[Argyris]

I get so tired of these kinds of posts. You know the HD600 require a decent amp to actually show their worth, yet you run them from a headphone jack on a macbook and wonder why they aren't actually engaging?

I run my HD 600 from my MBP all the time, often for the sake of convenience. It sounds glorious.

 

[DavidA]

I get so tired of these kinds of posts. You know the HD600 require a decent amp to actually show their worth, yet you run them from a headphone jack on a macbook and wonder why they aren't actually engaging?

I have a friend that uses a MBP with her HD600 in her office and to her it sound decent since she doesn't want any clutter on her desk but at home use she uses a Icon HP-8mk2 if she ever brings them home (very rarely) since she usually uses a HD800, HD700, T1g2 or custom Ypsilon S2 build when at home.

But I do see your point that the person should know that the HD600 does sound better with better gear (DAC/amp) and the comparison with cheap IEMs driven by MBP headphone jack is a little unfair to the HD600.

 

[Argyris]

I'm been curious for a while as to how long some of the thread regulars have had their HD 600. This year, it's theoretically possible for the answer to be two decades. It's often implied that between the inherent durability of the design and the ready availability of replacement parts, it should be relatively easy to keep an HD 6x0 going for a long time. Anybody have one from the very beginning or around the turn of the millennium? Does it have any paint left on it?

 

[artnoi]

What 3rd party cables (balanced 2.5 TRRS or 4 pin) are matched with HD 600 given a decent sound with clear detail, sweet midrange and defined bass as I listen most with vocals like Diana Krall, Eva Cassidy...

Your descriptions above are very difficult to properly define i.e. what is 'sweet' midrange?
I personally believe wire is wire so if you ask me and you want a pair of 'clearer' or 'sweeter' headphones, try different ones.
Output impedance ratings of your sources may also determine the 'bass definition' of your headphones.

 

[singleended5863]

I hesitate to post. First of 2018! I have to ask. Why, when it is difficult enough to tell the difference between amps and DACs packed full of electronics do people insist that they can hear the difference in construction of a few feet of wire is beyond me. Let's leave it there. Happy New Year!

I have been playing in high end stereo system for quite a long time and had switched interconnects, speaker cables and even the power cables and clearly know there were some changes in sound I preferred to have (quite expensive hobby!).
Since I do not have much time to sit to listen to my musics hour long nowadays so I have switched to portable system (since I am traveling mostly) about couple years and slowly upgraded my headphone system. In addition, I have tried to change quite a lot of of DAC and/ or DAC amps, portable amps, headphones, Universal IEMs and CIEMs... Do you think I would not know how to match my taste of music? I like actually listen to UIEMs and CIEMs lately and do not know much about headphone cables I can afford.

 

[krismusic]

I have been playing in high end stereo system for quite a long time and had switched interconnects, speaker cables and even the power cables and clearly know there were some changes in sound I preferred to have (quite expensive hobby!).
Since I do not have much time to sit to listen to my musics hour long nowadays so I have switched to portable system (since I am traveling mostly) about couple years and slowly upgraded my headphone system. In addition, I have tried to change quite a lot of of DAC and/ or DAC amps, portable amps, headphones, Universal IEMs and CIEMs... Do you think I would not know how to match my taste of music? I like actually listen to UIEMs and CIEMs lately and do not know much about headphone cables I can afford.

In case you missed it there is a subset of Mojos that have a slightly lower voltage presented on the micro-usb and the Poly is looking for a specific voltage. The Mojos perform perfectly as DACs but will not trigger the Poly. Chord wants to replace the Polys of people who are having this problem with new ones that they have changed to sense a voltage rather looking for the specific voltage. I have 100% confidence that Chord will look after us all and we will not be left with paper-weights. Before exchanging the units make sure that only the new updated Polys are in the supply chain as you could get the same problem again. Mine waited 40 minutes or more to turn on. You could always get it replaced under warranty.

I am sure that Chord are getting to the bottom of this and organising the remedy. Chord are a world class organisation and have provided a whole new set of users the ability to hear how good music can sound. They design with a passion for their work and not matter how frustrating we may find this as end users it will be nothing to the disappointment that they are feeling.

Like you I started out with a speaker system and gradually arrived at quite a high end system. I then started trying different cables, including Russ Andrews power cables. I was convinced I could hear a difference. However over time I realised that I was still not enjoying listening to my system. The only real criteria IMO. I sold all my gear and concentrated on car audio. Ended up with an amazing system that I loved listening too. Life changed and I got into headphones. Tried various things until I ended up where I am now with Noble K10 CIEM's and Mojo. Could not be happier with the sound.
I'm not saying nothing makes a difference. Just that there is a lot of hokum, bad science and wishful thinking out there.IMHO.

 

[Midgetguy]

I'm been curious for a while as to how long some of the thread regulars have had their HD 600. This year, it's theoretically possible for the answer to be two decades. It's often implied that between the inherent durability of the design and the ready availability of replacement parts, it should be relatively easy to keep an HD 6x0 going for a long time. Anybody have one from the very beginning or around the turn of the millennium? Does it have any paint left on it?

I should see if my box has an indicator of when it was made. I bought mine used in great condition so I personally haven't put all that much mileage into it, having only owned it for the past 4 years and a bit. But as it's one with the old ribbon box, it should be from maybe the mid-2000s. So theoretically, mine may be upwards of about a decade old. Mine will inherently have less overall wear than average over time because I rotate between it, the TH-X00, and my speakers. Heck, in the summer, it doesn't really get much head-time at all because I don't have air-con at home and don't want to basically have ear-muffs on

 

[Lavakugel]

I'm looking for a 4.4mm blue cardas cable. Is this cable still best for HD6xx or is there another good option?

 

[BobG55]

I'm looking at Tyll Hertsens' Wall of Fame : Over-Ear Open Headphones list and noticed that he's removed quite a few expensive & very expensive ones from his WOF list including the Stax SR-009 ($5,250.00) that sat at the very top of his list for quite a while. Others include : Focal Utopia ($3,999.00), Audeze LCD-4 ($3995.00), Mr. Speakers Ether Flow ($1799.00), Focal Elear ($999.00), HD800 S ($1,699.00) to name a few. But there's one O-EO Headphone that is still on Tyll's WOF, that's been there for quite a while and that cost $399.00. Hint : it has most likely the best midrange of any of headphones mentioned so far in my post. You've guessed it by now : yep, the 20+ year old Sennheiser HD600

In the last couple of months I decided to minimize/ simplify my headphone audiophile collection : I sold my HD650, PS1000, HD800, SR325e, Focal Utopia; sold my Cambridge Azur 851C CD/ DAC/ Pre-amp CD player; sold my Hafler HA-75 Tube Head Headphone Amp, Rupert Neve Designs RNHP, Arcam rHead & Mapletree Ear+ HD.

I've kept & this is the ironic part, my HD600, the first quality headphone I bought back in 2003 although the ones I now have are not the original one I bought. But I've gone full circle. The headphone amp I kept is the modest JDS Labs Objective2 which IMHO is the best headphone amp under $1,000.00 and the synergy with the HD600 is absolutely astounding considering the price of both combined. I listen to CDs. I went back to my Teac PD-H600 which is one of the best pound for pound (price for price) CD players ever made. Some notable reviews state that it outperforms many CD players costing 3-4 times more. In the long run I realized that I prefer it to the Azur 851C which costs 3 times what the PD-H600 did.

After all these years of buying & selling all these different headphones, in the end I still love & prefer the HD600. I'm not saying that my modest set-up is as good as the high-end audiophile equipment. It's pretty good though and with well produced music the high-end equipment doesn't produce enough of a difference in the long run to justify my years of pursuing the ideal sound any longer. In the past I've owned the Zana Deux SE, the Headamp GS-X MKII, the Auralic Taurus MKII, the Headamp GS-1 & they possess attributes that the modes O2 doesn't, that's a no brainer but how much more ? Anyway, I digress.

My points are : I'm very glad the HD600 gets recognition for being one of the best headphones ever made regardless of price, that the synergy with the O2 which to me is to headphone amps ($1000.00 and under anyways) what the HD600 is to headphones & a superbly built (all aluminium) modest CD player with a superb internal DAC which outperforms CD players costing 3-4 times more. And the sound is pretty damn good.

 

[BobG55]

Error.

 

[jbarrentine]

You lost me with "O2 is the best amp under a grand" bit.

 

[BobG55]

You lost me with "O2 is the best amp under a grand" bit.

That's ok, we all have different opinons and tastes. Just my opinion.

 

[singleended5863]

Has anyone tried the HD-600 to O2 to Mojo and any sources? How does the combination sound? What headphone cables do you use for HD-600? Stock or any 3rd party ones?

 

[Adu]

Has anyone tried the HD-600 to O2 to Mojo and any sources? How does the combination sound? What headphone cables do you use for HD-600? Stock or any 3rd party ones?

I own HD600 and Mojo also; Mojo have enough juice to power HD600 but the final sound wasn’t my coupe of tea.
The cable of HD600 was standard although I mostly use after market cable, Russ Andrews HC-1 (Kimber Kable).

 

[Midgetguy]

Has anyone tried the HD-600 to O2 to Mojo and any sources? How does the combination sound? What headphone cables do you use for HD-600? Stock or any 3rd party ones?

Can't answer you on the O2 and Mojo question. Don't have either and don't intend to get them.

I use a third-party cable, cheap, effective, basically just a change in length as far as I'm concerned:
https://www.amazon.com/Replacement-...F8&qid=1515178387&sr=8-7&keywords=hd600+cable
Wish that when I bought the cable, the all-black was available. They hadn't released a version with black above the y-split back then, but they do have all-black now.