[Speed-Freak]

Sennheiser HD600?
Sennheiser HD650?

I want to get a pair of cans to use as a reference mark. The one pair everyone knows that can be compared to.

Suggestions?

 

[Caribou679]

Good luck!

 

[Audioholic123]

Sennheiser HD600?
Sennheiser HD650?

I want to get a pair of cans to use as a reference mark. The one pair everyone knows that can be compared to.

Suggestions?

I owned an HD600 for a year. HD600 is very neutral and does perform well with high-end equipment. For me, this is where it's limitations became apparent compared to other similarly priced reference headphones such as the AKG Q701 (no longer in production), K702 and Beyerdynamic DT880 600 ohm..hence I gave it away.

My reference headphone is the Q701.

 

[arteom]

HD-600, DT-880 are both popular options. K7xx are popular and well known, but lots of odd variants at this point. Personally I would also throw the Audio Technica MSR-7 into the mix, not all too well know buy I'd say lookup innerfidelity's review of it.

 

[Audioholic123]

I don't believe there are as many true reference-class closed-back headphones (in the pricerange of the HD600/650) as there are open-back ones but I too would recommend the MSR-7.
Also the NAD HP50 and B&O H6.

 

[IgeNeLL]

HD800 of course, reference for its extreme ability to reflect the characteristic of gear (dac, amp, interconnect) changes

 

[atarione]

sony MDR-7506/V6 been around since the stone age ... freqenty used in studio work..

 

[Alizz]

DT770, Sony 7506/ V6, T50RP

 

[PointyFox]

AKG K7XX. I thought it was better than my HD600. Wider soundstage and better bass extension. It also sounds very much like the HD800S, just not quite as transparent due to the more closed backings... and it can be had for like $90 on eBay..I have no clue why. They sound like $400 headphones.

 

[squee116]

Nothing wrong with the HD6xx. It depends on what you're trying to establish a reference FOR though.

Reference open-back? Reference warmth? Reference Neutrality? Reference sound stage? Reference Bass? Reference Detail? People create relative references based on some comparative trait. The HD650/600, while historically favored, have seen a lot of their mid-fi market being encroached on by other competitors that focused on a single trait, or several of them, and just beat the snot of them. Other headphones have become the reference for bass, soundstage, etc.

And because of the variety, not everyone has the same "starting point" that may have existed in years prior. Because of Massdrop, a lot more people started with AKG in recent years, though I'm sure the HD6xx will shake things up again. The X2s have similarly carved their place as a starting point into higher end headphones.

 

[Roderick]

Definately hd600. Everyone knows how those sound. You can take any headphone and compare it's sound signature to hd600. If you want to compare how good headphone x is you would need similarly priced headphone with matching qualities...open, closed etc. But still hd600 is perfect for tonality reference when headphone x is Even somewhat neutral. For Extreme brightness or bass you would need more reference headphones.

 

[Speed-Freak]

I suppose the reference point matters. In cars it is like choosing a Honda Civic as the reference then comparing Corvettes and McLarens to it. The Civic works as a reference but is so far from the comparison that the comparison is lost. An example is the Sennheiser HD600/650. Greats cans and can be used as a comparison point to low end and mid level cans but to use it as a comparison point to the top end is difficult, at best. More need a reference point for different segments. like entry level, low end, mid level, high end, and "I'm sorry for your wallet" level.

 

[Muinarc]

Its funny how no one answered the original question lol.

I'd say you can't go wrong with either the 600 or 650 as a super popular headphone you can compare things to and have other people be able to relate to what you're saying. I dislike the hd650 so the 600 gets my vote since I like that one more.

For the higher end the hd800 probably gets the nod. You cant go to a meet or canjam and find a vendor without an hd800 on their table.

 

[FastAndClean]

HifiMan HE500
hd600? what is that?