[yangian]

En, interesting

 

[Dobrescu George]

Does anyone else use some sort of EQ or bass enhancement on their HD600s? I personally feel that listening to digital music on my phone I need some extra low end for them to be their most enjoyable. I use Tidal. Thoughts?....

No phone I know of can really drive HD600 very well...

Increasing the bass via EQ on a smartphone actually makes things worse for them, since they need more power, which the phone usually is unable to provide.

Really! For 6XX, I only need to turn a little bit more than half of the max volume.

Well, loud volume is not exactly the same as well driven

 

[yangian]

Well, loud volume is not exactly the same as well driven

Who don't know this? Go to Pono thread to acknowledge how good it is.

 

[Dobrescu George]

Who don't know this? Go to Pono thread to acknowledge how good it is.

I do not have Pono to talk about it (?)

I do have a large number of DAPs, and a HD600, so I can talk about many other pairings, but my smartphone is not one of the pairings I would be interested in talking about

 

[Midgetguy]

I do not have Pono to talk about it (?)

I do have a large number of DAPs, and a HD600, so I can talk about many other pairings, but my smartphone is not one of the pairings I would be interested in talking about

I've stuck with just HD600 on my desktop amp. IEMs are almost always what gets connected to my iPod as opposed to headphones; it's what I have the IEMs for

 

[gammarayson]

While the Sennheiser HD 800 has been my reference for over 9 years, I am curious about what qualities their predecessors the HD600/650s might bring to the table to compliment the HD800. I was thinking whether there were some genres that might benefit from a more intimate, laid back presentation? I listen to all forms of classical music, symphonic, chamber, piano, vocal etc. I enjoy different flavours in headphones and considered re-buying(!) the Audioquest Nighthawks as a very smooth, different alternative to the analytical HD800, but am curious about the legendary HD 600s, and the HD 650s are sometimes compared with the Nighthawks.

 

[gefski]

While the Sennheiser HD 800 has been my reference for over 9 years, I am curious about what qualities their predecessors the HD600/650s might bring to the table to compliment the HD800. I was thinking whether there were some genres that might benefit from a more intimate, laid back presentation? I listen to all forms of classical music, symphonic, chamber, piano, vocal etc. I enjoy different flavours in headphones and considered re-buying(!) the Audioquest Nighthawks as a very smooth, different alternative to the analytical HD800, but am curious about the legendary HD 600s, and the HD 650s are sometimes compared with the Nighthawks.

While I do think the 600 and 650 will definitely give a more intimate presentation than your expansive 800, I certainly can't call them "laid back". The main presentation is quite forward; but it's so smooth and sweet that they "get away with" usually seeming relaxed. So I would think either would be a real enjoyable alternative; they are for me. Mint used ones are widely available too.

Genuinely "laid back" presentations (yet with great micro detail and true timbre) in my system have been the HE-1000 and Stax 404LE (at, of course, completely different price points).

 

[Pahani]

While I do think the 600 and 650 will definitely give a more intimate presentation than your expansive 800, I certainly can't call them "laid back". The main presentation is quite forward; but it's so smooth and sweet that they "get away with" usually seeming relaxed. So I would think either would be a real enjoyable alternative; they are for me. Mint used ones are widely available too.

Genuinely "laid back" presentations (yet with great micro detail and true timbre) in my system have been the HE-1000 and Stax 404LE (at, of course, completely different price points).

Ooh, the 404LE..would love to have one of those! The 2 STAX I own, I actually compare pretty directly to my HD600 in terms of overall FR. At least that's what my ears tell me.

When I first got my SR207, I likened it to an HD600 with about a +2dB bump across the board, more or less. L700 keeps the overall Neutral presentation to me, but adds even more detail over my SR207, which I wouldn't have thought possible until I heard it.

My HD600 and HD6XX don't get any ear time lately, but I still love them.If I HAD to get rid of most of my collection, my STAX would stay, of course. But I'd also keep HD600, HD6XX, and my TH-X00 Purplehearts. I could sell off everything else and it wouldn't faze me.

 

[Timoteo80]

No phone I know of can really drive HD600 very well...

Increasing the bass via EQ on a smartphone actually makes things worse for them, since they need more power, which the phone usually is unable to provide.

I’m sorry I did not mean that I run the bass EQ on or directly from my iphone7. I stream Tidal on my phone & use a Fiio Q1 as my portable dac/amp. The Fiio has the bass boost switch that imo really adds the low end the HD600s need. I mentioned the Fiio in previous posts, I should have mad the post you read more clear on that aspect.

 

[Dobrescu George]

I see!

Q1 still isn't quite enough for HD600, you need something with a tad more juice, maybe like Q5, iFi xDSD

 

[Timoteo80]

I see!

Q1 still isn't quite enough for HD600, you need something with a tad more juice, maybe like Q5, iFi xDSD

I’ve read & head that but I never have the volume at more than 75% & they sound fantastic. I guess more headroom never hurts of course. Do you think I’d get more controlled bass with an amp better suited to 300ohm cans?

 

[gefski]

Ooh, the 404LE..would love to have one of those! The 2 STAX I own, I actually compare pretty directly to my HD600 in terms of overall FR. At least that's what my ears tell me.

When I first got my SR207, I likened it to an HD600 with about a +2dB bump across the board, more or less. L700 keeps the overall Neutral presentation to me, but adds even more detail over my SR207, which I wouldn't have thought possible until I heard it.

My HD600 and HD6XX don't get any ear time lately, but I still love them.If I HAD to get rid of most of my collection, my STAX would stay, of course. But I'd also keep HD600, HD6XX, and my TH-X00 Purplehearts. I could sell off everything else and it wouldn't faze me.

While I haven't put my ears to an L700, I understand they're great. Stax keeps moving this "old" Lambda design (older than Senn's HD6 design) forward. Funny how these two companies, for example, have happy customers year after year with excellent basic products, while some manufacturers change models as often as I change socks.

 

[Dobrescu George]

I’ve read & head that but I never have the volume at more than 75% & they sound fantastic. I guess more headroom never hurts of course. Do you think I’d get more controlled bass with an amp better suited to 300ohm cans?

Yes. The sound would be more controlled, cleaner, deeper / wider, with a better overall DAC/AMP

HD600 is not the easiest to drive

 

[Midgetguy]

I’ve read & head that but I never have the volume at more than 75% & they sound fantastic. I guess more headroom never hurts of course. Do you think I’d get more controlled bass with an amp better suited to 300ohm cans?

Yes. The sound would be more controlled, cleaner, deeper / wider, with a better overall DAC/AMP

HD600 is not the easiest to drive

I will say that at the same time, don't think too hard about it. The thing I've felt over the years about the HD600 (and I've got them on my head at this very moment ) is that I assume they aren't going at full potential (seeing as people talk about how well it scales up to some very pricey setups and I'm merely using a TEAC AI301-DA) and all those comments about scaling up and getting tighter bass or additional depth and width just melt away when listening to music. I put them on, hit play, and things just sound beautiful. I found this amazing guy recently cuz I just hadn't paying any attention to much new music over the past couple years and guess what, sounds incredible through the HD600s


So yes, listen closely and an improved setup may yield a sonic difference for the better, but from where I'm sitting, these are just damn enjoyable regardless

 

[chimney189]

Has anyone tried using the DragonFly Red + iPhone 6 to drive the HD 600?
Impressions?