[sikki-six]

   
Listening to your old favourites, and feeling like you're hearing the guitars for the first time again... This is one of the great pleasures of owning an HD-600 headset.
 
AC/DC, Neil Young, Zeppelin, Rush, you name it - their guitarists are so much better with these cans.

 
That's right. Actually I had HD650s before HD600 or LCD-2 - those HD6xx-phones pretty much have that same sweet & rocking mid-range for guitars. LCDs are more flat in the bass department, but those mids, they're just as nice as anything.

 

[kman1211]

  I heard an HD650 once that was cabled with pure silver. I'll tell you that was one of hell of a can. It sounded more like a DT880 in the treble region but had the mid warmth and tone of the HD650. The "veil" was lifted considerably. I had heard the same headphone with the stock cable and it sounded muddier and rolled off in the HF.
 
My solution to my mid-fi problems was to buy the AD. Mission accomplished. Now I keep getting open headphone upgradeitis for the DT880. But where to jump to next? Stax-007 MK II? :O

I did change the cable on the HD 600, the sound pressure is gone though there is still a slight presence in that area, the headphone is even smoother and clearer sounding now. It was only the sound pressure that was bothering me not the slight bump.
 
I hate that upgradetis bug. So far for me, the HD 600 and the K712 fill all my needs in terms of open-backs, I just switch when I want something different, so far they get roughly the same amount of use. Just depends on what you are looking for as an upgrade. Though STAX in general will be an excellent upgrade from the DT 880.

 

[Cobaltius]

 
I did change the cable on the HD 600, the sound pressure is gone though there is still a slight presence in that area, the headphone is even smoother and clearer sounding now. It was only the sound pressure that was bothering me not the slight bump.
 
I hate that upgradetis bug. So far for me, the HD 600 and the K712 fill all my needs in terms of open-backs, I just switch when I want something different, so far they get roughly the same amount of use. Just depends on what you are looking for as an upgrade. Though STAX in general will be an excellent upgrade from the DT 880.

How does the HD 600 sound with a better cable. I plan on having one of my friends make me a DIY Double Helix Peptide 6-braided cable
and I'm wondering what difference I would really hear. Do different cables have a particular sound or?

 

[krismusic]

Seriously no need to dick around with cables. Stick em on your head. Select a favorite piece of music and enjoy. Forget all this audiophile bollo. It leads nowhere. IME and IMHO of course.

 

[AnalogSavior]

Seriously no need to dick around with cables. Stick em on your head. Select a favorite piece of music and enjoy.

 
QFT
 
If you have money to spare, sure try something exotic, otherwise just sit back and enjoy the music.
 

 

[krismusic]

QFT

If you have money to spare, sure try something exotic, otherwise just sit back and enjoy the music.

It's not even a question of money IMHO. Listening intently trying to hear tiny differences leads to neurosis rather than enjoyment IME. Thanks for the QFT BTW!

 

[StanD]

The HD600's have been around, I believe, since 1996 and are still going strong. They're easier to drive than many would admit. They max out at 200mW continuous and are moderately sensitive enough that most decent amps can swing enough voltage to get you where you need to go. I measured the stock cable and the capacitance is low enough not to affect audio and since they are 300 Ohms, ultra low resistance materials like Unobtanium are not necessary for cabling. IMO we have a winner.

 

[Cobaltius]

  The HD600's have been around, I believe, since 1996 and are still going strong. They're easier to drive than many would admit. They max out at 200mW continuous and are moderately sensitive enough that most decent amps can swing enough voltage to get you where you need to go. I measured the stock cable and the capacitance is low enough not to affect audio and since they are 300 Ohms, ultra low resistance materials like Unobtanium are not necessary for cabling. IMO we have a winner.

I don't hear a difference in sound when it comes with amping for some odd reason....

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  I don't hear a difference in sound when it comes with amping for some odd reason....

 

If you're listening in a place with next to zero noise floor to overcome and can keep the HD600 at a low level, even an iPad is good enough at around 40% of its output; a really good, very quiet amp like Meier would sound a bit cleaner though and dynamics noticeably improved but not by much. However if you're dealing with enough background noise - my room at night has around 28db (according to a smartphone app) and that's when the A/C or fan isn't running (hot climate over here) - and you get to around 50%+ of the iPad's output then there's already audible distortion. Not easily distinguishable on its own for most people but run it with a cleaner amp even level matched by ear and it's cleaner; go louder, and the dynamics are even more noticeable.

 

[teb1013]

At long last I have ordered HD600s after years of putting it off. I love my 558s, I hope that I hear an appreciable difference.

 

[StanD]

  I don't hear a difference in sound when it comes with amping for some odd reason....

I believe you've already stated the previously. Unamped being plugged directly into what?
In any case consider yourself lucky as what you can't hear won't hurt your wallet.

 

[Cobaltius]

  I believe you've already stated the previously. Unamped being plugged directly into what?
In any case consider yourself lucky as what you can't hear won't hurt your wallet.

But how do I know if I'm getting the full potential out of my headphones?

 

[Aizura]

  But how do I know if I'm getting the full potential out of my headphones?

By buying all the amps on the market, comparing them to each other, and keeping the amp that sounds best to you. Ofcourse, you also have to buy every new amp that's released in the future, because you never know if it might sound better than your current favourite amp. You might also have to buy all discontinued amps on the second hand market to see if any of them are better than current models.
 
Once you found the perfect amp, you have to buy all the available DACs to compare 

 

[Francisk]

It's not even a question of money IMHO. Listening intently trying to hear tiny differences leads to neurosis rather than enjoyment IME. Thanks for the QFT BTW!

Very true indeed krismusic.....many focus more on enjoying good music.....many focus more on enjoying good sound.....many too focus on good sound and good music.....so to each his own.....no arguments then 

 

[krismusic]

No

Very true indeed krismusic.....many focus more on enjoying good music.....many focus more on enjoying good sound.....many too focus on good sound and good music.....so to each his own.....no arguments then 

Not wishing to start an argument but!
It seems to me that there is a myth that the enjoyment of music resides in the last 10% of performance.
I reckon if the 90% is right you are golden. That last 10% is where diminishing returns kick in hard and the snake oil merchants live!