Long-time listener, first time caller.
I am a newbie/wannabe audiophile. I got my first pair of real cans, the HD558s about 2 years ago, followed by a pair of ATH-M50s and a pair of on-the-ear Momentums. My amp is a Fiio Kilimanjaro - that is a hand me down. I love all 3 pairs of headphones I own, each for its own purpose, but my favorites have been the 558s. Absolutely love(d) them. I had been considering an upgrade to the HD598s for a while but the chance to own a pair of HD6xx's under $200 sealed my next investment in this way too expensive hobby.
My pair with serial no. 03165 arrived today which was exactly the number I was praying for (and trust me, the # doesn't change the sound.). So if there are any other newbies out there reading this thread, wondering if they made a mistake because they don't plan to spend 2x the price of the cans on an amp/Dac etc. here are a few thoughts:
1. I read all of the posts about how my 558s sucked compared to the 598s. I never tried them side by side, but let me tell you, the 558s were 1,000x better than anything I had ever owned. This is a precise number. So maybe they weren't ask good as the 598s? Maybe your Creative isn't as good as a piece if schiit - Don't worry about it. If you love what you got, enjoy it. (If you didn't get in on the drop, stop here unless you have already decided to upgrade, because this might make you second guess what you already got.)
2. The HD-6xx's absolutely destroy my 558s. I mean taken to the woodshed. Yes, I am still using the *gulp* Kilimanjaro amp, but imagine what I have to look forward to. In the meantime, they sound fantastic! Highs. Mids, bass, soundstage - impressed, impressed, impressed and impressed. I started with a few flac files - Miles, Mahavishnu, King Crimson, Rush. It was like the first time I wore the 558s, but now a whole new level of clarity popped out. I listened to American Beauty 24 bit flac by the Grateful Dead and felt like I was in the booth with Jerry, Phil & Bobby. So even if you have a cr*ppy amp, do not worry! Put these on, turn on some ears and I promise you will smile. Ear to ear, baby.
3. I then tried a few variations, first connecting the 6xx directly into my iPhone. Definitely a downgrade in quality, but still in-line, at a minimum, with the 558/M50 level of headphones. Then plugged the amp back in and tried low quality spotify. It was rough. Not bad, not good, just rough. I finally know what it means when people say certain cans can be uncompromising or unforgiving. They are. Next I downloaded a few spotify songs at extreme 320kbps. Some Fleetwood Mac Blues Jam, Steely Dan Aja, Zeppelin II, Return to Forever. I can see how my FLAC collection is about to expand exponentially, but not to worry. At 320kbps (extreme) through the VOX iOS app and Kilimanjaro amp the music was pure bliss. Interestingly I often find myself pushing my 558s closer together. so was excited about the clamp. That said, they are tight. But I'm going to give them a chance to break in. Hopefully they get looser but still tighter than my 558s.
4. I'm not sure when, but my next money drop will be an amp/DAC. Has anyone used these with the Audioquest Black or Red. Since no one has asked yet, I worry it is a stupid question, but no better way to learn. Those vs the Fula 2? What about something like the O2 w/Odac?
5. What portable players do you all use? And if iOS or Android, what apps?
6. Maybe I'm making a false assumption, but for those in the U.S. - this is America, folks. I know it sucks to have missed the drop (bad credit card info left me thinking that was me for several hours) but don't harass people on eBay for pursuing capitalism. That is the whole reason our system works. No one is forcing anyone else to pay an insane premium to what we paid, but as long as there is nothing illegal and no fraud, we all have the right to sell our personal belongings at the highest price we can get. That isn't even unethical. That is capitalism and free markets and I'm thankful we have them.
Might as well join the crowd, they have the power (and hot wives)
