[Makiah S]

My HD 580 Headband n Pads are pretty darn comfy, almost as good as my ole Beyers 
 
 
Schiit Vali is here 
 
I've slept on it and I've not touched my HE 4 all day today
 
I will say the mids are these are different, they don't "dance" like the HE 4 do, rather they kind waltz over my ears, the HE 4 mids are like a break dancer going to town on your ears [I think it's cool as schiit] where as the HD 600 with the Vali is like a more majestic waltz over mah ears 

 

[Makiah S]

So I'm discovering a LOT of new music today, which is good, as I'm exploreing some new genres today as well. I'm also putting together an 8GB demo SD card for my hm 901, with well a little bit of everything. So I can demo more stuff with it exclusivly, as opposed to my limited 7 song list I've been using for a year or so now 

 

[Makiah S]

Hmmm I might keep the HD 600 n Vali around, it does wonders with really old recordings. Got some 40's Vinyl rips that are pretty rough... I can hear the grain despite the HD 600/Vali warmth! 

 

[GoldenGuy66]

Try listening to them for a week - then go back to your other headphones

Lol I have the HD 600 with schiit vali too.
 
It has been a week and i am in heaven. Everytime i put on my other headphones (sr 325is, sr 80 grades, ath m50, even the 558) they sound absolutely horrific. 
 
Truly horrific.

 

[Makiah S]

  Lol I have the HD 600 with schiit vali too.
 
It has been a week and i am in heaven. Everytime i put on my other headphones (sr 325is, sr 80 grades, ath m50, even the 558) they sound absolutely horrific. 
 
Truly horrific.

I'm curious as to how the HE 4 is going to sound tommorow, after 2 days with the HD 600. It sounds pretty awesome! I've been listening to a lot of new music on it as well 
 
I can really appreciate the Worth of the Vali and the HD 600, it nice for all the really badly mastered or badly ripped vinyl tracks out there 

 

[Makiah S]

Wow this thread really DIED
 
anyways, I'm editing my "quick" hit video for the HD 600, now I've spent like the last 3 days listening to ONLY IT and NOTHING else. So RIGHT NOW I'm going to post my UBER POSITIVE video, then I'm going to start the balls to the wall BATTLE again'st the HE 4 with the level matching and the super long posts, and the here's every song Ive listened to in the last 3 hours kinda thing
 
BUT FOR NOW, positive exteneded Impressions are going public! 
 
THe word of the Hour is Euphouric 

 

[Makiah S]

 
 
Ok I've got the HD 600 out of my NFB10ES2/Vali level matched to the HE 4 out of the NFB10ES2 [Amp] 
 
time for a serious review to get under way
 
I said I wouldn't compare these to the HE 4... but to be fair I think I should, honestly. Open back vs Open Back! The HE 4 is my referance. That said I've posted my postives on my youtube Channel! I'll be posting an positive toned HD 600 review to my blog, and then linking it to this more critical review to the HE 4
 
For the time being, in the last like 3 days It's been non stop HD 600, I'm going to take 20mins to write up my Blog Post [get the build quality pics n what not] then start the switch n Compare! 
 
also I'm using
 
Air- Late Night Tales, as my referance album! It's a mix of Classic Rock and Classical Music. Good music of deep bass, male and female vocals and just a nice variety of tracks! 
 
Granted it's not Dub Step, but I'll do a dub step track last 
 
and again EVERYTHING has been level matched. 
 
Here's my Initial positive review without comparisons. Switching to the HE 4 for a brief minuete! Still Level matched :3 
 
well I've listened to the same album now for about 30mins with the HE 4, and my initial impressions stand true. The HE 4 is so much more detailed than the HD 600, the sound stage is the biggest improvement! The HD 600 was spacious, but wasn't too... articulate or deep. The HE 4 is wider, more 3D, deeper and just all around... better in terms of spacial information. A lot of that is also due to the more neutral sound. 
 
Tommorow I'll post my impressions of both back to Back. When I compare the two what I'll be looking for is the improvements one brings over the other, the trade offs as it where.
 
I've come to appreciate that the HD 600 is a different animal from the HE 4 that I have, different in terms of tone and what it offers. With that in mind I can appreciate and enjoy both sound signitures. However I have my preferances, but ideally I'd like the comparison to be more about the differances in the sound Signiture than anything, I may also use my Senn Grado in the Comparison as well, since it's a more even competier in terms of Price 
 
My goal in buying the HD 600 was to have first hand experince with it, and the sound signiture that it offers. An I have that, I feel I have a better understanding of who and when the HD 600 will be a better recommendation over the DT 880 or any of the Grados. 
 
Though now that I think about it, I think the Senn Grado will be a better competitor. After all it's Sennheiser Driver VS Driver! Either way, I'll compare them both to the HD 600 an let you know what I think! 
 
I will end on this note though, the HD 600 is ALMOST as comfy as the HE 4 with Beyer Pads. I will say that for my out an about listening needs, the HD 600 MIGHT replace my MS1i, as it has a better "clamp force" and a sound signiture that's really nice in noisy enviorments [that and it's plastic so who cares if I scuff it <3] 
 
Eww ok another post, listened to 
 
The Old Mans Back Again- Scott Walker
 
it was pretty cool on the HD 600, but only when I listened with the HE 4 did it hit me how freaking awesome the song was! There was SO much... detail the HD 600 kinda didn't convey. A lot of really cool schiit they left out <.< 

 

[JediGhostdog]

The HD600 is my second major headphone (previous MDR V6) Right now I am using them with the HRT Microstreamer and they sound amazing. Really smooth. I think the Microstreamer drives them just fine.

 

[Makiah S]

Actually a quick note on the HE 4 vs the HD 600, with Metal I find them both to do a nice job, what I Really like about the HD 600 over the HE 4 is vocals, a lot of vocalists have a rougher tone, growls and what note. The HD 600 really pulls a lot of the beauty out of those deep emotional growls that the HE 4 doesnt 

 

[Thad-E-Ginathom]

Thanks for the video, Mshenay. I'm sort-of all over the place with my new HD600s.
 
When I first put them on my head I thought, "Vintage hifi!" The deep, rich sound that I associated with big expensive speakers forty years ago, and that I have heard something like, more recently, from systems put together by guys on the path of valve amps and ex-cinema vintage speaker drivers. There's nothing wrong with that sound; it's smooth, it's powerful, it's luxuriant, there's nothing missing. But is there something missing?
 
I'm stuck between two camps when it comes to trying to express this, because I'm not wild about flowery audiophile talk (although sometimes it's all we've got) but I'm not an engineer either and I certainly can't get far talking in Hz.
 
But this is what I keep feeling... The lows haven't got enough high in them.  Utter nonsense? Yes, I know, I keep telling myself that too, and I'm struggling to find how to express it to myself, let alone others.
 
Some music just seems to come over wonderfully, just as it it is. There are a couple of Grateful Dead Dick's Picks live CDs (one live recording of three hours!) that I've been listening to over and over, and they are entrancing, and they make me close my eyes, ignore the internet and just float in the sound.
 
Then I move on, and I find EQ needs to be tweaked, so I tweak... and enjoy again. Then I move on again, and find that I have to tweak again. This may well be because my EQ tweaking is inexperienced, or it may be that the 'phones are genre sensitive in some way. I need some EQ due to HF hearing loss anyway, so I know my ears are playing a large part in this (Oh, and, confession time, it's time to visit the ENT man for a wax wash-out too).
 
Moving on the orchestral classical, which I would expect these 'phones to shine at, I find that shine is just what is missing.  My manic slider experiments seem to find a needy spot at 3.5Khz, that brings the shine back to the music.
 
Please excuse the rambling. I'd just love it if someone could tell me, this is what you are experiencing, and this is what you need to do with the EQ.... But I know that cannot be: only I have my ears.
 
This is not meant to be a negative review. Honest. I have spent a lot of happy time with these phones on my head, and sometimes they are making me just listen to the music in a way I wasn't experiencing before.

 

[Makiah S]

  Thanks for the video, Mshenay. I'm sort-of all over the place with my new HD600s.
 
When I first put them on my head I thought, "Vintage hifi!" The deep, rich sound that I associated with big expensive speakers forty years ago, and that I have heard something like, more recently, from systems put together by guys on the path of valve amps and ex-cinema vintage speaker drivers. There's nothing wrong with that sound; it's smooth, it's powerful, it's luxuriant, there's nothing missing. But is there something missing?
 
I'm stuck between two camps when it comes to trying to express this, because I'm not wild about flowery audiophile talk (although sometimes it's all we've got) but I'm not an engineer either and I certainly can't get far talking in Hz.
 
But this is what I keep feeling... The lows haven't got enough high in them.  Utter nonsense? Yes, I know, I keep telling myself that too, and I'm struggling to find how to express it to myself, let alone others.
 
Some music just seems to come over wonderfully, just as it it is. There are a couple of Grateful Dead Dick's Picks live CDs (one live recording of three hours!) that I've been listening to over and over, and they are entrancing, and they make me close my eyes, ignore the internet and just float in the sound.
 
Then I move on, and I find EQ needs to be tweaked, so I tweak... and enjoy again. Then I move on again, and find that I have to tweak again. This may well be because my EQ tweaking is inexperienced, or it may be that the 'phones are genre sensitive in some way. I need some EQ due to HF hearing loss anyway, so I know my ears are playing a large part in this (Oh, and, confession time, it's time to visit the ENT man for a wax wash-out too).
 
Moving on the orchestral classical, which I would expect these 'phones to shine at, I find that shine is just what is missing.  My manic slider experiments seem to find a needy spot at 3.5Khz, that brings the shine back to the music.
 
Please excuse the rambling. I'd just love it if someone could tell me, this is what you are experiencing, and this is what you need to do with the EQ.... But I know that cannot be: only I have my ears.
 
This is not meant to be a negative review. Honest. I have spent a lot of happy time with these phones on my head, and sometimes they are making me just listen to the music in a way I wasn't experiencing before.

There's nothing wrong with EQ, it's exists for a reason 
 
and yea they are interesting, at the end of the day they are comfortable and very easy to listen to. But as you've found out they are not perfect, still though a good can to enjoy!
 
I think the HD 600 makes a nice intro can for new members, as again they are super easy to appreciate and a pleasure to own! Though at the same time, they have JUST enough flaws to move those new members to upgrade to bigger n better stuff [muhahaha] still though, what are you amping them with? 

 

[Brooko]

  I think the HD 600 makes a nice intro can for new members, as again they are super easy to appreciate and a pleasure to own! Though at the same time, they have JUST enough flaws to move those new members to upgrade to bigger n better stuff [muhahaha] still though, what are you amping them with? 

 
Sorry - I can't 100% agree with this.  You make it sound like the HD600 are an entry point headphone.
 
It would be interesting to note how many Head-Fi users either stop at the HD600 or HD650, or even for those who go TOTL (me included), how many retain their HD600/650 and still listen to it often.
 
IMO - the HD600 and 650 still represent H-Fi but at a price which is eminently more affordable to the masses.  They bridge the gap between today's mid-fi offerings, and the TOTL offerings from various vendors.
 
Entry point for new members ....... pfffft.

 

[Thad-E-Ginathom]

  There's nothing wrong with EQ, it's exists for a reason 
 
and yea they are interesting, at the end of the day they are comfortable and very easy to listen to. But as you've found out they are not perfect, still though a good can to enjoy!
 
I think the HD 600 makes a nice intro can for new members, as again they are super easy to appreciate and a pleasure to own! Though at the same time, they have JUST enough flaws to move those new members to upgrade to bigger n better stuff [muhahaha] still though, what are you amping them with? 

 
Oh yes, EQ does exist for a reason, or even several. Duff ears is one of them, and mine, never much good in the HFs, are well past their prime. So I have no problem, especially with PC-based sound, with using EQ, and it is an interesting experience. It leads to better understanding of audio!
 
My previous 'phones, ATH AD900s, were probably far less perfect --- and I only realised that when I donned the AD600s.  After a couple of years, I had them working for me, and was, of course, used to them.
 
Are they a stepping stone to the AD800? I haven't heard them, but I wouldn't be surprised. I've resisted the temptation to click Buy Now  on almost irresistible bargains several times. In the end, I decided to leave the >$1K stuff until my 65th birthday. I have another 3 years to go. Things will probably change; the AD600s might see me through until then; they might not....
 
But I am not about to put them up for sale.
 
I also feel that another meaning to stepping stones is enjoying the journey. Not reaching the end of the path in one step.
 

   
Sorry - I can't 100% agree with this.  You make it sound like the HD600 are an entry point headphone.
 
It would be interesting to note how many Head-Fi users either stop at the HD600 or HD650, or even for those who go TOTL (me included), how many retain their HD600/650 and still listen to it often.
 
IMO - the HD600 and 650 still represent H-Fi but at a price which is eminently more affordable to the masses.  They bridge the gap between today's mid-fi offerings, and the TOTL offerings from various vendors.
 
Entry point for new members ....... pfffft.

 
Amazing how long they have been around, and how much devotion they have inspired, and how much praise is heaped on them even today. How many other headphones, I wonder, can I regular read about 5yr, 10yr, etc, ownership!

 

[pp312]

   
Moving on the orchestral classical, which I would expect these 'phones to shine at, I find that shine is just what is missing.  My manic slider experiments seem to find a needy spot at 3.5Khz, that brings the shine back to the music.
 
 

 
 
 

 

[Makiah S]

   
Sorry - I can't 100% agree with this.  You make it sound like the HD600 are an entry point headphone.
 
It would be interesting to note how many Head-Fi users either stop at the HD600 or HD650, or even for those who go TOTL (me included), how many retain their HD600/650 and still listen to it often.
 
IMO - the HD600 and 650 still represent H-Fi but at a price which is eminently more affordable to the masses.  They bridge the gap between today's mid-fi offerings, and the TOTL offerings from various vendors.
 
Entry point for new members ....... pfffft.

 
Bridge the Gap? Granted, even 2-3 years ago when I just got started hear yea they were pretty great. But They aren't HiFi cans any more. I find my $160 Allesandro MS1i to be technically more balanced than the HD 600, I'm not denying that they are good headphones, but High Fidelity they aren't. Too Warm, to slow, again they are really brillant cans, super easy sound, great comfort and yes for a lot of music lovers like your Self Brooko they could be the last stop in teh train, they are really very good
 
but, as a High Fidelity headphone, or something that brings you as close to REAL as you can get, they are far from it. My opinion of them is... well as is, and it's a shame you've not heard an of the Hifiman Orthos, or have you heard any of the Orthos?
 
I think in todays market, they are not as competive as they once were, the HE 400 is starting to drop around to the same price as the HD 600 is, and it's about as "love or hate" as the HD 600 can be, but the HD 600, along with the HE 400 and DT 880/990 are in my opinion starter cans. They go for a very low budget price give you an EXCELLENT picture of what a true "high fidelity" headphone can be but as best served as starting points for those who dare down the path of an Audio Phile. Point blank, they lack accurate spacial detail, and it's that spacial placement that gets better as you move from Mid to Hi Fi, 
 
and again, for many users anything past an HD 600, or DT 880 might be waste as both have a great tone and a very high quality sound, but I don't think they are going to be anything beyound Mid Fi 
 
I have my opinion of it, I know what it sounds like and I'll stand by my recommdation of it as a starting point, as the HD 600 isn't by any means the last stop in HiFi headphones it is in my opinion an excellent starting point into HiFi