Got my rp-htf600 today.  Burned in for only 20 minutes now.  Sounds better to me on A/B comparison with my koss ksc-75, cleaner, better bass extension and texture, midrange sounds more full and smooth.  Ksc-75 definitely wins in comfort for me and is more airy being a fully open design.
 
These are actually my first over ear headphones and don't know how long I can last with the comfort.  My ears are heating up and headband is digging into my head right away.  I think the 600's will be my go to music headphones, but I may need a comfier HP for gaming.  Or maybe I'll just get used to it.
 
 

So I've had my htf-600's for a few days now.
 
WARNING! - First review
 
Originally, I purchased the Beats by Dre Pro headphones (steep discount from employee). Needless to say, the Beats Pro have really thumping bass. However, the mids in the Pros felt lacking, and when turned up (un amped) I feel like the Pros have some distortion to them.
 
In comparison, my 600's felt a little dull at first. Nice sound stage, and great quality. After a few hours of usage, the bass came out to talk for a bit (so to speak). I then threw my Fiio E6 amp on them....Holy Hell.
 
It's like listening to 2 different headphones. The bass hits hard (shakes the cans) and it's very satisfying (fun sound). Sound quality (imo) is better than the Pro's. Thanks for getting me to notice these! Great deal for quality headphones.
 
 
My one gripe, is sound leakage! The Pro's could be cranked up 100% and no one within a foot of me would hear them, however these 600's seem to be heard across a room at ~60-75% volume. Would anyone suggest changing these pads to the M50 pads? Would that help any with the seal? Is it more comfortable?

The problem isn't really the seal: the back of the cans are vented, letting sound leak out.  You could try modding them to see if you can block the vents.  

Quote:

bblord said:

The problem isn't really the seal: the back of the cans are vented, letting sound leak out.  You could try modding them to see if you can block the vents.  

Click to expand...

Thanks for clarifying. I guess that is something I can come to terms with. Still curious of other pads and their comfort though. =)
 
 

Malveux did a review on using velour pads 1-2 pages back.  Looks like he's enjoying those.  Might want to check those out.

Big thanks to Dsnuts for introducing these and Malveaux for the in-depth review.
 
I'm starting to like these more and more.

Imaging and detail seems lot better than ksc-75, highs less harsh.  This is great.

Glad you guys are enjoying them and ultimately that is what this is all about.. In fact you all have to consider how much these set you  back.. If you guys truly put things in perspective.. These are mind blowing!
 
@Hitorii  now you know why the Beats are considered one of the most over priced cans for the money. If this $30 can can give you a better over all sound vs a can that cost $400.. What can you say about that. You should let Malveaux borrow those..PM him as he is curious to know how those sound..
 
Let me tell you guys the reason why Malveaux wants to try out a Beats pro.. Was indeed for his own education on the product but more so how it compares to these lowly Panasonics. I think Hitorii actually answered that already..
 
@jm78  I think the coolest thing about finding a can like this Panasonic is it makes you realize that you don't need to spend a grip of cash to find a great sounding can.. It is one thing to spend $200 on a headphone and get great mileage and satisfaction out of them. It is another when you spend $30 and get even more satisfaction and these are it..I have yet to find a better bang per dollar on a headphone.. An added perk to the cost. These are so cheap it is an easy gift and recommend to others.. We can tell about how they sound so others can discover these and enjoy them as well.. And head fi is the perfect place for this discovery.  You guys are all a part of what is happening..  Maybe history as the best bang per buck headphone on the planet?  Could be.

I don't think I am going to be able to resist these cans much longer.  Sounds like it would be a good set for my home listening situation since I rent and have a room mate.  I need a set that is "capable" at music, movies, and games.  I am probably going to pic up the monoprice cans to keep in my bag and at work since they are smaller and have a true closed design and should be less disturbing to people around me.  Thanks for the good budget-fi options guys, its good to that "common folk" like me have enjoyable options too.

Quote:

jm78 said:

Give us some thoughts if you can.  I'm thinking about picking up the 890 as well.
 

Click to expand...

[size=x-small]Well I've got about 12 hours burn in on the RP-HTF890E-S now so I thought I'd share a few early thoughts. The only problem here is that my reference points are quite low, Shure E4, Koss Porta Pro, Xears. However, I do have Monitor Audio Radius 270's on my home theater system (be gentle) and I had an audiology test last year, so I know my hearing is good [/size]
 
[size=x-small]Sources so far have been a PS3 / WDTVLiveHub feeding my Onkyo 806 AV receiver for Black OPS and Bluray and my portable Samsung R1 playing a mixture of FLAC, CD and 320k MP3.[/size]
[size=x-small]　[/size]
[size=x-small]Build quality[/size]
[size=x-small]Seems good for now but only time will tell. The cord is braided and feels heavy duty. Cups are plastic but seem sturdy.[/size]
[size=x-small]　[/size]
[size=x-small]Sound[/size]
[size=x-small]Early thoughts are that the mids are forward which is fine as I really wanted these for FPS gaming and watching movies. I am also pleasantly surprised by the bass which was something I was concerned about with them being an open design. I did crank up the volume on the amp for some trance, dance, D&B and dub step tunes and these headphones delivered some good bass. They also had no trouble keeping up with anything I threw at them. I'll try and carry out some low level tests over the weekend to see how low these go without issue.[/size]
 
[size=x-small]I consider the R1 to be a warmish portable source and it appears to be a really good match to these Panasonics. I've listened to a wide range of music from Rebecca Pidgeon to Therapy with lots of dance, trance and everything I've put through them has sounded great. There has been lots of detail without sounding overly clinical and the R1 has driven the 50ohm headphones well.[/size]
 
[size=x-small]Gaming - Black OPS - whilst the positional element can not compete with a full home theater setup I was able to pinpoint the direction of gunfire and other sounds correctly. In fact I managed to score what I think was my second highest ever score in one round, so they must be doing something right. If I'm honest, mortar explosions weren't as heavy sounding as I was expecting (not a problem when playing multiplayer online) but I will investigate whether a little tweaking will improve them. More time is needed to really test the accuracy inc footsteps etc but initial impressions are good.[/size]
 
[size=x-small]Movies - Watched the first 30 minutes of Terminator Salvation which is not a film that I'm familiar with. The reasoning was that I wanted to see whether I could just watch a movie without over analyzing the sound. I can safely say that I was more than happy sitting back with the headphones on. The dialogue was very clear and all other sounds seemed well presented. Wearing the headphones really didn't detract from my viewing and listening pleasure at all. Do consider that I only ever normally watch through my surround setup. I'll try them again over the weekend with some films that I know but for now I am more than happy.[/size]
[size=x-small]　[/size]
[size=x-small]Comfort[/size]
[size=x-small]These are some seriously comfy headphones. I had them on for 3 hours last night and would have forgotten I was wearing them if I wasn't actually trying to test them out. My ears never felt hot of uncomfortable during this time and I guess the open design along with the cloth pads is the reason why. The design is such that they don't clamp your head hard at all. Rather they just rest gently on top of your head and envelop your ears at the sides.[/size]
[size=x-small]　[/size]
[size=x-small]Overall[/size]
[size=x-small]So far I am very impressed with both the sound and comfort of these headphones. I was considering getting the 600s delivered as well but I'm not sure now as the HTF890 really are giving me everything I need.[/size]
 
[size=x-small]Dom[/size]

Well.. I have to say that I'm afraid to get the velour pads for this...
I'm listening to them more and more and... the 940s are sitting there looking at me
telling me: "wear me dammit!!!" If I buy the new pads... I don't even want to say it...
 
I still need to compare directly with the cans at home, but it seems that I might be
selling a couple soon...

It doesn't look like the Panasonics will overtake XB500's fav spot for me. The Panasonics sound a little less dynamic and therefore is a bit less engaging to listen to IMO. The mids could be a bit more forward/in-your-face sounding IMO, it doesn't respond well to EQing either like XB500 does. Also I would optimally want a little more isolation, it doesn't seem to isolate barely anything, XB500 does at least a noticable amount (I'm guessing due to the soft pads).

Quote:

idvsego said:

I don't think I am going to be able to resist these cans much longer.  Sounds like it would be a good set for my home listening situation since I rent and have a room mate.  I need a set that is "capable" at music, movies, and games.  I am probably going to pic up the monoprice cans to keep in my bag and at work since they are smaller and have a true closed design and should be less disturbing to people around me.  Thanks for the good budget-fi options guys, its good to that "common folk" like me have enjoyable options too.

Click to expand...

That is a great 1, 2 punch..Oone for home and one on the go.. glad to hear your getting them. Chime in on the thread once you get them. You room mates will be jealous. Lol!! both for $50 What not to like!
 


Quote:

doma said:

Quote:

[size=x-small]Well I've got about 12 hours burn in on the RP-HTF890E-S now so I thought I'd share a few early thoughts. The only problem here is that my reference points are quite low, Shure E4, Koss Porta Pro, Xears. However, I do have Monitor Audio Radius 270's on my home theater system (be gentle) and I had an audiology test last year, so I know my hearing is good [/size]
 
[size=x-small]Sources so far have been a PS3 / WDTVLiveHub feeding my Onkyo 806 AV receiver for Black OPS and Bluray and my portable Samsung R1 playing a mixture of FLAC, CD and 320k MP3.[/size]
[size=x-small]　[/size]
[size=x-small]Build quality[/size]
[size=x-small]Seems good for now but only time will tell. The cord is braided and feels heavy duty. Cups are plastic but seem sturdy.[/size]
[size=x-small]　[/size]
[size=x-small]Sound[/size]
[size=x-small]Early thoughts are that the mids are forward which is fine as I really wanted these for FPS gaming and watching movies. I am also pleasantly surprised by the bass which was something I was concerned about with them being an open design. I did crank up the volume on the amp for some trance, dance, D&B and dub step tunes and these headphones delivered some good bass. They also had no trouble keeping up with anything I threw at them. I'll try and carry out some low level tests over the weekend to see how low these go without issue.[/size]
 
[size=x-small]I consider the R1 to be a warmish portable source and it appears to be a really good match to these Panasonics. I've listened to a wide range of music from Rebecca Pidgeon to Therapy with lots of dance, trance and everything I've put through them has sounded great. There has been lots of detail without sounding overly clinical and the R1 has driven the 50ohm headphones well.[/size]
 
[size=x-small]Gaming - Black OPS - whilst the positional element can not compete with a full home theater setup I was able to pinpoint the direction of gunfire and other sounds correctly. In fact I managed to score what I think was my second highest ever score in one round, so they must be doing something right. If I'm honest, mortar explosions weren't as heavy sounding as I was expecting (not a problem when playing multiplayer online) but I will investigate whether a little tweaking will improve them. More time is needed to really test the accuracy inc footsteps etc but initial impressions are good.[/size]
 
[size=x-small]Movies - Watched the first 30 minutes of Terminator Salvation which is not a film that I'm familiar with. The reasoning was that I wanted to see whether I could just watch a movie without over analyzing the sound. I can safely say that I was more than happy sitting back with the headphones on. The dialogue was very clear and all other sounds seemed well presented. Wearing the headphones really didn't detract from my viewing and listening pleasure at all. Do consider that I only ever normally watch through my surround setup. I'll try them again over the weekend with some films that I know but for now I am more than happy.[/size]
[size=x-small]　[/size]
[size=x-small]Comfort[/size]
[size=x-small]These are some seriously comfy headphones. I had them on for 3 hours last night and would have forgotten I was wearing them if I wasn't actually trying to test them out. My ears never felt hot of uncomfortable during this time and I guess the open design along with the cloth pads is the reason why. The design is such that they don't clamp your head hard at all. Rather they just rest gently on top of your head and envelop your ears at the sides.[/size]
[size=x-small]　[/size]
[size=x-small]Overall[/size]
[size=x-small]So far I am very impressed with both the sound and comfort of these headphones. I was considering getting the 600s delivered as well but I'm not sure now as the HTF890 really are giving me everything I need.[/size]
 
[size=x-small]Dom[/size]

Click to expand...

 
 
Great impressions.. Ya I enjoy gaming and movies on these as well and music don't suck like I was saying.. See what I tell you.. hahaha.  Open cans with nice wide stage. Nice even neutrality with good bass presence for open cans. Hmm that sounds just like my PR-HT770s.. Throw us some pics cus these phones be very nice looking IMO.  Again better than the AD700 for half the price..
 
Quote:

gelocks said:

Well.. I have to say that I'm afraid to get the velour pads for this...
I'm listening to them more and more and... the 940s are sitting there looking at me
telling me: "wear me dammit!!!" If I buy the new pads... I don't even want to say it...
 
I still need to compare directly with the cans at home, but it seems that I might be
selling a couple soon...

Click to expand...

I will chime in once I get my velours..It is astounding how these grow on you aren't they?  I think over everything else they show me just how much my other analytical cans are lacking. Analytical is so over rated.. I need my BASS!

I often wish some1 else could listen to my XB500 setup here at my place to get some kind of confirm about it's not just me that think it sounds ridiculously great for the price or that isn't just my personal taste etc that's liking that sound so much etc. Perhaps I got an usually great sample or something or there's just excellent synergy with the source and amp and settings etc... It really bothers me, I NEED some1's else opinion badly but don't know of any headphone enthusiasts nearby either. 
 
But I will give the Panasonics a bit more time since I've started to notice a little more forward mids. But so far XB500 has a better ability to bring both strong skull shattering bass as well clear in-your-face mids at the same time... Panasonics depending on EQ/ZO setting seems to great at doing one thing but not both things, it's hard to get the mids lifted up from the strong bass response so that both would come through nicely.

Quote:

rpgwizard said:

I often wish some1 else could listen to my XB500 setup here at my place to get some kind of confirm about it's not just me that think it sounds ridiculously great for the price or that isn't just my personal taste etc that's liking that sound so much etc. Perhaps I got an usually great sample or something or there's just excellent synergy with the source and amp and settings etc... It really bothers me, I NEED some1's else opinion badly but don't know of any headphone enthusiasts nearby either. 
 
But I will give the Panasonics a bit more time since I've started to notice a little more forward mids. But so far XB500 has a better ability to bring both strong skull shattering bass as well clear in-your-face mids at the same time... Panasonics depending on EQ/ZO setting seems to great at doing one thing but not both things, it's hard to get the mids lifted up from the strong bass response so that both would come through nicely.

Click to expand...

I think it is your personal taste that makes you love your xb500 so much. I bought it based on your impressions and praises for it in the xb700 threads. I did a 100 hour burn in, tried it with different amps from lots of friends and my own, used all your EQ settings, and still I couldn't find it enjoyable enough. I kept the xb700 for its ocean type bass and crisp highs....not a perfect can either but wonderful to just jump around dancing every once in a while.
 
I would love to get these pannies but just for the fun of having some great sounding cheap cans with good bass, and a different sound signature. I love to have different sounding cans.
 
You should be happy that you found audio bliss in such an inexpensive and popular can like the xb500's are.