[antoninus pius]

Hi,

I'm using the Sennheiser PC 360 headset with the Creative Sound BlasterX G6. I use the headset for gaming and music (70 - 80s pop music, classical music and some marches etc.). I'm thinking of replacing the headset with one of the following models:

- Sennheiser HD 650
- Beyerdynamic DT 880 250 ohm or 600 ohm
- Beyerdynamic DT 990 250 ohm or 600 ohm
- Sennheiser HD 599 (Standard model. Not SE)

Specifically, the Sennheiser HD 650 is said to show its potential better with high-power amplifiers. Would it make sense to use the HD 650 with the G6 compared to the Beyerdynamics? Is there a loss with the G6 against Beyerdynamics?

P.S.: My expectation is the improvement of bass intensity and (slightly) treble quality, while maintaining or improving the mid and soundstage levels of the PC 360. I think the HD 650 will meet this expectation. I also think of getting a strong amp in the future. However, if there is a significant weakness with the G6 until I receive the amplifier, I may prefer the Beyerdynamics.

 

[serman005]

Love the HD650, but it has a quite intimate stage that just is not ideal for gaming, IMO. If you were just going to use it for music, though, then I personally think it is the best of your list. The 990 definitely has some bass extension when paired with the right amp, but both Beyers suffer from some sometimes sibilant treble performance, IMO. Not sure where you come down on bright headphones, but it is something you should probably consider. The HD599 is easy to drive and has pretty good bass, better than the HD598 IMO. So, if you were planning on sticking with the G6 for awhile, the 599 might have some advantages. But how much better it is than the PC360 I honestly do not know.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Check out the Soundmagic HP200 headphone and Massdrop/Sennheiser HD58X headphone.

 

[Youth]

I'll be honest, I've never tried PC 360 but HD650 will work just fine for gaming despite what some people claim and they are great for music as well. Imaging is much, much more important than soundstage for gaming and HD650 does a very good job at that. If you want mids you can cross out the DT990 since those have recessed mids. DT880 works too but comes down to what you prefer really. HD650's got mid bass but if you want sub bass you might find them lacking in that area.

 

[s002wjh]

I like hd6xx(basically a hd650) vocal/mid, but my DT1990 have better soundstage/detail/separation but its not as comfortable as HD6xx(oval shape) my opinion DT1990 is much better for gaming, it also has better bass extension, and don't have the bass rolloff as the HD

 

[antoninus pius]

Thanks for the all answers. Actually, i was thinking about opening the PC 360 and removing the part that limits the bass intensity (the biggest difference with the HD 500 series). However, since the headset was worn out and the volume knob started to fail, I decided to buy a new headset. I will probably choose between the Sennheiser HD 650 and the Beyerdynamic DT 880 600 ohms. (I'm thinking of buying the HD 650 as a second hand).

Check out the Soundmagic HP200 headphone and Massdrop/Sennheiser HD58X headphone.

These headphones also look pretty good. I will consider the Massdrop/Sennheiser HD 58X and Massdrop/Sennheiser HD 6XX specifically. Thanks.

 

[ergopower]

Thanks for the all answers. Actually, i was thinking about opening the PC 360 and removing the part that limits the bass intensity (the biggest difference with the HD 500 series). However, since the headset was worn out and the volume knob started to fail, I decided to buy a new headset. I will probably choose between the Sennheiser HD 650 and the Beyerdynamic DT 880 600 ohms. (I'm thinking of buying the HD 650 as a second hand).



These headphones also look pretty good. I will consider the Massdrop/Sennheiser HD 58X and Massdrop/Sennheiser HD 6XX specifically. Thanks.

I have the HD 6XX and the DT 880 250 ohm. They sound pretty different to each other.

HD 6XX - excellent mids, voices and instruments sound really lifelike. The bass rolls off compared to many headphones, but the midbass is somewhat elevated, say around 50 - 100 Hz. Just enough to slightly affect a deeper male voice. The treble also rolls off a bit. This is more noticeable when comparing to other headphones in the same listening session. I find you get adapted to it and it generally isn't a big deal.

DT 880 - excellent bass, it's exactly how I like it. Very good extension, to below 20 Hz, no midbass bloom. Mids are slightly recessed compared to HD 6XX. There is a treble peak somewhere around 6 to 8 kHz. I have some hearing roll off so I notice it but only sometimes is it intrusive. Some folks rip them off their head because of this.

In the price range, reviews suggest an HD 600 is somewhere in between, better bass than HD 6XX but not as good as DT 880, mids very similar to HD 6XX and highs not as rolled off as HD 6XX but not as aggressive as DT 880. I'd like to audition these at some point.
I also have a pair of HE 4XX planars, they get more use than the HD 6XX, DT 880 is a poor 3rd. They are also in between the 2 above. Some people find these a little bright, it's OK for me. Bass almost as good as DT 880, much better than HD 6XX. HD 6XX is the mids king, but HE 4XX is pretty decent and of all of them get me into the music (mostly rock) the best.

Definitely audition before you buy to make sure you like what you're hearing, either at a dealer or buying both from a place that accepts returns.

 

[serman005]

I have the HD 6XX and the DT 880 250 ohm. They sound pretty different to each other.

HD 6XX - excellent mids, voices and instruments sound really lifelike. The bass rolls off compared to many headphones, but the midbass is somewhat elevated, say around 50 - 100 Hz. Just enough to slightly affect a deeper male voice. The treble also rolls off a bit. This is more noticeable when comparing to other headphones in the same listening session. I find you get adapted to it and it generally isn't a big deal.

DT 880 - excellent bass, it's exactly how I like it. Very good extension, to below 20 Hz, no midbass bloom. Mids are slightly recessed compared to HD 6XX. There is a treble peak somewhere around 6 to 8 kHz. I have some hearing roll off so I notice it but only sometimes is it intrusive. Some folks rip them off their head because of this.

In the price range, reviews suggest an HD 600 is somewhere in between, better bass than HD 6XX but not as good as DT 880, mids very similar to HD 6XX and highs not as rolled off as HD 6XX but not as aggressive as DT 880. I'd like to audition these at some point.
I also have a pair of HE 4XX planars, they get more use than the HD 6XX, DT 880 is a poor 3rd. They are also in between the 2 above. Some people find these a little bright, it's OK for me. Bass almost as good as DT 880, much better than HD 6XX. HD 6XX is the mids king, but HE 4XX is pretty decent and of all of them get me into the music (mostly rock) the best.

Definitely audition before you buy to make sure you like what you're hearing, either at a dealer or buying both from a place that accepts returns.

The only thing I would quibble with here is about the bass on the HD6XX (HD650) and that of the HD600. I have both and I have always personally felt the bass on the 650 was a bit more robust than on the 600. To me, this is one of the things that most distinguishes the HD600 from the HD650. But that's just me and you may hear them differently, which is also fine. I do agree with the way you lay out the top end on the two headphones, though. I have an HE400S, which I really, really like the sound of at its price-point. It is such a shame that HiFiMAN has seemed to take its eye off the build quality ball. I think their headphones in general sound outstanding.

 

[ergopower]

The only thing I would quibble with here is about the bass on the HD6XX (HD650) and that of the HD600. I have both and I have always personally felt the bass on the 650 was a bit more robust than on the 600. To me, this is one of the things that most distinguishes the HD600 from the HD650. But that's just me and you may hear them differently, which is also fine. I do agree with the way you lay out the top end on the two headphones, though. I have an HE400S, which I really, really like the sound of at its price-point. It is such a shame that HiFiMAN has seemed to take its eye off the build quality ball. I think their headphones in general sound outstanding.

To be clear, I've never listened to an HD 600. Reviews I've read suggest that HD 600 has more output very low, sub 40 Hz, and HD 650 has more output at 60 - 100 Hz. Depending on the music, HD 650 could easily be putting out more total bass.