Sennheiser HD 600!
Alright, I've finally got a free moment to sit down and listen to some metal on the Sennheiser HD 600's. I'm sure these cans need no introduction. So while "Wake Up Dead" blares gloriously, let me say that I'll try these headphones out in both single and balanced mode. These no longer have the stock cable though. They have an approximately 7-foot-long Stefan AudioArt Equinox cable, balanced, with a matching balanced to single-ended adapter.
Yes, I think the upgraded cable does make a difference in terms of clarity, despite being a cable skeptic all my life.
Yes, you can re-terminate the stock cable to have balanced connectors, which I did before switching to the Equinox cable. The difference between balanced and single-ended mode with each cable is similar. But, this isn't a cable review, so suffice it to say that I think the upgraded cable specifically addresses clarity and the famous "veil" that some people hear.
Anyways, on to the review... I figured that I would let the "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" album by Megadeth play while writing this out. I have the newly remixed/remastered version, so it isn't shy on bass or anything else. I'm already up to "Good Morning/Black Friday," and the acoustic intro sounds fantastic on these cans.
Bass: I'll start by discussing bass in single-ended mode. There is a mid bass hump, of course. It's not really a bad thing. But, it makes the lowest registers of bass feel weaker than they actually are. The drums lack punch, while the bass guitar growls with more force. Depending on how loud the bass guitar was played/mixed/recorded/whatever, I get the sense that I am sometimes anchored with the bass guitar line, rather than the drums. Sometimes, I get the sense that I have no anchor at all.
Switching to balanced drive, I get more slam from the drums, and a little more from the low end of the bass guitar too. I'm listening to the bass guitar beginning at 38 seconds into "Devil's Island," and the force of each pluck is more visceral. The decay, though, doesn't seem very much different. OK, so I would judge that bass is more plentiful in balanced drive, but not necessarily more accurate or faster. It's still below the level I would prefer.
Speed: This has been bothering me a bit. Something isn't quite right here. I figured that since I've heard Megadeth's "Mechanix" so many times, I might as well continue comparing against it. And, so I shall, starting again with single-ended mode.
Technically, the HD 600's do a pretty good job of resolving the individual finger plucks in the riffs throughout the song. Ugh, where did the bass go? Nevermind, here's the ending solo. And... I just realized what is the matter. As soon as Mustaine starts shredding, the fast paced rhythm guitar just smears. Yes, Mustaine's notes are mostly distinguished from each other, if not quite to the level of the SA5000. But the background just becomes a smear of noise. A quick check against the SA5000 confirms this.
Will balanced drive help with this matter? Well, the bass is back again, that's pleasant... Mustaine shreds, and... the background DOES retain some of the detail. Not as much as the SA5000, but more than none. So why does it feel like the cans are still slow? Time for "Tornado of Souls" from Megadeth's "Rust In Peace" to shed some light, perhaps. The heavily distorted guitar in the main opening riffs gives me the first clue. Yes, the plucks are all there, and fairly defined. But the notes decay so slowly that I feel there is too much momentum right before succeeding plucks. This is kind of hard to explain. On the Sony's, right before each new pluck, I hear a very short stop before the actual pluck. The pick against the string is stopping the vibration momentarily, I assume. (I can't play guitar per se, but I do like to noodle around with my friend's electric one, and this brief vibration stoppage mirrors what I have experienced myself.) On the HD 600s, this gap between notes is very small. Too short, I would say. I would argue that we need the brief silence to accentuate the burst of volume that follows from a new pluck. Since it seems that the bass guitar is following the lead and rhythm guitar pluck-for-pluck on this song, we are also losing out on a sense of timing as well. I think that's where the speed has gone: bled away by long decay that makes it difficult to focus on the progression of the song as the artist intended.
Everything Else: Cymbal crashes, and any other acoustic notes, sound great on these cans. Balanced mode makes the soundstage very wide left and right, but still without much depth. In comparison, I'd say the SA5000 has greater depth, but much less width. The Sennheiser HD 600 do many things well, and given their reputation, I think we all expect that by now. But I can't recommend these to anyone who listens to fast metal.
Falls riiiiiight off.
I'll definitely try them. I think that's two recommendation so far, so why not! I don't really headbang because I'm susceptible to migraine headaches, but sometime's I'll get into the music and do a little head-bobbin'. Curiously enough, before getting medication for my headaches, I would just throw on my headphones and blast metal as loud as possible. Getting lost in the riffs would usually be enough to make the migraine go away, but I was putting my hearing at risk, big time. Still, who knew that loud thrash metal could RELIEVE a headache? .gif "Confused Face(1)")
...) but all of Mustaine's remasters that I have are free of this problem.
