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Sennheiser HD600 Review (Headphone)

Tachyon88

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I gotta say, I really don't understand all the controversy surrounding this, especially on other sites.

https://crinacle.com/graphs/headpho...20)_(fresh_pads),HD650_S2_(2020)_(fresh_pads)

Crinacle's graphs show essentially the same story. 2 dB difference at most with fresh pads and newer pairs of both. He also measures left-to-right variations in excess of the differences between the two models.

With wear and tear, I don't understand why people have such a hard time believing the differences are imperceptible to Amir. I'd wager unit-to-unit differences would blur the lines even more.

Because those minor differences get blown out of preportion on reddit and elsewhere. I recall reading many opinions from people who have heard both saying the differences dont amount to much. Reddit and the like all form a consensus and people tend to repeat things to be "helpful", even if they have no experience with them. HD6series is basically the gateway for many into hifi....including me.
 

netforce

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eVm0S3W.png


Emailed Sennheiser about something unrelated a few days ago. Got a response with this memo confirming the 600 series will be going through a small pad change starting this month.
 

Robbo99999

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Emailed Sennheiser about something unrelated a few days ago. Got a response with this memo confirming the 600 series will be going through a small pad change starting this month.
So indeed the pad change is the most important change, the new pad design is within 1dB of the previous pad they say.....well that can mean a change of sound signature if it's across a wide range of frequencies (especially if skewed at both ends), so it would be quite interesting for someone like Oratory to measure the new one to see if there are differences.....Amir doesn't really do enough measurements to be able to quantify a wide 1dB difference, that's not his approach to the whole subject....and to be honest to qualify a 1dB difference you'd probably have to measure multiple units of the new revision to try to allow for the unit to unit variation variable. Might be interesting for some folks to send various units of the new headphone to Oratory if he's interested in measuring the new variant....historically he's very open to measuring new headphones, you just gotta ask him. I like that the new pad is supposed to wear better, as in not become so soft over time, and therefore retain their shape for longer....I wonder if this might effect the ability of a good seal though, we'd have to see, would probably be fine if I had to make a guess.
 

solderdude

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HD650 (black driver) with fresh orig pads vs. cheap Aliexpress replacement pads.

Ali express pads.png


Just over 1dB but is also made by a specialist company but would bring much more profit to Sennheiser

interestingly enough these cheap pads happen to have a 'see through' plastic ring and look and feel just like the original.
alipad.JPG
 
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artburda

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HD650 (black driver) with fresh orig pads vs. cheap Aliexpress replacement pads.

View attachment 129786

Just over 1dB but is also made by a specialist company but would bring much more profit to Sennheiser

interestingly enough these cheap pads happen to have a 'see through' plastic ring and look and feel just like the original.
View attachment 129785
Do you have a link for these pads?
 

2M2B

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So the only difference is that the 650 has +1db more bass at 100 ~ 400Hz something a basic EQ could mimic on the 600. Reminds me of when I saw folk saying the ER2SE was bassier than the ER4XR but FR data showed the 4XR had +3db more bass.
 

solderdude

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Do you have a link for these pads?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000140057659.html

So the only difference is that the 650 has +1db more bass at 100 ~ 400Hz something a basic EQ could mimic on the 600. Reminds me of when I saw folk saying the ER2SE was bassier than the ER4XR but FR data showed the 4XR had +3db more bass.

About 2dB more (mid)lows, different paintjob, different headband padding, different cable (at least in the old days), different price.
 

DeepFried

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I find this list a bit surprising. having separation between the HD650 and HD600 is one thing, but having headphones like the DT770 250 and the ATH-M50 as falling between them seems like nonsense to me. Admittedly i've never heard the HD650, but I own the other three headphones and to my ear they're chalk and cheese different.
 
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I find this list a bit surprising. having separation between the HD650 and HD600 is one thing, but having headphones like the DT770 250 and the ATH-M50 as falling between them seems like nonsense to me. Admittedly i've never heard the HD650, but I own the other three headphones and to my ear they're chalk and cheese different.
Nonsens for every sane person indeed. This whole „hp measurement“- thing has morphed into something like „Oh great! Now we can do astrology with computers“…
 

Robbo99999

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HD650 (black driver) with fresh orig pads vs. cheap Aliexpress replacement pads.

View attachment 129786

Just over 1dB but is also made by a specialist company but would bring much more profit to Sennheiser

interestingly enough these cheap pads happen to have a 'see through' plastic ring and look and feel just like the original.
View attachment 129785
Ha, could it be you've predicted the future! :) They look kinda soft those pads though, and Sennheiser were talking about firmer pads, so maybe not those pads, unless the picture is deceiving and those pads aren't soft.
 

solderdude

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They do feel firm, the velour is soft and it feels like there is a thin soft layer of foam directly underneath the velour but when you press a bit harder it feels much firmer. Would probably guarantee a good seal.
The difference is bigger than 1dB though but not by much.
No idea what pad manufacturing company Sennheiser went with to reduce manufacturing costs.
 

PuX

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Emailed Sennheiser about something unrelated a few days ago. Got a response with this memo confirming the 600 series will be going through a small pad change starting this month.
as someone who bought replacement earpads on ebay once (for HD595), I am very disappointed with these decisions from Sennheiser.

those earpads ruined the sound. and what is even the point of buying official accessories if they change suppliers, these new versions won't be the same no matter what they claim. hope they aren't awful at least... but speculatively, these might as well be just exactly the same ones from ebay/aliexpress that were posted above. those weren't awful, but still different.

speaks volumes of the priorities of the new owners of Sennheiser :facepalm:
 

dsnyder0cnn

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I bought my HD600's back in 1999. I've taken good care of them, so they still look (and probably sound) as good as they day I got them. I have replaced the ear pads, cushion in insert in the headband, and cables, of course.

I bought the HD650's about five years ago. The headband on my 600's is bit looser (less clamping force), but otherwise, they sound very similar. I think I slightly prefer the HD600's for jazz and the HD650's for electronica, but I'm not sure I could say why. Both sound great with the THX AAA 789 amp and balanced cables.

Sennheiser%20HD600%20and%20HD650.jpeg
 

raistlin65

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So the good news for HD600 owners is that as your pads wear, they will become more like another great headphone, rather than simply sounding worse. :)

Which makes me wonder? Around 2000, did some dudes at Sennheiser say, "I love how my HD600s sound now that the pads are getting really worn. Too bad they didn't sound like this when new." And so they turned that sound into the HD650? :D
 

GaryH

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I find this list a bit surprising. having separation between the HD650 and HD600 is one thing, but having headphones like the DT770 250 and the ATH-M50 as falling between them seems like nonsense to me. Admittedly i've never heard the HD650, but I own the other three headphones and to my ear they're chalk and cheese different.

Two headphones (or anything for that matter) can be equally preferred but different in the details of their characteristics. The ranking is of predicted preference not similarity. This is made quite clear by looking at the tonal balance slope value (>0 brighter, <0 warmer) as shown in the ranking table for the headphones you mentioned (listed from highest to lowest preference score):

HD600: 0.13
DT770: -0.14
ATH-M50x: 0.73
HD650: -0.4

As you can see these slope values that represent overall tonal character are all significantly different from each other and do not move in a continuous fashion from higher to lower preferred headphones.
 
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Atanasi

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Has anyone measured Dekoni Fenestrated Sheepskin pads for HD600?
 

Andysu

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Where's the Panther? Was The Panther having a holiday while Amir, was doing all the hard work the Panther was sat in deckchair with a umbrella and cold ice drink.
 

Robbo99999

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Has anyone measured Dekoni Fenestrated Sheepskin pads for HD600?
Oratory hasn't done it, I know that much after checking his EQ list just now. He sometimes measures headphones with aftermarket pads, but not done any for the HD600 so far. He may well be open to measuring them if you send him an HD600 with such aftermarket pads.
 

MiloTheFirst

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Emailed Sennheiser about something unrelated a few days ago. Got a response with this memo confirming the 600 series will be going through a small pad change starting this month.
I live in Barcelona, this Thursday i visited fnac a major European retailer, and noticed they suddenly started selling the 600 and 650s, it surprised me that the box for both seemed rather small and light, and it bothered me that the 600 seemed to have the same head band padding as my 660s in the cover art which i thought were supposed to be different, turns out i wasn't miss remembering. I didn't know they had yet another revision in the way but now i can attest they already hit the shelves. I can see why normalising the head band padding can help them with economy of scales, and don't mind, but the earpads my be something else than just saving a buck. Maybe the old manufacturer went out of business, or this could be a way to introduce silent revisions to improve performance/durability.
 
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