[CADCAM]

 
Cadcam,
Really nice mini-review! Congrats on a nice write-up! Like you, I was very, very impressed with my HD600s when I first got them and I enjoying them even more now that I have a Schiit Valhalla 2  OTL headphone amplifier to drive them. Really nice a combination of a neutral, quiet, clean and musical amplifier synergistically interacting with a classic headphone design that still performs at a  exceptionally high level today. I've only gotten into headphones at the very end of 2014; I've been a loudspeaker-based 'phile for the last 7 years, and have a very nice, rather high-end 2-channel system driving Dynaudio Contour S3.4 loudspeakers.
 
The transducer that HD600s reminds me most of are the classic Quad ESL-63 electrostatic loudspeakers, a speaker known for it's transparency, top to bottom coherence, and neutral yet remarkably beautiful and natural tonality. Much like the Quads, you can listen to the HD600s even at low levels and hear deeply into the music. When driven with first-class amplification electronics, ESL-63s, which are probably over 50 years old as a design can still compete with loudspeakers of today extremely favorably. The HD600s are very much like this in that regard. 
 
You've probably read that HD600s "scale" beautifully with better and better source and amplification electronics, and they do. They also scale with better power cords for the head amp and DAC and higher quality interconnects. They also scale, however, with better and better source material. They not only sound good with Redbook level 16/44 content, but drive them with exceptionally well-recorded and mastered higher res content, and they can be quite astonishingly good. 
 
One can always have more bass, more resolution, more sound staging, more this, more that, but at the end of the day, HD600s do more things better than almost any headphone I can think of, and most importantly, they create an an extremely engaging and beguiling listening experience. The fact that you can get this typically for around $250-$300 is a remarkable value proposition. 
 
And like you, I haven't been listening too much to my main loudspeaker-based system very much of late. 

For what it's worth I thought your post was appropriate to the HD600 thread. You not only showed knowledge of the HD600 but also 2 channel loudspeaker systems. It seems you can discuss whatever you want on this "tolerant" thread as long as it's within the boundaries of a few who seem a bit closed minded for my tastes. I believe you wholeheartedly when you say the HD600 scales up well relative to associated equipment including cables.

 

[Midgetguy]

   
It's a good question actually.  They are both relatively mid-forward (vocals) - and actually sound similar in that regard.  The A83 have a nice bass presence, but relative to the HD600 have a little more sub-bass (definitely deeper bass extension), where the HD600 has noticeably more mid-bass.  Both are very clear.  The HD600 sound a bit sweeter and airier, where the A83 comparatively (to the HD600) sound slightly darker and fuller.  The A83 are not dark earphones though.  Both have very good non-fatiguing treble (for my tastes).
 
Both also sound pretty natural to me - but neither sound overly flat or neutral.  The Fidue would be the more coloured of the two though.
 
The HD600 also has a little more refinement and resolution I think.
 
But the A83 remain my favourite IEM (at the moment) although I am auditioning something not yet on the market (made by a company virtually unknown to most on Head-Fi) which may give them a run for their money ...... (and these sound quite a bit like the HD600 to me so far 

).

Sounds like I may yet love the Fidue A83. I'm awaiting a pair got from a fellow Head-Fier. Figured I should try something in the high-end multi-driver realm and hybrids seem interesting. Alpha-testing an IEM eh? Nice! I don't suppose the NDA allows you to tell us what company? Even if we might not know it?

 

[Puma Cat]

  For what it's worth I thought your post was appropriate to the HD600 thread. You not only showed knowledge of the HD600 but also 2 channel loudspeaker systems. It seems you can discuss whatever you want on this "tolerant" thread as long as it's within the boundaries of a few who seem a bit closed minded for my tastes. I believe you wholeheartedly when you say the HD600 scales up well relative to associated equipment including cables.

Thank you, Cadcam. 

 

[Brooko]

Sounds like I may yet love the Fidue A83. I'm awaiting a pair got from a fellow Head-Fier. Figured I should try something in the high-end multi-driver realm and hybrids seem interesting. Alpha-testing an IEM eh? Nice! I don't suppose the NDA allows you to tell us what company? Even if we might not know it?

Not yet. All will be revealed in a few weeks I think ......

 

[Midgetguy]

Not yet. All will be revealed in a few weeks I think ......

Oh the wait! Be sure to keep me apprised of this information! I'd be quite interested to hear about what this is if it has a shot at matching up to a Fidue A83.

 

[robbo0]

Hey everyone, hoping some HD 600 or similar owners can help me out here. I'm etching to buy a DAC/AMP as soon as possible.
 
I was originally thinking of the Schiit Modi uber 2 / Magni uber 2 or Vahalla 2. However there wasn't great stock levels in the UK, and I ended up doing some more research.
 
I'm now thinking Audio-GD is my best bet. I understand some people have had some driver issues but I'm quite PC literate and am fairly confident I can get a fix - also read that newer models/drivers (2014/2015) have fixed issues. 
 
I hear the Audio-GD are generally better sounding and more powerful than the Schiit combos - however one of the most important things is I also currently have a pre-amp/integrated amp setup for my speakers through a Xonar DS sound-card. I read that some of the Audio - GD will allow me to plug my speakers in, or even my pre-amp if I wanted to adjust sound signature, and have headphones in front - so it seems a win win. I can also use coaxial / SPDIF from my Xonar DS or USB as well as adding OAMP to Xonar DS. Makes me future proof and allows lots of flexibility, and sound signature changes.
 
For the most part I use Spotify Premium as my source of music on "Extreme Quality" as I have a large library and it saves me a lot of hassle in terms of music management.
 
Is there a particular model one would suggest for me for the HD600 from the Audio-GD range and is there anyone who thinks I'd be wrong going this route instead of Schiit (bearing in mind my speakers I mentioned above). I'm new  to the audiophile scene but reading that the Sabre DAC chip is the bomb - however the model numbers of the Audio-GD confuse me as they same random and different release dates (i.e. models aren't sequential with quality/released dates). 
 
I'm wanting one of the later models (2014/2015) so it has fixes for any old bugs, hardware/software issues with the decent Sabre DAC chip. I was looking at the NFB-11 as it has decent DAC chip is a DAC/AMP combo powerful enough for my HD600s and allows flexibility with my speakers/old pre-amp or intergrated amp. (I hear there's a 2014 or newer revision. - whats the NFB-11.32?) - Is there any customs that are worth adding to the NFB-11?
 
P.S. - When I say I'm etching to buy a DAC ASAP I may literally jump on the NFB-11 DAC/AMP combo minutes after this post... in the hope I qualify for the 5% discount. - so if anybody knows about this HD600 pairing and could give me quick reason to either follow through or not too that would be greatly appreciated!

 

[goldtuba]

  Hey everyone, hoping some HD 600 or similar owners can help me out here. I'm etching to buy a DAC/AMP as soon as possible.
 
I was originally thinking of the Schiit Modi uber 2 / Magni uber 2 or Vahalla 2. However there wasn't great stock levels in the UK, and I ended up doing some more research.
 
I'm now thinking Audio-GD is my best bet. I understand some people have had some driver issues but I'm quite PC literate and am fairly confident I can get a fix - also read that newer models/drivers (2014/2015) have fixed issues. 
 
I hear the Audio-GD are generally better sounding and more powerful than the Schiit combos - however one of the most important things is I also currently have a pre-amp/integrated amp setup for my speakers through a Xonar DS sound-card. I read that some of the Audio - GD will allow me to plug my speakers in, or even my pre-amp if I wanted to adjust sound signature, and have headphones in front - so it seems a win win. I can also use coaxial / SPDIF from my Xonar DS or USB as well as adding OAMP to Xonar DS. Makes me future proof and allows lots of flexibility, and sound signature changes.
 
For the most part I use Spotify Premium as my source of music on "Extreme Quality" as I have a large library and it saves me a lot of hassle in terms of music management.
 
Is there a particular model one would suggest for me for the HD600 from the Audio-GD range and is there anyone who thinks I'd be wrong going this route instead of Schiit (bearing in mind my speakers I mentioned above). I'm new  to the audiophile scene but reading that the Sabre DAC chip is the bomb - however the model numbers of the Audio-GD confuse me as they same random and different release dates (i.e. models aren't sequential with quality/released dates). 
 
I'm wanting one of the later models (2014/2015) so it has fixes for any old bugs, hardware/software issues with the decent Sabre DAC chip. I was looking at the NFB-11 as it has decent DAC chip is a DAC/AMP combo powerful enough for my HD600s and allows flexibility with my speakers/old pre-amp or intergrated amp. (I hear there's a 2014 or newer revision. - whats the NFB-11.32?) - Is there any customs that are worth adding to the NFB-11?
 
P.S. - When I say I'm etching to buy a DAC ASAP I may literally jump on the NFB-11 DAC/AMP combo minutes after this post... in the hope I qualify for the 5% discount. - so if anybody knows about this HD600 pairing and could give me quick reason to either follow through or not too that would be greatly appreciated!

 
I just bought the Audio GD 1.32 DAC about a month ago, and I absolutely love it.  The best way to describe the sound is wide and detailed as one would expect from a Sabre DAC.  It was initially bright, but the treble tamed a bit the more I used it.  I think that they compliment the Sennheisers well as it seems to help the slight deficiencies, while keeping all of the strenghts.  I auditioned several DACs including those from Schitt and NAD, but the Audio GD easily bests them and is a great buy for the price. I can't comment on their amps as I am yet to hear one.
 
The only issues I ever have with the driver are with the ASIO drivers in Foobar2000.  Occasionally there will be an issue with DSD files, but everything is works fine. 

 

[CADCAM]

I use a Beresford Bushmaster MKII as a DAC and the Capella amp. Just got the Capella in and it sounds excellent with great detail in my limited time with it. The Bushmaster DAC does not have USB inputs but the Caiman does and I hear it may actually sound superior to the BM. I do not listen to music from my computer so I can't comment on driver support. I do run both from an Anker external battery.
I find the HD600 sounds excellent with all my amps though, just a great headphone. I was listening last night from my Keces amp and it was an amazing listening session. I'm listening right now from my Little Dot MKIII and have a great big smile on my face. I didn't think I was a Sennheiser guy but this is a fantastic sounding headphone.
 
Listening to My Education -Bad Vibrations

 

[Hal X]

Ok just finished painting my new HD600's. Many layers of paint( black and silver metal, then various layers of gloss), the trasparent paint is still drying up.

 

Cups were dyed with dark silver paint and Sennheiser logo with silver paint marker. The plastic edges were painted with glossy trasparent paint.
 

Tomorrow I will post a pic of these reassembled.

 

[Hal X]

Here's the finished job

 

 


 
I think i will let the paint rest a little bit more, just to be sure.
 
Added a blue shade to the Sennheiser logo

 

[Sundown]

That's atrocious.

 

[d4rkch1ld]

Ghetto paint job I kinda like it

 

[sicko]

Had you only painted the Sennheiser logo on the grills (without the blue shade), it would've been perfect.

 

[sampson_smith]

Not bad! I like the blue accent. Keep it up.

 

[krismusic]

Each to their own. As long as you like the result.