Jermo K
Sponsor: Sennheiser
We know that it's a bit confusing at first, but for us the sound quality is the determining factor. We're sure it will become familiar fastNice to see Sennheiser coming out with new models but honestly, it looks like it should be in the 500 line, not the 600 line.
For closed headphones, the chassis of the 500 series is a much better fit. It is more lightweight, compact, and has a one-sided cable. The 600 series chassis can be completely assembled by hand, but this is not beneficial if you need to tightly control leakage during assembly. Acoustically, the angled transducers help with the perception of space and reduce the feeling of "closed" sound. The 600 series already sounds intimate, which works fine for open headphones, but it doesn't cut it anymore once you close it up.
We started the project with the ambition to finally build widely acclaimed high-performance closed-back headphones. Of course, we had our market analysis and initial thoughts on where the price would ideally be, but the technical development was completely detached from commercial considerations, and we just shot for the best sound we could achieve. At some point, we were clear that we had surpassed the 500 series for good, and in turn we also upgraded the mechanics with steel sliders and ear cup covers.
I understand that it's easier to get excited over completely new designs. After almost 10 years with the firm, I have gained a lot of respect for the engineers who came before me. The work they have done on the 500, 600, and 800 series is exceptionally refined and in my mind ideal for their specific purposes. I've personally soldered a lot of different transducers into the 500 chassis, and I still believe it holds a lot of potential for extraordinary sound reproduction.
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