[fredpb]

I think bass is seriously lacking on the HD600's. Mine are at least 4 years old or so. I wonder if they have been improved since I have purchased mine.

I would swear the charts on Headroom website show a better freq response on low end then I remember?

So I will try a poll. For me, and as a bit of interest to community.

How old are your HD600's or HD580's? How is the truly low end response (usually classical orchestra music).

 

[Born2bwire]

Interesting notion, it would be interesting to see how the cans age over time. I have a set of the HD580 Jubilee's which were made in '95. However, I got these new (if you can call it that) last year so I can't help about whether or not the bass decreases from use, though I wonder if they've made any improvements in the models over the years.

 

[source direct]

What all do you have between your source and your headphone amplifier?

I've noticed that the sounds my HD-600s give off is very mellow when ran through my preamp as opposed to simply straight to the headphone amp.

 

[fredpb]

Quote:

Originally posted by source direct What all do you have between your source and your headphone amplifier? I've noticed that the sounds my HD-600s give off is very mellow when ran through my preamp as opposed to simply straight to the headphone amp.

The headphone amp is fed through the record jacks of an Acurus RL11 preamp. They were also tried out on another system using a Premium Little with a Rotel Receiver. Both units do mechanical switching, not relays or any electronics.

 

[JaZZ]

After purchase I wasn't very pleased about the sound of the HD 600. I tried to improve it by removing the foam pad, and that made a decisive difference in clarity and smoothness, but still I wasn't happy: too much mid bass and kind of striking, though not very delicate treble.

At last, after maybe 100 hours of operation, the sound clearly improved: more low bass extension and more embedded and refined treble. Now, maybe 1000 hours later, I'm very happy with the HD 600, now equipped with a self-made cable which makes the mids and highs sound much more elegant and lively. I like their inobtrusive character – which tends to the smooth side, but nevertheless provides a very accurate reproduction – and their impressive soundstage. I wouldn't call the sound «laid-back» at all, for it absolutely doesn't hide details, just doesn't put them in the fore.

I've made some «measurement» using a tone generator and my ears as a reference. The frequency response is extended down to 40 Hz – without a significant «hump» – with a flat roll-off towards 30 or 28 Hz, which are still clearly perceivable. (The ER-4s have the same characteristic, on a slightly lower [bass] level, while the Grado SR 80 have a sharper roll-off below 40 Hz and a channel imbalance thereby.) Above 3 kHz, the level is (very) slightly lower, and there's a significant dip at 8 kHz, which may be the main reason for the impression of lack of transparency which some describe. But it is to say that the other two headphones have at least as important unevennesses (ER-4: peaks at 2.2 and around 7 kHz, Grado: deep dip between 3 and 5 kHz, followed by a treble «plateau» which abruptly ends at 13 kHz, while the other two reach over 16 kHz).

JaZZ

 

[lonestar]

JaZZ, thanks for the measurements.

Regarding the original post, I have been using my 600s heavily for about 2.5 years and have not noticed any decline in bass response. I've used both the headphone out on my preamp (MOSFET input but probably an opamp output for the phones), and I've also driven a MuFiX2 directly from my DAC. The bass is not noticeably different on either setup and I have strained to hear the differences.

I've pulled the foam out, and had mixed results as JaZZ suggested, and as other threads have discussed at length, and while it affected the highs and mids, bass was unaffected.

Overall, I've found the 600s to be very much like my electrostatic speakers--lots of details, high-rez, smooth, and with bass that is detailed, but missing in the "slam factor" in comparison to good dynamic (cone) speakers.

The only thing I've found that helps it to crank the volume up a bit, but this isn't always a desireable solution. Perhaps building a subwoofer into my listening chair?

At the opposite end of the spectrum, I found the 600s extremely harsh right out of the box and would suggest that any purchasers realize this and give them an extended break-in before doing extended listening. I cranked mine on for over 100 hours before doing any serious listening.