[McQwerty333]

This probably seems like comparing apples to oranges, but I sort of need to know. The Sennheiser x Massdrop 6xx are essentially 650s, exact same sound, same design, different logos, and 300 dollars cheaper(200$). I can also get the Audeze isine 10 for 250$ on either eBay or Amazon. I have made a small list of pros and cons of each headphone.
HD 6xx Pros: wide soundstage, great sound, amazing value

HD 6xx cons: not portable, sound leakage( no duh, they're open. This just means I can only listen to them at home in my studio.). I have a week to buy before the drop ends. They would not arrive until March/April 2018(half a year from now)
These are supposedly hard to drive, but I have a Lg V20 with built in hi-if quad DAC, which I've heard can power them.

Isine pros: amazing sound, great value for 250$, open/semi open(?) so they have a decent soundstage. Also, as they're in ears, they are portable, easy to drive, and quiet enough that even though they are open I can sit in the same room or on the bus and my music won't bother people.

Isine pros: I have an Lg V20 and no amp. I've heard these sound way better with the lightning cable and an iPhone. I'm not sure if they still sound amazing through my phone.


My situation: high school student, I own only a pair of 30$ earbuds(OMAR cherry wood) and Status Audio CB-1. No amp, and my phone is lg v20 with quad DAC. I also have an iPad mini 2, which I could put all my music on(for the Lightning cable isine), but I really don't want to have to. My main question: what should I get? Is the music quality on isine through android really that bad that it's not worth it? The Sennheiser drop ends in a week, while I can get the isines whenever.

 

[cossix]

The 650 are 315usd on Amazon so in reality the 6xx is only 100 bucks cheaper. Never buy directly from Sennheiser unless you wanna overpay I'd vote 6xx just because they'll sound better with good gear so if you ever want to upgrade, you'll just need to worry about gear instead of gear + headphones

 

[McQwerty333]

The 650 are 315usd on Amazon so in reality the 6xx is only 100 bucks cheaper. Never buy directly from Sennheiser unless you wanna overpay I'd vote 6xx just because they'll sound better with good gear so if you ever want to upgrade, you'll just need to worry about gear instead of gear + headphones

Thanks for your input. I hadn't really thought into the future, or even really considered getting other gear yet. Another great thing about the 6xx is the comfort, which i heard is great. As for the isine, i have pretty small ears so idk if they would be uncomfortable, but many reviewers say the ear hooks or insert things feel weird, though not painful. I think with small ears the hooks would work better than the 'wings' that go inside the ear. As of right now im actually leaning toward the isine because with amazon, i can have them in less than a week(as opposed to waiting an entire half year). My thought is if i get the 6xx, i may need something new and interesting, like maybe a pair of cheap open headphones to keep me entertained until they arrive. If i were to do that, any suggestions for something interesting(headphones, earphones, doesn't matter what) to tide me over for a half year? Preferably under or at the 100 price point.

 

[cossix]

Thanks for your input. I hadn't really thought into the future, or even really considered getting other gear yet. Another great thing about the 6xx is the comfort, which i heard is great. As for the isine, i have pretty small ears so idk if they would be uncomfortable, but many reviewers say the ear hooks or insert things feel weird, though not painful. I think with small ears the hooks would work better than the 'wings' that go inside the ear. As of right now im actually leaning toward the isine because with amazon, i can have them in less than a week(as opposed to waiting an entire half year). My thought is if i get the 6xx, i may need something new and interesting, like maybe a pair of cheap open headphones to keep me entertained until they arrive. If i were to do that, any suggestions for something interesting(headphones, earphones, doesn't matter what) to tide me over for a half year? Preferably under or at the 100 price point.

To be honest, I'd say just get the Audeze and then if you want the 6xx down the road, you can budget yourself for an amp as well because the 650/6xx sound isn't quite worth it without good gear IMO

 

[McQwerty333]

To be honest, I'd say just get the Audeze and then if you want the 6xx down the road, you can budget yourself for an amp as well because the 650/6xx sound isn't quite worth it without good gear IMO

I guess that makes the most sense. My only worry is, like i stated, theyre designed mainly for ios devices, and i want to be sure they'll still sound good on my android. Also, if i want to eventually look at more amps and stuff, what would you recommend as a beginning setup for around $200-400?

 

[cossix]

I guess that makes the most sense. My only worry is, like i stated, theyre designed mainly for ios devices, and i want to be sure they'll still sound good on my android. Also, if i want to eventually look at more amps and stuff, what would you recommend as a beginning setup for around $200-400?

Apple VS Android in audio terms only comes down to the cable if it has in line controls. Apple controls won't work with Android phone and vice versa. This only affects your ability to use any volume buttons on the cable if it has them. Any headphone will sound good from either brand phone, depending on how good the phones dac and amp are. I'd not worry about that.

As for a setup, if you're planning on the 6xx down the road, a good dac and amp will be very beneficial. Modi 2/Magni 3 is a brilliant starting point for $200 and I doubt you'd find a better alternative at that price. The Element is also a nice combo unit. If you can find a good deal on a Bottlehead Crack or Darkvoice 336, those are essentially the 2 most recommended amps for the 650/6xx but you'll benefit from a dac also, the $100 modi 2 fits the bill nicely.

Keep in mind that the Magni 3 is a more versatile amp than the two tube amps I recommended. Tube amps commonly put most of their power into high impedance cans like the 6xx, while low impedance IEMs/headphones won't sound as good from a tube amp (in most cases). The Magni 3 will play more nicely with the Audeze earphones if you ever want to use an amp with those, although they don't need it

 

[McQwerty333]

Apple VS Android in audio terms only comes down to the cable if it has in line controls. Apple controls won't work with Android phone and vice versa. This only affects your ability to use any volume buttons on the cable if it has them. Any headphone will sound good from either brand phone, depending on how good the phones dac and amp are. I'd not worry about that.

As for a setup, if you're planning on the 6xx down the road, a good dac and amp will be very beneficial. Modi 2/Magni 3 is a brilliant starting point for $200 and I doubt you'd find a better alternative at that price. The Element is also a nice combo unit. If you can find a good deal on a Bottlehead Crack or Darkvoice 336, those are essentially the 2 most recommended amps for the 650/6xx but you'll benefit from a dac also, the $100 modi 2 fits the bill nicely.

Keep in mind that the Magni 3 is a more versatile amp than the two tube amps I recommended. Tube amps commonly put most of their power into high impedance cans like the 6xx, while low impedance IEMs/headphones won't sound as good from a tube amp (in most cases). The Magni 3 will play more nicely with the Audeze earphones if you ever want to use an amp with those, although they don't need it

I'm going to pull the trigger on the audeze as they have a black friday sale and i can get them for $200 (and free shipping!) Thanks for all your help and have a happy, Hi-Fidelity holidays!

 

[ahmadfaizadnan]

In the ocassion of black friday and portability, I would suggest get the isine 10. You can always get the 6xx in the future when you have (or decided to have) a proper setup