[aceofpilots]

A lot of people are telling me not to bother with the 58x and get the 6xx and I was wondering as to why that is?

 

[Mhog55]

Possible because they are nuts. In short order - midrange from my experience. To my ears, the 58X is the closest I'm going to get to a small, intimate, live concert sound for 150 bucks. I find them relatively balanced without the smoothness or lushly mids of the 6XX. To me, they just tell it as it is without being edgy. They have a very slight grain, but it's minor and I appreciate it for rock music. That's what I mainly listen to, and the 6XX wasn't my cup of tea for it. So ultimately you just have to decide which sound is for you.

 

[Rhamnetin]

HD 58X (deceptive name) uses the HD 660S driver. HD 6XX is an HD 650. Here is a very knowledgeable review of each, and with measurements too.

https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/sennheiser-hd-660-s-over-ear-open-headphones

https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/very-important-sennheiser-hd-580-hd-600-and-hd-650

They actually have very similar measurements, expect the 58X to be a tad less laid back and more thin sounding than the thicker and smoother HD 6XX.

 

[7nationarmy]

HD 58X (deceptive name) uses the HD 660S driver. HD 6XX is an HD 650. Here is a very knowledgeable review of each, and with measurements too.

https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/sennheiser-hd-660-s-over-ear-open-headphones

https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/very-important-sennheiser-hd-580-hd-600-and-hd-650

They actually have very similar measurements, expect the 58X to be a tad less laid back and more thin sounding than the thicker and smoother HD 6XX.

No they are not the same. I blame Z for this misinformation. Sennheiser themselves say they are different. Here's their official reply on the Massdrop discussion page:

"Though the HD 660 S and the HD 58X Jubilee are both dynamic driver designs made from our specially developed plastic, the same impedance ratings, and constructed in the same Ireland factory, they do not share a driver, and are in fact differently produced designs."

There are people who have done direct visual comparison and they are indeed different.

 

[Mhog55]

Yep, all Z's fault. I would imagine that very few people would buy the 660s if they shared the same drivers. Nonetheless, the 58X is a fantastic can.

 

[PurpleAngel]

A lot of people are telling me not to bother with the 58X and get the 6XX and I was wondering as to why that is?

The 150-Ohm HD58X can be driven by your phone, the 300-Ohm HD6XX not so well (driven by phone).
So not sure why anyone would push (that much) for the HD6XX, over the HD58X.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

A lot of people are telling me not to bother with the 58x and get the 6xx and I was wondering as to why that is?

1. Gap between HD650 and HD600 is so large that if the gap between the Massdrop versions (albeit 150ohms on the HD58X) the HD6XX looks like the better buy, price wise.

2. They prefer the HD650/6XX sound. Objectively, it has a smoother curve that practically has no spikes, especially where it can hurt. Problem for those who prefer the HD600/580J/58X is that that smooth curve still has a very strong 50hz to 150hz vs 1000hz up, so overall it has a tendency to sound dark to some instead of just plain smoother.

 

[aceofpilots]

I guess what I'm curious is where does one excel and the other falls behind.

like what situations would one be better over the other on an equal playing field utilizing the same equipment?

 

[aceofpilots]

Possible because they are nuts. In short order - midrange from my experience. To my ears, the 58X is the closest I'm going to get to a small, intimate, live concert sound for 150 bucks. I find them relatively balanced without the smoothness or lushly mids of the 6XX. To me, they just tell it as it is without being edgy. They have a very slight grain, but it's minor and I appreciate it for rock music. That's what I mainly listen to, and the 6XX wasn't my cup of tea for it. So ultimately you just have to decide which sound is for you.

would there be an easier way to explain what you mean by "smoothness or lushly mids"

i'm not really into the headphone wording so when people say things like its warmer, exciting, grainy and other terms. I kind of get thrown off

 

[kukkurovaca]

would there be an easier way to explain what you mean by "smoothness or lushly mids"

i'm not really into the headphone wording so when people say things like its warmer, exciting, grainy and other terms. I kind of get thrown off

There's a glossary that's actually pretty helpful. https://www.head-fi.org/articles/describing-sound-a-glossary.12328/

 

[Mhog55]

would there be an easier way to explain what you mean by "smoothness or lushly mids"

i'm not really into the headphone wording so when people say things like its warmer, exciting, grainy and other terms. I kind of get thrown off

More laid back. Less dynamic, energetic and lively.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I guess what I'm curious is where does one excel and the other falls behind.

like what situations would one be better over the other on an equal playing field utilizing the same equipment?

HD650/6XX:

HD580J/600/58X:
Reverse the part above. It won't have the tendency to sound dark...but that's mostly because of a 3500hz spike which can make it sound relatively bright if not harsh even on some badly recorded music.

HD58X also has a 150ohm impedance, so less ideal for OTL tube amps than all the Sennheisers mentioned here.

 

[PurpleAngel]

HD650/6XX:

HD580J/600/58X:
Reverse the part above. It won't have the tendency to sound dark...but that's mostly because of a 3500hz spike which can make it sound relatively bright if not harsh even on some badly recorded music.
HD58X also has a 150-Ohm impedance, so less ideal for OTL tube amps than all the Sennheisers mentioned here.

So i just tried the HD58X with my Audio-GD NFB-11.28 DAC/amp and Darkvoice 336SE OTL tube head amp (using the NFB-11.28 DAC function for the 336SE).
I think I'm hearing a slightly bloated bass, using the 336SE.
So i'm guessing using an OTL tube, with the HD58X, would not be as desirable as a solid state.

 

[tomb]

Somehow, the conversation shifted from whether the 58X was preferred over the 6XX to 58X over 660S. it's the 660S and 58X that are probably most similar, because of the newer, lower impedance driver.

The 6XX is indeed the same as the 650, NOT the 660S. Further, the 58X is a variation on the 660S technology, but bears almost no resemblance to the actual Senn HD580.

As for the best headphone amongst all of those, the 6XX/650 is the most refined (best). That said, the 300 impedance implies the need for a decent amplifier. Indeed, the 6XX/650 is known for exhibiting noticeable improvements with better and better amplifiers. If you're wanting something without the need for an amp, then the 58X or 660S might be a better choice. Neither will be a better headphone than the 6XX/650, however.

 

[aceofpilots]

Somehow, the conversation shifted from whether the 58X was preferred over the 6XX to 58X over 660S. it's the 660S and 58X that are probably most similar, because of the newer, lower impedance driver.

The 6XX is indeed the same as the 650, NOT the 660S. Further, the 58X is a variation on the 660S technology, but bears almost no resemblance to the actual Senn HD580.

As for the best headphone amongst all of those, the 6XX/650 is the most refined (best). That said, the 300 impedance implies the need for a decent amplifier. Indeed, the 6XX/650 is known for exhibiting noticeable improvements with better and better amplifiers. If you're wanting something without the need for an amp, then the 58X or 660S might be a better choice. Neither will be a better headphone than the 6XX/650, however.

Yeah I guess people have strong opinion on comparing them to their current line outside of massdrop

So essentially if I'm understanding this, If I have an amp and want clarity and clearer sound, The 6xx would be a better investment but would cost me about $150 more ($50 more for the headphones, $100 for an amp)