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Sennheiser HD600/HD580 as resting place?

post #1 of 66
8/2/07 at 6:12am
Thread Starter 
Anybody else here end up settling on the Sennheiser HD600 (or perhaps the HD580) after trying lots and lots of other stuff?

After this history:


FORMER headphone amps: Melos SHA-1, Musical Fidelity X-Cans v2, Creek OBH-11, Lehmann Black Cube Linear, Naim Headline 2 w/iSupply power supply, WooAudio 3, Headroom Millet Hybrid

FORMER headphones: Koss ESP-950, Stax 3030 system, Sennheiser HD595, Sennheiser HD580, Sennheiser HD580 Jubilee, Sennheiser HD650, AKG K701, Beyerdynamic DT770/80 ohm, Grado SR-60, other Beyerdynamics in the '80's


I've ended up with the Sennheiser HD600 as my favorite headphones, used with a simple (but expensive) PS Audio GCHA headphone amp.

The ironic thing is that if I'd bought and held a pair of Senn HD580 in 1993 or HD600 in 1997, I'd be exactly where I am today, 14 years later. Only richer!!

In all honesty, to my ears, after lots of hard work, I can't do better than the old Sennheiser flagship, if settling on only one.
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post #2 of 66
8/2/07 at 6:32am
I do intend to keep my Senns for a long time. Oh, and the K340 too. :P
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post #3 of 66
8/2/07 at 7:19am
Thread Starter 
This is all based upon "what I find my hands reaching for most often" - know what I mean?

Geez, the HD650 is so smooth and rich, and is a technically better can, I'm sure, but after about a week of it, I feel a bit like I'm getting high blood sugar. My hands reach for the HD600. And have, over all others, so far.

I often hear about the "find myself reaching for the X........." headphones here on head-fi. A fascinating thing. And I think it's a very clear indicator of what one craves, even if fellow members disagree.

It's very hard here to buck the FOTM Syndrome, or the "pressure" to have the "SOTA" can or the latest Sennheiser or AKG release.

I posit that a lot of "latest releases" are more marketing-driven than engineering-driven, and not really improvements as much as they are mere minor differences.

The hands always seem to know what is BS and what isn't, however!
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post #4 of 66
8/2/07 at 7:27am
The 600s had too much bass, not enough high end sparkle and were too closed in of a sound stage for me. I think my DT 880 may be the cans I've been looking for if only they had a bit more low end, and somehow tamed the big resonant spike in the treble.

Right now I'm running them slightly EQed to address these areas and it's fantastic, but I think I'm going to open them up sometime and see if I can mod them into my perfect cans.

edit: It's nice being able to listen to music without thinking about upgrades or how it "should" sound all the time. I'm trying to save myself money by not going the route you did OP.
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post #5 of 66
8/2/07 at 8:41am
Gee; it's a shame you didn't keep the Jubilees! Cool phones!

....anyway.

As I mentioned in the "Which phones would you keep if you could only keep one set" thread: (something like)"I would keep the HD600 as I reach for them about 65% of the time."
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post #6 of 66
8/2/07 at 9:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by F107plus5 View Post
Gee; it's a shame you didn't keep the Jubilees! Cool phones!

....anyway.

As I mentioned in the "Which phones would you keep if you could only keep one set" thread: (something like)"I would keep the HD600 as I reach for them about 65% of the time."
I'm surprised to see that you are starting to drift away from Alessandro. Welcome to the Dark Side, friend?
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post #7 of 66
8/2/07 at 9:59am
Thread Starter 
Oh, yes, I'd still jolly well have the Jubilees if I could go back in time.

The Melos, too..........
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post #8 of 66
8/2/07 at 10:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zorander View Post
I'm surprised to see that you are starting to drift away from Alessandro. Welcome to the Dark Side, friend?
Oh yeah; the dark side is fun too!
lotsa fun!

Well; what's happened is after getting the HD600 I can really dig back into my classical collection again, which is about half of what I own. So that makes is about 50-50 right there, but I find a lot of my classical rock sounds better on HD600 than MS-1 0r MS2i, so I use the Senns for that. But some of the light classical sounds better on the Alessandros, so it's a back and forth thing. Last night, for instance I was listening to some Elton John, and I started with MS2i and switched to HD600 cause some of it was almost harsh, but then on some of the tighter recorded stuff I went to MS-1. That sort of thing. Thankfully the three sets of cans play well together!

I really need a three position switchbox!
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post #9 of 66
8/2/07 at 10:54am
After getting a Hornet from Ray I was in search of synergetic phones, however, Ray recommended an HD600. As of yesterday I have finally settled with: iPod 4G (soon to be re-ripped with lossless), Hornet M, HD600 and ALO Cryo Dock. Sounds VERY good.
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post #10 of 66
8/2/07 at 11:56am
I have owned endless headphones and love to come back to the Senn's.

Do the socket foam mod and put some sharp tubes in you amp to offset the darkness.
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post #11 of 66
8/2/07 at 11:59am
I can understand settling on the HD580/600. With my system, the 650 sounds like the 600 on steroids, so that's my resting point after trying many a can
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post #12 of 66
8/2/07 at 12:03pm
maybe not a resting place, but i bought a second pair of hd580. keeping them nice, in the box so i can enjoy them after my current pair dies...and if it doesn't die then...i'll have a pair at home and a pair at school
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post #13 of 66
8/2/07 at 12:05pm
Yup.
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post #14 of 66
8/2/07 at 12:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pibborando View Post
The 600s had too much bass, not enough high end sparkle and were too closed in of a sound stage for me.
I felt the same except for the soundstage which I did not find an issue. However in all fairness to the HD600 this was in comparison to the K501 which I had prior to receiving HD600, so this seems somewhat expected.
I imagine that had I not heard the K501 first I may not have felt I had to work so hard to hear the mids and details.

Again to be fair the the HD600 I must also mention that I was not using anything "special" in the way of amplification (META42, Bada PH-1).
Now that I have the Heed Canamp I have had some stray thoughts of giving the HD600 another try

Perhaps I can trade my Head-Five for one . . . . .
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post #15 of 66
8/2/07 at 3:41pm
Congratulations on your findings!
I love the 600's as well. They are my 2nd favorite headphones.
I still reach for my 650/Equinox combo at least 80% of the time, however.
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