[Midgetguy]

  Man finding an upgrade to the HD600s is difficult honestly prefer their sonic signature over anything else in their price range, but i think upgrading to planars later down the line has reached the point of diminishing returns. I don't think i can ever part ways with them even if i do buy something more expensive ill always go back to them. That's how good I feel they are.

My HD600s certainly aren't going anywhere. I just bought an HE-560 and yes they are the better headphone and might end up as my main for at least the short term. But the HD600s not only have nostalgic value for me as my first actual foray into the Hi-Fi world, but also will continue to be my benchmark for a headphone that just does things right. The comfort, the sound quality, the price, the HD600 just nails those and are a clear example of how to make a headphone the right way in my opinion.
 

That upper mid peak was the reason I sold mine.
I was very sensitive to it. It stood out like a sore thumb to me.
If it hadn't been for that one little flaw, I would have kept mine without hesitation.
BTW, I also sold my Hifiman HE-560 due to a peak in the same area too. Lol.

I'm kinda glad I'm not sensitive to it; actually works well for me. And I just bought an HE-560 and am enjoying it immensely as I type this.
 

  I compared the HE560 and the HD600 not too long ago and I found the Hifiman's lower treble to be much more bothersome relatively
 
The original HD6xx's had that veil. My friend has one of those and it has that sound. Senn made a silent revision somewhere down the line and neither headphone is no longer what I would consider veiled. For those looking for treble irregularities or rolled-off bass to increase "detail" it might sound veiled.

I don't have any problems with either the HD600 or the HE-560, the latter of which I actually just got today. I'm wondering if the veil thing for the HD6xx cans changed at different times. I have an HD600 that still has the old box packaging, but is new enough to have the white drivers and my bro has the HD650 with the old box as well, maybe from about 2008ish I think. When I listen to his HD650, I feel something is a little off, but all is well when listening to my HD600.

 

[Draulius]

  Man finding an upgrade to the HD600s is difficult honestly prefer their sonic signature over anything else in their price range, but i think upgrading to planars later down the line has reached the point of diminishing returns. I don't think i can ever part ways with them even if i do buy something more expensive ill always go back to them. That's how good I feel they are.

Have you tried comparing to the DT880's?

 

[sanakimpro]

  I'm primarily interested in a comparison of the soundstage.

Hey! I got a chance to test them side by side. I used the O2/ODAC as usual with The Eagles' Hotel California and Metallica's live recorded tracks from Through the Never.
I'd have to say that the sound stage to my ears isn't very different in terms of size. But I felt that the DT 880's flatter response made the treble instruments come out clearer, enabling easier recognition of those instruments (cymbals, hi hats,etc). 
To me, I'd say they have different signatures, with the HD 600 being more laid back and the 880 being sharper. Not by a large margin, IMO, but enough to make me able to distinguish them.
 
I hope that is clear to you. Feel free to ask if you need more comparisons.
Cheers, atoniolin.

 

[Draulius]

Anybody know how the HD600 compares to DT880 for gaming?
 
I'm asking because I do some gaming when I'm not listening to music. I hear the HD600 is more open, so maybe that'd give it an edge?
 
Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.

 

[CADCAM]

Just had to say I'm doing some work around the house so I'm down to one setup for headphones. It's an Oppo feeding a Bushmaster MKII into a Capella amp. I've been tweaking the features on the Capella for my DT880's so I've been listeing to the HD600's straight out of the Bushmaster DAC\amp and these cans sound great with everything! Listening to Six String II ~ The Burnin' Sessions and the HD600's sound absolutely fantastic! Even though this is not a dedicated HPA it still sounds great and that's one of the things I love about the HD600 it's not a headphone that is super picky with associated equipment, it seems to sound good with every amp I have (except O2) and scales well with better equipment. I plan on keeping these for a very long time.

 

[PinkyPowers]

I've owned my HD600s for a few months now. Since January I've spent over a grand in audio equipment. Never have I been more satisfied with a purchase than with these phones. They are so delightful to the ears. I can listen forever without fatigue, and only mild discomfort from the padding after multiple hours. Even that is easy to ignore, as overall they are very comfortable.
 
I love these babies.

 

[metal571]

I heard the 600 years ago, but told myself to make sure I tried everything else I could before coming back to them. Turns out they're still the best sounding headphone I've heard, and I greatly prefer them to the 800. They're also the most tonally accurate I've heard so far as well. Just beautiful, extended treble and an extremely natural sound. There's no comparison against the DT880 or K701 or Q701 (owned all of those as well) when it comes to the tonal naturality.

 

[AllMight]

i am currently using ad700x and srh940. should i upgrade to hd600. 

 

[StanD]

  i am currently using ad700x and srh940. should i upgrade to hd600. 

I think that only you can truly answer that question. I think they're great, however, you should find a way to listen to them and see if you really like them.

 

[K_19]

  The bass on the 600 is perfect the way it is, it's just that upper mid peak that needs to be shaved off. EQ takes care of it well without much distortion, since it's only a couple of db.
 
It looks like you eventually chose MA900 over your HD650. Why so?

 
Purely for comfort reasons. The HD650 (and the 600's for that matter) IMO are superior to MA900 in nearly every way sonically, but with my TMJ, their clamp and the shape of their cups (oval cups of this size always gives me pain, circular pads like MA900 and K7** agree better with my jaw) I could never wear it pain free for more than an hour. I really love the HD650's sound and was actually stubborn enough to buy it on THREE separate occasions to try again and again to somehow get it to work for me, but I could never solve that comfort problem... and yes, I've tried bending the headband etc, but I eventually realized it's mainly just due to how the cups line up to my jaw, as even a weaker clamp would start to hurt my jaw after a while...and even more telling was the fact that I found the LCD-2's, which actually clamp MUCH harder than the HD650s, much more comfortable on my face and jaw due to their bigger rounder cups and wider clamping pressure distribution. It really sucks when you finally find a headphone with a sound signature you feel is pretty much perfect for your own needs, but then find that you can't wear it for extended period of time without pain 

...
 
One day I may become daring enough to try a more drastic mod on the HD650 to try to improve the comfort enough for my needs somehow... but for now, the MA900's have been an acceptable substitute with it tonally being close enough to HD6**'s (somewhere in between HD600 and HD650 actually, IMO) and with its second-to-none wearing comfort.

 

[Midgetguy]

   
Purely for comfort reasons. The HD650 (and the 600's for that matter) IMO are superior to MA900 in nearly every way sonically, but with my TMJ, their clamp and the shape of their cups (oval cups of this size always gives me pain, circular pads like MA900 and K7** agree better with my jaw) I could never wear it pain free for more than an hour. I really love the HD650's sound and was actually stubborn enough to buy it on THREE separate occasions to try again and again to somehow get it to work for me, but I could never solve that comfort problem... and yes, I've tried bending the headband etc, but I eventually realized it's mainly just due to how the cups line up to my jaw, as even a weaker clamp would start to hurt my jaw after a while...and even more telling was the fact that I found the LCD-2's, which actually clamp MUCH harder than the HD650s, much more comfortable on my face and jaw due to their bigger rounder cups and wider clamping pressure distribution. It really sucks when you finally find a headphone with a sound signature you feel is pretty much perfect for your own needs, but then find that you can't wear it for extended period of time without pain 

...
 
One day I may become daring enough to try a more drastic mod on the HD650 to try to improve the comfort enough for my needs somehow... but for now, the MA900's have been an acceptable substitute with it tonally being close enough to HD6**'s (somewhere in between HD600 and HD650 actually, IMO) and with its second-to-none wearing comfort.

Have you tried the Philips Fidelio X1 before? I haven't been able to compare it to the HD650, but it's got a more bassy presentation while still feeling quite open and not actually overpowering the rest of the spectrum. It might be a good fit for you if you can't do the HD650s cuz the X1s also use a circular cup. Might be worth a shot, they're even cheaper than your MA900s, though I dunno how they'd compare in SQ.

 

[DavidA]

 
Have you tried the Philips Fidelio X1 before? I haven't been able to compare it to the HD650, but it's got a more bassy presentation while still feeling quite open and not actually overpowering the rest of the spectrum. It might be a good fit for you if you can't do the HD650s cuz the X1s also use a circular cup. Might be worth a shot, they're even cheaper than your MA900s, though I dunno how they'd compare in SQ.

Agree to this.  Just wanted to add that for some the X1's adjustment range was not sufficient so suggest trying first if at all possible.

 

[C6H5CH3]

  hey guys! I've just snagged a pair of HD 600s off ebay, after months of seeing it pop up every where. I'm coming from the beyer T1's presentation, so I'm hoping to get a different presentation.
For now, I'll be powering them with my humble O2/ODAC combo (which I also use for T1s and sound remarkably clear!).
I have a question on upgrading cables for the hd600. any advice in that department?
Music taste is quite general but I like heavier, fuller bass for my metal, rock, edm, but spend time with classical too!
Thanks for your replies.
Best, aton

A couple of years ago I found myself in the same situation and went to see whether cables make any difference at all.
I decided on a Toxic Cables Scorpion, since I thought I could at least justify the asking price for the higher built quality, if not for the sound.
 
Impressions:
Bass is sweet and full, extending low and clear, pleasantly complementing the 600's signature, without being overbearing.
Being spoiled by the HD 600's naturalness, the resulting muddying of the lower mids hit me as very negative at first.
This however was a price I quickly found myself willing to pay and get used to, in favour of achieving the very "oomph" I was looking for.
Lacking the equipment to measure this, I can only say that the felt difference was easily several dB; so more than just a subtle change.
I may have noticed a slightly blacker background as well, but cannot say with certainty that it maybe wasn't just placebo effect.
No discernible differences in any other frequencies or aspects for me, compared to the stock cable.
 
It won't transform your HD 600 in a DT 770, but the heavier bass will be significant enough that if you enjoy Rock, Electronica or Jazz, you might just fall in love with your HD 600's all over again.
The added weight is most welcome with orchestral or cello works, but might work a bit less well with other types of performances, due to the shift towards more warmth.
This at least was my experience.

 

[sanakimpro]

 
A couple of years ago I found myself in the same situation and went to see whether cables make any difference at all.
I decided on a Toxic Cables Scorpion, since I thought I could at least justify the asking price for the higher built quality, if not for the sound.
 
Impressions:
Bass is sweet and full, extending low and clear, pleasantly complementing the 600's signature, without being overbearing.
Being spoiled by the HD 600's naturalness, the resulting muddying of the lower mids hit me as very negative at first.
This however was a price I quickly found myself willing to pay and get used to, in favour of achieving the very "oomph" I was looking for.
Lacking the equipment to measure this, I can only say that the felt difference was easily several dB; so more than just a subtle change.
I may have noticed a slightly blacker background as well, but cannot say with certainty that it maybe wasn't just placebo effect.
No discernible differences in any other frequencies or aspects for me, compared to the stock cable.
 
It won't transform your HD 600 in a DT 770, but the heavier bass will be significant enough that if you enjoy Rock, Electronica or Jazz, you might just fall in love with your HD 600's all over again.
The added weight is most welcome with orchestral or cello works, but might work a bit less well with other types of performances, due to the shift towards more warmth.
This at least was my experience.

Wow! Thank you! I am loving the HD 600 on stock for now. But will keep an eye out if the Toxic Cable Scorpion's price drops. It's now costing the same price as my HD 600! 
Thank you for your detailed thoughts.  

 

[StanD]

  Wow! Thank you! I am loving the HD 600 on stock for now. But will keep an eye out if the Toxic Cable Scorpion's price drops. It's now costing the same price as my HD 600! 
Thank you for your detailed thoughts.  

You might want to try before you buy. IMO there is no reason for it to sound any different than what came with your HD600. Some people say so, others do not. So as I said try before you buy. In the meantme, enjoy your HD600's.