[Bonny]

Hey guys, great to be back after almost 8 years.

What headphones have the closest frequency response to the Sennheiser HD600, while still being closed back?

I've had the Sennheiser HD600 on my head for so many years and they're absolutely unbeatable to me. I'm on the lookout for a closed-back alternative for recording purposes, because of lack of isolation on the open back HD600.

I also own the HD555, which sound I'm also okay with despite their minor differences.

I've owned the Grado SR60 in the past which was a very painfully shrill listening experience, and have also experienced the average run of the mill bass heavy headphones which are also very fatiguing. So the mission statement is a very neutral, flat, balanced, accurate pair.

Thanks for your help, bros.

Sennheiser HD600 Graph by DIY-Audio-Heaven

 

[IDrinkLava]

Beyerdynamic DT250 with the channel imbalance fix or KRK KNS 6400/6402 with a -6.5dB reduction at 200Hz (Q 0.91) and a -2.5dB reduction at 600Hz (Q 4.0).

 

[Bonny]

Beyerdynamic DT250 with the channel imbalance fix or KRK KNS 6400/6402 with a -6.5dB reduction at 200Hz (Q 0.91) and a -2.5dB reduction at 600Hz (Q 4.0).

Thanks! Beyerdynamic loves bumping that range around 8Khz and beyond, which I'm afraid of getting close to haha. I'd prefer not to go too DIY and stick to the original product as much as possible. I wouldn't want to apply any EQ either because I will be flipping between headphones a lot.
I appreciate your suggestions!

I'll keep the DT250 in mind. It's interesting how it gently fills out the subs despite being closed-back. Is the channel imbalance still a common issue? There's a few older threads where people report that not to be the case for their headphones.

 

[Bonny]

I've been checking out the Beyerdynamic DT150 with DT100 pads.
Green is with different pads and blue is stock.

Source is also DIY Audio Heaven

Does anyone have experience with those headphones? I've seen these being used in orchestral recordings a lot and I've always been interested what they were because I never recognized the brand until IDrinkLava mentioned the DT250 in this thread. I'm thinking how they would test themselves in a solo guitar recording scenario.
I assume these don't have the faulty channel imbalance despite a very similar design to the DT250?

 

[Steven31]

Brainwavz HM5 or B&O H6.

 

[IDrinkLava]

Beyerdynamic DT150 with DT100 pads.

Spoiler

That mod does look like it fixes the bass hump problem of the DT150's measurements, but solderdude measures on a flat plate so there's no telling how accurate it could be. It also seems to elevate the 7kHz-8kHz region, which is not good.

 

[someguyontheinternet]

Focal Radiance compared to HD600 Oratory measurement
Same pairing Crinacle measurement
Aside from the bass it's pretty close.

Sidenote on measurements: measurements are only really useful as comparison if they are done on the same setup. Different setups can produce vastly different measurements. Only by looking at the difference of two measurements on the same setup can you properly compare FR.

 

[Bonny]

Focal Radiance compared to HD600 Oratory measurement
Same pairing Crinacle measurement
Aside from the bass it's pretty close.

Sidenote on measurements: measurements are only really useful as comparison if they are done on the same setup. Different setups can produce vastly different measurements. Only by looking at the difference of two measurements on the same setup can you properly compare FR.

Thanks a bunch. I've been basing everything on what DIY Audio Heaven measured, so I think we're safe.
The Radiance looks great but that price point is not right for something I will be throwing around in the studio, dropping it on the floor etc. It hurts hahah

 

[someguyontheinternet]

In that case maybe the Sennheiser HD25 could be similar enough, if on-ear is ok for you.
AKG N700NC M2 might also work (it has a lot more bass though).

 

[Bonny]

I'd also like to bring in Sony MDR7506 and the Audio Technica M50X into the equation. I was looking at the Sennheiser HD25 but on-ear might not be what I'm looking for.

• Beyerdynamic DT250
• Beyerdynamic DT150 (with EDT 100T pads)
• Sony MDR 7506
• Audio Technica M50X

Which one of those would give a pleasurable tracking experience akin to HD 600? They all have their differences, even compared to HD600, but judging by measurements they're good candidates that come close. If you've experienced those, what do you think?

 

[IDrinkLava]

MDR 7506 sounds like a tin can and M50X has bloated mid-bass and shrill highs along with painful clamp. Whose measurements are you looking at? oratory1990's show huge deviations. Make sure you match to 1000Hz.

 

[Bonny]

Whose measurements are you looking at? oratory1990's show huge deviations. Make sure you match to 1000Hz.

Outside of just DIY-Audio-Heaven I have now also checked RTINGS
Another alternative to M50x I've also thought of is the M40X, but I have no experience with those and measurements look offputting. However I'm not sure how true these are

 

[Bonny]

Bumping
Currently thinking of AKG K361 and Beyerdynamic DT250. Very close contenders, but leaning towards the DT250 at the moment

 

[Bonny]

After scouring multiple forums as well, I've decided on the AKG K371. I would have gone for the DT250 but I don't think I would be able to cope with the fact I had a modified headphone on my head and not the way it was meant by the manufacturer. K361 was an alternative but I think the sturdier materials of the K371 will prove themselves better in the longrun.
I might update on how I feel about them when I get them.
Cheers!

 

[Bonny]

The AKG K371 have arrived today and here's my first thoughts:
They do seem to be picky how you wear them on your ears, the high-end gets accentuated the shorter you have your headband, and the bass and low-mids get filled in when you angle the headphone backwards. I compared them with my HD600 and the AKG seem to have a slight peak at around 3000Hz, while my HD600 has a nicer broader representation of the 350Hz area. What I'm hearing doesn't really match with the measurements, but keep in mind my HD600s pads are worn in, which tends to smooth the high end a little bit.
The AKG is surprisingly comfortable out of the box. But I do feel a slight urge to exchange them for something else, but I'm not sure if I could be happier with any other headphone. I do wish the lower midrange was a little bit nicer and the headphone wasn't that susceptible to headpositioning.
Thoughts?