Mike Ting from Headfonia recently asked me on Twitter how the HD 600 was for heavy rock/metal music. I shared my response on his site and it seems fitting to also share it here. FYI: Though this review is geared towards rock music, these days I tend to listen to many different styles of music.
Firstly, the HD600 has changed the way I hear music, wonderfully so.
I find the HD 600 quite neutral and with them, I hear the details on a recording with plenty of pace and clarity and nothing seems to be overemphasized; the HD600 clearly portrays the whole picture of the recordings I hear. It’s a great all-round headphone that can work really well with most types of music, including rock music.
Rocking out with the HD 600
With the HD600, if I listen to music such as heavy rock and metal, I can certainly rock out, and the ‘rock out factor’ is largely determined by the quality and sonic balance of the recording I’m listening to. Using the HD 600 and flat EQ, I’m probably more likely to rock out and move to recordings that have more low-end weight which moves the HD 600 diaphragms more.
‘Freedom’ by Rage Against The Machine is an example of a heavy rock recording that has quite a bit of low-end weight to it. I just listened to it with the HD 600 in the process of writing this and found myself rocking and moving my body, quite enjoyably.
The HD 600 provides a subtler experience of rock music than with headphones such as the Sennheiser HD 25-1 or Grado PS-1, which are more ‘forward,’ sounding, and the HD 600 and could be described as a bit thin or light for some tastes, but if the recording is of good quality then the HD 600 will reflect that and reveal the vibe of the music with clarity.
With the HD 600, the sonic detail and quality of well-recorded music is a treat. Music with relatively complex parts e.g. Lateralus’ by Tool is great to hear. With the HD 600, the drums on ‘Lateralus’ have plenty of PRaT, though at the end of the song, I’ve sometimes wanted to feel more sub bass, but I enjoy hearing the bass relative to the other parts of the recording. It seems that when I use the HD 600, I constantly listen to the overall picture of the music as my default perspective.
With fast-paced music, such as songs by the heavy metal band Slayer, the HD 600 isn’t as ‘forward’ and ‘aggressive’ as headphones like the Grado PS-I can make music sound, but the HD600 is a relatively softer listen and easier on the ears which still provides plenty of pace and clarity.
If you intend to listen to faster-paced rock music with the HD 600, I’d also recommend using a DAC/Amp to enhance clarity and impact. When I used the HD 600 via my laptop’s headphone out, the details in fast rock music were rather difficult to hear, but the DAC/Amp I used was quite inexpensive and made the computer noise disappear and the music sound clearer with more visceral impact, which I found satisfying.
Some overall impressions of the HD 600
The HD 600 is a great all-round, neutral sounding headphone that facilitates hearing the whole picture of a recording. Listening with the HD 600 is what I imagine it would be like to listen to music via high-quality neutral-sounding monitor speakers with a thin sheet of fabric between the speakers and my ears (to illustrate how the HD 600 seems to soften the treble slightly).
I really enjoy the HD 600, and rank it among the ‘best’ headphones on the planet at this (‘best’ being totally subjective, of course). Someone I know who owns a Sennheiser Orpheus said that ‘you can’t go wrong with the HD 600,’ and I think that says a lot. They're both enjoyable headphones to use.
But at the end of the day, it’s the music that matters. Since I got the HD 600, I stopped listening to headphones and started listening to music more. The HD 600 really get out of the way and put the music on display. I like that.
