Sennheiser HD 600 Headphone

Hello George,

This is another proof that advices given on matters that touches emotions like music replay have a very personnal bias. The HD-600 is a good quality product, comming from a reputed manufacturer, so chances are that you're going to have fun and for a long time with it.

Enjoy!

Bye. 

Almost a day on, and these are splendid. I think that they herald a stop to speaker replay for me. Yes, I can feed the Tivoli for “semi-listening!” But they seem to have the good points of my ESL speakers, and have the advantage of taking up next to no space!

I don’t think that I have ever heard such a well managed tonal balance as these. Everything in its place and everything clear. Nothing too strong for the good of other voices in the music. And for a conventional transducer with a coil, they do an amazing job of allowing the timbre of the string family its natural range of timbres from the softly spoken piano sounds to the hammer and tongs of the biggest orchestra crescendo. They are rather open dynamically, and I am just about getting the hang of the volume setting! Easy to set this too high in the innocent belief that the clean sound is quieter than it is, only to be shocked by the ear splitting possibilities in triple forte. 

I was thinking that if the current headphone amp was not man enough for them, then I might get a more obviously reputable one, but this is fine! 

As for comfort, Sennheisers are famous for it. Rightly so. You put them on and simply listen, not troubled by the physical presence. In the past I had lesser Sennheisers, and for a very short while a Grado SR 125 [that number might be wrong. as it is a long time ago now]. but these HD 600s are something quite else. I have not tried them straight off the MAC, but there is not much point in that really. 

It is interesting that I was able to interpret the reviews of them quite well. Generally they are praised for a fine balance, but some say that they lack the ultimate bass punch. In my experience many headphones offer too much treble, and too much bass, while being less clear in the middle voices of the orchestra. The Sennheisers have a lucid quality right across the hearing range, and what emerges is blissfully proportionate! A case of less being more! 

Very gratifying.

ATB from George

Good hear you're liking them. I have HD650s that sound great, even powered from my humble Supernait.

winkyincanada posted:

Good hear you're liking them. I have HD650s that sound great, even powered from my humble Supernait.

Dear Winki,

Someone I know said that I should get some STAX headphones, and I can imagine that these would be very special. The trouble is that there are about twice as much money for a start, and there being no dealer network in UK, the whole thing looked a bit of a nightmare. As for the HD 600s, if they break down, no doubt I could just buy some more! Or replace the broken down part. Not something that is too expensive to replace if it came to a complete loss.

And they are splendid! It is nice to make a good choice without complication.

I would not think that the Supernait would be anything other than glorious on headphone amp duties!

ATB from George

George, great news. As you know I own and love the 600's sibling the HD650.. These are great headphones.. Enjoy.. I have clocked many hours on mine already.

Simon

Dear Simon,

I am guessing that I’ll be running up hours on these like an HGV driver piles miles onto his Volvo 38 tonner!

So unexceptional in effect that the art of them almost entirely covers up their brilliance. I wish that all replay were as self-effacing. Just gets on with its job! Gets out of the way ...

So pleased! Not reason for a more powerful headphone amp as well. Reports suggest that they take more driving than most. Yes they take some driving, but not too much!

A lovely thing is that the keyboard action [mechanical thumps as the key hits the felt underneath] sounds are naturally proportionate! That is a relief as many headphone really enjoy making a proper meal of these “noises off” nuisance sounds!

I may be slightly easy to please in respect of replay, but these headphones offer no chance to fault them.

ATB from George

Hi George,

What headphone amp are you using.Have you still got the V1 or have you sold it?  Are you still getting much pleasure from the 57 and Troughline ?

Not really much of a headphone user so can't really add to your post.But well pleased that the Sennheiser are sounding good.Are you listening in stereo on them ?

Radio 3 on here the evening concert.Very nice.

ATB Ian

Dear Ian,

The V1 is happy in a new home. The Trough Line expired a bit dramatically a couple of weeks ago. A scream and then silence [so now retired] feeding the Tivoli which survived fine, and the NAP 100 has also left! The ESLs will follow soon! 

Listening is in mono on the Sennheisers. They make a massive spread in stereo but have a comfortable balanced sense in mono. 

So a big change alround ... but the Sennheisers are painless!

Best wishes from George

George Fredrik Fiske posted:

As for comfort, Sennheisers are famous for it. Rightly so. You put them on and simply listen, not troubled by the physical presence. In the past I had lesser Sennheisers, and for a very short while a Grado SR 125 [that number might be wrong. as it is a long time ago now]. but these HD 600s are something quite else. I have not tried them straight off the MAC, but there is not much point in that really.

I have the 600's and they play through my Burson DAC on the Desktop, very enjoyable for Classical, Score and a bit of Jazz.  If you have a Mac/or Laptop I recommend using with an AudioQuest Dragonfly ( they just brought out a new version which is cheaper ) to enhance the sound even more.  I also find for an open headphone they don't bleed too much sound in comparison to my Grado RS1 with I use for Rock, Pop and Electronic. Enjoy.

I'm not sure about the Dragonfly being the best match with the 600s.  The Dragonfly works brilliantly with my PX100s and HD-480s but with the HD600s it all sounds rather flat and boring, which leads me to suspect it's struggling to drive them adequately or that the HD600s need more up front.

The HD 600, and HD 650 which I own and use with a Headline, seem to have become a bit unfashionable of late with the advent of more expensive models in the range, but they are still very fine headphones and comfortable to boot.

I wouldn't be concerned about comparisons with Stax, I much prefer the HD650 to the Stax I owned previously.

Dear Bazz,

Unfashionable does not worry me. For the price they are something I count as value and certainly fine enough for me. Sometimes the more jazzy, more expensive things are less easily enjoyed!

ATB from George

I liked the 600s, and preferred them to the more expensive Momentums. But in the end my heart was easily won by Grado SR325e. They're more expensive, admittedly.

Similar experience George. I've had a pair of HD600 for about 17 years and driven them with a variety of built-in and dedicated headphone amps. The only time they sounded under par was with the puny amp on the UnitiQute2. I've used them with good results on just about everything else.

George, I've had a pair of HD650 for years, run through an older headline powered by an older Flatcap II. There have been many the night that I've fallen asleep in the Red Leather Chair with them on. I did upgrade the cable with a Stephan Arts Audio Cable, thinking the stock cable was a little whimpy. It made a difference. I find them to be remarkably transparent and clean. (whatever the hell THAT means, but I like them!)

Tom

Ditto on the cable. I bought an ADL Furutec lead and it was a gigantic upgrade to the 600s. But it does make them harder to drive with lesser amps.

Richard Dane posted:

I'm not sure about the Dragonfly being the best match with the 600s.  The Dragonfly works brilliantly with my PX100s and HD-480s but with the HD600s it all sounds rather flat and boring, which leads me to suspect it's struggling to drive them adequately or that the HD600s need more up front.

I agree, as I have posted on the forum recently, my Dragonfly driving the 650s  is ok but not exceptional.. However this is with a 12 month year old Dragonfly, if there is a newer version they might have improved driving higher impedance phones such as the Sennheisers... but I think the voltage limitation of the USB bus is more likely to be the main limitation.

Simon

George Fredrik Fiske posted:

Dear Ian,

The V1 is happy in a new home. The Trough Line expired a bit dramatically a couple of weeks ago. A scream and then silence [so now retired] feeding the Tivoli which survived fine, and the NAP 100 has also left! The ESLs will follow soon! 

Listening is in mono on the Sennheisers. They make a massive spread in stereo but have a comfortable balanced sense in mono. 

So a big change alround ... but the Sennheisers are painless!

Best wishes from George

Having noted your enthusiasm for the Trough Line and (single) ESL you must be sad for letting them go, though noting other things you have said you clearly have a stoic resolve about the need to downscale some things in your life - but the important thing with music is to enjoy it, however you are able or choose to listen to it, which you clearly do, and your evident cheerfulness with what you have is a credit to you and maybe a lesson to others.

Dear Innocent Bystander,

My only sadness would be going deaf! Replay is something that one can enjoy for its own quality, such - it must be said - as the ESL. The Trough Line has very special qualities, but ultimately what matters to me is what is replayed! I have a feeling that only one ESL may go! Keep the other for the chance again to use it ... They are not worth much really as most people are frightened of them in terms of the servicing costs. 

I always seem to be able to enjoy the replay I have. Just born lucky in that way, I suppose. Once I find something I like, I stop looking for its faults. 

I am learning about these headphones. On real mono recordings from the 78 era the effect is intimate in a way that is inconceivable with modern recording techniques. Almost as if the players are playing just for the one listener. That is something that has largely gone from modern performances. The big dynamic, and boldly stated is far more the norm these days. I sometimes think that an artist like Adolf Busch [who really did understand how to make records as pieces of art in themselves] really did know how to project for the microphone, as the live recordings of him show a different and more projected style. Apparently Busch would keep adjusting the microphone position, for most of the day, and set down the day’s planned session one after the other in the last three quarters of an hour! High risk, but it worked!

He was so adept at using the microphone that he worked directly with the recording team rather than through a record producer. The producer under those circumstances might well be called impresario as all he had to do was organise the sessions with Busch and EMI Artists and Repertoire Committee! Times were different of course, because there were occasions when Busch insisted that the whole recording session be scrapped, and done again later. I doubt that EMI or any other record company today would allow for that!

ATB from George

Dear George,

I heartily agree that what really matters is the music, the equipment being merely the means of transporting it to the listener. Although for me the closer to realism it gets the more enjoyable I find it - but reflecting on what you have said, and thinking it through, maybe that strictly speaking isn't true as it is the enjoyment of enjoying the music that increases - a good piece of music works and can grip and immerse me in it on a basic transistor radio, or an iPhone with basic earbuds, and the enjoyment of the music still happens.

So I can understand your full appreciation of music through your now quite different system, and I can see how unleashing yourself from the thought of equipment can be liberating, if I'm interpreting you correctly.

meanwhile an advantage of headphones is you can get sound quality akin to speakers costing many times their value, with lesser amplifier demand, while losing undesirable room effects. I've already instructed my children that if I ever get senile or ill enough to have to go into a residential home, make sure I have an easily used music player with my favourite albums and a decent pair of headphones.

What you say about the relative costs of equivalent quality from headphones and speakers is absolutely right. I would say that the HD 600 is on a quality level to compare evenly with the ESL. 

Anyway it is a dark and dull evening, just right for Hugo Wolf’s Italian Serenade just about to start on the radio!

Best wishes from George

Not to turn the discussion, but has anyone heard the AKG K812?

Richard Dane posted:

I'm not sure about the Dragonfly being the best match with the 600s.  The Dragonfly works brilliantly with my PX100s and HD-480s but with the HD600s it all sounds rather flat and boring, which leads me to suspect it's struggling to drive them adequately or that the HD600s need more up front.

Richard and Simon, I was using the v1.2 released a year and bit ago, I didn't find it detracted from the HD600 but I do use the Burson more and that is powered.

Audioquest will be replacing the v1.2 with the 'Black' which will cost less $99 and has a 'better' DAC than the v1.2.  They are adding the 'Red' which has an 'even better' DAC and costs more $199 :

Black - ESS 9010 DAC - 32 Bit Analogue Volume Control
Red - ESS 9016 DAC - 64 Bit Bit Perfect Digital Volume Control

Guy, mine is the original Dragonfly, so the V1.2 may be better with the 600s.

Crikey, they're not hanging about...