I just want to note, I also cringe at the concept of being a "headphone expert". While I've heard and tested a LOT of stuff... I'd like to think the people I learn from and surround myself with are the real experts, and I'm just doing my best to bring what I learn to the community in videos like these.
Being an expert on headphones is a very good description of your technical knowledge. Having all of the measurement experience you have acquired is certainly meaningful. Still, at the end of the day, you are listening for different things than others may be, and that is a gap that neither knowledge nor experience can bridge. I can be certain that my life spent as a symphony musician will cause me to listen very differently than others on the same equipment. I wish there was an objective way to erase that difference, but I have never found one.
I very much identify with cringing at describing oneself as an expert, but also think that if there is such a thing you've put in the work to hold that title.
Also tell them that they need to be more selective with whom they let demo the HE-1. Hearing music through them and then going back to anything else is a leading cause of crippling depression among enthusiasts.
My first of the 600 series was the 600, way back in 1998, not long after coming to the market. I purchased it at a time when I was working a second shift job and I wanted to be able to shower and then listen to music while my wife slept. In 1999 we had a child and one day as he approached the age of one and was just about to master that walking thing, he managed to get his gloms on my headphones by holding himself up and removing them from the desktop where I had carelessly left them. I went to work that afternoon not realizing my error and at some point they found their way into the bottom of the dishwasher. And they got washed. It didn't work out so well! I didn't discover until the following morning because I didn't listen to music that night. I decided not to spend so much on the replacement pair so I bought the HD535, which I still have. I also own the 600 once again, as well as the 6XX and the 660S2, which is probably my favorite. I like the extra bump in the bass as well as an elevated treble because it seems to lift that veil of the 600/6XX/650. The 600 series is still a great line in my viewpoint. Maybe not the ultra high end TOTL type headphone it seemed to be back in 1997 but still a great headphone. BTW, I'm 63 years old and don't hear like I did in my 20's & 30's.
The original HD600 is/was the greatest bargain in headphone history.I have headphones which cost 8 times as much as the 600s,yet I still go back to the 600s from time to time
@@oktober-r8i Not true , it depends by your needs , if your needs is to drive a Sport Ferrari its better than an SUV , if your needs is to use a car day by day and move your family then its better than Ferrari . HD 600 are better for what they are good to do vocals timbre natural, 660s2 are way better on imaging , seperation, speed , soundstage , and bring instruments in the mix ... So it depends by what u want .
I've owned the HD650's for something like 20 years now, same original pair. I replaced the foam sides and top headband, very easy to snap in new ones sold on the Sennheiser website. With that they're still like new and sound amazing. I change the cable a lot (balanced or unbalanced depending on where I'm using them), and no wear on the side connectors. House, Trance or Techno plus a SUBPAC leaves you in heaven!
I own the 600, 6xx and 490 pro and I find myself reaching for the 490 pro 90% of the time. The comfort is amazing, probably my favorite in my entire collection. Im a gamer and there really is no contest, they are hands down better than the 600 and 6xx. I also prefer the added bass vs the anemic bass on the 600 and 6xx. The extra sparkle in the treble can get fatiguing but I found that Oratory's EQ for the 490 pro is absolutely perfect (and I really dont like to EQ). That said, the 600s on my Darkvoice is phenomenal.
very good review. thx for sharing this information. Here's my two cents: Had the 600 vs the 650 in comparison. The 650 sounds nice, a little bass extended, warm generally. The 600 also sounds good out of the box, but more balanced. I mainly bought them to check bass on my mixes. After testing them back and forth, the results with 600 always kept the dynamic better in place. So the 600 wins, especially for mastering.
agreed, I keep wondering why people are leaving that out, especially since the original 660s is no longer made, and this is the part of that legacy. Also I don't think the 620 belongs in this group either. with both being closed back and 599 series design, it really is not the same animal. the 58x should have been in here.
I stil keep my HD600, my first open headphone, even today side by side with HD 800S, Utopia, Hifiman HEK 1000 V2, Meze Liric. And with a Mojo 2 is a real lush.
I have 800S as well, and Utopia, and many others. Keep coming back to my beautiful HD600. Nothing does sweet highs like this gem of a headphone. Nothing.
Both of your comments are good to hear! A couple of weeks ago I bought brand new HD600's for $350 Australian which is about $240 US. I'm VERY happy with them and feel like I got a bargain. Haven't heard the 800s but they are a pair I'd love to get in the future when I'm more financial. 👍
I understand and appreciate the difficulty choosing between the HD600 and the 490Pro. I've had similar challenges. While I will go for several months, thinking I prefer something else, I always come back to the HD600. In its price class, for the headphones I've listened to and loved, it's just better. I still listen to, and love, the others. If other prefer them, I support you. If you gave me a choice of one, the HD600 is my clear winner.
I don't think anyone said the S2 had a bass shelf. It has better bass extension than the 650, which the graph shows. And while it also shows the S2 doesn't extend flat, like a planar, I feel the sub-bass to a greater extent, subjectively, than on the 650, which is all mid-bass then nothing. It's a lot like the difference between a bookshelf speaker, and a full range tower to my ears.
@@dizzy-snail The 660S2 stopped me dead in my tracks and I love rap, does all genres well and the bass is as good as it gets without dropping serious $$ - Also check out the Harmonicdyne + Z-Reviews Eris (just dropped and it's main focus is bass)
I enjoyed this video, as I own most of these headphones and some that are not in this line up from Sennheiser, I would have liked to seen where the HD 560 fell in this line up, it is the only one here I don't have aside from the 660s2, I still have the 660s1 and never thought it necessary to upgrade. Thank you for the ridiculous amount of work you put into this video to give us all this information.
Sometimes I wonder if sennheiser regrets that they nailed it back than with the hd600 :D I mean they came out 1997 and are still a benchmark for them and others. Beating that at a competitive price compared to the original aint easy, especially if you also take comfort, availability and serviceability into consideration.
Got a pair of 660S2's for $440 which are coming in tomorrow, so I'm excited to try them out for a bit and see if I like them. First pair of open back headphones I'm getting so we'll see how it is. If not, I can always return them and put that money towards something else.
People like me and some of u guys that we Have all of them , we know that 660S2 are better headphone, imaging , separation, smoothness , soundstage , speed is way better than 600 , 650 , BUT they are not so vocal focus like the others . U cant have it all.
I recently picked up a pair of HD 660 S2's in the hype of their release and to be honest, I am feeble in knowledge compared to a YT'er but, I've really enjoyed the slightly lowered Treble in these, it allows me to drive them more to really pull all the goodness out while also not being fatiguing over long periods.
I know this is probably going to get lost and forgotten, but I’m going to say it anyway. I just recently bought the HD 620s. As soon as I took it out of the box and put it on my head I immediately wanted to cry. They were the heaviest and most uncomfortable headphones I’ve ever worn. The sound quality was so mid. The bass was way overpowering and the vocals seemed almost drowned out. I tested several genres of music, tested video games. I was so depressed after my experience. I know he was comparing the 600 series in this video, however I have never owned any other 600 series before. So I will compare it to my HD 558’s. My sennheiser HD 558 headphones were the best headphones I’ve ever had! I could hear the vocals clearly! The instruments were excellent, I could hear every individual instrument being played! I loved those headphones so much until the right speaker blew. I retuned the 620s as soon as my local ups opened. I’m ashamed to have waisted my time and money on them to begin with.
I just received my pair. Maybe because I'm using them with a DAP, but my pair are a bit light in the bass region. Otherwise I think I like the way they sound. And I find them very comfortable. I was able to wear them for many hours with no issues. Maybe unit variation?
The timing on this couldn't be better. I've had the Sennheiser HD 569 closed-back's in my Amazon cart for the past day trying to make a decision between these and IEMs. 😅
@@Hijynx87 I'm trying the Tangzu Wan'er iem's to start. They're recommended by a few audiophile RUclipsrs, and I wanna start cheap to see if I like the vibe.
@@residentzero For hundreds of dollars they better be amazing 🤣 I'll see how I like the cheaper pair first- if the ergonomics of wearing buds VS phones suits me, I'll consider something more high-end in the future. Edit: And yeah, the 569's I removed from my cart. $120 for an ancient pair of cans that I can't find any reviews for? I'll pass.
When EQ is a thing, the minor differences in frequency response between all of these are so small as to be irrelevant. I've used 600, 6XX, 660S, 660S2. They can all be easily adjusted to sound just how I want.
I like the HD560s. It's probably the best bang for the buck HP right next to the 6XX. I liked the 560s more than the 490 Pro which is 2x the price. Especially for gaming. For the price and value it's easily A tier and knocking on the S Tier Door. 🌶 Spicy Take of the Day
Fully agree, the HD560s really is incredible, an overall awesome tuning of great bass extension, slightly forward yet balanced mids, and sparkly, airy treble, and a pretty solid technical performance all for the asking price. Cant go wrong with it for both gaming and music imo.
I absolutely love my 560s they are brilliant. I run them with eq off my fiio ka17. Pull back 4.5k by 3db.. push up 10k by 2db and create a progressive bass lift below 80hz. I honestly love them as much as my hd600's. I reach for the 560s when I require a more truer stage. Xx
haven't been able to try a 600 series yet, but i absolutely adore my 560s. I took the short 3.5mm-2.5mm cable that came with my Bose QC45 and jammed it into the twist lock, completely fixed the cable issue if you find the stock one too long and bulky. Really interested in trying 490 pros and 600's
What amp portable or desktop would you recommend for the 600 or 650/6xx ? Since the impedance is 300 ohms. Thanks for your reply in advance. I watched the WHOLE video. It wasn't that painful. 😁
Great video, but it would be nice to include 660s and 58x in the measurements. Even if it's discontinued - the comparison would still be very useful for people who have it.
More great work Andrew. I've been using the 10 ohm impedance adapter from the crinicle red on my 600s and it's an awesome combo with my K5 pro. I do eq 200hz down about 2db and I like to reduce 1.5k down about 2db also. That seems to open up the soundstage a bit although I might just be imagining that.
Well done, I was looking at the buying the 660S just today, Being in Brisbane, Australia, there is no where for me to go and try on these headphones, so I rely on this type of information, your timing was impeccable, I will stick with my entry level 560s for now. Can you please do a 500 series comparison video so I can at least feel good about the 560s...Joking
Great job - again. The HD58X has already been mentioned as missing here, but how about the HD580 Precision, the headphone that started this whole thing.
Baby Resolve was one helluva unexpected jump scare lol I personally have a preference for the 6XX over my 600 but it's amazing just how well the 600 series have held up throughout the years
I've used my HD7 DJ since they released. Couple of pad changes over the time. Running them completely flat off my phone, through my Plenue R or off my old Marantz NR1602. I'll run these headphones until they die. I bought the HD660S1 when they released (as Senn gave me a discount for the headband crumbling on my DJ's) so I picked up a pair. Since release I've used them maybe a couple of times. No matter what I run them off they sound so unbelievably flat to me. They've sat in their box for years at this point.
just to be clear, they're separate companies now aren't they? as i understand it sonova acquired sennhesier consumer division, pro is the original company
meanwhile on other channel and discussions HD660s2 is the A tier. It's really a subjective thing. It's almost watching and reading reviews is useless. Just gotta try it yourself
I’m currently looking at the 490 Pro mainly for mixing and mastering, would you say those would be the closest out of the bunch to translate a mix/master on multiple sound sources? (Car, Earbuds, Bluetooth speakers, etc.) By the looks of the graph they seem to be the flattest or closest to the grayed out sound curve.
hey resolve thoughtful and great video as always. is there any validity to the claim that the only minor difference results from a single vs double foam backing covering the drivers of the hd600 and 650 series?
I love my HD600 but they are currently in the box because one of the pads is falling apart. Planning to DIY a OTL tube amplifier for them and bring them back from retirement!
Great video. Thanks for all the time you took to make the comparisons. Which headphones would you recommend with a greater extension in the sub-bass, compared to the 600 series?
@@randomAnnanoumousDude2134 thanks! I will checkout both. I have an HD 600 and I love it so much . But I’m looking for something funnier. Thanks again.
Im more of a bass lover, edm, chunky metal, hardstyle. But i was tempted to buy the hd 6xx since they are cheaper and most people say its the same as the others just to see how other music sounds with them but have no idea about amps and stuff. My x670e taichi mobo says it has an amp/dac but idk what any of the specs meant and if i needed an external instead idk what to grab. I grabbed the momentum 4 (over ear) for exercising and house work but they sound like im listening through a wall for some reason and were overall disappointing but i have no idea what kind of wired to get or what to drive em with
Thanks, Resolve! If only a certain website with "science" in its name could measure and review headphones with the same level of measurement precision and objectivity.
6fiddies are great... just the slightly darker thicker sibling. I have the hd580, hd600 and hd650. I listen to all of them but the hd600 gets used most xx
I’m unsure whether to get planar or not - the extended accurate bass really appeals to me for mixing and producing house and techno if I go with open back. However you say planar lack punch which is also important for these genres. Can I have both? The closed back DT 700 / 770s have it but not really any open backs.
get the hifiman Edition XS, or if you are more vocals focused then the Sundara. XS is $380 new, and $240 refurb from their website. If you feel you have to have lots of punch, the Focal Elex are the kings of punch while still being excellent across the entire mixing range.
So the new 620S would likely sound better as the pads age and contour to the head more? I'd love to see some pad swap measurements for these headphones as well. My favorite headphone is a 6xx with the dekoni hybrid pads which increases the bass a bit which makes them about perfect (for me).
I'm writing this before the video ends so it may have been addressed, but why wouldn't the 660s be included? If the 650 and 6xx are included and they're literally the same headphone, why wouldn't the 660s be included? I'm not trying to start a war but since it's debut it's seemed like the 660's has been neglected or disrespected for what seems like no reason.
660S are some of the best before they did the 660S2, but his list make not much sense since he placed them in D tier, they are easily A tier (I didn’t try the 660S2 yet)
@@Emmbedd I have the 660S as my daily driver, but I need to EQ it to sound the way I enjoy it. It has this weird peakiness in the mids that can be EQd off, but it really annoys me.
@@mfdoom808 i see, I use them to produce music, mainly techno, and to me those are some of the best headphones to understand all the correct mids and relatively the highs. I think it’s an headphone studied for sound creation and EQ, if something sounds good on them it sounds good in any sound system.
@@Emmbedd That's very interesting, thanks for sharing. I do like it for electronic music too and for vocals, but I find the timbre a bit strange with distorted guitars and cymbals. EQing out the 5.5kHz peak and bringing it closer to the Oratory target makes it sound beautiful to me though. Nothing beats its midrange.
Hi , very interesting video, it’s a known fact that bass at lower end not that prevalent on 600 series and that’s way custom cans bass mod fir the 600 series is available, I fitted that mod to me 6xx and does improve bass at bottom end, I like also my 660s, I have fitted thicker pads to my 6xx and 660s1 to see if that changes the audio reponse. It’s also interesting that sennheiser made it more bass at the bottom end on 660s2 as you have noted. Also 560 is also not to bad all rounder headphones. Currently in the Uk hd650 is currently retail at £229, 660s2 is £359, 600 about £350 upwards . I was hopping that someone do a 650/6xx with customer cans mod against the 660s2 to see how the lower bass sound . Regards mark
sort of... I had them, they gave me 2 db more bass below 80Hz, but they suffered with increased veiling of the mids and highs... Anyway they don't start with 6. :)
@@larrydunn4626 490 doesn't start with 6 either. The important part is that the original HD580 is what the whole 600 series was based on, and the drivers on the HD58x are a variation of the original HD660. And it definitely has the similar physical design to the 6 series, something that cannot be said about the HD620, which actually uses the 5 series design (which, being closed back, makes it almost questionable to include with this bunch). Granted this is primarily about the sound, however, by that metric, the 58X definitely fits with the 6 series.
@@MichaelSidneyTimpson There are also 2 kinds of driver sennheiser uses in the hd6x0 series, 6xx, 650, 600 uses Minisys drivers the rest uses SYS drivers
But how would you rate the 660S2 with EQ ? Can it become eventually a B tier when EQ'ed ? What do u think ? Thx for the comparisons anyway always good content here !
This is only subjective tier list. 660S2 are better at precision, dynamics, imaging and have a bit better sound stage with extended sub base while it still sound smooth and have that nice perfectly controlled sparkle that original 600 was shy of. YOU HAVE to listen by yourself and decide which Option is your favorable.
Stuff like "confidence intervals" or "range of variance for what you'd be likely to hear" on graphs would be dope! Thanks for looking into that! Looking forward to anything you can come up with. Neat to catch up with the 6x0 series (and slightly beyond) with the latest discourse in the community about how these things should be measured/evaluated. Would like to know how the 569 stacks up given the new 620S is trying to fill that design niche, or any other decent Sennheiser closed-back (if they exist?) or closed-backs from any brand that have anywhere near the 6x0 series' level of "naturalness" in a closed-back, if they're out there. I keep thinking I wanna be able to record into mics or listen near other people without the compromises to sound everyone says these closed-backs tend to have. (And I'm not a huge EQ person, but a wildly off-sounding closed-back would be harder to EQ in the first place.) Anyway... thanks again for the video!
And here I am still rocking my trusted (made in Ireland) HD600… Would love to find a substitution for audio mastering purposes, but I doubt it will be such a difference with planars like Sundara or Edition XS. Thinking about LCD-X…
I'm someone who wanted a big soundstage and wanted some tight bass that doesn't color the mids, I found the PC38x to sound better than the HD6XX, they are very underrated, not just better for gaming but for music as well.
The HD6XX is what got me into this terrible awful expensive pit of audiophile expenditure. Now I just have a pad swapped and eq-ed 8xx and that is pretty much all I need...
It is odd that Resolve says he doesn't hear a difference in the bass with the 660S2, I own the S2 and the HD600 and the S2 clearly has better quality bass than the 600 although the bass is still pretty weak and I still think the 600 is better overall.
As a metalhead owning both the HD600 and HD660 S2, I have to say I was quite underwhelmed by the sound signature of the HD660 S2. I considered returning them, however I noticed they sound great for Jazz and Swing music. Considering metal typically is not bass heavy, it makes sense that it would not be a good match.
What is the difference with the 490 pro plus and the 490 pro? I want the producer pads for gaming. I don’t care about extra cables, carrying case etc… Thx
People that have ALL of them and USE them Know that it depends by what u want . Technically HD660s2 are better headphones what ever anyone say like the signature or not. They have better speed, imaging, separation, soundstage , they do bring instruments in the mix and lose the vocal focus of the others thats true. The HD 600 are still the King on some things like vocals , natural sound , and 650 are the kings of smooth sound at bad recording . Graphs are always say the HALF story . Just see the LCD - X u like the signature or not ... Technically is Amazing Headphone , like 660S2 are .
I don't get why people consider the 660S series not good. I own a HD650 and HD660S. On the 650 I can't stand the bloated bass and the complete butchering of soundstage where vocalists and instruments have no sense of space, and the bass is midbass focused that affects male vocals to sound boomy. In one word the 650 sounds stuffy compared to HD660S. Sure it has more treble but it still sounds darker and less clean than the HD660 because of the huge midbass bump. Calling the HD660S bad because it doesn't sound like a HD650 makes no sense. You wouldn't knock down the Sundaras for not sounding like a HD650 so why does the HD660S get a bad rep.
I just recently compacted hush-x with blackstar portable guitar and even if donner around 40%+ cheaper, I'll definetely prefer it at least because of standard length between frets and it's not as shaking as blackstar while you playing)
I just want to note, I also cringe at the concept of being a "headphone expert". While I've heard and tested a LOT of stuff... I'd like to think the people I learn from and surround myself with are the real experts, and I'm just doing my best to bring what I learn to the community in videos like these.
Nope. You're a headphone expert now, how does it feel to still feel like you know nothing about how audio even works
@@lain2236ad actually, that's one of the more interesting things about it.
Stop the impostor syndrome, Resolve
You've been doing this professionally for how many years now?
Being an expert on headphones is a very good description of your technical knowledge. Having all of the measurement experience you have acquired is certainly meaningful. Still, at the end of the day, you are listening for different things than others may be, and that is a gap that neither knowledge nor experience can bridge. I can be certain that my life spent as a symphony musician will cause me to listen very differently than others on the same equipment. I wish there was an objective way to erase that difference, but I have never found one.
I very much identify with cringing at describing oneself as an expert, but also think that if there is such a thing you've put in the work to hold that title.
Wow, thank you. This was a very thorough and informative video. We'll be passing this along to the rest of the team. 🏅
Your newer headphones are objectively worse than the 580/600/650.
Also tell them that they need to be more selective with whom they let demo the HE-1. Hearing music through them and then going back to anything else is a leading cause of crippling depression among enthusiasts.
Old mate senny
@@chills_tiny_mom 👋
@@Anti-FreedomD.P.R.ofSouthKorea funny how you use the word objectively when the entire hobby is subjective
My first of the 600 series was the 600, way back in 1998, not long after coming to the market. I purchased it at a time when I was working a second shift job and I wanted to be able to shower and then listen to music while my wife slept. In 1999 we had a child and one day as he approached the age of one and was just about to master that walking thing, he managed to get his gloms on my headphones by holding himself up and removing them from the desktop where I had carelessly left them. I went to work that afternoon not realizing my error and at some point they found their way into the bottom of the dishwasher. And they got washed. It didn't work out so well! I didn't discover until the following morning because I didn't listen to music that night. I decided not to spend so much on the replacement pair so I bought the HD535, which I still have. I also own the 600 once again, as well as the 6XX and the 660S2, which is probably my favorite. I like the extra bump in the bass as well as an elevated treble because it seems to lift that veil of the 600/6XX/650. The 600 series is still a great line in my viewpoint. Maybe not the ultra high end TOTL type headphone it seemed to be back in 1997 but still a great headphone. BTW, I'm 63 years old and don't hear like I did in my 20's & 30's.
Thank you for sharing this and for your loyalty 🙏
@@sennheisertell your team to make a new god tier headphone with unbeatable timbre
Hope your kid buys you a Sennheiser HE-1 to pay you back for that loss! They have to account for inflation hahah
@@azad-4286 HE 1 already exists
@@azad-4286 Noted. What else should we add to the list?
"Your ol' mate Senny"
Dankpods is out there smiling ear to ear somewhere
This.
@@sennheiser I love the HD660S2. Fantastic imaging and superb natural timbre. Just wow
The original HD600 is/was the greatest bargain in headphone history.I have headphones which cost 8 times as much as the 600s,yet I still go back to the 600s from time to time
And what does that tell us again: a higher price is not always “better”.
How do you drive them? I am thinking about getting them for mixing.
@@oktober-r8i Not true , it depends by your needs , if your needs is to drive a Sport Ferrari its better than an SUV , if your needs is to use a car day by day and move your family then its better than Ferrari . HD 600 are better for what they are good to do vocals timbre natural, 660s2 are way better on imaging , seperation, speed , soundstage , and bring instruments in the mix ... So it depends by what u want .
@@Tripokaridos22 keep telling yourself that
@@Mishael_Agyei-Boamah Thanks I keep doing ..
Excellently done Andrew. Interesting.
You have put a lot of work and thought into this. Thank you
really enjoy these longer form and more thorough analysis, it’s hella long but provides a lot of good info
I've owned the HD650's for something like 20 years now, same original pair. I replaced the foam sides and top headband, very easy to snap in new ones sold on the Sennheiser website. With that they're still like new and sound amazing. I change the cable a lot (balanced or unbalanced depending on where I'm using them), and no wear on the side connectors. House, Trance or Techno plus a SUBPAC leaves you in heaven!
I own the 600, 6xx and 490 pro and I find myself reaching for the 490 pro 90% of the time. The comfort is amazing, probably my favorite in my entire collection. Im a gamer and there really is no contest, they are hands down better than the 600 and 6xx. I also prefer the added bass vs the anemic bass on the 600 and 6xx. The extra sparkle in the treble can get fatiguing but I found that Oratory's EQ for the 490 pro is absolutely perfect (and I really dont like to EQ). That said, the 600s on my Darkvoice is phenomenal.
As an Australian long-time fan of your work, I appreciate the Aussie slang used at the start of the video haha (I'm aware it's a DankPods reference!)
very good review. thx for sharing this information.
Here's my two cents: Had the 600 vs the 650 in comparison. The 650 sounds nice, a little bass extended, warm generally. The 600 also sounds good out of the box, but more balanced.
I mainly bought them to check bass on my mixes. After testing them back and forth, the results with 600 always kept the dynamic better in place. So the 600 wins, especially for mastering.
HD600 forever. Classics never die.
If HD490 Pro is included for whatever reason, HD58X should be in comparison too.
and 560s
Don't forget HD 580. The legend. Maybe for another video
and the 630vb ofc :D
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Man I love HD580
agreed, I keep wondering why people are leaving that out, especially since the original 660s is no longer made, and this is the part of that legacy. Also I don't think the 620 belongs in this group either. with both being closed back and 599 series design, it really is not the same animal. the 58x should have been in here.
I stil keep my HD600, my first open headphone, even today side by side with HD 800S, Utopia, Hifiman HEK 1000 V2, Meze Liric. And with a Mojo 2 is a real lush.
I have 800S as well, and Utopia, and many others. Keep coming back to my beautiful HD600. Nothing does sweet highs like this gem of a headphone. Nothing.
Both of your comments are good to hear! A couple of weeks ago I bought brand new HD600's for $350 Australian which is about $240 US. I'm VERY happy with them and feel like I got a bargain. Haven't heard the 800s but they are a pair I'd love to get in the future when I'm more financial. 👍
We need more gaming focused videos! I also want to hear more about the 490 Pro and how it compares to other stuff in the market for gaming.
about the pad point, i 100% agree - I remember changing my pads on my 6xx couple of years ago and that made a drastic change
I understand and appreciate the difficulty choosing between the HD600 and the 490Pro. I've had similar challenges. While I will go for several months, thinking I prefer something else, I always come back to the HD600. In its price class, for the headphones I've listened to and loved, it's just better.
I still listen to, and love, the others. If other prefer them, I support you. If you gave me a choice of one, the HD600 is my clear winner.
I don't think anyone said the S2 had a bass shelf. It has better bass extension than the 650, which the graph shows. And while it also shows the S2 doesn't extend flat, like a planar, I feel the sub-bass to a greater extent, subjectively, than on the 650, which is all mid-bass then nothing. It's a lot like the difference between a bookshelf speaker, and a full range tower to my ears.
Do you think it’s a good starter into this hobby? I mostly listen to rap music
@@dizzy-snail The 660S2 stopped me dead in my tracks and I love rap, does all genres well and the bass is as good as it gets without dropping serious $$ - Also check out the Harmonicdyne + Z-Reviews Eris (just dropped and it's main focus is bass)
Man I wasn't going to buy the HD490 Pro, but now that you've told me my opinion...
I have the 600 the 650 and the 660s. Also for me i always go back to the 600. Thank you👍
Tried 600 650 and 58X... 58X with a mod I developed, by far the best ! Best bass extension, no bloat.
Please elaborate!
I enjoyed this video, as I own most of these headphones and some that are not in this line up from Sennheiser, I would have liked to seen where the HD 560 fell in this line up, it is the only one here I don't have aside from the 660s2, I still have the 660s1 and never thought it necessary to upgrade. Thank you for the ridiculous amount of work you put into this video to give us all this information.
I love my 6xx so much, such a great headphone. Nice profile on the lot!
Love this, so in-depth and geeky - great work!
Sometimes I wonder if sennheiser regrets that they nailed it back than with the hd600 :D I mean they came out 1997 and are still a benchmark for them and others. Beating that at a competitive price compared to the original aint easy, especially if you also take comfort, availability and serviceability into consideration.
Got a pair of 660S2's for $440 which are coming in tomorrow, so I'm excited to try them out for a bit and see if I like them. First pair of open back headphones I'm getting so we'll see how it is. If not, I can always return them and put that money towards something else.
A - 660s2
B - 600
C - 650/6xx
660s2 performs for me better or as good as others in the $1000 range
I have/have had all of these and agree with your ranking!
People like me and some of u guys that we Have all of them , we know that 660S2 are better headphone, imaging , separation, smoothness , soundstage , speed is way better than 600 , 650 , BUT they are not so vocal focus like the others . U cant have it all.
Excellent video. You guys are the best around.
I recently picked up a pair of HD 660 S2's in the hype of their release and to be honest, I am feeble in knowledge compared to a YT'er but, I've really enjoyed the slightly lowered Treble in these, it allows me to drive them more to really pull all the goodness out while also not being fatiguing over long periods.
Thnaks for the review! So the Hd 600 is still the king.
Always xx
I know this is probably going to get lost and forgotten, but I’m going to say it anyway. I just recently bought the HD 620s. As soon as I took it out of the box and put it on my head I immediately wanted to cry. They were the heaviest and most uncomfortable headphones I’ve ever worn. The sound quality was so mid. The bass was way overpowering and the vocals seemed almost drowned out. I tested several genres of music, tested video games. I was so depressed after my experience. I know he was comparing the 600 series in this video, however I have never owned any other 600 series before. So I will compare it to my HD 558’s. My sennheiser HD 558 headphones were the best headphones I’ve ever had! I could hear the vocals clearly! The instruments were excellent, I could hear every individual instrument being played! I loved those headphones so much until the right speaker blew. I retuned the 620s as soon as my local ups opened. I’m ashamed to have waisted my time and money on them to begin with.
I just received my pair. Maybe because I'm using them with a DAP, but my pair are a bit light in the bass region. Otherwise I think I like the way they sound. And I find them very comfortable. I was able to wear them for many hours with no issues. Maybe unit variation?
The timing on this couldn't be better.
I've had the Sennheiser HD 569 closed-back's in my Amazon cart for the past day trying to make a decision between these and IEMs. 😅
which iems? I honestly prefer iems, they can be a lot of fun, like hype 4 or ziigaat doscinco.
@@Hijynx87 I'm trying the Tangzu Wan'er iem's to start.
They're recommended by a few audiophile RUclipsrs, and I wanna start cheap to see if I like the vibe.
Hype 4 is the Pinnacle of IEM's IMO. They're incredible
569 is not good at all. I love my 599 which this is the closed back version of, but the 569 doesn't do it. It's pretty bad
@@residentzero For hundreds of dollars they better be amazing 🤣
I'll see how I like the cheaper pair first- if the ergonomics of wearing buds VS phones suits me, I'll consider something more high-end in the future.
Edit: And yeah, the 569's I removed from my cart.
$120 for an ancient pair of cans that I can't find any reviews for? I'll pass.
When EQ is a thing, the minor differences in frequency response between all of these are so small as to be irrelevant. I've used 600, 6XX, 660S, 660S2. They can all be easily adjusted to sound just how I want.
True...and all that truly matters is which one you feel would be most comfortable on your head for long listening sessions
I like the HD560s. It's probably the best bang for the buck HP right next to the 6XX. I liked the 560s more than the 490 Pro which is 2x the price. Especially for gaming. For the price and value it's easily A tier and knocking on the S Tier Door. 🌶 Spicy Take of the Day
Fully agree, the HD560s really is incredible, an overall awesome tuning of great bass extension, slightly forward yet balanced mids, and sparkly, airy treble, and a pretty solid technical performance all for the asking price. Cant go wrong with it for both gaming and music imo.
I have 58X (modified) and 6XX and I'd prefer 58X due to more universal
Agreed. I dislike my Drop HD6XX most of the time. The HD58X is so much better.
I absolutely love my 560s they are brilliant. I run them with eq off my fiio ka17. Pull back 4.5k by 3db.. push up 10k by 2db and create a progressive bass lift below 80hz. I honestly love them as much as my hd600's. I reach for the 560s when I require a more truer stage. Xx
What always baffled me is why people say the 650 and 6xx are different. The model number on the back of the box says the 6xx are 650’s
They think they hear better than reality
I like ... I like headphones
@@freyahEVE they're okay
Headphone make music go xx
haven't been able to try a 600 series yet, but i absolutely adore my 560s. I took the short 3.5mm-2.5mm cable that came with my Bose QC45 and jammed it into the twist lock, completely fixed the cable issue if you find the stock one too long and bulky.
Really interested in trying 490 pros and 600's
One of the best Sennheiser reviews!
What amp portable or desktop would you recommend for the 600 or 650/6xx ? Since the impedance is 300 ohms. Thanks for your reply in advance.
I watched the WHOLE video. It wasn't that painful. 😁
For me the Chord Mojo 2
Great video, but it would be nice to include 660s and 58x in the measurements. Even if it's discontinued - the comparison would still be very useful for people who have it.
19:33 Andrew if somebody is threatening and forcing you to do this smile and blink twice🤣
More great work Andrew. I've been using the 10 ohm impedance adapter from the crinicle red on my 600s and it's an awesome combo with my K5 pro. I do eq 200hz down about 2db and I like to reduce 1.5k down about 2db also. That seems to open up the soundstage a bit although I might just be imagining that.
Well done, I was looking at the buying the 660S just today, Being in Brisbane, Australia, there is no where for me to go and try on these headphones, so I rely on this type of information, your timing was impeccable, I will stick with my entry level 560s for now. Can you please do a 500 series comparison video so I can at least feel good about the 560s...Joking
Great job - again. The HD58X has already been mentioned as missing here, but how about the HD580 Precision, the headphone that started this whole thing.
Baby Resolve was one helluva unexpected jump scare lol
I personally have a preference for the 6XX over my 600 but it's amazing just how well the 600 series have held up throughout the years
We appreciate your effort, forced sense of humour and occasional smiles. Keep the measurements rolling! 🙌🏼 📽️
I love my HD600
I've used my HD7 DJ since they released. Couple of pad changes over the time. Running them completely flat off my phone, through my Plenue R or off my old Marantz NR1602. I'll run these headphones until they die.
I bought the HD660S1 when they released (as Senn gave me a discount for the headband crumbling on my DJ's) so I picked up a pair. Since release I've used them maybe a couple of times. No matter what I run them off they sound so unbelievably flat to me. They've sat in their box for years at this point.
I got 660S2 at $380 in my country. Pretty happy with it.
yea, its so light too. I barely notice it after long sessions.
Same, but the Hifiman Xs sound so much better at half the price that I had to go with them
I’m slightly confused. Didn’t Sennheiser sell their headphone division? Has there been any changes in the 600 since selling?
just to be clear, they're separate companies now aren't they? as i understand it sonova acquired sennhesier consumer division, pro is the original company
meanwhile on other channel and discussions HD660s2 is the A tier. It's really a subjective thing. It's almost watching and reading reviews is useless. Just gotta try it yourself
i think its fun compare open vs closedbacks,i dont care what usually folks think about it!😉
Just the right time for this video thank you!
I’m currently looking at the 490 Pro mainly for mixing and mastering, would you say those would be the closest out of the bunch to translate a mix/master on multiple sound sources? (Car, Earbuds, Bluetooth speakers, etc.) By the looks of the graph they seem to be the flattest or closest to the grayed out sound curve.
hey resolve thoughtful and great video as always. is there any validity to the claim that the only minor difference results from a single vs double foam backing covering the drivers of the hd600 and 650 series?
This is my favourite comedy channel
Edit: is Squigly Pigly the new target?
I love my HD 660S2
best for overall music production? not looking for anything that has included bass or high treble. flat and clear
tnx Andrew, great review. well done❤🎉
How does the HD 490 Pro compare to the TYGR 300 R in terms of the sub bass? (I'm an unsophisticated scrub)
Really interesting what’s your thoughts on Aune AR5000? They seem to be a real competitor to the 6-series.
I have own some of these headphones and demoed the hd660s and hd660s2 in headphone shops before, totally agree with your rankings.
lul, dankpods reference in the first 60 seconds. love to see it
I love my HD600 but they are currently in the box because one of the pads is falling apart. Planning to DIY a OTL tube amplifier for them and bring them back from retirement!
buy new pads
I take the 660S and 58X erasure personally!!
is the "erasure" a mod to make the 58x imitate the sound of the original 660s? if so, please explain!
Is 58x eraseru equal to 660s all detail etc??
No 580 Precision, the progenitor of the 600 "Series?" No 58X Jubilee, which is still available new from Drop?
Great video. Thanks for all the time you took to make the comparisons. Which headphones would you recommend with a greater extension in the sub-bass, compared to the 600 series?
Any audeze planar if you want subbass extension. Even hifiman sundara had good subbass extension.
@@randomAnnanoumousDude2134 thanks! I will checkout both. I have an HD 600 and I love it so much . But I’m looking for something funnier. Thanks again.
@@Sand_1995 thank you!
Im more of a bass lover, edm, chunky metal, hardstyle. But i was tempted to buy the hd 6xx since they are cheaper and most people say its the same as the others just to see how other music sounds with them but have no idea about amps and stuff. My x670e taichi mobo says it has an amp/dac but idk what any of the specs meant and if i needed an external instead idk what to grab. I grabbed the momentum 4 (over ear) for exercising and house work but they sound like im listening through a wall for some reason and were overall disappointing but i have no idea what kind of wired to get or what to drive em with
650 are great to fall asleep, and for the clamp force they stay on head till I wake up...😎 (waiting the new 50rp mk4; own many others)
Thanks, Resolve! If only a certain website with "science" in its name could measure and review headphones with the same level of measurement precision and objectivity.
Perfect timing. I was just about to pull the trigger on a 650 which is the last 6 series I haven’t tried.
6fiddies are great... just the slightly darker thicker sibling. I have the hd580, hd600 and hd650. I listen to all of them but the hd600 gets used most xx
I’m unsure whether to get planar or not - the extended accurate bass really appeals to me for mixing and producing house and techno if I go with open back. However you say planar lack punch which is also important for these genres. Can I have both? The closed back DT 700 / 770s have it but not really any open backs.
Yes, just EQ them.
get the hifiman Edition XS, or if you are more vocals focused then the Sundara. XS is $380 new, and $240 refurb from their website. If you feel you have to have lots of punch, the Focal Elex are the kings of punch while still being excellent across the entire mixing range.
@@larrydunn4626 yeah the XS seem very flat. I hear that the nano are a definitely improvement over the XS though. Any thoughts?
@@MadelnMachines cost more, yes, sound better, no. to me. but what do I know :)
So the new 620S would likely sound better as the pads age and contour to the head more? I'd love to see some pad swap measurements for these headphones as well. My favorite headphone is a 6xx with the dekoni hybrid pads which increases the bass a bit which makes them about perfect (for me).
I'm writing this before the video ends so it may have been addressed, but why wouldn't the 660s be included? If the 650 and 6xx are included and they're literally the same headphone, why wouldn't the 660s be included? I'm not trying to start a war but since it's debut it's seemed like the 660's has been neglected or disrespected for what seems like no reason.
It has been discontinued
660S are some of the best before they did the 660S2, but his list make not much sense since he placed them in D tier, they are easily A tier (I didn’t try the 660S2 yet)
@@Emmbedd I have the 660S as my daily driver, but I need to EQ it to sound the way I enjoy it. It has this weird peakiness in the mids that can be EQd off, but it really annoys me.
@@mfdoom808 i see, I use them to produce music, mainly techno, and to me those are some of the best headphones to understand all the correct mids and relatively the highs. I think it’s an headphone studied for sound creation and EQ, if something sounds good on them it sounds good in any sound system.
@@Emmbedd That's very interesting, thanks for sharing. I do like it for electronic music too and for vocals, but I find the timbre a bit strange with distorted guitars and cymbals. EQing out the 5.5kHz peak and bringing it closer to the Oratory target makes it sound beautiful to me though. Nothing beats its midrange.
Hi , very interesting video, it’s a known fact that bass at lower end not that prevalent on 600 series and that’s way custom cans bass mod fir the 600 series is available, I fitted that mod to me 6xx and does improve bass at bottom end, I like also my 660s, I have fitted thicker pads to my 6xx and 660s1 to see if that changes the audio reponse. It’s also interesting that sennheiser made it more bass at the bottom end on 660s2 as you have noted. Also 560 is also not to bad all rounder headphones. Currently in the Uk hd650 is currently retail at £229, 660s2 is £359, 600 about £350 upwards . I was hopping that someone do a 650/6xx with customer cans mod against the 660s2 to see how the lower bass sound . Regards mark
29:56 I would like my medal mailed by next week, ty. (great video)
Doesn't the 58X also basically count in this series too?
sort of... I had them, they gave me 2 db more bass below 80Hz, but they suffered with increased veiling of the mids and highs... Anyway they don't start with 6. :)
@@larrydunn4626 490 doesn't start with 6 either. The important part is that the original HD580 is what the whole 600 series was based on, and the drivers on the HD58x are a variation of the original HD660. And it definitely has the similar physical design to the 6 series, something that cannot be said about the HD620, which actually uses the 5 series design (which, being closed back, makes it almost questionable to include with this bunch). Granted this is primarily about the sound, however, by that metric, the 58X definitely fits with the 6 series.
@@MichaelSidneyTimpson There are also 2 kinds of driver sennheiser uses in the hd6x0 series,
6xx, 650, 600 uses Minisys drivers
the rest uses SYS drivers
But how would you rate the 660S2 with EQ ? Can it become eventually a B tier when EQ'ed ? What do u think ? Thx for the comparisons anyway always good content here !
This is only subjective tier list. 660S2 are better at precision, dynamics, imaging and have a bit better sound stage with extended sub base while it still sound smooth and have that nice perfectly controlled sparkle that original 600 was shy of. YOU HAVE to listen by yourself and decide which Option is your favorable.
does anybody have any mods for the 620s which smooths out the bass and midrange peaks/dips?
This video was awesome!!!😁
Stuff like "confidence intervals" or "range of variance for what you'd be likely to hear" on graphs would be dope! Thanks for looking into that! Looking forward to anything you can come up with.
Neat to catch up with the 6x0 series (and slightly beyond) with the latest discourse in the community about how these things should be measured/evaluated.
Would like to know how the 569 stacks up given the new 620S is trying to fill that design niche, or any other decent Sennheiser closed-back (if they exist?) or closed-backs from any brand that have anywhere near the 6x0 series' level of "naturalness" in a closed-back, if they're out there. I keep thinking I wanna be able to record into mics or listen near other people without the compromises to sound everyone says these closed-backs tend to have. (And I'm not a huge EQ person, but a wildly off-sounding closed-back would be harder to EQ in the first place.)
Anyway... thanks again for the video!
I sit in a noisy environment so I ordered the 620s. I parametric equilize everything so I am hoping I can get it sounding really good.
a few missing headphones:
hd630vb, hd58x jubilee, hd580 jubilee and hd580 precision!
And here I am still rocking my trusted (made in Ireland) HD600… Would love to find a substitution for audio mastering purposes, but I doubt it will be such a difference with planars like Sundara or Edition XS.
Thinking about LCD-X…
Why not the 660s1????
Yeah! and for that measure, the 58X (at least we can still buy that new) too!
its literally, 660s2 with less bass
@@donnytramp6955 ah, you mean like a "comparison"...hmm
@@MichaelSidneyTimpson and the original hd 580 too, where the hd 6 series originated from
To get the hd 600 legend sound youll need a great tube amp with power. Otherwise there likely are better at lower prices.
I'm someone who wanted a big soundstage and wanted some tight bass that doesn't color the mids, I found the PC38x to sound better than the HD6XX, they are very underrated, not just better for gaming but for music as well.
The HD6XX is what got me into this terrible awful expensive pit of audiophile expenditure. Now I just have a pad swapped and eq-ed 8xx and that is pretty much all I need...
Let’s go down to rabbit hole, amp’s make a tremendous difference in the sound.
It is odd that Resolve says he doesn't hear a difference in the bass with the 660S2, I own the S2 and the HD600 and the S2 clearly has better quality bass than the 600 although the bass is still pretty weak and I still think the 600 is better overall.
hes hatin' on the s2
As a metalhead owning both the HD600 and HD660 S2, I have to say I was quite underwhelmed by the sound signature of the HD660 S2. I considered returning them, however I noticed they sound great for Jazz and Swing music. Considering metal typically is not bass heavy, it makes sense that it would not be a good match.
HD 490 was my favourite headphone I tested, it’s just too comfortable for its own good 😩
What is the difference with the 490 pro plus and the 490 pro? I want the producer pads for gaming. I don’t care about extra cables, carrying case etc…
Thx
490 pro plus more cables
@@donnytramp6955 thanks a lot
No 58X?
People that have ALL of them and USE them Know that it depends by what u want . Technically HD660s2 are better headphones what ever anyone say like the signature or not. They have better speed, imaging, separation, soundstage , they do bring instruments in the mix and lose the vocal focus of the others thats true. The HD 600 are still the King on some things like vocals , natural sound , and 650 are the kings of smooth sound at bad recording . Graphs are always say the HALF story . Just see the LCD - X u like the signature or not ... Technically is Amazing Headphone , like 660S2 are .
For me its still my cherished hd 650
I don't get why people consider the 660S series not good. I own a HD650 and HD660S. On the 650 I can't stand the bloated bass and the complete butchering of soundstage where vocalists and instruments have no sense of space, and the bass is midbass focused that affects male vocals to sound boomy. In one word the 650 sounds stuffy compared to HD660S. Sure it has more treble but it still sounds darker and less clean than the HD660 because of the huge midbass bump. Calling the HD660S bad because it doesn't sound like a HD650 makes no sense. You wouldn't knock down the Sundaras for not sounding like a HD650 so why does the HD660S get a bad rep.
🌶
HD600>HD58X>HD560S>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>HD6XX
It's just that it's not a 300ohm like others in their snobbism.
I also own it and I really don't want other from the series.
660s doesn't resolve fine details like the 650/600/6xx/660S2, in my experience w each HP
660s sounds like something mechanical, when others 600 line sounds more natural.
No S tier in the series so what would be S tier headphones regardless of brand? Planars?
I just recently compacted hush-x with blackstar portable guitar and even if donner around 40%+ cheaper, I'll definetely prefer it at least because of standard length between frets and it's not as shaking as blackstar while you playing)