[Moonwalker]

Hi!
 
My experience with new pads is the sound becomes more airy, with larger soundstage. Bass IMO becomes less present.
 
I stretched metal parts on headband to make the grip of the HD600 almost nonexistent. They sit very lightly now.
As added benefit, the pads no longer deform on contact and hold their shape for very long time. And the comfort is so great, I'm only barely able to tell I'm wearing them, even after long listening session.
Sure, if I jump or move quickly, the Sennheisers won't be so secure on my head anymore.
 
Moonwalker

 

[Arksun]

It's rather amusing to compare the huge difference in the headband frame between my old and new pair. I have a fairly large head and the headband on the old pair has stretched a LOT.  Putting on the new pair reminded me of just how tight they original felt when I bought my first pair.
 
I think if the HD600 had used a plastic case instead of carbon fibre my headshape woulda cracked it a long time ago, lol.
 
Waiting for new earpads (and foam handband which has completel discintegrated) to fit to the old pair to compare to the new pair.
 
My initial thoughts of the newer pair being darker were wrong, I do now get why people say the newer ones with the white mesh sound a tad brighter/faster response, though its brightness is starting to mellow as I play more music through them, which I like.  Older pair still sounds tad smoother at this point with wider soundstage, newer pair more focused with more front - back 3D depth....

 

[DaBomb77766]

Interesting that you can tell a difference here like this, but I'm more inclined to think it's due to the difference in pads and the fact that your old ones are well-used and well-worn.  Hm, I wonder if they'd sound the same if you swapped the driver assemblies around?  Probably don't wanna start messing around like that with your brand new toys though.
 
(also, any chance you'll be selling your old pair any time soon? )

 

[Arksun]

Don't really want to be messing with the driver parts nope
 
Ok so today I replaced the earpads and headband to give a fairer comparison, though still there are differences of course, age being the primary one.  If I had a pair of HD600 bought 10 years ago that was in a sealed box all this time till now, that would be the most accurate comparison of differences.
 
I took a picture of the inside whilst changing the earpads on the old pair. Interesting that the black silk looked smooth to me from the outside, but actually its the same fine mesh pattern of the white one:
 
http://www.musicprogressive.com/images/HD600_olddriver.jpg
 
It also has the brass ring in the middle of the driver, which someone else said was the first generation of HD600 and thought it sounded better?.
 
So yeah basically the primary differences between the two are, 10 year old heavily used drivers, less pressure of earpads on head due to more stretched frame.
 
I gotta say I don't know whether its just the age of the drivers or what but I much prefer the new ones now that they've had more time to burn in. More front to back depth, more focused sound and even slightly deeper bass!. The extra wideness of the older pair wasn't so prevelant anymore now the pads where changed, i'm guessing cause my ears aren't as close to the drivers anymore with the worn out pads.  I tried to compensate for difference in pressure by applying more pressure of the pads to my head using my fingers (whilst being careful not to have the palm over the grill which affects the top end) but it didn't actually make that much difference in the end, the new pair is the clear winner for me.
 
Very glad I bought an all new pair now, sounds great!

 

[dxps26]

Sennheiser replaced the Black Acoustic Silk damping material with an Acoustic Metallic Mesh, as the silk had a tendency to sag and become loose over time in humid and warm climates. The only thing that caused the old ones to sound different to folks was the fact that the silk material changed its acoustic properties due to time and temperature, making older pairs smoother and more rolled off in the treble. The metal mesh stands up to climatic changes much better, allowing even well used pairs to sound brighter in comparison to older versions of the HD580/600. Fresh from the factory, i'd wager both pairs would be identical.

 

[frostbite47]

Recognize that this thread is old as the hills, but it's comforting to know that my oddball HD-580's (One black screen driver, one silver) aren't actually abominations with two entirely different drivers, just different colored bits.  Thanks for clearing that up!

 

[Hifihedgehog]

Just adding this here for completeness. One observation: The mid HD600's also do not have the brass ring. Its voice coil looks more like the current HD600's than the old, but its coil still doesn't look exactly the same color or hue as the current ones. It could be from driver aging, but I am unsure.
 

 

[turbomustang84]

I know this is an old post but being I'm getting a new pair today and have an early set with the black material this thread is interesting.

I already put 660s earpads on my used 600 as well as new headband padding .after allowing for a bit of burn in I will be able to A/B then to see if there is much if a difference.

Other than the old ones being stretched out from years of use making them more comfortable I'm guessing there won't be a huge difference in sound

But in about a couple of hours we'll see

 

[turbomustang84]

Well the new pair I just got have more Bass and seem to be noticely better all around than my old ones .
I'm still thinking it's from the driver's being new.

I remember hating the Cable and replacing it but although it is the same design I actually like it .

It sounds closer to my modded 580s than my older 600s.

I should have bought these year's ago .
The fact I've always liked my 650s better seems to be less with these.

I'm surprised .......

 

[bagwell359]

If you really want to hear a sound difference, replacing the earpads will yield a nice improvement. The bass is fuller and tighter, with an increased sound stage. If your pads have gone flat, a replacement will improve things sonically. It's just too bad they are so expensive.

Yes, the age/shape of the pad has a big impact on the sound, before you buy a new set, or fire off a nasty note, flip the pads and see what you (poster) thinks.