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Per mod's request to start a new thread on the topic, separate from the HD600 review thread...
My first foray into high-end phones was a brand new pair of "original blue" HD600s, purchased in January 2006. For the next few years, I attended a number of Head-fi meets in the Chicago area that were well attended, and listened to other HD600 and HD650 including my relatively new pair on a variety of sources and amps using a couple of CDs that I always used when auditioning equipment, one of which included a pink noise cut. There was no doubt whatsoever in my mind that the HD650s were all warmer/darker than the HD600s of that era.
Was that a commonly held opinion then? It certainly was. Did that flavor my conclusion? Somewhat, maybe, but the difference was so obvious that I don't believe it was merely confirmation bias.
As to whether that is still the case for new/nearly new HD600s/650s made in the past few years, I've no idea. I sold my re-padded HD600s several years ago when I decided to try planars, but now I listen to a 1 year old pair of HD6XXs almost exclusively.
My first foray into high-end phones was a brand new pair of "original blue" HD600s, purchased in January 2006. For the next few years, I attended a number of Head-fi meets in the Chicago area that were well attended, and listened to other HD600 and HD650 including my relatively new pair on a variety of sources and amps using a couple of CDs that I always used when auditioning equipment, one of which included a pink noise cut. There was no doubt whatsoever in my mind that the HD650s were all warmer/darker than the HD600s of that era.
Was that a commonly held opinion then? It certainly was. Did that flavor my conclusion? Somewhat, maybe, but the difference was so obvious that I don't believe it was merely confirmation bias.
As to whether that is still the case for new/nearly new HD600s/650s made in the past few years, I've no idea. I sold my re-padded HD600s several years ago when I decided to try planars, but now I listen to a 1 year old pair of HD6XXs almost exclusively.
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