I'm starting to put two and two together, and I guess ultimately MacDEF's right...HD-600s are probably all about system matching.
MacDEF says he just doesn't hear any darkness or veils or whatnots in the HD-600s...well, let's take a look at his front end.
Now I've never heard any of these items, but I have read quite a number of reviews on them by now.
Headroom Max 2001 = solid state amp = if not "solid state bright", then definitely very clean sounding.
Kimber PBJs interconnects= bright and somewhat thin from reviews I read
Sony SCD-333ES = a signature Sony brightness/dryness from reviews I read
What I'm digging at hear is I think MacDEF's front end combines together to be a rather clean sounding system. Out of the headphones that are out there, the HD-600s would actually be one of the few headphones you would WANT to compliment such a system (I still believe they are by nature one of the warmer headphones out there, regardless of which system). Since it's a very clean sounding system, I don't think there will be warmth coming from the front end. Given that, I don't think the HD-600s are going to exhibit any warmth or darkness...rather they're going to give off a very clean sound. I'm not sure where and what it was with, but I do remember Sennheisers sounding this certain way before (I believe it was with the Grado RA-1), so I know it's very possible for Sennheisers to NOT sound dark/overwarm.
Now in my own setup, I know for a fact that the Denon is a warm CDP. That could very well be what's making HD-600s warm to me. I don't think any of my gear is clean sounding, since I actually built my system originally to be on the warm side for vocals. It's only recently that I began investing in some cleaner gear like a McCormack Micro Drive.
Comments on some more people's systems maybe?
MacDEF says he just doesn't hear any darkness or veils or whatnots in the HD-600s...well, let's take a look at his front end.
Headroom Max 2001 = solid state amp = if not "solid state bright", then definitely very clean sounding.
Kimber PBJs interconnects= bright and somewhat thin from reviews I read
Sony SCD-333ES = a signature Sony brightness/dryness from reviews I read
What I'm digging at hear is I think MacDEF's front end combines together to be a rather clean sounding system. Out of the headphones that are out there, the HD-600s would actually be one of the few headphones you would WANT to compliment such a system (I still believe they are by nature one of the warmer headphones out there, regardless of which system). Since it's a very clean sounding system, I don't think there will be warmth coming from the front end. Given that, I don't think the HD-600s are going to exhibit any warmth or darkness...rather they're going to give off a very clean sound. I'm not sure where and what it was with, but I do remember Sennheisers sounding this certain way before (I believe it was with the Grado RA-1), so I know it's very possible for Sennheisers to NOT sound dark/overwarm.
Now in my own setup, I know for a fact that the Denon is a warm CDP. That could very well be what's making HD-600s warm to me. I don't think any of my gear is clean sounding, since I actually built my system originally to be on the warm side for vocals. It's only recently that I began investing in some cleaner gear like a McCormack Micro Drive.
Comments on some more people's systems maybe?