[RingingEars]

Hey guys.
I wanted to say thanks for this thread. It's been a good read. I'll be ordering my HD 600 tomorrow to pair up with my soon-to-be built crack amp.

 

[sampson_smith]

Which pair of HD600's do you have, donunus? The newer silver mesh driver, or the older silk one. (That is, of couse, a rather big plug for the HD600, assuming that you prefer it to the TOTL HifiMan. I wonder which of the two Senn's does the trick best for you.)
 
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Ive tried many other cans before too after my first hd580 then was impressed with the hd600 more than a decade later then moved on to other cans again but now I'm back loving the 600s. I am never letting go of these again. These are as good as it gets for me among dynamics and i even like them more than the he-6

 

 

[Windsor]

This is probably my last night with the HD 600 (black driver covers) that I have; time for more HD 600 appreciation.

 

[TobaccoRoad]

Speaking of different drivers on the HD600, I was wondering where HD580 falls between the two. Does it sound closer to the black or white version of the HD600?

 

[donunus]

Quote:

Which pair of HD600's do you have, donunus? The newer silver mesh driver, or the older silk one. (That is, of couse, a rather big plug for the HD600, assuming that you prefer it to the TOTL HifiMan. I wonder which of the two Senn's does the trick best for you.)
 


 

I have the silver driver version. I've had this version twice Ive also had the hd580 twice (old and new vers) LOL
 
I have here two hd650s with me too by the way, the old and the new and the new silver one is definitely better to my ears. The new version has the upper mids filled in better making the sound less veiled. The bass is also more integrated on the new version. The old version's bass is a little too much for me.
 
The hd650 although sounding a little less detail oriented than the hd600 is also really very good because it just makes one just enjoy the music witout triggering the OC anal brain as much with details. They give more of their own flavor to the music vs the hd600s though. The hd600s are more chameleonlike in its ability to show the sound of the amp/source/music driving them.
 

 

[donunus]

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Speaking of different drivers on the HD600, I was wondering where HD580 falls between the two. Does it sound closer to the black or white version of the HD600?

The hd580 has the same drivers and cables as the 600. The difference is in the housing and the grilles. The 580 drivers were also changed along with the hd600s right before they were discontinued. The 580s from what I remember are a little less coherent than the 600s maybe because of the slightly looser bass. I can't confirm that though because I haven't had the chance to compare them side by side using the same amp.

 

[Gradofan2]

 
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Speaking of different drivers on the HD600, I was wondering where HD580 falls between the two. Does it sound closer to the black or white version of the HD600?

 
As others noted - Sennheiser used to report there is no difference between the HD580's and HD600's, except for the screens and the color - that they use the same drivers.  The only difference in the drivers was supposed to be how closely the right and left were matched to each other - though, I suspect that is BS.  So, except for the screens they should sound identical, though, I've never compared the two.  
 
I have the "new version" HD580's with the HD600 screens and HD650 cable and they sound identical to the "new version" HD650's I had - they have the same drivers.  I don't know if mine are exceptions to normal production, or not.  And, I don't know if the "new version" HD600's also have the same drivers as both of these.  I decided to keep my HD580 (modified) and return the HD650's, since the one's I have did sound identical to the HD650's I had, and they are half the price.  I guess I suspect my HD580's have the same drivers as the "new version" HD650's.
 
Update:  I would add that the "new version" HD580's that I have are much better than the "old version" HD650's I had - much more balanced, and sound faster, brighter, clearer and more detailed.  They sound much more like my RS-1's and AD2000's... and sound virtually as good as the HE-500's, and Stax 507's / 007's I've tried.  If all "new version" HD650's sound like the set I had, the same holds true for the "new version" HD650's. 

 

[donunus]

As for the new version hd600s vs the new HD650, they are definitely different. The bass of the hd650 to begin with is a few dB louder on them vs the 600s plus the upper mids of the 600s also have more bite while the new 650 is still a little too smooth for me. I think you may have hd580s with 650 drivers or 650s with 580 drivers, either way explaining the similarity between both of them. The new 600 vs the new 650 is still a larger difference in sound than the old vs new 650 for example.

 

[TobaccoRoad]

Quote:

The hd580 has the same drivers and cables as the 600. The difference is in the housing and the grilles. The 580 drivers were also changed along with the hd600s right before they were discontinued. The 580s from what I remember are a little less coherent than the 600s maybe because of the slightly looser bass. I can't confirm that though because I haven't had the chance to compare them side by side using the same amp.

I'm aware that HD580 and HD600 share the same drivers. When you say 580 drivers were also changed do you mean they had their own black and white drivers like the HD600? I thought there was only one version of HD580.
 

 

[Poetik]

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As for the new version hd600s vs the new HD650, they are definitely different. The bass of the hd650 to begin with is a few dB louder on them vs the 600s plus the upper mids of the 600s also have more bite while the new 650 is still a little too smooth for me. I think you may have hd580s with 650 drivers or 650s with 580 drivers, either way explaining the similarity between both of them. The new 600 vs the new 650 is still a larger difference in sound than the old vs new 650 for example.

Yea the HD650 (new) was a little too laid back in the treble for me.  Actually I let my 16 year old sister A / B the new driver HD600 and the new driver HD650 and she definitely preferred the HD600.  She told me that while the HD650 had more bass, the HD600 sounded clearer, more detailed, and still had decent bass impact.  Some people on here can't tell the difference between the two and yet my sister, who isn't an audiophile, can tell the difference within 5 minutes. 
 
In my opinion, the HD600 doesn't do any part of the sound spectrum wrong.  Everything is there and presented in a neutral yet still engaging way.
 

 

[Jube]

Quote:

Yea the HD650 (new) was a little too laid back in the treble for me.  Actually I let my 16 year old sister A / B the new driver HD600 and the new driver HD650 and she definitely preferred the HD600.  She told me that while the HD650 had more bass, the HD600 sounded clearer, more detailed, and still had decent bass impact.  Some people on here can't tell the difference between the two and yet my sister, who isn't an audiophile, can tell the difference within 5 minutes. 
 
In my opinion, the HD600 doesn't do any part of the sound spectrum wrong.  Everything is there and presented in a neutral yet still engaging way.
 

 
I would be shocked if people cannot tell the difference between the H600 and HD650. The most noticeable difference, to me at least, being the warmer sound with the 650.

 
 

 

[xaval]

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I would be shocked if people cannot tell the difference between the H600 and HD650. The most noticeable difference, to me at least, being the warmer sound with the 650.

 
 

x2. The hd650 have this more ahem "modern" sound where you have to get that extra energy on the... ahem... presence region. The hd600 are old school audiophile grade sound with a more even FR : neutrality vs team treble who "needs" the detail. Nothing wrong with both actually, I just preferred the hd600 when I had both. I was fooled by the higher price of the 650s thinking they would be a step up the quality ladder. In the end it was just a sideways step and for team treble fans I think there are better cans other than the 650s.
 
 

 

[donunus]

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I'm aware that HD580 and HD600 share the same drivers. When you say 580 drivers were also changed do you mean they had their own black and white drivers like the HD600? I thought there was only one version of HD580.
 

yup the 580 had a white driver version also right before they got discontinued. I had one of them
 

 

[tdogzthmn]

I have a new HD600 which to me isnt very bright sounding when I listen to it against the ER4S and K500.  All of them do things great imho.

 

[donunus]

Yah the new hd600 isn't bright, Its the old ones that were more to the dull side.