, you do a good job. Or maybe it's just I'm another old guy who loves music and the Beatles? I found this channel while researching gaming headsets for my son and ended up buying the HyperX Cloud Cores. You are so right, an outstanding (musical) sound for a NZD$95 headphone. I was tempted to buy a 2nd pair for myself, but I've got HD-6XXs coming in December from Massdrop, can't wait!
I'm looking for a different headphone for my collection, can you help me choose which one would complement from my list of headphone. Kose porta pro, ATH-M50 and Alessandro MS-Pro. My option would be HD600 and DT990 600ohm version. Great vid as always.
Sorry for the double post. I had meant to ask about the standard cables. It seems from posts, that the OE cables are a bit fragile and can succumb to fracturing over time. From what I understand, the HD650 cables are interchangeable with the HD600, but are tougher structurally and longer lasting?! I cant afford the $100's of $$$ required for aftermarket cables, but could stretch to a HD650 cable if it had a longer lifespan than the std cable. Many thanks for your time, and loved your review, Mike.
Believe it or not, some people say they prefer these over the far more expensive HD800s costing three times that much although I haven't heard the 800s yet
Have you got your hands on the 650 or 660 S yet? The specs suggest they could be better but the way you talk about the clearness of each freq range in the 600 has me interested. Also, would you be able to do a video on your testing rig setup? Amps, pre-amps, mixers, their settings you use, etc that is in the conjunction with your HD 600? Thanks!
He doesn't use that high end gear when it comes to amps. And the difference between the HD 650 and 660S I would say is almost completely in treble. 660S has closer treble to the DT990 than the 650. I would say that the HD 650 is the closest to reality sounding a headphone can be (at least from the headphones I owned and others that I tested which is quite a few). Get 660S if you can't hear perfectly well. Because the treble is that much more on 660S I would say the 650 sound smoother. I'm in my 20s and I had my 660S for a day and had to return them, had them on a fostex hpa4bl amp and dac. Even with a burn in I highly highly doubt a sound signature could change that much for me to go from disliking the headphones to liking. I would say the 660S are DT990 but with a bit less treble and a lot less sub bass. Hope this helped in some way and ofcourse the best way to know for sure is to test them yourself, I hope you have a chance of testing these headphones. Also if you check on Z reviews channel he will go way more in depth and knows a lot more about headphones, speakers, amps, dac, etc. But to summarize the HD 600 supposedly (haven't owned or listened to them before) has very little to no soundstage with warmth, pretty high treble (might be too much for some) and little bass while the mids protrude to the front and HD 650 compared to that have more soundstage, more bass, a bit less treble and loss some of that warmth from the mids (at least that is what I could get from watching multiplie reviews of HD 600) Cheers.
Have you listened to Grado 325? They are uncomfortable for a long time wear, but man they sound amazing. So much clearer than HD 600/650. They have less sound stage though. Grado 325is made me switch from Sennheiser to Grado.
I have owned hd600 for some time, compared them to many headphones. They are great with good amps not cheap ones. Timbre is very nice alongside with midrange but my Rs1e always sounded more open and natural. Its always pleasure for my ears to hear vocals airy and clear playing by my Grado
What genres do you usually listen to? I listen to a lot of rock, post-punk, and metal. I also listen to electronic, classical, jazz, and hiphop (but I don’t like overdone bass). Wondering how these rate with various genres.
PAINFULLY HONEST TECH okay thanks man, love your channel glad I subscribed, can't wait to see more. Any chance you'll get your hands on a pair of Sennheiser PXC 550's?
CVNTGETENOUGH Hello. Actually, upgrading to a good amp would be a good idea. I used the Focusrite 2i4 and felt something was missing. I felt that the headphones could do a lot more, so I bought an Bottlehead style DIY tube amplifier. Wisest choise. After plugging everything in, I felt the headphones "awakening" and I could feel their full power. The sound was incredibly detailed and smooth, the vocals were just mesmerizing and the soundstage absolutely fantastic. Now, I could not go back to the Focusrite. It just doesn't have enough power to drive this headphone. If you have the chance, listen to a tube amp or a good solid state that will properly drive them and you will understand. Hope I could help. Cheers
Yes! I own a 2i4, and 18i20 (larger channel, 120v powered version) even the 18i20 has a hard time driving these headphones. I added a Schiit Magni amp ($100) and Schiit Modi DAC ($100) and switch between drivers via Voicemeeter for switching between monitors and headphones.
I have never heard that the 600's came in #2 behind the 650's. After listening to the same music on both I prefer the 600's quite a bit more. I do see I guess how it could be subjective though.
How good would this be on the PS4 and smartphones (Galaxy s7 edge)? Would I need an amp to make it sound good, I'm not yet quite familiar with this stuff. I already have the Game One/Zero for playing games, but I'm somewhat interested in the 600 as an all rounder.
Tyler Hennighan depending on what sound you want, normal amps (solid state) will provide an untouched sound or a tube amp that may sound more pleasing to people because it warms up the low end & increases sound stage a bit, for solid state I can recommend the "smsl m6" for a really good starter & also comes with a dac which will make sound much more detailed. Another good solid state is the "Aune x1s" which is stronger & has a good Dac. If you want the most potential then you want to get a balanced amp & a good one will be the "Topping dx7" & for a tube amp, the "Darkvoice 336se" is a popular & good choice
So would these headphones be good for gaming? Im not sure if i should get these for games like CS:GO, Pubg, Rainbow six and so on. Or are these headphones more for music production and for listening. Im looking for a replacement for some old sennheisers that I have and I dont know what to get.
Tyler Hennighan I’m sorry but I won’t be able to tell you this since I don’t own a pair but from what people say is that the sound stage is accurate & true to life, people have said that they have no sound stage & some say that the sound stage is wide. Honestly if the sound is true which it is I’d would use them for gaming & pretty much anything else but people may differ. People say that the Sennheiser hd 650's are better for gaming cause the have more sound stage but the thing is since they improved the sound stage, they sacrificed a some detail on the highs & also people say that the bass is better on the hd 650's but thing is is that they don’t keep a super neutral sound, it’s honestly up to you what sound you prefer but I enjoy neutrality & accuracy. If you’re getting the Sennheiser hd 600 now is a good time cause they’re 286$ dollars when they’re originally 400$ & on massdrop your can get the “massdrop hd 6xx” which is the Sennheiser hd 650 but for 200$ but better hurry if you’re getting these cause the drop is limited till Dec. 26 I think
Tyler Hennighan I’m sorry if these paragraphs are long but I’m trying to help as much as I can cause I know sometimes you don’t get answers that you may need & I was the same, I was clueless on what headphones to so I’d ask RUclipsrs question on it & id either get no response or something not really relevant or I sometimes got recommend the Sennheiser hd 600 since I asked for the most neutral, accurate & most natural sounding headphone so I did tons of research & that really how you come down to your decision, jus keep researching & ask questions. I know it sucks the position that you’re in right now & that’s why I’m trying to help. Jus be patient, research & ask questions
Hey Jason, great video and love the reviews on all the headphones youre doing. I'm in the market for new headphones, specifically gaming and music. I'm having a hard time looking at the Sennheiser 598, 600, and 650. Now money isn't necessarily an issue, but I do play a decent amount of first person shooters such as PUBG and COD WWII right now, so soundstage is huge for me. I don't mind getting an amp, but I am still doing research on which one is right for me. Any recommendations on a Sennheiser headset that would work for what I want?
I know it's a year too late, but in case anyone reads. I would skip the hd 500 line if you mean competitive gaming as the imaging isn't that great. The HD 598 are very enjoyable but imaging is meh at best. The 600 line is the opposite, it has great imaging, skip the 600 as they have a really narrow soundstage and go for the 650.
Greetings from México, Awsome review, transparent and if you speaker si higly I AM considering buying these but, for classical music? Organ concertos, tríos, classical guitar etc what Say you? THX very much
I know it's 6 months late but in case anyone else is reading. The 600 have a narrow soundstage so for gaming they wouldn't be that great, might wanna look into HD 650 for that, since they have more bass and bigger soundstage.
You will always get better audio from a deticated amp and dac over something onboard, a good amp and dac that has a good price is the Aune X1s, had it myself, was great.
Supposedly not since they have a narrow soundstage (650 would be good though), check out Z reviews for a more in-depth review, that guy tested a lot more headphones so he's got great knowledge on what's good for gaming.
FrateX Having just realized I am replying to your comment here from four months ago, you may have already got the headphone you wanted, but I still want to share this case someone else wants to see advice and my praise for HD600 from someone who has listened to a lot of audio and audio reproduction. Hope it may help someone... note that I use HD650 significantly more often than HD600 (for music enjoyment purposes) " I've found that when properly amplified, the HD600 and HD650 have a very good sense of direction. Headphones costing a few times more money than either of these aren't usually this good, and I've tried many. It's almost holographic in nature how they can pinpoint the relative of footsteps from a virtual character in a video game world. I am not a big gamer at all but I have found this to be the case with things such as binaural recordings of nature, etc as well. However one thing about them that may not be so good for gaming, in particular the HD650 but also the HD600, is that they don't have a boosted high-end. If you game on low volume it can be a problem as you might need to crank it up a little more to hear the subtle details of what's going on. It's because the headphones are very neutral in frequency response which means they don't favour any octaves over the others. One exception that only pertains to the HD650 is that it has a bass boost. I would use then for gaming. The sound stage isn't very big - it's quite average - but it is very nuanced. So if you need that in a headphone for games (like first- person shooters), they might be a great way to go. Apogee groove is a very portable headphone amp unit. It costs a couple hundred bucks new, but it's high quality and still decent value for how they made HD650 sound to my ears. There are cheaper options like the low end of Fiio products, quite a few of which are an excellent value.
Hi, I liked this review lot. Have you reviewed the sony mdr 7506 yet? It's my all time favorite headphone, and I think it's by far the best set of cans for arou d 100$/€. Try it out!
Depends on use but they should sound quite very different. Depends how good your hearing is but the best all rounder if you include gaming, I would say is HD 650.
The hd 600 shouldn't be your end game ... They told me .. Well after listening to the sundara 2020 and the whole 1000xm3 I can happily say that the hd 600 can be your end game ... I m not gonna search for others headphones anymore, I can die in peace
It was good but not the best for my ears. Not enough punch and sub bass, highs not very detailed nor airy. In its price maybe it can be the best thats all if you go further in price range it stop shining that much
Ohm on headphones doesn't matter as much as sensitivity, as long as the headphones are sensitive you can push them. I can push my HD 650 on my S8 easily at half volume it is loud enough but the quality of sound is what matters when it comes to amps and dacs not loudness. FYI for headphones and speakers to make sound they need an amp and a dac, onboard audio has an amp and dac department, dedicated amps and dacs have a lot more space and money to work with and are high end when compared to onboard audio processing. It's not that you need an amp or a dac to push these you need a dedicated amp and dac to push these (not volume ofcourse but sound quality/fidelity).
PAINFULLY HONEST TECH I took the plunge and have ordered some HD600s. I'll utilise them with other devices, but am hoping that they pair well with my LG V30. It's so difficult to find headphones for multiple applications. Whilst I won't be taking the HD600s out and about, can you recommend any upgrade cables? It would be great to have a shorter length cable when using them with my phone.
I have a fixed computer, Intel Core i7 2600, using the Realtek High Definition Audio sound card. I also downloaded the Peace equalizer and audio mixer for my PC. My point is do I need anything else for the HD-600 to function well with my computer? Or do I need to use an amp with my computer? I don't even know how to use the amp with the my computer. I would appreciate your advice. I have subscribed to your channel.
I dunno, i didnt like them. They were boring, too forgiving, missing soundstage. But the open construction feeling was nice. But no punch no life, too forgiving for mixing imo. I expected some low end also. I cant say they are bad, i just expected more for the price and was a bit upset. But! I listened through Roland 24 external audio interface, no special amp. It was approx 55 percent of volume (other phones i listened at 25 percent)
why are so ugly? that mosaic thing... but I want buy it, can you recommend a dac and headphone amp? I need both? or just the dac? or? I want for my macbookpro, I want rip all my audiophile cds.
Best way to describe the sound is that they reach into the music, grab the soul of the music and present it to you elegantly.
I bought my first pair of HD-600 back in the 1990's, just shortly after they came onto the market. It was a huge expense at the time because they sold for around $500. I've been an audio guy my entire lifetime and am nearly 60 years old now and at the time I bought these I needed a good quality headphone because I was working a second shift job and not getting home from work until after midnight when my wife was sleeping. When I was 38 my wife and I had our son and I didn't want to wake him, either.
So about a year or so after he was born I made a mistake and left them sitting on my desk within his reach and he found them. I don't think he was quite yet walking on his own but he was able to stand up and could get around pretty good. As I was off to work one night when the following incident occurred, and please realize that I have to fill in some blanks here. My wife was home at the time but didn't see this happen and it was likely that it happened as she was doing something which distracted her just for a moment. Long story short, they wound up in the bottom of the dishwasher and at some point that night she used said dishwasher unaware of what the Demon Spawn had done. It didn't end well.
Yes, every single part is replaceable but it wasn't feasible to do so, it would have been cheaper just to buy a new pair. I chose to buy a cheaper pair until he was old enough to know better, and yes, he is still alive but I was a bit agitated at the time! I purchased a second pair about five years ago after owning many other headphones over the past two decades and I will keep them always, they are still an excellent sounding pair of cans. I prefer the 600 to the 650 personally but as the 650 replaced the 600 at one time in the Sennheiser top spot of the 600 series lineup, I think there is a cheaper alternative to experiencing such a headphone for less money on Drop.com. They won't be delivered immediately, there will be a waiting period, and they aren't available at all times but they offer the 6XX which is a cooperative venture between Drop and Sennheiser, same headphone pretty much, currently selling at around $220.00. I have never purchased from them but do check in from time to time and they do have some decent deals.
The 600 is a terrific sounding headphone. It's bass presentation is tight and controlled, it's plenty deep in the low end but it won't be the kind of slam the kids love in their tuner cars that rattle the bumpers and license plate frame. Use an EQ if you appreciate a modest boost. As for the mids, this is the 600's bread and butter. It's outstanding. The high end of the 600 is good if not spectacular but again, use an EQ if you're a bit older as I am and don't hear the way we did as teenagers. I've never quite bought into the entire Sennheiser veil thing but that's me. Sennheiser has come out with higher end headphones but you are going to need to pony up a fortune.
I don't listen to my 600's as often as I once did because I decided to experience the Planar Magnetic Audeze line and own both the EL-8 and LCD-2, as well as the HiFiMan Sundara with the LCD-2 being my absolute favorite. The LCD-2 is a great big heavy pair of cans that make you fully aware of how light the 600's are as soon as you pick them up but the 600 in all of it's 1990's faux finish plastic is a very durable product that will last a lifetime so long as you learn the proper way to maintain and clean them.
The mids are incredible on these; had these for five years and I use them for Classical/Jazz and Movies sound awesome
My first and only pair of over the ear headphones. Glad I made the right choice. They are incredible.
Wow! I’Ve just tried these among several other headphones! Wow! The characteristic you give “effortless” - is 100% true. The best way I can describe them after half of a day of listening. I came to buy absolutely another pair. And I kept returning to hd600 all the time. They pulled me again and again!
Thanks for the review!
Glad you like them!
Today is a glorious day for me. After many years of wanting, waiting and dreaming I finally got my pair of this fabulous headphone. I never will want another headphone as much as I have these. Now I can die a happy man. But not before I can enjoy these for many years to come.
Good for you bro but can you please tell me are happy with it want one that's why i really appreciate if you could answer and help
I have been using it for a few days and put simply the beautiful sound and comfort is outstanding. The mids, highs and bass all combine to really bring out all the detail in music. And movies sound very good. Soundstage, imaging give a good and pleasing experience. The comfort is very good. Ounce I put on I never have to adjust. I was using the AKG Q701, HIFI MAN 400I, Audio tecknica m40x. I have retired all those headphones because the Hd600 has everything I have wanted in a headphone.
@@opiekrumpus4182 wow i cannot thank enough man appreciate it you are amazing thank you alot
@@Mohammed.Burhan.Mohammed your welcome take care.
@@opiekrumpus4182 I´ve just ordered a pair myself today. Will have it tomorrow. I always have a hard time putting headphones for few hours. SO i hope i wont have troubles with those. Was more looking for one with a mic to game with but i guess i can buy a wirless mic later one.
Ordered these three days ago on Amazon, waiting impatiently IMHO!! My body is ready!
I'll give you just ONE hint, why this is the best headphone ever created by Sennheiser.
For ages in the Sennheiser website, you could find the frequency response diagram.
After releasing few follow up models, the diagram is removed - simply because they haven't managed to get that flat / natural / stereo image / dynamic sound they achieved in this pair of headphones.
This is my opinion - one of the best piece of gear out there whether you are an audio-phile (with no budged :D), a producer, a music enthusiast....
So true and so honest.
My small experience as a 'basic' customer...i own 5 years ago an senheiser hd600, a beyerdynamics DT880 and an akg q701 after reading some review (each headphone having their own style blablabla refering to reviews).
My first taste went to the hd600. then 1 year ago i decide to get a plenue M and transfer all my music(flac) on it. Quite enjoyable.
Then 1 month ago my cat(!) eat the cable from my senheiser (cry)...but i decide not to replace it and use the two others...
I don't know if my taste was blindly go to hd600 but...well it is not the same feeling...
i just receive my spare part then make the replacement and use the hd600 again...what a pleasure i had, it is indescriptible...so soft, not agressive, i can wear it and listen for hours and hours and not being tired.
english is not my native tongue (and you own a new subscriber).
Just bought a pair, loving the sound quality. Super Comfy too.
I'm glad you got to experience the 600's. I have been so torn between them and the 650's for so long. I always here that the soundstage is a bit narrower on them compared to the 650's. Looks like a great headphone none the less. Great video.
Me too.
Yea, I can confirm that the HD 650 work great for anything, that includes a lot of genres (I basically listen to almost everything, electronic, classic, orchestral, instrumental, old school rap, rap, pop, rock, metal and these work great for it all) and it includes gaming, the soundstage on these is just enough for games (you don't want a too wide soundstage either because things will sound too distant than they really are), six siege sound perfect on these and any other game works great, you can pinpoint enemies positions, I doubt it get's better in terms of imaging in a headphone, at least these image as best as I've heard in headphones, dt990 also imaged like these do, but because of the sub bass some people couldn't pinpoint enemies positions as well, I had no problems though. Cheers.
Its 2024 . Im honored by watching feeling this content. Thanks my man
Thanks for the review! Please, keep up!)
Great review. Like the style. Thanks!
my OCD sense is tingling from all those hairs in the cup.
My HD600 is about 22 years old and still sound good. But i'm asking myself if the sound is still the same as a new one?
I doubt. Im working as sound engineer, trust me :D just check out how speaker is built, it is phisically impossible for this kind of construction to work better after 20 years. Maybe frequency response didn't change that much, but for sure transient response, micro structure of membrane has changed a lot. Imagine a paper (which membrane is) that u are bending 301493024923 times but really really soft. Wouldnt it be creased? also you have coil and (...).
no
the mk2 is trash. i had both!
@@xinkay How about planar drivers?
such a classic
I parked my HD600's as every day drivers for a pair of $50.00 Phillips SHP9500S. I know it sounds crazy but I highly recommend you give them a try.
BKD1966 it's not crazy. I reviewed those and recommend them all the time to people
Got this in 2000 and using it since. At 300 ohm, using this without amp is just wrong.
I’ve had mine for 20 years. Keep trying upgrades. But I keep coming back to these. I can wear them for hours. I might die with them! Replaced the ear pads last year. Cables still good. Warm sound, beautiful mid range, top end is good - far from bright, not sure where that comes from. Bass lacks slam, but is tonality pleasing - fast and textured. String bass and cello is delicious. Value prop.
I happened to buy a Kilimanjaro a year or so before buying the HD600s, and it does make the 600s work that bit better.
Sound mattress. I like that word
Thanks for a great review. I have finally managed to buy a pair of these, after decades of budget audio supermarket 'phones. Looking forward to how they will sound with 2.1home hifi. They will be used pretty much for that alone. Went for the HD600 cause they seem to be favoured for that really neutral, natural sound. Will be driven with an Elekit TU8200, or Nad 356BEEG depending on whats hooked up at the time ( prob 95% the TU8200 ).
I got in on the Massdrop x Sennheiser HD6XX version of the HD650 and I love them. I ended up getting the Bravo Audio V2 tube headphone amp with the 12ax7 tube (which I subsequently upgraded) as a solution for laptop and (I suppose) iPhone use. I looked at the Fiio amp/dacs and quickly fell down the rabbithole trying to find one with enough drive to really do the Sennheisers justice. Really, though, I leave them plugged into my dedicated turntable and amp setup for vinyl listening, where it doesn't need a headphone amp. I bought a Made-in-China version of the Omega headphone stand off of Amazon, and it sits proudly next to the stereo. It's between these and my ATH m50x's as my go-to cans. The one upshot to the AT's is that it doesn't need an amp for most of the stuff I do.
There's a lot of stuff out there for amp/dacs for sure. I had considered the Schiit setup for a little bit-- I love the look of them. But, yeah, if you have a decent soundcard, it seems really redundant frankly. Plus, I'm not that diligent with my digital audio collection. I try to upgrade stuff as I can, but outside of WAV rips of CD's at 44.1K I don't have a lot that justifies an outboard DAC. My personal recordings are higher than that, but then I'm using the audio card for that (it's an maudio Delta 1010LT currently with a Behrenger Eurorack mixer, which I use as my headphone amp). I still dig the m50x's. I have a Pioneer DDJ setup, and having the ability to flip the can around for one-handed use and the replaceable cables make those pretty handy-- if utilitarian.
Get an NFB11-28 You will not regret it.
@@thejasontlewis Look up Aune X1S amp, which Aune says the ideal partner for the amp would be an HD 650 or K701.
Still being made over 20 says something about these guys that are still doing right
If you do want the hd650 just get the massdrop hd6xx same headphone as the 650 just different plastic and it's only 200
theJTL- I have a home studio and mix projects there from time to time. In a few weeks, I'll be moving from a house to an apartment so I won't be able to use my Mackie HR824's as much as I would like to. So for those nights where I want to tweak a mix at 1 am, do you think the HD 600's would suffice? I've heard these are the ones to get for that application specifically or the HD 650's, 800, 800S which the later two are a great more costly. Your thoughts?
Lovely video dude xx
I love your outros
Which one is better for anime,movie and music? hd600 vs hd650 vs dt990 pro
Just subd you're as laid back as these headphones I just ordered the 650s
Yeah, I enjoy your laid back style too Jason, you do a good job. Or maybe it's just I'm another old guy who loves music and the Beatles?
I found this channel while researching gaming headsets for my son and ended up buying the HyperX Cloud Cores. You are so right, an outstanding (musical) sound for a NZD$95 headphone. I was tempted to buy a 2nd pair for myself, but I've got HD-6XXs coming in December from Massdrop, can't wait!
I'm looking for a different headphone for my collection, can you help me choose which one would complement from my list of headphone. Kose porta pro, ATH-M50 and Alessandro MS-Pro. My option would be HD600 and DT990 600ohm version. Great vid as always.
Sorry for the double post. I had meant to ask about the standard cables. It seems from posts, that the OE cables are a bit fragile and can succumb to fracturing over time. From what I understand, the HD650 cables are interchangeable with the HD600, but are tougher structurally and longer lasting?! I cant afford the $100's of $$$ required for aftermarket cables, but could stretch to a HD650 cable if it had a longer lifespan than the std cable.
Many thanks for your time, and loved your review,
Mike.
are you still recommend the headset now?
im about to buy it but still not sure
Of course, no one can ever go wrong with these!
Believe it or not, some people say they prefer these over the far more expensive HD800s costing three times that much although I haven't heard the 800s yet
Have you got your hands on the 650 or 660 S yet? The specs suggest they could be better but the way you talk about the clearness of each freq range in the 600 has me interested. Also, would you be able to do a video on your testing rig setup? Amps, pre-amps, mixers, their settings you use, etc that is in the conjunction with your HD 600? Thanks!
He doesn't use that high end gear when it comes to amps. And the difference between the HD 650 and 660S I would say is almost completely in treble. 660S has closer treble to the DT990 than the 650. I would say that the HD 650 is the closest to reality sounding a headphone can be (at least from the headphones I owned and others that I tested which is quite a few). Get 660S if you can't hear perfectly well. Because the treble is that much more on 660S I would say the 650 sound smoother. I'm in my 20s and I had my 660S for a day and had to return them, had them on a fostex hpa4bl amp and dac. Even with a burn in I highly highly doubt a sound signature could change that much for me to go from disliking the headphones to liking. I would say the 660S are DT990 but with a bit less treble and a lot less sub bass. Hope this helped in some way and ofcourse the best way to know for sure is to test them yourself, I hope you have a chance of testing these headphones. Also if you check on Z reviews channel he will go way more in depth and knows a lot more about headphones, speakers, amps, dac, etc. But to summarize the HD 600 supposedly (haven't owned or listened to them before) has very little to no soundstage with warmth, pretty high treble (might be too much for some) and little bass while the mids protrude to the front and HD 650 compared to that have more soundstage, more bass, a bit less treble and loss some of that warmth from the mids (at least that is what I could get from watching multiplie reviews of HD 600)
Cheers.
Which model headphone Fiio headphone amp should I start out with ? Also , what about a stereo headphone amp ? Thanks .
Have you listened to Grado 325? They are uncomfortable for a long time wear, but man they sound amazing. So much clearer than HD 600/650. They have less sound stage though. Grado 325is made me switch from Sennheiser to Grado.
I have owned hd600 for some time, compared them to many headphones. They are great with good amps not cheap ones. Timbre is very nice alongside with midrange but my Rs1e always sounded more open and natural. Its always pleasure for my ears to hear vocals airy and clear playing by my Grado
What genres do you usually listen to? I listen to a lot of rock, post-punk, and metal. I also listen to electronic, classical, jazz, and hiphop (but I don’t like overdone bass). Wondering how these rate with various genres.
If I own a Scarlett 2i2, would you still recommend buying an amp?
PAINFULLY HONEST TECH okay thanks man, love your channel glad I subscribed, can't wait to see more. Any chance you'll get your hands on a pair of Sennheiser PXC 550's?
CVNTGETENOUGH Hello. Actually, upgrading to a good amp would be a good idea. I used the Focusrite 2i4 and felt something was missing. I felt that the headphones could do a lot more, so I bought an Bottlehead style DIY tube amplifier. Wisest choise. After plugging everything in, I felt the headphones "awakening" and I could feel their full power. The sound was incredibly detailed and smooth, the vocals were just mesmerizing and the soundstage absolutely fantastic. Now, I could not go back to the Focusrite. It just doesn't have enough power to drive this headphone. If you have the chance, listen to a tube amp or a good solid state that will properly drive them and you will understand. Hope I could help. Cheers
Yes! I own a 2i4, and 18i20 (larger channel, 120v powered version) even the 18i20 has a hard time driving these headphones. I added a Schiit Magni amp ($100) and Schiit Modi DAC ($100) and switch between drivers via Voicemeeter for switching between monitors and headphones.
Love my 600s btw
What about not just music but also movies and games?
Do instrumental and electro music sound good?? Thanks
I have never heard that the 600's came in #2 behind the 650's. After listening to the same music on both I prefer the 600's quite a bit more. I do see I guess how it could be subjective though.
Totally agree. Best EVER!
How good would this be on the PS4 and smartphones (Galaxy s7 edge)? Would I need an amp to make it sound good, I'm not yet quite familiar with this stuff. I already have the Game One/Zero for playing games, but I'm somewhat interested in the 600 as an all rounder.
Gusion Rebake it would be wasted on video games and they have no kind of surround sound so the game zero would be a better choice
For video games you don’t want surround sound lol you want stereo.
What amps are good? Will any do or is there anything that i need to look for when getting an amp for the hd 600?
Tyler Hennighan depending on what sound you want, normal amps (solid state) will provide an untouched sound or a tube amp that may sound more pleasing to people because it warms up the low end & increases sound stage a bit, for solid state I can recommend the "smsl m6" for a really good starter & also comes with a dac which will make sound much more detailed. Another good solid state is the "Aune x1s" which is stronger & has a good Dac. If you want the most potential then you want to get a balanced amp & a good one will be the "Topping dx7" & for a tube amp, the "Darkvoice 336se" is a popular & good choice
So would these headphones be good for gaming? Im not sure if i should get these for games like CS:GO, Pubg, Rainbow six and so on. Or are these headphones more for music production and for listening. Im looking for a replacement for some old sennheisers that I have and I dont know what to get.
Tyler Hennighan I’m sorry but I won’t be able to tell you this since I don’t own a pair but from what people say is that the sound stage is accurate & true to life, people have said that they have no sound stage & some say that the sound stage is wide. Honestly if the sound is true which it is I’d would use them for gaming & pretty much anything else but people may differ. People say that the Sennheiser hd 650's are better for gaming cause the have more sound stage but the thing is since they improved the sound stage, they sacrificed a some detail on the highs & also people say that the bass is better on the hd 650's but thing is is that they don’t keep a super neutral sound, it’s honestly up to you what sound you prefer but I enjoy neutrality & accuracy. If you’re getting the Sennheiser hd 600 now is a good time cause they’re 286$ dollars when they’re originally 400$ & on massdrop your can get the “massdrop hd 6xx” which is the Sennheiser hd 650 but for 200$ but better hurry if you’re getting these cause the drop is limited till Dec. 26 I think
Tyler Hennighan I’m sorry if these paragraphs are long but I’m trying to help as much as I can cause I know sometimes you don’t get answers that you may need & I was the same, I was clueless on what headphones to so I’d ask RUclipsrs question on it & id either get no response or something not really relevant or I sometimes got recommend the Sennheiser hd 600 since I asked for the most neutral, accurate & most natural sounding headphone so I did tons of research & that really how you come down to your decision, jus keep researching & ask questions. I know it sucks the position that you’re in right now & that’s why I’m trying to help. Jus be patient, research & ask questions
Ok thanks a lot!
Hey Jason, great video and love the reviews on all the headphones youre doing. I'm in the market for new headphones, specifically gaming and music. I'm having a hard time looking at the Sennheiser 598, 600, and 650. Now money isn't necessarily an issue, but I do play a decent amount of first person shooters such as PUBG and COD WWII right now, so soundstage is huge for me. I don't mind getting an amp, but I am still doing research on which one is right for me. Any recommendations on a Sennheiser headset that would work for what I want?
The beyerdynamic K701 has a big soundstage for gaming.
I know it's a year too late, but in case anyone reads. I would skip the hd 500 line if you mean competitive gaming as the imaging isn't that great. The HD 598 are very enjoyable but imaging is meh at best. The 600 line is the opposite, it has great imaging, skip the 600 as they have a really narrow soundstage and go for the 650.
Hd560s for you my good man xx
Greetings from México,
Awsome review, transparent and if you speaker si higly I AM considering buying these but, for classical music? Organ concertos, tríos, classical guitar etc what Say you?
THX very much
Is a different in this model vs the HD model? Sennheiser HD 600 Circumaural Headphones
thanks brill review....
does the fiio A3 really increase the sound of the hd600 because i can sometimes hear the sounds surrounding.. PLS REPLY
I love all the Sennheiser 6 Series and they all are different
Are they good for gaming audio
I know it's 6 months late but in case anyone else is reading. The 600 have a narrow soundstage so for gaming they wouldn't be that great, might wanna look into HD 650 for that, since they have more bass and bigger soundstage.
Is that amp enough to drive them or do I need an interface as well?
you can just connect them on your laptop or desktop..but if you are into music production you might want to get a good soundcard as well:)
You will always get better audio from a deticated amp and dac over something onboard, a good amp and dac that has a good price is the Aune X1s, had it myself, was great.
I know its not a gaming channel but are they good for gaming?
Supposedly not since they have a narrow soundstage (650 would be good though), check out Z reviews for a more in-depth review, that guy tested a lot more headphones so he's got great knowledge on what's good for gaming.
can you plug a pair of headphones into an amp and than into the tv?
I run my TV through my Fiio E17 and out to speakers or headphones.
Yes! Run your TV RCA outs to the input on your headphone amp. Plug headphones into amp and VOILA
theJTL optical Headsets are better then USB headsets on PS4???
What's the background music in this video from?
Man. I have to listen to a pair of these just once in my life lol.
theJTL I'd take just one song if I could ha. These are on the bucketlist.
PAINFULLY HONEST TECH are these good for gaming
i would get the fidelios for gaming
FrateX Having just realized I am replying to your comment here from four months ago, you may have already got the headphone you wanted, but I still want to share this case someone else wants to see advice and my praise for HD600 from someone who has listened to a lot of audio and audio reproduction. Hope it may help someone... note that I use HD650 significantly more often than HD600 (for music enjoyment purposes)
"
I've found that when properly amplified, the HD600 and HD650 have a very good sense of direction. Headphones costing a few times more money than either of these aren't usually this good, and I've tried many. It's almost holographic in nature how they can pinpoint the relative of footsteps from a virtual character in a video game world. I am not a big gamer at all but I have found this to be the case with things such as binaural recordings of nature, etc as well.
However one thing about them that may not be so good for gaming, in particular the HD650 but also the HD600, is that they don't have a boosted high-end. If you game on low volume it can be a problem as you might need to crank it up a little more to hear the subtle details of what's going on. It's because the headphones are very neutral in frequency response which means they don't favour any octaves over the others. One exception that only pertains to the HD650 is that it has a bass boost.
I would use then for gaming. The sound stage isn't very big - it's quite average - but it is very nuanced. So if you need that in a headphone for games (like first- person shooters), they might be a great way to go.
Apogee groove is a very portable headphone amp unit. It costs a couple hundred bucks new, but it's high quality and still decent value for how they made HD650 sound to my ears. There are cheaper options like the low end of Fiio products, quite a few of which are an excellent value.
Hi, I liked this review lot. Have you reviewed the sony mdr 7506 yet? It's my all time favorite headphone, and I think it's by far the best set of cans for arou d 100$/€. Try it out!
hd600 vs hd660s which one should i buy？
Depends on use but they should sound quite very different. Depends how good your hearing is but the best all rounder if you include gaming, I would say is HD 650.
The hd 600 shouldn't be your end game ...
They told me ..
Well after listening to the sundara 2020 and the whole 1000xm3 I can happily say that the hd 600 can be your end game ...
I m not gonna search for others headphones anymore, I can die in peace
It was good but not the best for my ears. Not enough punch and sub bass, highs not very detailed nor airy. In its price maybe it can be the best thats all if you go further in price range it stop shining that much
Ohm on headphones doesn't matter as much as sensitivity, as long as the headphones are sensitive you can push them. I can push my HD 650 on my S8 easily at half volume it is loud enough but the quality of sound is what matters when it comes to amps and dacs not loudness. FYI for headphones and speakers to make sound they need an amp and a dac, onboard audio has an amp and dac department, dedicated amps and dacs have a lot more space and money to work with and are high end when compared to onboard audio processing. It's not that you need an amp or a dac to push these you need a dedicated amp and dac to push these (not volume ofcourse but sound quality/fidelity).
any recommendation for the amplifier?
JDS Atom Amp
Aune X1S.
Do these work well with the LG V30 DAC?
PAINFULLY HONEST TECH I took the plunge and have ordered some HD600s. I'll utilise them with other devices, but am hoping that they pair well with my LG V30. It's so difficult to find headphones for multiple applications.
Whilst I won't be taking the HD600s out and about, can you recommend any upgrade cables? It would be great to have a shorter length cable when using them with my phone.
No they Will eksplodere
what year did these come out?
Forza Fox 1997
So I'm buying a pair of these and I'm not legally able to drive a car and this thing can smoke and get drunk. Damn
I can relate.
Yes the irish ones are legendary
the best ever!!
I have a fixed computer, Intel Core i7 2600, using the Realtek High Definition Audio sound card. I also downloaded the Peace equalizer and audio mixer for my PC. My point is do I need anything else for the HD-600 to function well with my computer? Or do I need to use an amp with my computer? I don't even know how to use the amp with the my computer. I would appreciate your advice. I have subscribed to your channel.
This one or hd700?
The 600s
I wish I bought this instead of Fidelio x2
Still not a bad choice and plus fidelios are much cheaper, you can get these or 650 later on.
Nowadays these headphones come in a very cheap hardbox.
I dunno, i didnt like them. They were boring, too forgiving, missing soundstage. But the open construction feeling was nice. But no punch no life, too forgiving for mixing imo. I expected some low end also. I cant say they are bad, i just expected more for the price and was a bit upset. But! I listened through Roland 24 external audio interface, no special amp. It was approx 55 percent of volume (other phones i listened at 25 percent)
Yep THE best.
you remind me of kane from The 100
💛💛💛
why are so ugly? that mosaic thing... but I want buy it, can you recommend a dac and headphone amp? I need both? or just the dac? or? I want for my macbookpro, I want rip all my audiophile cds.
john smith fiio e17k
You don't like the kitchen counter look?
Aune X1S would be the best you can get for the price and if you want to "upgrade" it would cost you dozens of times more.
I prefer hd650
Nice review. I have one of these, I love them. If headphones could be my wife I would marry the HD 600 and the test would be side chicks.