[zambz]

Hey guys, I went back to the B&O store today and spent around 30 minutes with both the black and graphite headphones they had on display in the store.
 
I am now almost certain that there is a difference, but it doesn't necessarily favor the graphite version in all regards:
 
Graphite
* More bass (yay)
* Slightly less mids
* Slightly more harsh highs
* A pinch less soundstage
 
One issue that specifically bothers me with the H6s I tried (and I have experienced this in two completely different stores with different demo pairs and related cables) is that the L/R balance is not quite right.  I tested this more thoroughly today using PowerAmp on my phone, whereby I switched the output to Mono and it was clear that audio was slightly shifted to a particular channel.  By comparison, when I got back to the office, I tried my Momentum's again with the same test and they were perfectly centered.
 
I noticed this imbalance while just listening to music whereby it felt as though the drums and bass (which typically are centered) were pushed a little to one side.
 
Has anyone experienced such a problem?
 
One thing's for sure though, the H6s are among the most balanced headphones ever produced in terms of sound.  They really remind me of the AKG sound actually.  Their soundstage is also out of this world, particularly for closed headphones.

 

[raajgunnn]

  It is not possible to make the H6 balanced without rewiring the drivers. The wiring to both sides share the same common ground so you would have to detach the cables in each side to the drivers and recable them inside by simply removing the connection to the cables crossing over the headband. The drivers are easily accessible though and since there is jack-input in each side it should be possible. But it cannot be real balanced without some soldering at the drivers.

So that's not what esteboune meant. Sorry about that! A learning experience for me nonetheless!

 

[raajgunnn]

  Been listening to the H6 through both a Fiio Q1 and a Geek out 1000, across jazz, rock, and some electronic and hip hop. I'm surprised to say this, but the Q1 pairs much better than the H6. With Bass off and Gain to low, the Q1 makes the H6 sound fuller and deeper without coloring the sound or overdoing the bass boost. Listening to some McCoy Tyner right now via Spotify and it really sounds great. 

I finally bit the bullet and got the H6 over the weekend and I've no regrets so far. I'm having similar questions as you did and considering you seem to have made some headway  into finding solutions for them, I thought I'd pester you a little with any progress you've made
 
1) These cans do sound a tad thin straight out of the box. Does burn in help at all?
2) How's the alternative cable experiment coming along? I just ordered a pair of V-moda audio-only cables; have to see if they make a difference.
3) How's the amp/dac pairing going? Looks like you're having a blast with the Fiio Q1

 

[Anwer]

  One issue that specifically bothers me with the H6s I tried (and I have experienced this in two completely different stores with different demo pairs and related cables) is that the L/R balance is not quite right.  I tested this more thoroughly today using PowerAmp on my phone, whereby I switched the output to Mono and it was clear that audio was slightly shifted to a particular channel.  By comparison, when I got back to the office, I tried my Momentum's again with the same test and they were perfectly centered.
 
I noticed this imbalance while just listening to music whereby it felt as though the drums and bass (which typically are centered) were pushed a little to one side.
 
 

 
Have you noticed this L/R unbalance with all the pairs you tested or only some of them ?

 

[iCupboard]

Hello all. I have my Bang and Olufsen H6 for quite some time now. I think around 1 year, almost. But the cable of the headphone seems it is not going to live much longer. I was wondering what are cheap cables, that can be plugged into the H6? I thought I saw a link somewhere, but I can not find it anywhere anymore. 

 

[Dopaminer]

  Hello all. I have my Bang and Olufsen H6 for quite some time now. I think around 1 year, almost. But the cable of the headphone seems it is not going to live much longer. I was wondering what are cheap cables, that can be plugged into the H6? I thought I saw a link somewhere, but I can not find it anywhere anymore. 

 
You have a lot of options and only limited by the diameter of the 3.5 TRS or TRRS plug.  I am using a Furutech ADL aftermarket TRS cable, but I also swapped out the Oppo PM-3 cable and it worked fine in my H6.  Ebay and Amazon will have multiple options . . . .  

 

[zambz]

   
Have you noticed this L/R unbalance with all the pairs you tested or only some of them ?

 
I noticed it on both pairs I tried today and one pair I tried at another store another day.  One pair today was more to the left and one was more towards the right.
 
When I got home, I tried the same test with my SRH-840s and actually found a similar behaviour.  I'm sure it's not my ears because I flip the headphones around and hear more loudness in the opposite ear.  Perhaps it's just tolerance, but to me it's quite noticeable.  Can you notice any such problem with your H6s?

 

[Anwer]

   
Can you notice any such problem with your H6s?

 
I purchased the H6 (Graphite blush edition) last year (around November) and for almost a year, I didn't notice any unbalance issue. But for the last couple of months, I have noticed that the left channel is less prominent compared to the right one. I think I began noticing this because I got used to doing critical listening.
 
At first, I didn't try any other headphones to confirm if the issue was related to the H6 or to my own left ear Then I tried other headphones and I flipped the H6 when wearing it, both tests confirmed the prominence issue on the left earcup.

 

[iCupboard]

I was wondering if anyone has tried the V-moda Boompro mic cable on this H6? It looks quite nice, and I am in need of a new microphone anyway. 

 

[nk126]

  I finally bit the bullet and got the H6 over the weekend and I've no regrets so far. I'm having similar questions as you did and considering you seem to have made some headway  into finding solutions for them, I thought I'd pester you a little with any progress you've made
 
1) These cans do sound a tad thin straight out of the box. Does burn in help at all?
2) How's the alternative cable experiment coming along? I just ordered a pair of V-moda audio-only cables; have to see if they make a difference.
3) How's the amp/dac pairing going? Looks like you're having a blast with the Fiio Q1

1) Yes. 
2) Haven't actually tried any others yet
3) Q1 is working nicely, yes! I don't have a ton of other experience to compare to, and I'm guessing that (many?) better options are out there. But the Q1 is working pretty nicely.
E10K also worked nicely, but lacks Q1's 3.5mm input for amp-only use, which I like for use with my iPad at home.
Also tried a GeekOut 1000 which was a BAD pairing. 

 

[raajgunnn]

 
1) Yes. 
2) Haven't actually tried any others yet
3) Q1 is working nicely, yes! I don't have a ton of other experience to compare to, and I'm guessing that (many?) better options are out there. But the Q1 is working pretty nicely.
E10K also worked nicely, but lacks Q1's 3.5mm input for amp-only use, which I like for use with my iPad at home.
Also tried a GeekOut 1000 which was a BAD pairing. 

Cool. I like that the Q1 is an amp and DAC. The sound card on my current laptop (hp sectre) is ****. Thanks for replying. I'll keep you posted on my V-moda cable experiment and if it helped/ is any better than the stock B&O cable.

 

[raajgunnn]

  Hey guys, I went back to the B&O store today and spent around 30 minutes with both the black and graphite headphones they had on display in the store.
 
I am now almost certain that there is a difference, but it doesn't necessarily favor the graphite version in all regards:
 
Graphite
* More bass (yay)
* Slightly less mids
* Slightly more harsh highs
* A pinch less soundstage
 
One issue that specifically bothers me with the H6s I tried (and I have experienced this in two completely different stores with different demo pairs and related cables) is that the L/R balance is not quite right.  I tested this more thoroughly today using PowerAmp on my phone, whereby I switched the output to Mono and it was clear that audio was slightly shifted to a particular channel.  By comparison, when I got back to the office, I tried my Momentum's again with the same test and they were perfectly centered.
 
I noticed this imbalance while just listening to music whereby it felt as though the drums and bass (which typically are centered) were pushed a little to one side.
 
Has anyone experienced such a problem?
 
One thing's for sure though, the H6s are among the most balanced headphones ever produced in terms of sound.  They really remind me of the AKG sound actually.  Their soundstage is also out of this world, particularly for closed headphones

I recently bought the H6 Gray Hazel, which like the graphite is a special edition in the States. The cans on display were the black ones and sounded fuller, with more bass than the new ones I got. The sales guy told me to burn them in as they sound fuller on further use. Based on my experience and others', it seems like atleast in the States the special editions and the regular H6s are tuned the same.

 

[zambz]

Hey friends, I spent a good hour listening to the Bower & Wilkins P7 today at an Apple Store and can tell you that it is far closer to the sound signature of my Momentum 2.0s.  It is a very warm sound with pulled back treble.  But unlike the Momentum 2.0s, the upper mids were smoother, soundstage was wider and the highs seemed better extended, even though they were pulled back.
 
Overall, I really liked them, but although they have more prominent bass than the H6s, they don't have the same sparkle or silky smooth mids of the H6s.  I listened to the H6 again today also and once again was blown away by the clarity and mids which just are to die for.  Their soundstage is about the same width as the P7s.

 

[zambz]

Hello friends, today I spent a few hours at Addicted to Audio in Melbourne.  Such an awesome place
 
So I tried almost all the headphones that were on my list, and here are my thoughts on each:
 
Focal Sprit Pros: These sounded excellent, but the comfort is terrible!  They hurt my head within 5 mins due to the small ear cups (ears won't fit in) and the tight clamping force.  These are moderately laid back in sound when you consider they are reference headphones, I think the Classics would be way too warm for me.
 
Ultrasone 840: Don't get me started on these ... these sound absolutely TERRIBLE!!! There's nothing at all natural about their sound, I have nothing good to say about their sound at all.
 
Audio Technica MSR7: A rather harsh and lower piercing treble.  Doesn't extend down into the lower bass octave like the Momentums or H6s do.  Comfort was great though.
 
NAD VISO HP50: Don't like their build quality or appearance at all. Their comfort is 50 / 50 for bigger ears, the cups are tall but not very wide. These are more rolled off in the treble than the Momentums (i.e. very rolled off), have a little more lower mids which makes them sound a bit more boxy
 
Sennheiser HD600: Really lovely sound, highs are not rolled off (yay), mids are more forward than the H6s but there's little sub bass presence.  They do share a few things with the Momentum in terms of sound, with less sub bass and clearer highs.  I think I may buy a pair of these some day.
 
Bang & Olufsen H6: Comfort is awesome, these do lack a pinch of mid bass but overall, they are still my favourite, however, yet again, i notice that the balance of the headphones is off (shifted to the right) on the demo pair.  Imaging is BETTER than the HD600!!  I just enjoy music when I use these.
 
AKG K550: Really comfortable, I love their style.  Their sound is actually quite good but really REALLY lacks bass, even for non-EDM genres, it's really not enough to give you any sort of warmth, these are much colder sounding than the Momentums or the H6s
 
Grado RS-1: Thought I'd try these for the hell of it. These are supremely uncomfortable, the hard part of the driver touches your ears, and to be honest, they also sound terrible!!!
 
So guess what I bought?  The H6s baby, and luckily for me, it seems the pair I got are mostly balanced (left and right) and have the newer bassier driver.
 
I'm absolutely 100% convinced  that there was a change in the driver as both the demo model and the one I bought is very recent stock (last few months).
 
The imaging on these headphones is the best I have ever heard in a closed can and beats many open headphones.  It's freakishly wide.  The bass extends very deep and still has punch for EDM, the mids a pinch recessed but vocals are still upfront and clear, upper mids and lower treble are very smooth which is not common and treble is silky smooth which also is not common in almost all closed headphones I tried.
 
One thing I'm not impressed with is the quality of the controls on the cable.  They feel cheap and are not textured.  The Momentum 2 remote is far better imho.
 
I'm extremely happy with these headphones and think they are the best closed portable headphones on the market.
 
P.S.: I think the Momentum 2.0 over ears are my 2nd favourite.  They are still worth checking out if you don't mind the rolled off treble (whih all other headphones I tried also had).  I think it's overall a better package when you take into account the price and case, but the sound and comfort on the H6s is better for me.

 

[Dopaminer]

Congrats - you definitely made the right choice.  I keep putting mine up against more expensive closed headphones and it keeps demolishing them.  The Audeze EL-8 closed was not remotely close, and is stupidly heavy.  The Oppo PM-3 is lighter with a nice fit but the sound was disappointing in general and no match at all for the H6.  The only closed phones I have tried which compare on sound are the Beyer/AK AKT5p, which is very large, does not fold and does not have a removable cable; and the Beyer 1770pro which is also very large and also does not fold.  And while I would describe both as excellent, neither of them inspire me to replace my H6.  
 
The H6 really is a bizarrely good closed headphone.   
 
I haven`t had any imbalance issues with either of the H6 I`ve owned, btw . . .