Denon AH-D600

krenky

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Comfort, Solid feel, Amazing bass, Good mids and highs, Excellent cable, Very soft pads, Decent isolation, Very good soundstage
Cons: Not neutral, Could sound a bit too dark for some genres... mids & highs could be improved, not portable or for outside use
I have got these recently and was surprised by their quality and solid feel. They quite heavy too but definitely not too heavy. They fit nicely and they are very comfortable mostly due to great extra soft pads. They also isolate pretty well but they could do better.

Carry bag they come with is very solid with very thick texture, rubber material from inside, it will last forever. Comes with two cable one for mobile use = nothing extra and the second one for home use very decent and pretty thick cable, quite long as well about 2m. Connectors are great quality too. Very happy with their look and feel... I did not expect them to be so good.

They might be a bit too big for some people and these are definitely not portable. They are easily driven according the paper but I have only tested them with proper Denon amp PMA-720AE. Sound quality overall is excellent. They have this great Denon signature sound which is warm with pretty neutral highs and mids and slightly overpowering bass but only to make them more enjoyable. I did definitely enjoyed every minute of listening these trying various genres these HAS NOT failed me once. All genres were pleasure and fun to listen. Where these excel is electronic music, 80s synthesizers, 90s dance, techno, etc. Also soundtracks form movies like Inception, interstellar, predator made me love these. Another nice experience was listen to high quality jazz music and surprisingly again these managed to reproduce the instruments very natural and realistic with great amount of soft pleasure to listen to bass emphasis. The song I enjoyed at most with these was the Queen Radio Ga Ga (FLAC).... I almost cried listening to this song with D600, it was just EPIC.

These headphones are further excellent for movies and gaming. When I played Outlast 2 for example they added a different level to the overall experience. I strongly recommend these for long listening sessions as they do not make you tired at all. Can't think of any better headphones for movies and gaming as headphones with such strong / good bass always sacrifice the mids and highs for that purpose. Somehow these D600 don't. Yes, they are slightly darker than other good cans out there and they could do more with better highs and mids. You would not notice this until you compare them directly with other cans then you know the highs could be crisper and mids more forward. I heard from different sources that this issue improves rapidly with some extensive burning procedure. You need to burn these for hours to get the best out of them and I cannot wait to get to this stage. Since few days of proper burning I definitely could hear the improvement.

Note that these cans might be not the right ones if you are for flat or as much natural sound as possible. If you are looking for professional monitor cans with better detail and isolation you might look elsewhere. If you are about great sounding bass with very good overall sound quality plus the fun factor of listening to pretty much anything then these are the right ones for you.

I got these for only 130 pounds here in UK including extra solid case for them and I am super happy about this purchase. I wish I could compare them to the D7100 and to find out what is the buzz all about but my next aim are the D7200 ones. I will post the full comparison of these for sure. If you curious about the direct comparison to MM400 and HP800 then check this link you might found the results surprising: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/denon-d600-vs-denon-mm400-vs-denon-hp800.856127/

Forgot to mention the soundstage which I like a lot. They sound just the right size not too much in your ear but also not too far from the source... well done. I personally think these are quite underrated and people many times don't test them with proper amp and source. If you tried them for longer you fall in love.

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krenky
krenky
Just want to add that after lot of hours of listening and also some additional burning in these sounds fantastic. The mids and highs opened and they are more forward now which is exactly what these cans needed. Excellent headphones for the price and great headphones for overall genres, movies and gaming.

theminstrel

New Head-Fier
Pros: Bassy, deep & wide soundstage, comfortable, come with high quality cables, easy to drive.
Cons: Huge, look ridiculous, not very natural tonality
A great purchase for under 180 pounds, these headphones blow the direct competition away when it comes to almost everything.
They arrive in a nice premium package with a thick, high grade cable for home usage and a smaller one with microphone for portable usage. They are very large and do look a bit incongruous in public, but they are clearly well made from premium materials, sturdy and not too heavy. They are very comfortable, with thick earpads and the weight is evenly distributed towards the sides of the head.
They have a very low impedance so can be powered to uncomfortable volumes even with a portable source, though as ever a powerful amp improves fidelity. The sound of these 50mm driver packing headphones is not particularly natural but is certainly fun.
In terms of frequency response, they are bassy and perhaps a little boomy not to an uncontrolled degree , they rarely distort or gets in the way of the midrange and highs, which are clear, and present if a little on the metallic side. If the bass level seems too much, this can be rectified with gentle equalization. The sound-stage on these is fantastic, almost as good as an open backed headphone, with plenty of width, depth and precision. They are slightly on the "relaxed" side for an audiophile set, in terms of attack and decay but should be fast enough for most genre's of music to come over with purity.
All in all a very worthwhile purchase. It's a shame they are no longer easily available.

Gamergtx260

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Easy to drive, Tight and controlled bass. Very soft ear pads though can get hot over time. Nice soundstage.
Cons: Tooooo big. Sibilant. Mids are slightly recessed. Very "V" shaped.
So I got this headphones used on Amazon for €170 which I think is a pretty good deal. I mostly listen to alternative metal and rock. ( Korn, Deftones, Radiohead, System of a Down, etc.. )
 
Packaging:
Screams Premium. Nice box with soft clothing, two cables ( iPod compatible and a 3m long OFC cable ) and a decent carry case. 
 
Build Quality:
Looks a bit like the beats from the side. But it is very big and heavy (sorry smallheads). The ear cups are very soft but can get hot after long use.
 
Sound Quality:
Lows:
These headphones are really good at the first listen when directly compared with the HD600s since it has a heavier bass (controlled and tight, which doesn't bleed into the mids) 
 
Mids:
Spend more time of with these I find that the mids are slightly recessed (lacking in detail).. not really too much but it is simply not comparable to HD600s (of course these are not mid centric phones)
 
Highs:
The treble is not too much that it might get fatiguing but it is in the right proportion. It is also sibilant on many recordings I tested.
 
Soundstage:
A very decent soundstage for a closed back. Almost similar to the HD600s. 
 
Amplification:
Though these are 32ohms and can be driven by phones and iPods. I tried to use it on my Marantz HD DAC1 and it sounded a bit better/fuller.
 
Conclusion:
Maybe my ears are tuned to HD600s and so these sound harsh to me both on the bass and treble side. But it does not mean these are bad headphones but I simply think these are not worth the premium price for the new ones. Find good used ones and you wont regret it.

Soundsgoodtome

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Bass extends very low and has great clarity, sounstage is wide, comfy phones, quality build, packaging and accessories are excellent.
Cons: Mids are slightly recessed, not very portable but has cable for it, it LOOKS like beats, somewhat heavy, full MSRP
The Denon AH-D600:

First thing you notice when getting the headphone is it's fantastic packaging. From the outer sleeve sleeve to the actual fold box, everything speaks quality from a reputable company. In a world of packaging having as much importance as the actual product, Denon does not disappoint. Opening the package displays the beautifully crafted headphone on a silk bed, something you'd expect Sony to do and something of a throwback to the yesteryears. The cables, adapter, travel bag, and documentation are underneath the bedding and are also as pleasantly packed.

The actual headphones themselves scream quality made. The cups, the leather headband cushion along with the super premium ear pads with white stitching. The feel of the headband might seem similar to one juggernaut headphone company that sells mostly hype and a bass-heavy sound but everything else is a clear step up, by a mile. Putting the headphones on, you feel your ears wrapped by the pads and the comfort of the leather against your skin. You also notice that it isolates the outside world very well and this would be something you can wear in loud surroundings like public transportation, albeit a bit showy for the more reserved but isolation wise it's fantastic. And for those that don't mind showy, you'll separate yourself from the rest with the words clearly marked DENON.

Taking out the cable from the packaging, you notice the custom looking thicker cable made for home use is something most head-fi members will paying upwards of $150-$200 for, if not more. No need spending as much as the headphone to have a nice cable here and really something all headphone companies should catch on. The thinner mobile use cable has the Apple product controls built-in and is shorter in length, perfect for the traveling audiophile!

Now the important stuff, sound:
The Denon AH-D600 has a V shaped sound, making it a fun headphone. The bass is absolutely tremendous and well executed. It has great impact, presence, and extends LOW. 20hz on the new Chesky sound bites? No problem and well presented! On the heartbeat bass test the D600 outperforms the HE4 out of the Project Ember and that's saying something. I would say bass quality is of the HE400 if not better (although this comparison is from extended memory).

With the prominent bass, the mids are are untouched albeit being recessed in the V signature. Not to the point where you are missing parts of your music but enough to notice it is a step back in the stage around other instruments. This might not be the go-to headphone for music that is meant to have pronounced vocals but for movies where vocals are very important it works fine and well audible. If a V signature puts you off, read the brief source pairing below that might change your mind. The highs are well extended without sibilance, airy but presented a bit on the thin side. It has great detail and clarity.

Something that strikes me on this headphone is it's great amount of clarity. Coming from a good source of music and chain it really presents above the level of mainstream headphones while having that mainstream sound signature. About the recessed mids, when I plugged this directly into the NFB12 the highs seem more level with the mids and now you have basically a warm phone with excellent bass extension. The highs still extended well but doesn't have that thin sound when coming from a neutral or bright source. It could be the way Denon has tuned this headphone, which is for for Apple devices and their warm signature.

Conclusion. If you like a mainstream headphone, something that has excellent build and sound of an audiophile company but has the popularity and fashion to back it, these are the go to. They're great for anything that calls for good bass. I wouldn't call them bass-head levels as they do the bass gracefully even if it's prominent but for those looking for a flat or something with a more reference bass probably should keep looking elsewhere.

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derbigpr

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Clarity, resolution, detail, smoothness, deep bass that is in general tight and well controlled, very easy to power, great quality cable, value.
Cons: Slight bass resonance, slighlty "off" tonality in the mids, highs can be sibilant sometimes, too big and bulky, resulting in loose fit.
When I bought these headphones about 2 months ago, I didn't expect much and I bought them without trying them out. It was an impulse buy to be honest, they were on a considerable discount and I just could not resist it.
 
Having no previous experience with Denon headphones (what I know about them came from reading the reviews of the old Dx000 series), and looking at the box design, I expected a bass heavy, V-shaped, "modern sounding" headphones designed for modern music, not really an audiophile grade sound. I'm happy to say I was pleasantly surprised.
 
PACKAGING & ACCESSORIES:
 
The headphones come in a hard cardboard box, the inside lined with black foam and bronze colored silky cloth. Headphones are well protected inside during transport and there's no risk of damage. It comes with a carrying bag that feels sort of small for the D600's, it's the exact same bag that comes with cheap Denon's from the new D series, I would personally never use it, but I guess it's all right.
 
The headphones come with two cables, one short, thin, rubbery and cheap feeling cable with an Apple remote on it that probably nobody will ever use, and the other, long, thick, high quality braided cable. It really is a high quality feeling cable, very soft, doesn't tangle at all and it has nice high quality gold plated jacks on the ends, with the 3.5mm stereo jack made out of aluminium. Probably the nicest cable of any headphone I've owned so far.
 
 
BUILD & COMFORT:
 
These headphones are made mostly out of plastic. Apart from the metal inside the headband and the round aluminium plates on the sides of the earcups with Denon written on it, everything is made out of plastics. It's pretty solid, and might fool you to think it's metal at first since it's strangely cold to the touch and has metalic texture to it, but it's plastic. But because of that they're fairly lightweight relative to their huge size. As far as the actual build quality goes, it's good, they feel solid, there's no rattling, no squeaking, headband adjustment mechanism operates smoothly (even though it's a bit too loose when headband is not stretched apart).
 
Earpads and headband are covered with protein leather which looks and feel real, it's very smooth and soft and has a premium feel to it. Actual pads are made out of memory foam and they're extremelly soft, and the same is true for the headband which never feels like it ran out of padding.
 
The comfort of these headphones is generally good. I say generally because it does have a few issues. Headband is soft, earpads are soft and very big, the earcup is very deep and has plenty of room in all directions even for my huge ears. There is also no problem with wearing glasses while using the headphones since the earpads are so soft.
 
The issue with comfort is actually in the size and fit. The headphones are HUGE, they look ridiculous on the head, and even though they're lighter than you'd think, they're still heavier than most full-size headphones. Also, they don't fit well. They're not uncomfortable to wear, but they don't fit like a glove like some other headphones do...like Beyerdynamics for example.  The clamping force on the D600's is virtually non-existent, combine that with their weight and size, and they don't feel secture on the head, and that is something that I hate. Not being able to move my head freely because headphones will move as well and ruin the seal / change the sound is not good. These are definetly headphones that you put on your head and sit still in a comfy chair while listening to music.
 
I'm not saying these are uncomfortable headphones, but to me, high comfort doesn't just mean soft earpads, but perfect fit and feel. For example, Beyerdynamic T1's feel like a tailored suit, you put them on, and they feel like they're made for your head, they feel incredibly light even though they're actually heavies than D600's (that's because they have a very low profile, close to the head), very comfy and don't feel like a huge piece of hardware on your head, but like a part of you. That is very important for psychoacoustics as well, and ignored by a lot of people. You'll never really get lost in the sound if the headphones constantly remind you they're on your head.
 
 
SOUND:
 
This is the interesting part. As I said, I expected a V-shaped modern sound, but actually got something completely different.
These headphones are fairly neutral sounding. Yes, they do have a somewhat elevated bass, and yes, the highs are slightly above neutral as well, but they're still within the borders of what can be considered neutral. Since I've used them quite a lot in combination with T1's, and they're sort of similar in some ways, I'm going to compare them in some aspects as well.
 
The bass extends really deep, it's flat sounding, there's no bumps or dips in the bass response and it's well textured for a closed back headphones. It's slightly elevated relative to the midrange, but only enough to give it some more life. It never feels like it's overwhelming the rest of the sound, and it's well separated from the mids. However, as with almost any closed back headphones, it does suffer from some minor mid-bass resonance.  If this was a cheap headphone, you would not notice it, since the rest of the sound would not be clean enough to highlight the problem, but when the mids and highs and as clear as on the D600's, this resonance and slight lack of tightness can sometimes be a minor problem, but in general bass is fairly quick and well behaved and most of the time tight and solid.  When playing some really punchy bass at really high volumes, there is some minor distortion to it, but not due to drivers, but due to earcups. It's actually a "boooiiingggg" sound that you can hear after the bass hits, but it's only really present on extreme volumes that nobody is going to listen at.
 
 
Mids are very clean and clear sounding. There's just a sense of purity and resolution in the mids that feels great and give a good "you're there" sensation for closed back headphones. They're very vivid and colorful sounding. These are not headphones that nail the tonality, as they can sound slightly nasal and slightly "wrong" in terms of tonality sometimes (out of the box the problem is much more present than after some running in), but in general, the mids are very, very detailed, well textured and transparent enough for the price of the headphones and their closed type.  They can feel ever so slightly thin sometimes, but you can't have it all.
 
 
Highs are again very slightly elevated, but very clean, fast and sparkly sounding, with none of that metallic tizzy sound, even though they can be very slighlty sibilant with some recordings. Again, not exactly perfectly natural sound in terms of tonality, maybe slightly "enchanced" to make it sound more hi-fi, but it works and the general sense is the same as with the mids. What strikes you first is the amount of clariry and resolution in the sound, and how vivid and engaging the sound is because of it.  Detail is also exceptional. In fact, these are the first headphones that I've bought in the last year that actually made me hear things in recordings that I've never heard before, and among all those headphones are T1's as well. I'm not saying the D600's are more detailed than T1's, but their "enhanced clarity" makes it feel that way and microdetail in music pops out more clearly. When I heard those news pops and crackles in the music with D600's, I switched to T1's and could hear it as well, but I had to really focus on it, while with D600's it would just pop out. It's the same as the case of HD650 vs K701. K701's are not more detailed, but you can hear those details more clearly and focus on them more easily.   The good thing is, D600's manange to do that in a very musical fashion. They do not sound like analytical headphones at all, they are fun and musical, yet their levels of detail and resolution surpasses a lot of headphones that do sound analytical. DT880's come to mind here as well.
 
Soundstage and imaging are impressive for closed back headphones. They don't have the depth or the frontal projection of the sound up the levels of the T1's, but the width and height of the soundstage is comparable, if not superior to the T1's in the sense of creating an atmosphere around you. This is really good in movies and you can tell Denon knows what they're doing when it comes to that, having loads of experience when it comes to home theaters.  Imaging is great for closed back headphones at this price, superior to something like DT880's or K701's and definitely a good few steps ahead of the DT770 80's and M50's , but clearly behind T1's.  When I say clearly I don't mean that D600's are crushed by the T1's, but the imaging is not as good, although it never feels like it's lacking. It's only after I switch to the T1's that I notice a new level of coherence and precision in the placement of various sounds that was not present before. Still, very impressive for closed back headphones at this price.
 
 
Because of the slightly elevated highs and a slightly "off" tonality in the mids though, as well slight resonance in the mid-bass sometimes, they lack the coherence and smoothness of really good open-back headphones. They don't have the coherency and don't put all the elements of music together with as much finesse, and they don't separate the sounds quite as good as equally priced open back headphones. They're not as effortless to listen to.
 
These are still very smooth sounding headphones, there's no audible harshness, but it's still clear that these are not flagship headphones.  Compared to flaghsip headphones such as the T1's that becomes clear after some more focused listening. Even though they're smooth, musical and atmospheric sounding, they're still a step behind the T1's in all those terms. What I'm about to say might make the D600's look bad, but taking them off and putting T1's on feels like a relief on the ears. The sound  of the  T1's flows in such an effortless manner that it's clear they're superior headphones. Again, technically looking, in terms of resolution, clarity and detail, there's not much between the two, they're pretty even with T1's being ever so slightly ahead, but in terms of their presentation, D600's are behind a step. Still, very good compared to other similar headphones and I don't want this unfair comparison with the T1's to ruin your view of the D600's.
 
In general, if I were to describe the sound in a few words, it would be:  clear, pure, very detailed, very high resolution, spacious. These are the things that I notice first and strike the strongest impression when I put them on, and again, in those categories they hold their own against even the T1's.  After some time, slight sibilance in the highs, slight resonance in the bass and sometimes a slight nasal quality of the mids can be noticed in some music when switching between them...but then again, T1's nail the tonality, so almost everything sounds slightly wrong when directly compared to them, so take this with a grain of salt.  When you adjust to the D600's after some time, they sound perfectly natural and believable, and have a good atmosphere and "you're there" feel to them.
 
AMPING:   This is a category that might potentially make these headphones winners. The thing is, these headphones are EXTREMELLY easy to run. Literally, plug them into RCA outputs of your DAC trough a  RCA-->3,5mm  adapter, control the volume digitally from your PC, and they sound as good as they can.  Plug them into an iPhone, and they sound amazing.  In fact, I prefer the sound of them plugged into an iPhone 4S than when they're used with the Musical Fidelity M1DAC and M1HPAP, which is a close to 2000 dollar combo. They sound tigher and more coherent out of an iPhone, less juice that makes them ever so slighlty leaner on the bass might be the reason.
Of course they can play louder out of an amp, but they go plenty loud without an amp, and they do sound a tiny bit more open and full, but nothing even remotely worth paying close to 2000 dollars for...not even 100, that's how small the difference is. They also play equally good out of high output impedance sources such as integrated amplifier headphone outputs. The high output impedance doesn't seem to bother them at all and there are no noticable changes in sound when plugging them into an Onkyo A-5VL amp, which suggests they have a flat impedance/frequency curve.
  This is the thing....that's what makes these headphones cheaper than they actually are, because you're only paying for the headphones, not the headphones and a setup to go with it. As long as you have a smartphone, receiver, integrated amp, a DAC or a decent soundcard, you're at 95% of their potential and not losing out anything major if you don't have a separate headamp.
 
 
All in all, very good headphones. Their biggest flaws are size, loose fit, slight nasal quality to the mids, slight resonance in the mid bass when playing really bass heavy music at really high volumes, and slightly "enchanced" highs that can sometimes increase the amount of sibilance and give some listening fatigue (which is in general low) rather than more detail.
 
One last thing to note is that these are one of the few headphones where I actually noticed a significant change in the sound during running in. First 10 hours are critical.
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musikaladin
musikaladin
..mine took at least 200hrs to "wake up"... Now they are simply amazing, even if not reaching the smoothness of the D-7100. But as you say, they (as well as the 7100) are extremely easy to drive. A dream out of a iPod touch and the Onkyo hi-res player app...
musikaladin
musikaladin
...and, great review by the way....

imagic

Head-Fier
Pros: Enveloping, rich sound. Not shy on bass, but still tight. Massive, comfortable earpads. Great in-line microphone cable as well as "pure" long cable.
Cons: Much heavier and bulkier than Monster Inspire, MSRP is too high.
I'm in a good place. Three days ago I bought a pair of Monster Inspire headphones, which I find to be tremendous. However I let my wife try them on and I could sense a tinge of envy; I knew that I needed to have two pairs of premium cans in the house. I decided that I could solve that problem by upping the acoustic ante—by buying a pair of Denon AH-D600. I'm glad I took the plunge, because I find the AH-D600 to be equally enjoyable, compared to the inspire. I also have a pair of AKG 701 and I prefer both the D600 and the Inspire to those cans, even when strictly comparing sound quality. The main difference between the two new pairs is that the AH-D600 is decidedly geeky and ridiculous-looking compared to the Inspire.

There is also a difference in how music is reproduced, but that difference is relatively minimal when compared to some other headphones I have sampled lately. The Inspire has a touch more intensity to it while the D600 manages to be a bit more open. There is near total parity in terms of bass. I think the D600 comes close to sounding perfect. Frankly I'm surprised by how much I enjoy both cans, after a series of disappointments with some Sennheiser and Logitech models (HD-380, UE6000), and a few weeks trying really hard to like the Pioneer HDJ-2000.
 
Now I'm in a place where the vaunted K701 sounds thin and generally lacking compared to both of my new headsets. Truly a great day.
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nicholars

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Comfort, big soundstage, good bass
Cons: Mediocre midrange, artificial treble
I think that the old D2000 sounds better than these, they are not bad at the current pricing but they do not sound very natural in the treble and also the midrange is a bit lacking, the size of these beasts is impressive and so is the bass and soundstage, I like the big sound of them, just shame that the treble sounds a bit odd.

johangrb

1000+ Head-Fier
Pros: Comfort, bass, 2 chords (1 x portable, 1 x desk), balanced (with a good amp)
Cons: Pads does tend to get hot.
I agree w most reviews that these does not warrant the $499 MSRP. (Then rather opt for D5k, D7k).
 
BUT - at the +-$230 range I got them at (Amazon warehouse) - these are VERY good value for the money.

blackdeath

Aka: synweap
BAD TRADER
Pros: Sub-bass, Sparky trebble without fatigue, build quality, extremely comfortable, thin mids
Cons: Lacking mid-bass sometimes, Big for small heads, MSRP
It's really a good pair of closed headphones for 300-400 MSRP..

joolz40

New Head-Fier
Pros: Superb bass, unprecedented clarity
Cons: None at the lower price point
[size=14.399999618530273px]  [/size]

I recently purchased the D600's and after a few of weeks of almost non-stop listening to them, can say they are hands down the best headphones I've ever owned.... or heard. 
They have the tight, low end bass response coupled with good mids and highs I've been searching for in my ideal headphone. While my AKG 701's may have a wider soundstage, and better instrument separation, they lack the bass response the new Denons deliver.
Its a joy to re-discover the entire lossless music collection. Paired with a Cambridge Audio Dac Magic and Little Dot MK V headphone amplifier, they deliver stunning fidelity. Music you thought you knew, comes alive with unprecedented clarity.


I find they work equally well with all genres, comfortably and effortlessly. They are also the most comfortable pair of headphones I've ever worn. There's nothing bad I can say about them, only wish I had a pair of Denon's earlier as I realise now what I've been missing.

Since purchasing these, I've sold the Sennheiser HD650's which, inspite of silver cable upgrades and endless burn in time, retained the muddy "Sennheiser Veil" that sounds like you're listening to the music in the other room !.

To me these Denon AH D600's sound a bit like my old B&W Nautilus speakers rather than headphones. After a while, the phones "dissapear" and you are immersed in the music itself. I sometimes find myself taking them off to make sure the A/V Amp is actually switched off.
 



 
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Lorspeaker
Lorspeaker
power to u bro...have FUN !!!
Shike
Shike
I'm glad I'm not the only one that thought of the B&W house sound listening to these.  They immediately reminded me of 802D's.

Shike

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Musical bass, high separation for closed can, sparkly treble without fatigue, looks, removable cable, imaging
Cons: High MSRP, bass slant may be too much for some, weight, not suited for small heads.
I went into a local business that had these on display, and after trying them I decided I enjoyed them more than enough to get them . . . assuming I could get them substantially under MSRP which I did.  Let's get started on the good, the bad, and ugly.
 
Good:
 
Very easy to drive, you won't need an absurdly powerful amp to drive these and get the best they offer.  The bass is strong and punchy while avoiding one note syndrome, listening to Red Hot Chili Peppers with these is an absolute joy.  I've found these place emphasis on the bass, but tend to avoid messing up the mid-bass drastically leaving vocals mostly unaffected for music I've played with it.  Of course electronic and metal has also benefited from this.  One would expect the treble to suffer, but it's one of the first cans that I've found with an enjoyable sparkle that is non-fatiguing.  The treble strikes me as more present than my K702s.
 
Build quality seems reasonable.  The cable is removable which is always a good sign.
 
The style is very modern.  It will obviously resemble Beats some, but the leather pad stitching and white accents adds very distinctive flair.
 
Very comfortable, especially for those with large heads.  I have a XXL head according to my hat size, and I'm only a couple notches or so out on each side.
 
Bad:
 
On sound I discussed the bass and treble some.  With how the headphones are tuned it seems to thrown the balance off some.  While separation is good and everything still sounds coherent, the mid-range tends to sound smooth without any emphasis in its own right.  Depending on what you tend to focus on when you listen to music, the bass and treble may come off as merely distracting from the rest.  I feel it captures a more "live" sound for what it's worth - but it's worth watching for.
 
The weight of these cans can take getting used to.  I have a pair of Monitor 10's at this time, and the weight is around that territory.  For a plastic can this comes off as unexpected, but it seems that the weight was increased to help increase reliability all around.
 
Not particularly portable, the size of the cans and the above pretty much shows why.
 
Ugly:
 
Those with small heads likely need not apply.  This can seems to be distinctively made for those with medium to XXL heads.
 
MSRP too high for regular purchase.  The D5K justified its price a bit more due to its reference qualities, as a fun can this justifies about ~60% its asking price.  I'd only purchase this after having experience with real reference cans and knowing exactly what you're looking for and enjoy in a "fun" can.
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Shike
Shike
Err, part of your response doesn't make sense.  I have all types of music actually, plenty with low frequencies both fast and drawn out.  I also have vocal, acoustic, etc.  This is one of the few cans I've found with good bass that doesn't impact the rest negatively.  The M100 looks close, but seems to lose some treble energy which may dull it out some.
 
Personally I stand by my comments - even Axiom did a study on distortion and found bass distortion is near impossible to pick up without absurd amounts (10% till 500hz).  I've never found any distortion or ringing on the D600 to be audible.
zzffnn
zzffnn
If you can provide full text of that Axiom paper, I may analyze it and tell you where the flaws are. You should also provide another paper showing that certain ringing is not audible?

When you have a fixed idea in mind, it is oftentimes not difficult to find a few scientific papers to support it.
Basically, you did not hear specific bass distortion --> you looked for explanation for it -->you found a scientific paper --> great! That must be it. There you go, nobody should that hear that! 

Not so fast.

After you receive your PhD and have been in science for enough years, you will realize a few things of scientific papers:
1) lots of results may not be easily repeated, and you can easily obtain contradictory results under slightly different conditions;
2) its application is often limited to specific experimental conditions; 
3) it is often not difficult to find a paper to support the fixed idea that you already have had in mind;
4) modern science is more about how you tell your story (i.e., validate your idea) than finding that rare absolute truth.

Take the journal PNAS as an example. Since it has good impact factor, its papers must be impeccable, right? Well, not if you know the back end story. Science aside, if you are a number of NAS or you know some editors, your paper will get into PNAS a lot easier. Does that install confidence in those PNAS papers? Same goes for lots of other scientific journals -- sometimes it depends more on who the authors are, rather than how the scientific content is.

Basically, you should not isolate the result of a single scientific paper and dogmatically consider it a universal truth.  At least that is I think, after receiving my PhD degree and having been in academic science for 12 yrs.
Shike
Shike
First a few issues:
 
The Axiom study isn't perfect, I'll admit that.  It was a tentative experiment on a subject not well covered and has only had hit and miss documentation over the years.  Feel free to check it out though http://www.axiomaudio.com/distortion
 
Now, in relation to proving ringing as inaudible: no.  I said I haven't noticed ringing being an issue for me.  Second, it's not up to me to prove a null.  I merely noted the Axiom distortion paper as it pertains to me and may be interesting for others to look at.  If you believe you can hear it I imagine it's not too hard to produce your own samples and emulate the study to see what your own hearing threshold is.  Traditionally it's still understood that distortion at the bass region is less audible, the degree of which varies.  There's also a study from JAES that correlates some from Fielder and Benjamin - a summary of the finding can be found at *shudder* Stereophile here: http://www.stereophile.com/content/science-subwoofing-page-3
 
When you include the fact that below 100hz very few harmonics exist that would create substantial issues and the other results from the Fielder and Benjamin study , if true (IF), it is not surprising as to why a few to many may not hear distortion in any significant fashion from the bass region.
 
Now, how I found the study.  I was actually reading up on audibility of distortion a long time ago when going over Soundstage reviews and measurements, and measurements of the Magnepan MMG which also have significant bass distortion due to their design that reviewers also tend not to pick up.  I was looking for something to give a general context.  Axiom does have a hat in the game, so I was a bit skeptical.  I saw Tyll's review of the D600 and expected it to be crap looking at the measurements.  I eventually tried them expecting to hate them and, well, I didn't.  Of course there's discussion in the D600 threads about more and more people enjoying them, so some speculation that a change in production may have occurred.  I doubt it, but it would be interesting.
 
Once again, this is merely YMMV.  I've seen people choose the D600 over the M100 and vice versa, some complain one's loose and the other has too small of earcups for their ears, one has better soundstage the other is more clear, yadda yadda.  My review just correlates my opinion on them with a large note on not buying till trying a reference set of some degree to get an idea of what is generally considered normal and going from there.  If you would like to share your opinions on the cans, there IS the ability to post a review.  If you don't wish to post a review on this one, I'm sure you can go post about the M100 just as well.  There's no need to make an attempt at antagonizing over this is there, especially when caution on purchase is advised and illustrated it is very much a "taste" can?

Marcosro

New Head-Fier
Pros: The packaging...
Cons: Heavy, Ear pads feel sticky, Too much bass
I am coming from the ATH-M50s and was looking to move up in the headphone game. At first I was going to move up to the HE-400, but could no longer afford them so I settle for these at a price of $270. I am not a fan when I found my self comparing these with my $30 gaming headphones and not being impressed at all when switching to these. Maybe someone else will be happy with these. 
xinghui0711
xinghui0711
D600 is one of my favorite portable headphones. Great sound bases on personal taste.
Artcheezzz
Artcheezzz
Heh, I own HD650 and i wanted get any good sounding close back and more bass cans.. I paid £180, similar.
My impressions is similar too Marcosro. Probably Denon was thinking, what people need: Good looking, with new technology, comfortable, portable, easy drive`ble, good sounding with MORE BASS, and close backs. They tried to improve everything what people was complaining about some very good sounding headphones.
AND pretty much..mmmm... failed. It`s probaly right word. But i believe any BRAND would FAIL if they would try to do same thing.
I do agree that this headphone is too big and heavy, too loose a bit on small head, and make your ears sweat after longer use.
But its still have the quick bass, comfortable enough, VERY GOOD isolating headphones. Sounds great overall. But do have some tonality - thanks to close cans and extra bass.
For 180£ its good choice for a second headphone to listen electronic music.
buttons252
buttons252
I just got these yesterday and I can finally stop searching for the ultimate headphone and just listen to music. i dont travel with them, they are plugged into a sony 5.1 receiver for power. vocals and instruments are clear and detailed and bass is powerful -- they arent a 10 in comfortable and i do sometimes need to let my ears breath, but im really happy with sound quality.

HideousPride

Member of the Trade: Worthy Audio
Pros: Comfort, solid build, not fatiguing, fun!
Cons: MSRP $$$, Earpads can get heated, weighty - not suitable for portable use as Denon intended
Bought these used off the FS forums. I had been interested in these since release, but due to negative reviews did not think it was worth pulling the trigger when they sold for $500. At the price I purchased them at, I am quite happy with them. So long as you know what you're getting, I believe the D600 is a headphone that pleases.
 
The lower end has a very significant hump that can sound exceptional with certain recordings. I've heard details in the bass on certain songs that I never heard before because it is so audible on the D600s compared to the rest of the frequency range. It also makes you want to groove when you listen to dance-ish songs. You can definitely put these on your to-buy list if you enjoy a good time with a colored sound and a bumped bass. Do not expect strings to sound sweet and rich - midrange/upper mids seem to be somewhat lacking on these headphones. They sound significantly further in the background on recordings than more neutral headphones like the Paradox present violins/violas/etc. Female vocals sound natural but slightly recessed.
 
They may not be power hungry, but respond very favorably to amplification. I find that driving them out of the Cowon J3 alone delivers a somewhat lacking sound. Adding a PA2V2 seemed to help tremendously. Classical, orchestral and a capella recordings are not unlistenable, but definitely are not a strength. They are significantly heavier than I had expected them to be from pictures! However, comfort is excellent so long as your ears don't get heated. Denon includes a 3 button cable that is clearly intended for use on the go, but I honestly doubt you'll want to take them outside for a walk. If not because of the heat (sweaty ears are a blechy sitaution!), the weight alone will dissuade all but the most masochistic of headphone fans.
 
Probably the most interesting thing is how favorably the average music listener respond to these. I've given them to three coworkers of me, two males (Beats and Klipsch Image One users) who are absolutely bassheads with metal and rap, and a female who enjoys kpop. All three were thoroughly impressed by the D600 when I let them listen to them. Both males expressed an interest in purchasing a pair at the price I paid for them. The female, despite having listened to headphones I've brought to her such as the HD 800, the Paradox, and the LCD-2, believed these to be her favorite pair and the one with the best sound.
 
Overall, a reasonable purchase for bass lovers everywhere! If you have a chance to listen to them, do give it a go. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
subfrequenz
subfrequenz
Hi, Thanks for your detailed review. I was wondering about the midrange/vocals...did you find that they opened up a bit after burning in? I do find that the bass (which I love!) and the treble do seem to overpower vocals sometimes, which is a shame as I love the richness these cans produce! I'm more of a V-shaped headphone person although I do want to hear a bit of vocal! 
 
Thanks

Lan647

1000+ Head-Fier
Pros: Extremely comfortable. Clear, engaging presentation. Easy to drive.
Cons: Lack of coherency. Midbass resonance. Not the best choice for the MSRP. Design is maybe a bit dull?
EDITED!

Picked these up for a special price after listening in store and liking what I heard very much. A clear, clean sound with a really fun bass response. A very different sound compared to my HD 800 and I liked the idea of a headphone that made you tap your feet.

First of all the Denon D600 is an extremely comfortable headphone. The pressure on the head is spot-on for a closed can and the well shaped, memory-foam earpads feel wonderful. Only a slight headband pressure and heat issues usually present with closed headphones keep them under a solid 5 on that one.

This is a fast, clear sounding headphone. They sound open and airy for a closed can, which I feel is their main accomplishment. The bass is very powerful and very well extended. It's not extremely tight though, compared to better (and some cheaper) headphones. It has a wobbling nature too it, which I think is because of a resonance in the upper bass. The bass - midrange transition sounds natural though (usually), unlike the flagship D7100.

The treble is a bit uneven. The lower treble is a bit recessed and the higher up they are a bit bright and sparkling. The treble doesn't sound muddy, closed in or piercing - which i absolutely hate. These seem to be tuned to moden music genres with what I hear as a U-shaped response.

It's a fun, vivid sound, but I can sometimes feel the midrange is slightly low in level compared to the somewhat bright treble and earth-shattering low end. Deep vocals easily get to bassy and the sound is just not as coherent as the D2/5/7k. They do sound cleaner than the D2k and D5k, but they are not very accurate.

Compared to a cheaper headphone, the Sennheiser Momentum (my current reference portable), the D600 midrange sounds thin and grainy in comparison. The midrange is also definitely thinner sounding than that of the D5000 and D7000.

This is a headphone for electronic music. While the bass is pretty well integrated into the midrange for a bass-heavy can (which I definitely think these are) and the speed and clarity of the sound are great, I do think you can get better for less money. $500 feels too much. Luckily, I paid significantly less than that, but I still feel my Momentum outperforms it in every way except for soundstage openness.

If anything these are fabulous movie watching cans thanks to the excellent comfort and deep, rumbling bass. If only the midrange could've been richer, the bass tighter and the treble a bit more balanced hey would make a great mid-range audiophile headphone as well, as I do think the clarity and speed are there. But as they are, I would rank them as a headphone for just rocking out, rather than for analytical listening. If you like your music slammin' without having to deal with a muddiness, they may be for you.

Oh and about the design? I'm not sure. They are not ugly headphones by any means but it's just impossible not to think of Beats or the Ludacris headphones hen you see the chassis, or the red storage box. On the plus side they feel solid (if somewhat plasticy) and look like they could take a fair amount of beating. I'm more and more liking the color-scheme and they do look cool on your head, even though they stick out a bit more than I would prefer.

The choice between a short, non-microphonic cable with remote and a longer, sturdier one for home use is a nice thing as well.

These do not need an amp, you can use them with a high-quality mobile source like the iPad or iPhone and not feel you're missing anything.





kenji458

New Head-Fier
Pros: Fun, Musical to listen. Smooth and detailed. Very comfy and non-fatigue headphones.
Cons: Bass maybe boosted a tad too much. Ears get hot in hot weather (~33°C)
 
Here's my D600 out-of-box impressions.
 
Received only yesterday and paired with the ODAC/O2 as my laptop rig, the bass is the first thing that captures your attention. In some songs, like David Guetta's, the D600 would deliver great and deep bass, slightly more than HFi2400 even, IMO. However, the bass is always nicely controlled and tight, not intruding into the mids. The D600s have both ample quantity and quality bass, maybe boosted in the midbass IMO; but not overly emphasised.
 
The mids are fine and smooth, but sometimes they lack a bit a bit of volume especially if you have listened to mid-centric headphones; but overall are still smooth. Prefer the mids of my srh1840 in that relation.
 
Treble is clear and detailed, non-sibilant and non-fatigue. 
 
Soundstage is deep and good separation. The Imaging is quite similar to that of HFi 2400s are known for IMO.
 
IMO the D600s are fun, fast attacking and falls into the musical headphones category. The Denons not do sound grainy at all and are detailed and smooth. It shines the most at pop, rock, rnb, electronic IMO.
 
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sneaglebob
sneaglebob
So I should stick with my beats pro? these look just as nice but I really want to know if it might work out for me if I pair it with a good bass boost amp.
agistrilink
agistrilink
I have a Beats Pro with Fiio E11 (& Cowon Z2). Last weekend, I was asked to "warm-up" a d7100 for a better bass-response, so I had a good impression on the bass of these new Denons. Being used to the massive bass of the Pro, the Denon did not disappointed me at all. I've put the base level on the Fiio e11 on 2 and the gain setting on high. The end result is a set-up that in my opinion clearly beats the Pro. However, after a couple of days I promised myself to truly and directly compare the Denon with the Pro, and after all, it was not worth the investment (and the d7100 *is* an investment). Therefore, the d600 seems to be just right to have a upgraded hi-fi set-up in comparison with the Pros. Still don't like the look though...
sneaglebob
sneaglebob
@sgistrilink It may not be worth it but was it truly MUCH better than the pros?

wynton5364

New Head-Fier
Pros: extremly good comfort and isolation, clean clear sound, dynamic, very punchy, easy to dirve
Cons: slightly sterile, bass is accentuated in a certain area
 
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Personal Feels:
 
Look and Build:
Though different from D5000's classical design, the modern look is actually quite good. The headband along with the outer shell is very low-profile kind of black color. With some bright parts it is not overly dull. The somewhat white inner ear cup and logo look pretty good to me. The sewing on headband and earpads are very neat. Plather parts are nice, hope they will last. Fabric-covered cord and carrying bag feel very good and solid.
 
Comfort and Isolation:
Insanely comfortable. Really and easily the best I ever tried. Room inside ear cups are pretty large. My ears very slightly touch the walls inside but never the drivers. There is only very minor pressure on my head. With the headband adjusted to the right length I don't feel any weight of the headphone. The ear cups can only be adjusted slightly but they provides 360-degree articulation. They move around in any directions. I can very easily find the perfect-fit position.  Earpads are so soft. They also provide great comfort. If I have to pick a drawback, the earpads probably have too much friction on my skin. Isolation is very good, far beyond my expectation. There's a typhoon outside my window right now,but I can hear almost nothing with the headphone on my head. Even with the window open and the pouring rain, I can hear my music clearly. It seems that the high frequency noise is mostly blocked outside. Really the comfort and isolation are off-the-chart good.
 
Sound:
D600 is energetic and fun to listen to, yet non-fatiguing.Basically balanced sound.  I do feel the bass is somewhat accentuated in one area, though it says on the box 'tuned to a flat EQ.' That makes bass drum and string bass stand out and emphasized in a way. That emphatic bass part is really excessive to my ears and prevents it from being completely coherent, but that may be a personal taste matter. Bass does sound good on some tracks. Rest of the spectrum is very clean and clear sounding. It's slightly cold and fast sounding. Vocals are fine but not particularly inviting. I would like a heftier mid-forward sound and slight warm-tilt. D600 is slightly sterile to me.(HE-500 is my choice and my main phone) Separation is good along with good imaging and location. Soundstage is not like very wide and deep. But I think it is pretty coherent with a good shape and moderate sense of space. Dynamic is good. With accentuated bass D600 is very punchy. D600 is doing a good job here.
Summary:
Comes with in-line three-button control,carrying bag and Denon Audio app you can download for your Apple devices and android devices, it is obviously made for you  to take out. And it works very fine with my Sony Erricsson mobile phone. However the size of the headphone is actually pretty big, I wouldn't wear it on the go. Taking it from places to places should be fine. The design is not as fragile as D2000, which I owned, but still is not tank-like robust. Some care could be needed. Given the performance and new type of sound, you should audition it whenever you can. 
 
Thanks for viewing
wynton5364
wynton5364
Thanks!!
sfgiants2010
sfgiants2010
Can you wear these while walking or laying down? Or would they fall/slide off your head?
Bob2000
Bob2000
Nice review! Which are best regarding sound, sony mdr1r, momentum, ath m50s or these? trying to decide which to buy. I listen to all kinds of music from metal to classical and watch movies.
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