Thanks for the replies, Brooko! It was your review, by the way, that got me really interested in trying the HD600 after having previously owned the SR225i, HD555, SRH940, DT990 Premium, Q701, DT880 Pro and DT860. It's just so even-handed and yet entertaining. The HD600 is my favorite by far and what I envisioned my end-game headphones would sound like.
 
That said, I still want to find a way to try out the T1 you touted. Sweetwater, the store in Indiana I had drove three hours from Michigan to visit, doesn't carry the Tesla line. The closest place I know of is BH Photo Video in the Big Apple. This next summer, I may take a trip to sightsee in NYC and try the T1 and a few planars, including the HE560, that seems to also be getting a lot of praise here lately.

head1 said:

  I think Sennheiser should make all the revisions publicly known and named. If you're buying second hand you can't be sure which version you have. If you're reading comments from previous years they could well be irrelevant to the current production.

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We could start a thread with serial numbers and quick impressions. People who regularly lurk the sales and trade subforum would appreciate it at the very least. I don't have my HD600 with me since I am back at college and it's packed away for Christmas at home. But I wouldn't mind contributing with my own unit.

k.t. said:

   
It's kind of mysterious. I have an old pair of HD600 back from the late 90's/early 00's. Near when they first came out.
 
Compared to a new pair of HD650s I got several months ago, the old HD600 is less lucid and more opaque . It sounds a bit thick, and not in a positive way comparatively. The newer HD650 sound so much more transparent.
 
Of course, who knows how many changes Sennheiser has made over the years? I suspect that even among black screened versions, there is probably a wide range of variation in how they sound. Just guessing, but I wouldn't be surprised.
 
I do have a new pair of HD600 coming. I'm very curious to compare those to my old HD600, and then my new HD650.
 
So far, though, I'm enjoying my new HD650 more than my old HD600.

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Tyll's review on Innerfidelity notes there are early, mid and current models of the HD600. Taking this into account, there are at least two revisions of the black-screened HD600. You might have the first version Tyll is talking about.
 

CONCLUSION
I came into this exercise thinking that (like last time) I was going to conclude that the HD600 was the better headphone for me, and that the HD650 was too coloured.  Tonight I’ll be packing both headphones for their trip to Auckland – but with a totally different mind-set.
 
I’m not sure if Sennheiser has changed the drivers slightly, or maybe my ears/listening preferences have changed – but I could live with either of these headphones with no problems.  Both have wonderful build, modularity, comfort, versatility – but more importantly sonically they are both “sonic diamonds” for the price.
 
The HD650 is very slightly darker – and although I know the graphs show more bass, it’s not as easily noticeable as the upper-mid / lower-treble differences. The HD600 does appear slightly brighter / airier, and whilst this can definitely help darker recordings, I can’t help admiring the additional contrast the HD650 brings to some tracks when the recording is more neutral or slightly on the bright side.
 
The other thing that has surprised me is how well the HD650 presents the upper end of the frequency.  Cymbals have great detail, guitars still have crunch.  It’s not what I was expecting at all.
 
Will I now sell my HD600 and buy and HD650 – no, I still love the HD600 and when I want a break from the T1 it’s the perfect partner.  Will I now buy an HD650 to compliment the HD600?  No – the differences are too subtle, and both are massively similar than they are different.  But if my HD600s ever fail, and I need to replace them, would I consider the HD650?  Yes – definitely.  If they were priced competitively I would have no qualms switching.
 
As a final note – I’d like to thank my friend Rizki for the loan – and hope he also enjoys his time with my HD600s.  One of these days I’ll persuade him to part with this HD800s for 7-10 days, and then I’ll have a chance to write a T1 vs HD800 comparison.  I can dream …….
 
Thanks for taking the journey with me – I sit now editing it with the HD650’s on my head, Julia & Angus Stone queued, and a smile on my face.

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Firstly, I'd like to apologize if this is considered bringing a thread back from the dead, but I really wanted to get your take on this.
Thank you for such a lovely review, especially for more of a newbie like myself.
I'm looking to acquire a new pair of headphones. My main doubts have been between the HD 598, HD 600 and HD 650. I know your review only talk about the latter two. Your conclusion leaves me thinking I should get the 650s because where I live they are only 20$ more expensive than the 600s. What would you do? I listen to a very broad range of music genres (the only one I don't really like is heavy metal). I play some games too, but I'm mainly interested in having the best musical experience possible. I understand that most of the time this comes down to personal preference, but I'd like your input.
 
This would be my first pair of serious headphones, but I think they are well overdue as I had the opportunity to try out some HD 598s and they really made me realize the garbage I had been listening to. I imagine with an amp, it would have even been better. If you don't mind, what extra equipment would you recommend to really drive the headphones? Considering they headphones themselves are already quite pricey, I really don't want to expend any more than 130$ on extra equipment (amps, DACs etc). I don't care much for portability, this would be mainly for staying at home and listening. When stating equipment if you could give me the full names with the make and model because I'm quite unfamiliar with most of them.
 
Thank you for any help you can provide.
 
Happy New Year!

No need for apology - it was only posted a couple of months ago, and the last post before yours was 3 weeks ago - so hardly a necro post  .
 
Whilst I haven't spent a lot of time with the HD598 (only a few hours), I'd suggest that the HD600 and HD650 are both a step up in terms of refinement.  The HD598 had a larger sound stage than both - but the trade-off (to me anyway) was that the HD598 had some grain in the upper registers.
 
The HD600 vs HD650 question really comes down to preference - and I pretty much covered that in the review.  If you like a slightly brighter overall sound - the HD600. I honestly don't know what I would buy if I had the choice again. The two seemed a lot closer than different when I compared both pairs side-by-side.
 
Neither is overly difficult to drive - but both seem to improve (transparency) with the more power you give them.  Both have an impedance hump at around 100 hz, so to get the bass sounding 100% correct, you're actually needing enough voltage to drive an ~500 ohm load rather than the stated 300 ohm impedance. To do that, you actually need more voltage than current - so that's why a  lot of owners quite like a tube set-up (I know I do).  A good SS amp will swing enough voltage and current though.
 
From some of your previous posts I note you are also a gamer - so it will also depend on your needs/wants there.  Here are some options to consider.
 

• Sticking to your stated budget - I don't have much experience with amps in the sub $150 price range - so this is a suggestion to do some research rather than a recommendation.  The Fiio E10K.  I can't provide a link to a retailer as you don't provide your location in your profile.  I haven't heard the E10K, but the reviews are good, and Fiio gear is usually very good bang for buck. Here is an amazon link - http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2.  At $75 USD, it would be a good start if you are really budget limited.
   
• Another thought - assuming you are buying the HD600/650 new, why not keep an eye on the forums here for a used pair? Most Head-fiers treat their gear really well - just look for someone with good feedback.  That should free some cash for the dac/amp.
   
• If you FPS game and  are looking for directional accuracy, you'll probably either want to use your mobo's onboard dsp (if it has the capability) or a dedicated card.  From there - it is a question of if your onboard/card can drive the HD600 - and if not, then you'll want to send a digital signal (capable of including the dsp) through to another amp or amp/dac.

 
I can only really tell you about my set-up.  Here is what I do.
 
I have a Titanium SB X-Fi card - just for the DSP (http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/soundcards/2010/04/08/sub-100-gaming-sound-card-reviews/4).  From there I feed a digital signal via toslink (optical) to my main dac/amp - the Audio-gd NFB-12.  The NFB-12 has a good dac, and powerful amp.  More importantly (for me) it has good input and output capability - taking USB, optical or coax, and has the ability to output from the headphone port, or from the rear RCA - so that you can add a secondary amp (my Little Dot MKIV) or to either powered or (depending on requirements) passive desktop speakers).
 
When I listen to music - I bypass the DSP altogether.  When I game, I include it.
 
The equivalent to the NFB-12 is now the NFB-15 (http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB1532/NFB15.32EN.htm)
 
For the $$$, I would recommend the NFB-15 without question.  It is powerful, has a good dac, plenty of options for input and output.
 
So in answer to your original question ...... on your stated budget, check out the E10K (but you will probably want to upgrade sooner than later), OR buy the Senns used and with money saved, look into the NFB-15.  I've had mine for 4 years now and still not looking to upgrade.
 
Other gear to consider (I haven't heard it) = O2/ODAC or the new Magni/Modi combo.

Awesome write-up...
 
Curious how well "aged" are the earpad cushions?  The ones on the right look like they are worn flatter than the ones on the left.  How much does this affect the sound?  thanks in advance.
 

Hi Kramer - unfortunately I don't have the HD650 to compare anymore - but there are two photos in the review which probably show a good comparison:
 

 
The HD650 (which were newer) look to have a little more body overall - but I definitely wouldn't call the HD600 pads overly worn.  At rest - they are still a good 2cm of pad above the plastic of the cup (I just measured them) and they are more plump than flat.
 
The slight difference would have bought the HD600 drivers slightly closer to my ears in the comparison though - so that may have had some influence on the bass being a lot closer between the two than I expected. 

......

Sardinemaster,

If you are set on either the 598, 600, or 650, and are looking to get only one from that list, I suggest you drop the 598 from consideration.

While it is a fine sounding headphone and can sometimes be found for a good price, I find the SQ to be quite a step down from the 600 and 650.

When I got my 598, I was quite excited. But after spending some time with them, I found they were not as refined or nuanced as my 600s, and later, my 650s. I stopped using them altogether after a few weeks, that's how superior the 600/650 were.

Between the 600 and 650, however, I think it's one of those things you'll never be sure about until you hear them both.

That's what drives this hobby, isn't it? The prospect of the next thing sounding even better than what we're already enjoying!

k.t. said:

Sardinemaster,

If you are set on either the 598, 600, or 650, and are looking to get only one from that list, I suggest you drop the 598 from consideration.

While it is a fine sounding headphone and can sometimes be found for a good price, I find the SQ to be quite a step down from the 600 and 650.

When I got my 598, I was quite excited. But after spending some time with them, I found they were not as refined or nuanced as my 600s, and later, my 650s. I stopped using them altogether after a few weeks, that's how superior the 600/650 were.

Between the 600 and 650, however, I think it's one of those things you'll never be sure about until you hear them both.

That's what drives this hobby, isn't it? The prospect of the next thing sounding even better than what we're already enjoying!

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Thanks!
I have indeed forgotten about the 598, as most people have more or less said the same as you.
I think I'll most likely start with the 600 and maybe later leap towards another headphone!
 
Kind regards.

Just did an A/B testing of these two today at the store (thus, not a full investigation like OP), just came by to say that the review is certainly thorough and matches with my limited experience with them. All it boils down to is preference in sound signature!
 
I personally prefer the sound signature of the HD600 due to the "cleaner" sound it produces, but I also feel that the HD650 offers a more relaxed listening experience. Very much more on the fence about these two than prior to trying them out! I'm starting to think that the HD600 only performed better technically because I had so little time with them and had to do critical listening. The question is, how much of my daily listening is "critical"?  

selfdestruct said:

  Just did an A/B testing of these two today at the store (thus, not a full investigation like OP), just came by to say that the review is certainly thorough and matches with my limited experience with them. All it boils down to is preference in sound signature!
 
I personally prefer the sound signature of the HD600 due to the "cleaner" sound it produces, but I also feel that the HD650 offers a more relaxed listening experience. Very much more on the fence about these two than prior to trying them out! I'm starting to think that the HD600 only performed better technically because I had so little time with them and had to do critical listening. The question is, how much of my daily listening is "critical"?  

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The 600's can also be had for less money, which makes them that much more attractive if you're on the fence between the two.

Absolutely. Just trying to minimise buyer's remorse here! 

Thanks for sharing, your comparison is gorgeous

Like may here, I also have a hard time choosing between the 600 and the 650... I only had a limited time during the audition to decide which I wanted... My initial impressions are the 600 sounded more clearly with pronounced clarity in the vocals area... The 650 on the other hand, had amazing bass, not that the 600 is lacking... And the 650's high end is kind of smoother, but overall sounded a bit dull(veiled?) compared to the 600... So got the 600...
 
When I'm home, I used it with a macbook->modi->vali->HD600 for a while(9 months) happy with the way is sounds, then got a Valhalla 2 when it came out... With the stock tubes, it was great for me, much more airy, detail, bass impact and slam out of these seemingly neutral phones... Unfortunately, the replacement tubes I ordered from a fellow here got lost in the mail, oh well... Guess will have to stick with stock for a while.... Listening to Norah Jones with these just gives me a high like you are in there with the music, lovely voice...
 
Then had a chance to try again the 650, well as I recalled it sounded dull during audition, and it sounded the same, but it was with a solid state amp which I forgot the make and model... The 600 did not sound that great when I auditioned it with the same equipment at the shop... Anyways, made an impulse buy and brought out the 650 with me...
 
After plugging it in the Val2, I just went wow! The veil, dullness went away, the upper end seemed to open up and sparkle, smooth kind of sparkle, not harsh or etchy... With a low end to boot too. It became my fun headphones... A headphones where you can enjoy music, whatever music it is thrown, it just listening a pleasure... From the vali, the sound is still good, just a little less oomph in the low end and a little less sparkle up high, but nonetheless better than the solid state unit at the shop... If you hold a gun to my head and make me choose only one, I will really have a hard time... But to objectively choose one, the 600 is the better value... And it is just amazing with vocals, female vocals sounds so sweet out of these phones... But I'm keeping both, I just choose between them depending on my mood... I can just imagine, with the right tubes, these phones will sound even more amazing... For the prices they are going for now, I can say they are great value for money.