MarcoGV
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2008
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My definitive guide to Sennheiser’s 600 series (and the 800S)
Though this guide is covering the whole 600 series and the 800S, I thought I would share it here, as it seems most relevant to this thread (can’t find a Sennheiser all-in-one thread).
I hope I’m able to dispel myths of the 650/6XX being different - especially after I had previously released a video where I heard a difference. It turns out the pads being new or old really were the big difference alone. The 650/6XX are identical, as far as I can hear. I was wrong in my past video as I made the mistake of not trying fresh pads on my worn out 650. Apologies to the community for any disinformation/confusion that video caused
My findings now are that, ultimately, I personally enjoy the following headphones in this order:
1. 800S
2. 6XX/650
3. 600
4. 600S
But they are all special in their own way. I’m very close in what I feel when I try the 600 or the 6XX. The 600 is bright, sound separating, and engaging. The 6XX/650 is a warmer, but still engaging, and low end textured set. I can’t decide if I truly feel like one is “more” enjoyable. They both have tracks and genres that they each, separately, excel at for giving me that enjoyment factor.
The 800S is entirely the same story. It has strengths where the 600 series doesn’t. It is truly special to me on so much music. Namely classical, jazz, singer songwriter, and select tracks across other genres.
Then the 660S though…is a question mark for me. It seems like an attempt to evolve the 600 and 650; but as it picks strengths from each, it doesn’t excel as well in those traits as the headphones it is inspired by.
I hope my sharing helps the community of people interested in buying these or who already own them. I hope it helps the community
Peace!
Thank you for the interesting comparison. Maybe you should consider adding the 58X and/or 580, which are usually considered "600-series" headphones, despite their number. (I listened to your video using my 58X, an Objective-2, and a Dragonfly used as DAC; I also have a 6XX.) I wonder which source components you used, and it would be good to have a list of the tracks. Maybe they are in YouTube? (I watched the embedded video.) Again, thank you.