Plieb
100+ Head-Fier
I can understand your position. Yes the hd600 which i also own is very natural very focused. However it can sometimes be too much of a good thing being a bit too crisp and lacking some weight. Using with my tube like class A Rebel Amp.I spent a few hours with the NDH 30 and I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, what was announced has been achieved. These headphones sound in a way that can be compared to the sound of studio monitors, and in the entire frequency spectrum (that I can hear, i.e. up to 17 kHz) they sound very coherent, calm and even relaxing.
On the other hand - compared to my HD 600 (with Custom Cans mods), there is clearly less detail, and this is the detail that sometimes determines my positive or negative attitude towards, for example, a given interpretation of a symphonic piece. A good example here would be Krzysztof Penderecki's Anaklasis and Polimorphia (both from Naxos). When I receive an engaging presentation on the HD 600, full of details, causing a synesthetic effect in my imagination, the genius of the composer and the values of the conductor's interpretation are clear, obvious, and simply delightful to me. NDH 30 doesn't have that - I feel that they are just very solid recordings... and nothing more. The sounds of wind instruments, timpani, and double bass are not as long and expressive. On the HD 600 - knowing the room where the recordings were made - I can hear the interior of the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, but on the NDH 30 this is not there.
Although I admit - listening on HD 600 is more burdensome for me. I can't do this for too long - I get tired and after a while, I get a headache. So, in theory, I should be able to spend more time with the NDH 30, although... that is not the case. When I put them on for the first time, I thought they were OK. However, when I switched to HD 600 I realised I have never appreciated how light-weight and comfortable on the head HD 600 are.
Finally - on NDH 30 every album I listened to sounded good. On the HD 600, production issues and recording advantages immediately come to the fore... I understand that this may be an advantage for many people. It's simply easier to listen, but I'm very interested in these differences and without them, I find listening to music quite uncomfortable.
I would never say that these are weak headphones, on the contrary - their soundstage, abundant bass presentation, delicate treble, and naturalness of timbre are undoubted advantages.
As the old saying goes: "the good God is in the details" - I just got used to looking Him in the eye and the NDH 30 doesn't give me a chance to do that.
Also my ndh 30 really shined when i switched to an 8 core silver balanced cable. Noticable increase in detail crispness, and seperation.
Using with singxer amp.
If i learned one thing about sonics it's that compatibility is everything. What sounds good on one amp may sound mediocre on another.
For context, may i ask what amps and dacs you were using on those two headphones?