Ronin
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2005
- Posts
- 19
- Likes
- 10
i'm by no means a knowledgeable audiophile so go easy on my initial impressions.
so here are my quick rambling thoughts (i'm halfway out the door).
1) the comfort. wow. granted i've always had a higher tolerance for headphone in terms of comfort than most people, i never found too many headphones uncomfortable and i wear one for 4-5 hrs Mondays to Fridays at work with no problems. but these feel like silk on my ears. to butcher a quote from george costanza, if it was socially acceptable, i would permanently attached the HD600s to my ear.
2) the clarity. i compared the HD600 to the HD280 i was using before. i really liked the sound i was getting from HD280 but i *LOVED* the sound i got from the HD600. to be honest, i was somewhat skeptical of the difference *i* would notice. there is no doubt in my mind there is a difference, but i wondered how much difference i could tell. considering my musical talents or lack thereof, and my personal opinion that i don't really have a discerning ear, i wasn't expecting much. but WOW, the difference in clarity (i don't even know if that's the right term) in sound is quite stunning. the nuances you can make out with each instrument is quite amazing.
3) the amp. i think my next upgrade is going to have to be an amp. one for home use since i don't see myself using this on the go or at work. i can drive it with my pocket amp 2 but this pair of cans will definitely benefit from a lot more amplification. normally, i have my computer set at about 30% volume and i have my PA2 at around 3-4 o'clock. with the HD600 that's not enough. i have to turn it up to around 7 o'clock to get similar volume. that's not a shocker to me, i was expecting it to be harder to drive.
4) i like the box but i don't like the design. to put it back in, i have to force it in a little. i wished they cut the styrofoam mold in a shape that was easier to replace and close. and i don't like my earpads being pressed hard against the styrofoam mold. this is probably my biggest complaint, since i love almost everything else about it.
upgrades:
i don't want to open the can of worms about cable, but i will be getting a HD650 cable for two simple reasons, 1) it's cheap and i can afford to A/B for myself to see if i notice anything, 2) at worst, it's a replacement part that's good to have around. in the future i will definitely consider this (esp if i notice a difference with the 650 cable) but right now i have more pressing needs. namely, i need to shop around for a better amp (any suggestions are welcome. my budget right now is only about US$300 but i might save up more and get something nicer or try to build a PIMETA or PPA amp myself since i'm not new to DIY electronics). i would also get a better source before i upgrade my cable too.
i think the biggest concern is now listening to my music is a completely different experience. i'm noticing some of the mp3s i have just aren't cutting it and i'm going to have to get them re-encoded. skimming a few of my fav cds and i'm starting to like them even more. more music purchases might be an even bigger expenditure. finding out that my ear can discern more than i thought it could, might turn out to be a very expensive discovery. hehe.
so here are my quick rambling thoughts (i'm halfway out the door).
1) the comfort. wow. granted i've always had a higher tolerance for headphone in terms of comfort than most people, i never found too many headphones uncomfortable and i wear one for 4-5 hrs Mondays to Fridays at work with no problems. but these feel like silk on my ears. to butcher a quote from george costanza, if it was socially acceptable, i would permanently attached the HD600s to my ear.
2) the clarity. i compared the HD600 to the HD280 i was using before. i really liked the sound i was getting from HD280 but i *LOVED* the sound i got from the HD600. to be honest, i was somewhat skeptical of the difference *i* would notice. there is no doubt in my mind there is a difference, but i wondered how much difference i could tell. considering my musical talents or lack thereof, and my personal opinion that i don't really have a discerning ear, i wasn't expecting much. but WOW, the difference in clarity (i don't even know if that's the right term) in sound is quite stunning. the nuances you can make out with each instrument is quite amazing.
3) the amp. i think my next upgrade is going to have to be an amp. one for home use since i don't see myself using this on the go or at work. i can drive it with my pocket amp 2 but this pair of cans will definitely benefit from a lot more amplification. normally, i have my computer set at about 30% volume and i have my PA2 at around 3-4 o'clock. with the HD600 that's not enough. i have to turn it up to around 7 o'clock to get similar volume. that's not a shocker to me, i was expecting it to be harder to drive.
4) i like the box but i don't like the design. to put it back in, i have to force it in a little. i wished they cut the styrofoam mold in a shape that was easier to replace and close. and i don't like my earpads being pressed hard against the styrofoam mold. this is probably my biggest complaint, since i love almost everything else about it.
upgrades:
i don't want to open the can of worms about cable, but i will be getting a HD650 cable for two simple reasons, 1) it's cheap and i can afford to A/B for myself to see if i notice anything, 2) at worst, it's a replacement part that's good to have around. in the future i will definitely consider this (esp if i notice a difference with the 650 cable) but right now i have more pressing needs. namely, i need to shop around for a better amp (any suggestions are welcome. my budget right now is only about US$300 but i might save up more and get something nicer or try to build a PIMETA or PPA amp myself since i'm not new to DIY electronics). i would also get a better source before i upgrade my cable too.
i think the biggest concern is now listening to my music is a completely different experience. i'm noticing some of the mp3s i have just aren't cutting it and i'm going to have to get them re-encoded. skimming a few of my fav cds and i'm starting to like them even more. more music purchases might be an even bigger expenditure. finding out that my ear can discern more than i thought it could, might turn out to be a very expensive discovery. hehe.
