Sennheiser HD650 & Massdrop HD6XX Impressions Thread
Nov 15, 2021 at 7:14 PM Post #44,581 of 46,497
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.
 
Nov 15, 2021 at 8:10 PM Post #44,582 of 46,497
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.
Ah yes, the track list is linked on each video in the descriptions.


It’s just recorded from the source: Apple Music lossless downloads. For IEM’s I play off of the iPhone 13, with the list downloaded. Or, with headphones, I play off of Apple Music lossless on the MacBook Pro.

My chain is a Bifrost 2 DAC >> Drop + THX 789 amp >> Headphones
 
Nov 18, 2021 at 10:15 AM Post #44,583 of 46,497
I like to use silk organza in place (micro-mesh screen) rather than the OEM foam disc's if your looking for an alternative to try.

EJRpmG7.jpg
Found undyed Margilan silk organza from a local supplier, arriving today.

Do you know, is the 'sparse' organza also easy to work with in this application?

I'll make a cardboard template from the Senn foam, then double, mark and cut the silk this weekend.

I've also ordered a copper mass loading kit, just to try. I understand how mass loading works, and expect great things. 😁
 
Nov 18, 2021 at 10:16 PM Post #44,584 of 46,497
Found undyed Margilan silk organza from a local supplier, arriving today.

Do you know, is the 'sparse' organza also easy to work with in this application?

I'll make a cardboard template from the Senn foam, then double, mark and cut the silk this weekend.

I've also ordered a copper mass loading kit, just to try. I understand how mass loading works, and expect great things. 😁
It's very thin material and easy to use so if you find the "sparse" to open of a weave you can easily double the material over. That image I shared is actually doubled over material as it was too open as a single layer. I'm using a tighter weave now as a single layer but sounds the same, very transparent but yet still protects open parts of driver from pollutants/debris and if too "open" you can easily double or even maybe triple the material if needed/wanted for effect or fins same material in tighter weave.

Organza is very common material used for all sorts of things. Am interested in what you think of the undyed organza, yes as template just use the foam or slightly smaller is fine also but it needs to be larger than the opening on the retaining ring for the ear-pad as that is what pins the screen along with the ear pad in place, same as foam just more transparent.

Here is pic of single layer of the blue organza, sound wasn't quite right with it too loose of a weave/open but doubling helped that hence why I double it but now using a tighter weave in single layer and is same/good for myself anyway. I think there is reason so many dome tweeters used to use silk as base material, is very transparent acoustically.

QPQnP4D.jpg


Here is pic of current silk organza I use/like in single layer.

Fk0jeqn.jpg
 
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Nov 23, 2021 at 7:34 AM Post #44,586 of 46,497
Found undyed Margilan silk organza from a local supplier, arriving today.

Do you know, is the 'sparse' organza also easy to work with in this application?

I'll make a cardboard template from the Senn foam, then double, mark and cut the silk this weekend.

I've also ordered a copper mass loading kit, just to try. I understand how mass loading works, and expect great things. 😁
I think you will like the copper weight very much. It did more obvious things to the bass on the 600s (to my ears), but I ended up leaving it on the 650s because it really brought out the best of them - more fluid, better definition, more transparent, cleaner treble response; everything I liked about the 650, just more so. I also changed pads, going for the relatively inexpensive new fantasia all leather pads, which come with a built in nylon covering that replaces the inner foam, much as the above-mentioned organa, albeit less see through. All in all a happy, easy modification with no downside that I can find.
 

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Dec 1, 2021 at 11:48 AM Post #44,588 of 46,497
FWIW: My new XLR cable from Forza is indeed very nice looking and of good quality. To my ears, it seems to bring (some) more clarity to the HD650s. It not night and day though and it may be true what @Gurt wrote a couple of pages back, that high impedance HPs may benefit less from after market cables. Another explanation is of course that the Sennheiser stock cable is of good quality:dt880smile: Anyway, if you’re bold enough to buy an expensive cable, you also have to tell yours ears, that it indeed is an improvement…….Positive bias is always good:L3000:
 
Dec 1, 2021 at 4:58 PM Post #44,589 of 46,497
I think you will like the copper weight very much. It did more obvious things to the bass on the 600s (to my ears), but I ended up leaving it on the 650s because it really brought out the best of them - more fluid, better definition, more transparent, cleaner treble response; everything I liked about the 650, just more so. I also changed pads, going for the relatively inexpensive new fantasia all leather pads, which come with a built in nylon covering that replaces the inner foam, much as the above-mentioned organa, albeit less see through. All in all a happy, easy modification with no downside that I can find.
I put the coppers on my HD650 today, and love the results, very much as you say, even better than expected. No downside at all. Baby got Tuned! 😁

Next, more coppers for HD600, I think.
 
Dec 1, 2021 at 5:10 PM Post #44,590 of 46,497
I put the coppers on my HD650 today, and love the results, very much as you say, even better than expected. No downside at all. Baby got Tuned! 😁

Next, more coppers for HD600, I think.
I have them on mine…👍👍👍
 
Dec 2, 2021 at 7:56 AM Post #44,592 of 46,497
Curious, did you also pull the rear foam?
Hi, i fitted the copper weights and used the least dense foam pieces to achieve my ideal sound (after trying the others supplied with the kit) - i did remove the original foam (which is difficult to replace). In my estimation once you have done the mod. there is no desire to return to the original - a really superb item from Custom Cans well worth the low(ish) asking price.

d
 
Dec 2, 2021 at 2:28 PM Post #44,593 of 46,497
Curious, did you also pull the rear foam?
I removed the sennheiser rear foam disc and I like the middle foam for the 650 and no foam for the 600. But at that point it’s really just a matter of how much salt you like in your soup…

Enjoy!
 
Dec 2, 2021 at 9:21 PM Post #44,595 of 46,497

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