[Paalv1]

Thank you so much and yes I was going to use the mojo just for the purposes of it being a dac, I'm just trying the headphones as much as I can. Do you think its necessary for the mojo or it honestly wouldn't make a difference and I'm better off just saving my money? Lol

LOL lately I'm starting to believe we must be cousins or something

yall be thinking the same thing huh lmao

 

[CaptainFantastic]

Hey everyone I'm kinda new to this whole audiophile world. So I've been doing heavy research and I'm stuck with questions I'm hoping someone can answer. First, I'm buying the Hd600s so with that in mind I'm stuck with a question should I buy the bottlehead crack with speedball first or the chord mojo. Secondly, how would everything hook up with my interface, I currently have the scarlett pro 2i2 but I'm upgrading to the apollo duo soon as well.

But the Bottlehead Crack is definitely not an entry-level thing, I mean... it's a DIY, isn't it? It's kind of a raw, high difficulty way to step into the hobby and things could go wrong. Or?

 

[Paalv1]

600s are made for tube OTL amplifiers. I didn't hear it but people with Crack Speedball say it's a great combo. I have the Chord Mojo, it's a very nice DAC but I would absolutely not buy it as an amp and would not recommend it for Sennheiser 600 and up models.

Are you using the Scarlett as a DAC? If so you run the line level outputs into your amp.

Ohhhhh ok I got you I was confused about that as far as the setup and are you saying in general you wouldn't buy the chord mojo for the Sennheisers 600 models and up and if not what would be the best option for a dac? I dont need it to be mobile, I have a studio setup and it will be stationary

 

[Paalv1]

But the Bottlehead Crack is definitely not an entry-level thing, I mean... it's a DIY, isn't it? It's kind of a raw, high difficulty way to step into the hobby and things could go wrong. Or?

yes I understand, I'm really good with building things in general and I have faith that I'd get it done without messing it up. It is DIY btw. I'll post my updates.

 

[bagwell359]

BH Crack build IMO:

If you:

* have the correct tools, and tester
* can build a bird house and install a smoke detector
* can read and follow directions

Then, you are all set.

BTW, its amazing on the HD-600, beats my Ragnarok 1 upside the head.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Ohhhhh ok I got you I was confused about that as far as the setup and are you saying in general you wouldn't buy the chord mojo for the Sennheisers 600 models and up and if not what would be the best option for a dac? I dont need it to be mobile, I have a studio setup and it will be stationary

I meant that I would not buy a Chord Mojo as an amp. And you should note it has no analog input and cannot be used as a standalone amplifier, it's a real dacamp in the truest sense. As a portable DAC it is hard to beat but no portable device is going to drive Sennheisers well as far as I know. A desktop tube OTL amp is the best choice, many solid state desktop amps will also have enough of the right kind of power. But many cheap, well-regarded amps will probably not.

If you say what features you want in the DAC (for example does it have to have MQA for Tidal) then we can surely help you drain your wallet

 

[mobbaddict]

I agree with you which is why I favour an even frequency response. Music just flows and I tend to forget that I’m wearing headphones.
Don’t get me wrong. I really dig the Clear. There’s a speed to the drivers that just leaves the Sennie in the dust (though not so much with the 660), but that very same speed coupled together with the more uneven response of the treble does have a tendency to make me more ‘aware’ of wearing a headphone. Especially with brighter recordings.
My absolute favourite thing about the Clear though is the open nature of it. Just like the Elex. Only headphone I’ve owned that even comes close was the MDR-F1.

But back to Elvis! He’s doing right by Pescado Rabioso’s wonderful Artaud right this minute

I didn't like any of the Focals I heard either because of those peaks and general feeling of brightness. The HD600 is indeed hard to beat when it comes to midrange/treble balance. I think you need to go planar or electrostat to find this sense of smoothness with greater detail retrieval. Some of the Stax Lambdas can provide a similar balance but with a more ethereal bass presentation (which can be frustrating), and planars can go deeper while providing a more perfectible balance. The Verum 1 in particular is said to have a similar balance. The Quad Era-1 that I have has a bit more energy in the upper mids but it's still in the same ballpark. I haven't heard the HD600 magic on tubes though...

 

[RickB]

BH Crack build IMO:

If you:

* have the correct tools, and tester
* can build a bird house and install a smoke detector
* can read and follow directions

Then, you are all set.

BTW, its amazing on the HD-600, beats my Ragnarok 1 upside the head.

It's also possible to buy a completed Crack either used or from someone who builds them to sell.

 

[CaptainFantastic]

It's also possible to buy a completed Crack either used or from someone who builds them to sell.

And when one does buy a completed Crack, does the question of safety come up? I mean, it's someone else's DIY, sometimes sold and resold times over. It's not a factory build, so is there a higher risk of blowing tubes, damaging headphones? Genuinely curious as I ran across an ad for an already built one.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Certainly a kit built by an unknown person ought to be checked by a qualified person. Same is true for gear that's been modified.

 

[bagwell359]

It's also possible to buy a completed Crack either used or from someone who builds them to sell.

It's impossible to go near the topic w/o seeing that.

 

[RickB]

And when one does buy a completed Crack, does the question of safety come up? I mean, it's someone else's DIY, sometimes sold and resold times over. It's not a factory build, so is there a higher risk of blowing tubes, damaging headphones? Genuinely curious as I ran across an ad for an already built one.

I once enquired to Bottlehead itself, and they directed me to a professional builder they recommended for people who didn't want to build the kit themselves.

 

[genck]

I once enquired to Bottlehead itself, and they directed me to a professional builder they recommended for people who didn't want to build the kit themselves.

https://forum.bottlehead.com/index.php?topic=11207.0
Probably Paul Birkeland

 

[Amuria Iris]

Nothing.

 

[Paalv1]

Sharing my thoughts, reasons and impressions:

I have the HD 600 for a bit less than a month now. Its the new version that came out last year.

I was planning on buying a more expensive headphone, but the virus outbreak happened and then other things came into focus, like changing our car and upgrading my gaming things. I didnt plan to get the 600, because I had the 58X Jubilee before I moved to Europe, and I thought the sound would be kind of the same as that, maybe closer to the 650. I was about to buy the 6XX from Drop because it comes with the old box for storing, but then I decided for the 600, even though it came with a similar cheap box as the 58X comes.

When I came here to Europe I didnt plan to buy nice headphones, but in my first week in Lisbon (Portugal), I entered a store and there was an HD 599 along with a lot of other headphones to try out at will (you know, how they generally are in these stores). I tried it and end up getting it, since my husband insisted in giving it to me.
I also ended up getting a Fiio Q1 MK2 to use with the 599, and thats all I have for amp/dac for now.

In my old home, I used to mod every headphone I had, I posted here before but when I went away from this site, I erased most of my posts because I changed a lot after moving away. Aside from this one (https://www.head-fi.org/threads/mas...ew-measurements.867972/page-147#post-14487319) in which I speak some nonsense and compare the 58X drivers and etc (used to care about these things).

I modded my HD 599 a lot too for some reason, not that I didnt like the sound, but its I really enjoy modding. Ended up messing up some things, but it still works fine.
======================================================================================

I honestly always felt something missing from the HD 599. It was not the case with the 58X, but I didnt wanted to buy that one again, and unlike with the HD 599 that you can find to try before buy at some stores here, they never put out more expensive headphones on the try out line.
I also got a Sony MDR1A to use outdoors, or while in the library of the college (I was doing college too before the Virus thing, for no real reason since Im retired).

With being home most of the time now, and having a store that sells most Sennheiser models just some minutes from my house, I decided to put out the 300€ and get the 600, and so I did.

People always point out how natural it sounds, and thats why I got it.
======================================================================================
The sound, well, I guess it sounds so natural, and it really does sounds strangely natural, because of the way the sound comes and dies. I dont know, and I wont try to explain very deeply how it feels to me. It is defenitely diferent than the 58X I had, or the 599 I have now.
I like to sit on my corner and relax, and its certainly makes me stay here for a lot of time... thats weird. I feel its has an imediate striking quality about presenting detail that might impress just anyone at first. I when people mention transparency, this feeling I have of being very close to the sound is what they mean, but maybe Im wrong.
Regardless, this is best caracteristc of this headphone for me, how it feels so real, it has more air up top than the 58X and everything feels a bit more defined.
I dont think I can compare this one much to the 599, since that one is kind of... very diferent, it does not make things so very defined as the 600, not even as the 58X did from what I remember.



Very satisfied, and cant recommend enough ^-^

Thank you so much for posting as it explained everything I wanted to hear in a pair of headphones and I know I have chosen the right pair. I love all the reviews and help I've seen and thank all of yall making this experience that much better lol. I love sound and have been involved heavily with becoming a student to it all so this upgrade hopefully makes me shed a tear lmao . I wanna hear what all the good reviews are about as far as the sound being intimate and clear with a nice soundstage.