I currently have the Sennheiser HD600's, and I'm wanting to add another set of headphones to my collection (something a bit different).
 
 
A few things to note
 
1.  I'm sensitive to treble and higher frequencies.  I recently auditioned the Grado SR-325E and the Byerdynamic DT 1990 Pro, and found both to be a bit uncomfortable to me ears (with both headphones, my ears were annoyed by snare rim-shots, drum symbols, and sibilance in female vocals).  In contrast, my HD600's sound nice and smooth in the upper registers, as if the hard bright edges have been sanded down.
2.  I listen at relatively low volumes.  I don't ever "crank the tunes"; my ears are too sensitive for this and get fatigued easily.
 
So, I definitely don't want a headphone that's considered "bright", and I want something that's going sound decent on lower volumes (although I understand that volumes need to be at a certain level for ears to accurately hear the bass & treble).
 
 
Options?
 
Fidelio X2:  Apparently these have a wider soundstage and more bass than the HD600?  This is appealing.
 
HiFiMan 400S:  I've read that these are "clearer" sounding than the HD600, which might allow me to hear more details than I do with the HD600?  This is appealing.
 
HD650:  Wider soundstage and more bass than the HD600?  Is there really much of a difference here to justify having these in addition to the HD600?
 
Any other good options that I might be missing?
I listen primarily to rock/pop from the 60's to the present (as opposed to Jazz, Classical, etc).
 
I may start listening to more Jazz & Classical though, so please do provide me options for that as well.
 
Budget would be roughly in line with the HD600/650, X2, HiFiMan 400S (maybe a bit more).
 
Thanks in advance!

My best not HD600 phones are the SRH1540. And for me it's also the best closed headphone I tried (and I tried many ...)
 
no hard bright edges....pairs well with Dragonfly and Mojo. Is great for lower volumes.

crafft said:

  My best not HD600 phones are the SRH1540. And for me it's also the best closed headphone I tried (and I tried many ...)
 
no hard bright edges....pairs well with Dragonfly and Mojo. Is great for lower volumes.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the input.
 
What do the SRH1540 offer that the HD600 don't?

Isolation because of closed can. Very good sound at low volumes.

Why not the 400i? I do not listen to my HD600s much anymore since acquiring the 400i headphones. More open with better tighter bass. Highs are better as well. 600s might have better mid-range though. You missed the holiday sales on the 400i though (~$249).

madmike said:

  Why not the 400i? I do not listen to my HD600s much anymore since acquiring the 400i headphones. More open with better tighter bass. Highs are better as well. 600s might have better mid-range though. You missed the holiday sales on the 400i though (~$249).

Click to expand...

 
Wouldn't the 400i be problematic for me (because of my sensitivity to treble/high frequencies)?  
Wouldn't the 400s be better suited to me?

theeldestboy said:

   
Wouldn't the 400i be problematic for me (because of my sensitivity to treble/high frequencies)?  
Wouldn't the 400s be better suited to me?

Click to expand...

Well, while they extend further than the 600s, the 400i are not harsh sounding at all.

madmike said:

  Well, while they extend further than the 600s, the 400i are not harsh sounding at all.

Click to expand...

Very good. These could indeed be what I'm looking for then.
 
What about the Fidelio X2?  From what I hear they have more bass & a wider soundstage the the HD600.  But what about the treble/high frequencies?  Is the X2 at all harsh sounding?

protegemaniac said:

 

 

Why get something other than the HD600 then? I have the HD600 and the only reasons why I have the ASG-1.3 is because it's an IEM that I can take anywhere (and otherwise it sounds a lot like the HD650) and the Superlux HD330 is on my gaming rig (along with a mic and soundcard).

 

I mean, at the very least, is there something specific about the HD600 that you want to improve on?

 

 

 

If what you find lacking in the HD600 is that it sounds boring at very low volume, well, practically anything will. And if it's because you can't hear enough of the beat - ie, the bass - at that low level, the problem is ambient noise. Just because you can't hear a specific noise source doesn't mean there isn't any - over here at 10pm in my computer room with all windows closed the ambient noise can still hit 26dB to 30dB. That's before I even switch on the PC (which has 3x120mm fans plus the GPU fans, although they're set to the lowest possible speed unless temps hit 55C, and even then, only ramp up gradually) and the A/C. My HD600 system is in another room but if I open the windows the ambient noise is the same as when the A/C is running (except that one's just more distinct and more audible).

 

If you do get anything to add to the HD600, consider a closed headphone or an IEM.

 

 

 

I don't put much stock in the soundstage until I hear them. I read feedback here about one headphone sounding wider and half the time by "wider" they mean the cymbals are way off to the flanks of the soundstage. If you consider the proportions there, that's like having Dr. Octopus' robot arms hitting the cymbals that are physically positioned at the sides of the stage, which, as we know, is impossible because Dr. Octopus doesn't even exist, no matter how much some people insist that other fictional characters do.
 

By contrast a lot of people dislike Crossfeed and they think it makes the image narrower. It does to a point, but a lot of the "narrowing" is due to the cymbals getting pushed to thecenter and backwards. I have that plus the angled Brainwavz HM5 earpads on my HD600 and the cymbals are just in front of my eyes, instead of by my ears or inside my head.

 

 

Or you can sell the HD600 and get the HD650 if you like it better. That said...

 

 

 

...if you think the HD600 needs a little bit more treble but the SR325e and DT1990 are too bright, the HE400S certainly fits somewhere between those, but of course it's not easy to predict where in the middle you'd find these.

 

 

 

Focal Spirit Pro.

Or just use an EQ to trim the upper bass of the HD600 which can help with the balance vs the treble, or cut the peaks at 3500hz and 8500hz and crank it up just a touch louder. All the treble gets louder but you don't get the sharp peaks on the HD600.

Click to expand...

 
Thanks for the detailed reply.  A lot to consider here, for sure.
 
Maybe I should be considering a closed headphone.  Craft suggests this as well:
 
 

crafft said:

  My best not HD600 phones are the SRH1540. And for me it's also the best closed headphone I tried (and I tried many ...)
 
no hard bright edges....pairs well with Dragonfly and Mojo. Is great for lower volumes.

Click to expand...

Have you considered electrostatics ? Koss ESP-950's are great.

Audiozenith pmx2. Pricey but fantastic. Totally neutrally tuned sound that pairs best with a SS Amp.