[curtain]

I'm a nOOb so go easy on me but...

I've been hunting for a new pair of cans and noticed that the HD600 made it into most people's top ten, so I thought it would be a good all-rounder, but it was expensive!

Here I was hunting for some Grado's to upgrade to, because they are cheaper and for the anti-Seinheiser experience (since I wasnt happy with the HD497's)... but luckily I just couldnt get any.
Luckily because I had to hunt some more and came across one store that had $300 AUD off the price of their last pair of HD600's. I had a test run with a blues track and I was hooked!
After comparing these two cans...quickly I might add.. the following conclusions may be drawn.
The HD600 to my ears is class, a fine red wine ..the HD497 is cheap red, watered down.
A bit harsh I know but I have read people saying that the HD600 is just a smoother HD497, I would just like to say that they are worlds apart.

I tried the following tracks (from my silly sound tastes) getting sound from the rockin' soundstage of the Terratec EWX24/96 with neotech interconnects into a mackie mixer with the cans connected to the phones jack.

Sundays "Wild Horses"

The performance of this track is one of the reasons I chose to upgrade. The guitar here really brings out the hd497 weakness. It's presentation is shallow, the soundstage is too 2D, it just doesnt present a fullness of sound that I was expecting, especially from the guitar. Bring on the HD600 and viola! a REAL guitar, blooming and resonant!

TLC - "Waterfalls"

This track really brings out the difference between these two. The hd497 I'm sorry to say sounds like a tin can in comparison. The hd600's soundstage is no where near as 2 dimensional and has a rich full sound throughout the spectrum, balanced and with that deep non-fatiguing bass!

Bach - Violin Concerto BWV 1052 in D minor

Again the hd497's soundstage sounds very 2D in comparison, it just doesnt make the presentation realistic especially for chamber music. The HD600 makes you feel you are there comfortably, very near the front row with the musicians spread out in front of you. The instruments are detailed and in the right place.

Marilyn Manson "mOBSCENE"

Well the HD497 doesn't sound so bad here but the HD600 gives you that "FULL" sound, like in a warm loud rockin' dance venue. Just as it should. Though I must say it may be the EWS24/96 making the HD497 work better here..its just such a tight, rockin' card, really upfront!

Locatelli - Concerto Grosso Op1, No 1 in C Minor - Largo

I chose this track because this movement has some unbelievable double bass in it and wanted to see how well these cans could reproduce it. My god! The HD600 really brings out a full rich resonant double bass and the low notes..deep, vibrational and just ear-delicious!!! The Hd497 didnt even shake..it just doesnt work down low.

Bjork - "Come to me"

Again a gorgeous 3D soundstage with the hd600, magnificent! The deepest bass just doesn't make an appearance on the hd497 and the experience is much less satisfying.

Aphex Twin "4"

Here the Hd600 just shines, a rich warm sound, makes this track really enjoyable! The HD497's presentation is just too harsh in the highs and actually less forgiving with some of the digital clipping present on this track making it quite noticable.

I guess in the end the HD600's are what I would call a "realistic" sound, rich, full, warm, professional, some tracks are like you are actually there listening to these performances, you get what you ordered.

The HD497's get a bit tiring after a while, their mids and highs are just too harsh for my liking and overall its way too tinny, but great value none the less! They can reveal quite a bit of detail in tracks...sometimes too much mainly because its lacking sound down the low end.

One thing I did notice with the HD497's was on quiet moments in some tracks you can really hear any track noise much more than on the HD600's.

Anyway I would just like to say that the HD497's really are good value! It just that you have to move on if you're not happy with them.

With the HD600's I'm happy out of the box and no, I'm not buying another set of cans NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

 

[mysticaldodo]

This is only the beginning, wait till you hear the HD 650

I've never tried the Grados before but they are suppose to be better for rock.

 

[zaguar]

I am an Aussie, and i too, own hd-497's. Where did you get the great deal on the 600's? Do you know any internet based etailers for headphones in australia? Im in perth, so prolly no non internet deals.

 

[curtain]

I got them from a local hifi store here in Melbourne.

Just do a search at google.com.au and search Aussie pages only for "HD600". Some places are selling them for <$500 AUD.

I dont want to listen to HD650's because I might want them.

typo in my post: Locatelli - Concerto Grosso Op1, No "11"

I'm connecting with my Alesis amp now and getting even better sound.
Currently listening to all my CD's all over again. Yum.

 

[crypt@]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zaguar I am an Aussie, and i too, own hd-497's. Where did you get the great deal on the 600's? Do you know any internet based etailers for headphones in australia? Im in perth, so prolly no non internet deals.

Off the top of my head, a couple of places you can demo before handing you well earned $...
Headphonics: www.headphones.com.au @Perth.

And, JB HiFi (they are everywhere) also stocks a large number of Sennheisers.

I advice you to leave your wallet behind before walking into Headphoics, though.

What am I saying, you won't be visiting this forum otherwise, so grab those credit, remogage whatever, clear out your saving and fill that wallet before walking in

 

[mysticaldodo]

Where are you from Crypt?

I was in Australia in Jan for a short 1 week vacation. Went to JB Hifi in Sydney....not sure which part of Sydney...whats that main road where all the shopping buildings (I wouldn't call them complexes LOL) come together. I think its somewhere near the Town Hall or something.

Bought my Senn MX 450 from there. They had a lot of cans for us to fondle with but I didn't test them.

I like JB Hifi better then Tower Records....

 

[cgdef]

What do you drive the hd600 from? Also did you burn them in or is this an out-of-the-box review? Oh yeah and people that own both 600 and 650 say that the 650 are an improvements but it's an evolution and no revolution. So I highly doubt that the difference would be that huge (especially since Senn likes to release new models for no apparent reason with very minor improvements)

But then again I am not much of a Senn fan and do not have the 600 or the 650. Just pointing out what other people have said.

 

[cpw]

I own the 600 and 650 and love them both. Don't be too quick to dismiss your 497s though. For the $, these are some of the best cans out there. They can be driven w/out an amp by lots of equipment and are cheap enough that you can use them in lots of situations w/out worrying too much.
Wine may provide a good analogy:
Is a big name Bordeaux better than a Cotes du Rhone? Sure it is; especially in the context of a great meal. But a good Cotes du Rhone near a river with a picnic of handmade salami and cheese with fresh bread and olives is also tough to beat. The person who would always drink a Bordeaux regardless of context is not a wine lover but rather a snob.
Don't be too swift to dis your 497s. They are great performers and have their place in your "cellar".
If not, let me know and I'll buy them off you for my "picnics".
Enjoy your HD-600s. Great cans and in my Top 2!
=CPW=
PS Sorry for the lack of "accents circomflexes!"

 

[curtain]

I was enraptured at the time (still am really) .. the HD497's really are good value! I use them for my little studio setup.

I'm using an Alesis RA100 amp which also drive my Absolute 2 monitors, they're pretty dark, which I like. The source is EWX24/96 sound card, which has a very upfront sound signature..they make vocals and rock so sweet.

Dont know what to think of burn-in, these cans I know had been out of the box a few times, they just sound fantastic, so maybe they're pre-loved.

I'm a glutton I admit, I just dont eat salami