[MattTCG]

I have officially switched over to the (not so) dark side. 

 Picked up a mint pair of 600's this weekend. Love 'em!! 

 

[cswann1]

There are no revisions of the HD600. The color of the cloth used for the drivers is of no importance.  Any HD600 will sound like any other HD600.

 

[BobG55]

  I have officially switched over to the (not so) dark side. 

 Picked up a mint pair of 600's this weekend. Love 'em!! 

Congratulations MattTCG.  I own both HD6xx & love the 600 also.  I've gone through many more expensive HPs (i.e. HD800, LCD2, Tesla t1, etc.) which are now gone but I've had both HD6xx for years & they're still my favourites.  The HD600 is the type of HP that does nothing spectacular that stands out but does everything just right IMHO.  One of the best HPs ever made.  You'll never get tired of them. 

 

[MattTCG]

I can appreciate both the 600 and 650 each for their own abilities. The frugal nature in me says pick one and sell the other as they are similarly voiced. But it would be like selling off one of your children. 

 

[BobG55]

  I can appreciate both the 600 and 650 each for their own abilities. The frugal nature in me says pick one and sell the other as they are similarly voiced. But it would be like selling off one of your children. 

Not disputing what you're saying Matt, everybody hears differently I believe &/or has different tastes/interpretations.  In my case I find the HD600 & the HD650 quite different in sound.  The hardest of the two to describe, for me anyways, is the 650.  What some call the veil (

) I call boxed-in/smaller, less expanded but deeper soundstage which is quite detailed with periodic notes or percussion sounds, guitar lick that seems to come out of nowhere, sneaks in (out of left field I call it) to my ears anyways.  I can't part with either one.

 

[madwolfa]

  There are no revisions of the HD600. The color of the cloth used for the drivers is of no importance.  Any HD600 will sound like any other HD600.

 
I can attest that. I always had an old (black screened) version and when I've replaced the drivers there was no change in sound.

 

[heishiro]

   In my case I find the HD600 & the HD650 quite different in sound.

I also agree with this, before i buy my HD600 i compared it with HD650 for more than an hour.
I don't know the exact "audiophile" word to describe everything i hear.. but ill just use a simple pointing system
 
HD600 -
Bass : 8/10 (a bit lack of bass quantity for disco/dance songs) but not bad for an open back headphone
                  - i must say for my ears the bass is just enough for most genre.
Mid : 10/10 (perfect! just the way i want to hear)
High : 10/10 (good Lord! this is the turning point of my purchase HD600)
 
HD650-
Bass : 10/10 (for an open back headphone)
Mid : 9.5/10 (for my ears the bass frequency somewhat mess up with the mids)
High : 7/10 (i can't hear a good spark,the high sounds like hitting a tin can)
         - i don't want to offend anyone but i really don't like the high from the 650
 
also when it comes to female vocals specially Celine Dion, the 600 really shines for my ears.
maybe because Celine Dion's voice is at the high frequency range that's why her vocals really shines on 600.
 
 
above impressions are personal please don't start a world war..

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  I also agree with this, before i buy my HD600 i compared it with HD650 for more than an hour.

 
Were the earpads in comparable condition? Did you also try swapping out the earpads?

 

[heishiro]

  Were the earpads in comparable condition? Did you also try swapping out the earpads?

The 600 pads is more used, the 650 pads is in better condition. Even the headphone's condition the 650's paint are still intact with scratches
while the 600 shows a lot of faded print. No i didn't swap the pads.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  The 600 pads is more used, the 650 pads is in better condition. Even the headphone's condition the 650's paint are still intact with scratches
while the 600 shows a lot of faded print. No i didn't swap the pads.

 
On brand new pads the differences are very hard to pick out actually, almost identical. It's when you have really worn pads on both that you get the huge differences - HD650 tends to sound darker, HD600 tends to get bloated bass with some sharpness in the treble. In the case of the units you tried swapping out the pads likely would have reduced some of the treble and bass on the HD600 while probably rolling off the treble on the HD650.
 
In any case both of these (and the HD580) are easily affected by earpad wear; a lot of people who feel the jones to upgrade at some point tend to use them a lot more and on such occassions I notice there was barely any mention of just getting new earpads for them.

 

[VALIENTE]

Sennheiser HD600 is starting to impress me...

 

[grandcross]

New HD600 user here. I couldn't resist trying them out - I liked the HD598, but I wanted to go even further beyond to get the clarity/detail, and I got just that with the 600.
 
I spent almost all of my free time the past few days researching opinions on the HD600 - comparisons of them against the Sony MA900, DT 880/990, Fidelio X1, HE-400, K701/2, Q701, etc. It seems to me that the HD600 is more or less the measuring stick against all other headphones in its dollar range. Moreover, people who have tried the aforementioned headphones and the HD600 more often than not decided to keep their HD600 and return the others. There were a few people who decided to keep their Sony, Beyer, Philips, Hifiman, AKG - because they do offer their own unique sound signature - but very few actually returned or sold their HD600's (to my knowledge). In other words, the HD600 seems to have the highest chances of people liking and accepting them. So it was with all that that I decided to go with the 600's in the end.
 
I'd like to say that I'm "all set" now - I also got myself the Magni, replacing my Fiio E11 (regrettably so - didn't want to spend even more money, but the Magni did outperform the Fiio - also, I got extremely tired of charging batteries). But I'm second-guessing myself already...I'm genuinely curious about the DT 880's sound signature. Maybe I'll buy them and return them like I did with the 598 if it's not up to par? Or maybe I should stop while I'm ahead, lol.
 
Anyway, just kind of rambling here, but I wanted to make sure I made the right decision, even at the expense of my wallet.
 
 
tl;dr the HD600 is good, I'm tired of all the research I've done in making that decision. Very curious about the DT 880 though...halp

 

[madwolfa]

You will not be disappointed, IMO.

 

[BobG55]

  Sennheiser HD600 is starting to impress me...

& it will probably keep impressing you.  I bought my 1st pair in 2002 & regretted selling them later on.  After searching for HP nirvana I purchased a brand new pair again & I distinctly remember my reaction when I put them on again : a smile came across my face, like seeing an old friend again you dearly missed.  I knew then I would never get rid of them again.
 
Quote:

  New HD600 user here. I couldn't resist trying them out - I liked the HD598, but I wanted to go even further beyond to get the clarity/detail, and I got just that with the 600.

+1 Congratulations grandcross.  IMHO the HD600 is not just one of the best HPs at it's price level, it's one of the best HPs out there period.  If you have a good source for your music & a good amplifier to complement the HD600 it's performance is quite good & enjoyable.  To my ears it does nothing special but everything well.

 

[CADCAM]

  New HD600 user here. I couldn't resist trying them out - I liked the HD598, but I wanted to go even further beyond to get the clarity/detail, and I got just that with the 600.
 
I spent almost all of my free time the past few days researching opinions on the HD600 - comparisons of them against the Sony MA900, DT 880/990, Fidelio X1, HE-400, K701/2, Q701, etc. It seems to me that the HD600 is more or less the measuring stick against all other headphones in its dollar range. Moreover, people who have tried the aforementioned headphones and the HD600 more often than not decided to keep their HD600 and return the others. There were a few people who decided to keep their Sony, Beyer, Philips, Hifiman, AKG - because they do offer their own unique sound signature - but very few actually returned or sold their HD600's (to my knowledge). In other words, the HD600 seems to have the highest chances of people liking and accepting them. So it was with all that that I decided to go with the 600's in the end.
 
I'd like to say that I'm "all set" now - I also got myself the Magni, replacing my Fiio E11 (regrettably so - didn't want to spend even more money, but the Magni did outperform the Fiio - also, I got extremely tired of charging batteries). But I'm second-guessing myself already...I'm genuinely curious about the DT 880's sound signature. Maybe I'll buy them and return them like I did with the 598 if it's not up to par? Or maybe I should stop while I'm ahead, lol.
 
Anyway, just kind of rambling here, but I wanted to make sure I made the right decision, even at the expense of my wallet.
 
 
tl;dr the HD600 is good, I'm tired of all the research I've done in making that decision. Very curious about the DT 880 though...halp

I've been toying with getting the HD600 as well but unlike you I had the HD598 and was not impressed. They always sounded veiled to me with a grain in there also. Not horrible but not the sound I was looking for. I do have the DT880 (600Ohm) and really enjoy them. They do so many things right IMO. Since the HD598 sound wasn't for me do you feel the HD600 would be a wrong move?
I have tube and SS amps but would hate if I got the HD600 and felt it was more or less a step up from the HD598 with the same sound signature.