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Author Topic: Sennheiser HD600: A Classic  (Read 32520 times)

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wildstar

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Re: Sennheiser HD600: A Classic
« Reply #50 on: June 21, 2013, 11:13:06 AM »
Quote from: Deep Funk on June 20, 2013, 10:06:42 PM
The Euro is a great concept, too bad about the politicians not being as reliable as a HD600.
Sorry, but I must say no to this. As it stands, the Euro makes no economical sense, you can't have a common currency without a way transfer funds between states. It would be like the US without a federal budget to transfer tax revenues from California to Alabama, for example. Try telling the southerners "no more money for you, you'll have to make do with your own taxes", you'd have another civil war on your hands...

Just to keep this on topic, I'm currently on the market for these, I think... I've heard the SR007mkII, and among the "mid-fi bunch" it seems this is the one that sounds closest (or less far from)?
I heard the 600s when I was a teenager and unfortunately the only thing I remember is thinking they were boring. But maybe now I'll appreciate them better?
They're meant to replace a K340 so the 70x would be my first bet, but I've heard a Q701 and couldn't stand it, I don't understand why people recommend them for orchestral and chamber music, they sound very artificial, as if somebody decided to mess with the EQ sliders. I'm hoping the 600 will sound more natural and lifelike...

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Deep Funk

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Re: Sennheiser HD600: A Classic
« Reply #51 on: June 21, 2013, 02:03:30 PM »
The HD600 will sound different and lifelike. Audition one if you want to be sure or find one used because our words are not as good as your ears. If you do not like the HD600 you can easily resell it.

I used the word "concept" for a reason.
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ultrabike

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Re: Sennheiser HD600: A Classic
« Reply #52 on: July 30, 2013, 07:02:36 AM »
Have CT's HD600... Preliminary impressions: definitively cleaner than my HD558. My HD558 are a little bit more laid-back, HD600 has better treble, and soundstage. However, both the HD558 and HD600 are actually quite close overall... more than I thought they would be.

I'm surprised at my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2... It can drive them reasonably well! p:8

More will come as I spend more time with these.

Thanks CT and Marv!!!
« Last Edit: July 30, 2013, 07:09:32 AM by ultrabike »
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CEE TEE

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Re: Sennheiser HD600: A Classic
« Reply #53 on: July 30, 2013, 07:24:03 AM »
Feel free to spend another week or two with them... :)p5
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ultrabike

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Re: Sennheiser HD600: A Classic
« Reply #54 on: July 30, 2013, 07:26:55 AM »
Quote from: CEE TEE on July 30, 2013, 07:24:03 AM
Feel free to spend another week or two with them... :)p5
:money: :money: :money:
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Armaegis

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Re: Sennheiser HD600: A Classic
« Reply #55 on: July 30, 2013, 10:19:50 PM »
Quote from: ultrabike on July 30, 2013, 07:02:36 AM
I'm surprised at my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2... It can drive them reasonably well! p:8

I've got the Focusrite Saffire 6 USB and found the headphone stage reasonably adequate as well. If for some reason I ever needed a better interface I might consider the bigger Saffire 24 DSP which has all the wonky speaker simulations built in.
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ultrabike

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Re: Sennheiser HD600: A Classic
« Reply #56 on: August 01, 2013, 09:44:41 AM »
Yup, the DSP 24 has a lot of kool features. Would like to see a USB version with similar features.

I was fairly concerned with the 2i2 given some reports about being under-powered, but so far so good. I use it for my measurements (dual 48V phantom stuff included) and seems to have a decent DAC as well.

Anyhow... HD600 phones.

Sound

Relative to my HD558, IMO the HD600 are cleaner sounding in the bass region and more balanced. Percussion instruments are better separated and detail is better extracted through the HD600s. Dynamics are very well rendered.

I feel the HD600 has better treble as well. To my ears, the HD600 bass hits a little harder than the HD558. Neither can has wonky midrange or "hollowness" to it. Neither seems ear drilling "fun" or fatiguing.

I like the HD600 better than my HD558, and what I'm listening backs up my previous positive impression of these classic cans.

Differences do exist to my ears. However, to me the HD558 and HD600 are fairly similar sounding. Differences here are not like going from a DT-990 to a KSC-75, HD202, HD558, Neckband or whatever. These cans definitively seem to belong to the same "family".

The HD600 is definitively a whole lot of delicious win.

Comfort

These are very comfy and light. However, while the HD558 drivers seem to be at an angle (or at least the internal felt is), the HD600 seems flat and my left ear barely touches. It's not bad though, and I can definitively wear these for quite sometime and forget about it.

Seems both phones weight about the same.

Presentation

A lot of love went into the construction of these. Seems to me the plastic on the HD600 is better quality than the plastic on the HD558, but dunno.

I don't like the HD600 pattern... IMO Senn should have made this phone plain black.

Price

It seems to me that the lack of worthy competitors have allowed Senn to be creative with the pricing on these cans. One can by a used HD558 for $100... but a used (or "bargain") HD600? $300 (on a good day). For the committed audiophile this is and should be peanuts though.

Overall

Very good performance. Definitively NOT poo.

Measurements

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ultrabike

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Re: Sennheiser HD600: A Classic
« Reply #57 on: August 01, 2013, 10:07:33 AM »
... Additionally I checked the HD600 with Schiit's Valhalla.

I basically used the headphone out of the 2i2 into the Valhalla (though I should have probably used the line outs of the 2i2)... Call it expectation bias, but I liked the Valhalla in the chain better than not.

I felt the Valhalla added a little bit of more impact. Very nice sounding amp. The Valhalla destroys the 2i2 in terms of presentation... it is also heavier.

Some FR and distortion measurements with the Valhalla in the chain (which do not seem to be so different from the ones without the tube amp in the chain) are provided below... some FR comparisons (yellow is the Valhalla in the chain) are also provided.
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ultrabike

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Re: Sennheiser HD600: A Classic
« Reply #58 on: August 01, 2013, 10:25:10 AM »
FR Comparo with HD558 (yellow is HD558)... Not shown but the HD558 does exhibit more distortion than the HD600 (specially in the bass region), even when the Valhalla is added to the chain of the HD600.

(No smoothing was applied for these and the above plots)
« Last Edit: August 01, 2013, 10:38:35 AM by ultrabike »
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roBernd

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Re: Sennheiser HD600: A Classic
« Reply #59 on: August 01, 2013, 01:24:24 PM »
Nice Data.
Looking at the FR-Graph, I believe to know this is a newer one with the "silver Screen" isn't it :P ?
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