[Music Path]

   
Based on my own experience I would say it's very true. Going from Vali to Project Polaris was a exceedingly different experience with the same headphone. I really thought it sounded good with the Vali, but was wrong. Again: A whole new experience with better amping. 

It does make a good diference until certain point. DAC and Source are important too. Make equaly a big diference. Not only amp. Maybie because of that some may think they need a stronger amp.

 

[bracko]

   
Admittedly the X1 is a superior headphone, especially when it comes to bass, but still. 

 
Superior to what headphone? I hope you are not referring to HD600/650 here. 

 X1 is not superior to HD600/650. Different but not better.    

 

[zeed]

I think it's just that my ears don't mesh well with the HD 600 and the HD 650 to a lesser degree. Neutrality is only part of sound quality, a neutral and natural headphone can lack refinement. FR response and timbre is only part of the equation. I never found the HD 650 bloated in the bass personally. Some reason both the HD 650 and the HD 600 causes me aural fatigue, making them my two most fatiguing headphones. That's why I'm thinking it's simply my ears that don't like the Senns, and nothing may actually be wrong with the HD 600. I think I may just need to let go of the HD 600 and invest in different headphones.

How would you rate the DT150 and the AKG712 in terms of timbre, tonality, transient speed and hear fatigue, compared to HD600?

 

[zeed]

Superior to what headphone? I hope you are not referring to HD600/650 here. :blink:  X1 is not superior to HD600/650. Different but not better.    

I agree on that.
I had a pair of X2 for 3 weeks and compared them directly to Hd600.
While sometimes on male vocals X2 was even more gorgeous and gave more goosegumps,the extra bass was too much for me (not neutral at all to me) and sometimes female vocals sounded weird and way inferior to HD600.

 

[Solrighal]

I find the idea that the HD600 fatigues anyone to be mindblowing. It's an incredibly even, polite headphone.

 
+1

 

[bracko]

I agree on that.
I had a pair of X2 for 3 weeks and compared them directly to Hd600.
While sometimes on male vocals X2 was even more gorgeous and gave more goosegumps,the extra bass was too much for me (not neutral at all to me) and sometimes female vocals sounded weird and way inferior to HD600.

 
I have heard Fidelio X2 and really like the sound and think they are clearly comparable to HD600 with nice easy going sound and fine balance. I wouldn't say that they are superior to HD600, not inferior either. They are actually, in my ears, on a quite similar level of performance. I like them both and could live with any of them. I've chosen HD600 but have had plans of getting X2 to use at work. I think they're really nice headphones.

 

[kman1211]

How would you rate the DT150 and the AKG712 in terms of timbre, tonality, transient speed and hear fatigue, compared to HD600?

The DT 150 is one of the least fatiguing headphones I've come across, tonality and timbre it's a tough call, the HD 600 is more even sounding, but the DT 150 can be eerily real sounding especially with vocals. The DT 150 can sound bloated and off on the wrong system, but my experience what sounds good on the HD 600 sounds good on the DT 150. Transient response wise I would say the HD 600 to be a bit quicker.

The K712 is quicker than the Senns and Beyers in terms of transient response. I find them a bit less fatiguing than the HD 600 but a little more fatiguing than the DT 150. HD 600 has better timbre and tonality, the K712 can have an almost glossy sound to it at times, this can be helped depending on the system, but certain recordings the treble and upper mids are a bit odd. It's very precise in its imaging and more spacious sounding than the HD 600. I would say tonality and timbre wise the cheaper K612 is more comparable to the HD 600 than the K712.

 

[CADCAM]

  Hello,
i'm thinking getting the HD600 to compliment the HD650, but are they that similar as they say? Who owns both?

I researched this quite a bit in the past and came to the conclusion that my HD600 is enough...I have other headphones but not the 650.

 

[bracko]

  I researched this quite a bit in the past and came to the conclusion that my HD600 is enough...I have other headphones but not the 650.

+1

 

[kman1211]

Decided to swap the drivers of the HD 600 and HD 650 and results are interesting, the acoustic film over the driver is definitely has different sonic properties between the two. The HD 650's acoustic film makes things a bit cleaner, darker, and warmer. The HD 650 drivers are cleaner, more spacious, and colder sounding than the HD 600 drivers. The HD 600 drivers sound darker, fuller, and warmer than the HD 650 drivers. Not sure if things have been changed with newer HD 600s. My HD 650 came in the new box and my HD 600 came in the old box. The model numbers(600129) on the drivers are the same and they were made only 4 months apart from each other, yet HD 650 drivers looks a little different and sounds different. The date on the HD 600 driver is 17-04-14 and the HD 650 driver is 27-08-14
 
  Left: HD 600                            Right: HD 650

 

[CADCAM]

That's strange I would have thought the exact opposite.

 

[kman1211]

  That's strange I would have thought the exact opposite.

It seems there could of been a revision to the drivers. The the foam under the pads is different(texture is rougher and more porous on the HD 650). The pads seem a bit more resilient to wear on the HD 650, the HD 650 pads have roughly the same usage as the HD 600s. I get the feeling they could use the same drivers given the model number is the same, but I could possibly have two different revisions. The difference from sound mainly being the acoustic film and possibly the drivers if they are different and it's not just a revision. What's interesting when I put the HD 600 drivers in the HD 650, it sounds like what I expect from the descriptions of the HD 650. Similar to the HD 600 but a bit darker, warmer, and smoother. With the stock drivers the HD 650 had zestier treble, slightly recessed mids, only slightly more bass presence, and a more spacious sound compared to the HD 600.

 

[bracko]

I have also tried to interchange the drivers between my HD650 and HD600. I think that the drivers themselves don't have as big an impact as the plastic housing.  

 

[kman1211]

  I have also tried to interchange the drivers between my HD650 and HD600. I think that the drivers themselves don't have as big an impact as the plastic housing

Do they both come in the newer box or the older box? Or one of each? For me the driver made the biggest difference, my HD 650 had the new packaging while the HD 600 had the old packaging. I'm starting to think they really did revise the headphones with the newer packaging. Would explain why my HD 600 and HD 650 sound so different and why there is a lot of differing opinions between the two recently.

 

[bracko]

  Do they both come in the newer box or the older box? Or one of each? For me the driver made the biggest difference, my HD 650 had the new packaging while the HD 600 had the old packaging. I'm starting to think they really did revise the headphones with the newer packaging. Would explain why my HD 600 and HD 650 sound so different and why there is a lot of differing opinions between the two recently.

My HD600 are manufactured this year (new box). My HD650 drivers are from 2011.