[ADD]

And a 5th exceprt - large scale orchestral. Originally high res download from Chandos records
 
http://chandos.net/details06.asp?CNumber=CHAN 10418
 
(1 minute excerpt only).
 
https://www.sendspace.com/file/czqpah

 

[HiFiGuy528]

TH600 with Denon ear pads.  
 
what an improvement! no more harsh sibilance
 

 

[TWerk]

  TH600 with Denon ear pads.  
 
what an improvement! no more harsh sibilance

 
Nice to know! I bought a TH600, and it should arrive here tonight. I have a spare pair of Denon pads in my drawer, maybe they will get some good use... at least it is nice to have the option of using either pad.
 
Did it do anything else to the sound sig besides help w/ sibilance?

 

[Fido2]

Keep an eye on your earpads with these. I noticed that my earpads had spun around so that the fatter part was not in back. I spun them back around to their correct orientation and Im enjoying them again....haaa
The TH600 can sound dull and lifeless if the pads get out of position.

 

[DavidA]

Keep an eye on your earpads with these. I noticed that my earpads had spun around so that the fatter part was not in back. I spun them back around to their correct orientation and Im enjoying them again....haaa
The TH600 can sound dull and lifeless if the pads get out of position.

+1
Been there also.

 

[mrscotchguy]

+1

Been there also.

Good to know!

 

[sjones]

I received my TH600 today and here are my first impressions. I have the Sennheiser HD600 as a comparison.
 
Build 
Pros
- Good quality materials. I like the cloth cable. It's a good length. The plug seems high quality and durable. 
- The look is modern, and understated. The all black is easy for me to get used to. I think I would have liked some chrome around the cups, but that is not really necessary.
- It's light weight. The clamping force is not tight and I can wear it comfortably for hours it seems. So far I've worn it 1 hour straight, and have no comfort issues.
- This is not a pro/con, but it's less sensitive than the HD600.
 
Cons
- It's not leather, it's likely polyurethane leather, but it is soft. I hope the material has longevity and durability. I would have preferred leather pads and headband for this price point.
- The ear pads are round and large, and it doesn't seal sound too well. I would have liked the pads to have an oval shape like my Sennheiser HD600, which not only conforms to the ear shape better, but also would likely seal noise in/out better.
 
Sound
Pros
- It has a surprisingly open and airy sound, and I forgot that I was listening to closed headphones.
- Sounds good for EDM.
- Just as much details as the HD600, and maybe slightly more.
- Soundstage is on par, maybe smaller than the HD600. Same with instrument and sound separation and space.
- Bass has punch, but is not overpowering.

Cons
- Bright and rather sharp highs, shrill and harsh in some songs. The highs are a bit annoying at this time. Wished the highs can be tamed.
- Sound is leaner than the HD600. From the comments of others I assumed the sound would be warm. That's not the case. I wish the sound was warmer.
- OOTB the treble, mids and bass didn't sound cohesive. They felt like separate and didn't really integrate smoothly together.
- More recessed mid, and it would take some time to get used to. I hope the mids come forward more with burn in.
- Wished the sound was smoother.
- I had expected the bass to be larger and more punchier from all the comments.
- Tone not as good as HD600.
- Not that good for vocals, since they are recessed and not emphasized.
 
Overall
I am a bit disappointed. I had expected a bigger upgrade in sound from my HD600, however, I mostly got more that was lacking than gained. This either indicates how amazing the HD600 still are, or that the TH600 are priced higher than they should be. I'll burn these in some more to see how much the sound changes. That's all for now. 

 

[roguepp88]

  I received my TH600 today and here are my first impressions. I have the Sennheiser HD600 as a comparison.
 
Build 
Pros
- Good quality materials. I like the cloth cable. It's a good length. The plug seems high quality and durable. 
- The look is modern, and understated. The all black is easy for me to get used to. I think I would have liked some chrome around the cups, but that is not really necessary.
- It's light weight. The clamping force is not tight and I can wear it comfortably for hours it seems. So far I've worn it 1 hour straight, and have no comfort issues.
- This is not a pro/con, but it's less sensitive than the HD600.
 
Cons
- It's not leather, it's likely polyurethane leather, but it is soft. I hope the material has longevity and durability. I would have preferred leather pads and headband for this price point.
- The ear pads are round and large, and it doesn't seal sound too well. I would have liked the pads to have an oval shape like my Sennheiser HD600, which not only conforms to the ear shape better, but also would likely seal noise in/out better.
 
Sound
Pros
- It has a surprisingly open and airy sound, and I forgot that I was listening to closed headphones.
- Sounds good for EDM.
- Just as much details as the HD600, and maybe slightly more.
- Soundstage is on par, maybe smaller than the HD600. Same with instrument and sound separation and space.
- Bass has punch, but is not overpowering.

Cons
- Bright and rather sharp highs, shrill and harsh in some songs. The highs are a bit annoying at this time. Wished the highs can be tamed.
- Sound is leaner than the HD600. From the comments of others I assumed the sound would be warm. That's not the case. I wish the sound was warmer.
- OOTB the treble, mids and bass didn't sound cohesive. They felt like separate and didn't really integrate smoothly together.
- More recessed mid, and it would take some time to get used to. I hope the mids come forward more with burn in.
- Wished the sound was smoother.
- I had expected the bass to be larger and more punchier from all the comments.
- Tone not as good as HD600.
- Not that good for vocals, since they are recessed and not emphasized.
 
Overall
I am a bit disappointed. I had expected a bigger upgrade in sound from my HD600, however, I mostly got more that was lacking than gained. This either indicates how amazing the HD600 still are, or that the TH600 are priced higher than they should be. I'll burn these in some more to see how much the sound changes. That's all for now. 

If you haven't burned in the TH-600,
then your impressions may be slightly off.
The TH-600 definitely requires some burn in.
 
I had similar thoughts to you when I first got the TH-600,
the bass wasn't cohesive with the mid and highs.
But after burn in (I must have used my TH-600 for over 1000 hours now),
the notes do get woven together in a much more synchronized way.
The highs are not as sharp,
the bases gets a much better thump.
 
I don't have a HD600 and haven't compared it before,
so I don't know if burning in will make your TH600 better than the HD600 in some of the points you listed.
But I have compared it to the HD650s,
and the TH600 is a superior headphone compared to the HD650 in my opinion.
Especially in the bass and the soundstage(!) regions.
Although some cons you stated,
like the recessed mids still remains,
after burn in.

 

[Roy Munson]

  I received my TH600 today and here are my first impressions. I have the Sennheiser HD600 as a comparison.
 
Build 
Pros
- Good quality materials. I like the cloth cable. It's a good length. The plug seems high quality and durable. 
- The look is modern, and understated. The all black is easy for me to get used to. I think I would have liked some chrome around the cups, but that is not really necessary.
- It's light weight. The clamping force is not tight and I can wear it comfortably for hours it seems. So far I've worn it 1 hour straight, and have no comfort issues.
- This is not a pro/con, but it's less sensitive than the HD600.
 
Cons
- It's not leather, it's likely polyurethane leather, but it is soft. I hope the material has longevity and durability. I would have preferred leather pads and headband for this price point.
- The ear pads are round and large, and it doesn't seal sound too well. I would have liked the pads to have an oval shape like my Sennheiser HD600, which not only conforms to the ear shape better, but also would likely seal noise in/out better.
 
Sound
Pros
- It has a surprisingly open and airy sound, and I forgot that I was listening to closed headphones.
- Sounds good for EDM.
- Just as much details as the HD600, and maybe slightly more.
- Soundstage is on par, maybe smaller than the HD600. Same with instrument and sound separation and space.
- Bass has punch, but is not overpowering.

Cons
- Bright and rather sharp highs, shrill and harsh in some songs. The highs are a bit annoying at this time. Wished the highs can be tamed.
- Sound is leaner than the HD600. From the comments of others I assumed the sound would be warm. That's not the case. I wish the sound was warmer.
- OOTB the treble, mids and bass didn't sound cohesive. They felt like separate and didn't really integrate smoothly together.
- More recessed mid, and it would take some time to get used to. I hope the mids come forward more with burn in.
- Wished the sound was smoother.
- I had expected the bass to be larger and more punchier from all the comments.
- Tone not as good as HD600.
- Not that good for vocals, since they are recessed and not emphasized.
 
Overall
I am a bit disappointed. I had expected a bigger upgrade in sound from my HD600, however, I mostly got more that was lacking than gained. This either indicates how amazing the HD600 still are, or that the TH600 are priced higher than they should be. I'll burn these in some more to see how much the sound changes. That's all for now. 

 
I also own the TH600 and HD600. I find the TH600 to be the superior headphone although I think they're both great cans. The TH600 doesn't isolate very well even though it's a closed headphone. I disagree that the soundstage is smaller than the HD600. I also disagree that the highs are shrill and sharp. I find them to be detailed and extended without being siblant or sizzly. The mids aren't as forward as the HD600 but I do think they're present, detailed, clear and fit into the presentation nicely. I also listen to mostly electronic music and hip hop so for me the TH600 is just about my perfect headphone. Give them some time I think you'll end up liking them a bit more. I haven't owned a headphone yet that's let me enjoy my music as much as the TH600.
 
The ear pads are made of egg protein - specifically "Ear pads made of 'Idemitsu Grancuir' material realizing comfortable texture by protein combination derived from egg, with as much as 60% lighter than genuine leather."

 

[plakat]

  - The ear pads are round and large, and it doesn't seal sound too well. I would have liked the pads to have an oval shape like my Sennheiser HD600, which not only conforms to the ear shape better, but also would likely seal noise in/out better.
 

 
I guess that would not change the leaking, which is intended to get a more open sounding headphone... a trade off obviously as isolation suffers as well.
There is an outlet around the edge of the cup, the gap you see there.

 

[Fido2]

I agree with Munson. Im not sure where the sibilance complaints are coming from. Im very allergic to sibilant distortion and just have never heard it with the TH600. It could be the source material or the digital front end or amp....my system is very smooth..a bright recording is still bright however and a good recording is fantastic.

 

[manbear]

+1 for TH600 not being sibilant. I initially found the highs to have a splashy metallic quality on some songs but I dont really hear it now.

IMO the Hifiman HE-400i would be a more appropriate HD600 upgrade. Warmer mids, smoother overall. The TH600 has more of a clear, crisp sound. Apples and oranges.

Also, if you find the TH600 to be lacking bass then youre listening to the wrong songs or something is wrong with your setup.

 

[DavidA]

+1 for TH600 not being sibilant. I initially found the highs to have a splashy metallic quality on some songs but I dont really hear it now.

IMO the Hifiman HE-400i would be a more appropriate HD600 upgrade. Warmer mids, smoother overall. The TH600 has more of a clear, crisp sound. Apples and oranges.

Also, if you find the TH600 to be lacking bass then youre listening to the wrong songs or something is wrong with your setup.

+1, Agree that TH-600 is not sibilant, highs a tad more forward than my HD-650 but smooth like them, the bass is close to my HE-400, not as extended and tight but not muddy either.  Its a pretty easy to listen to headphone for classic rock, using a project ember with 12ax7 mullard tube, great combo IMO.

 

[TWerk]

Loving my TH600's. Strapped on some denon pads, and I'm really impressed. I still have to decide which pads I like more, but these denon pads really sound great. Super powerful bass response. Wonderful soundstage. Energetic but not too much either.
 
Sounds great paired with the O2 and ODAC. Really nails it for EDM. Consider me a fan!

 

[kayza]

Loving my TH600's. Strapped on some denon pads, and I'm really impressed. I still have to decide which pads I like more, but these denon pads really sound great. Super powerful bass response. Wonderful soundstage. Energetic but not too much either.

Sounds great paired with the O2 and ODAC. Really nails it for EDM. Consider me a fan!

Im glad you like them!