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Sennheiser HD600 Review (Headphone)

raif71

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HD-600 with panther (from the hd650 review) :)

1620552019441.png
 

Tks

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Thanks for the findings @amirm, so much discussion about them being different across all audio communities :confused:. I only owned HD 600 once.

Deluded folks.

Likewise for the HD660S vs the 58X. When I saw Sennheiser was using the same 150 ohm spec. It didnt take much to conclude their lazy asses werent doing anything special.

Also, whats up with the prices on their site? $500 for an HD650 (and now both their 600 and 650 are out of stock for some reason). When did they reach these prices? They have lost their minds.
 

solderdude

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Likewise for the HD660S vs the 58X. When I saw Sennheiser was using the same 150 ohm spec. It didnt take much to conclude their lazy asses werent doing anything special.


prototype HD58X vs HD660S:
HD660S.png




production HD58X vs HD660S:

HD660S vs Prod HD58x.png



modified + filtered HD58X
vs HD660S:
HD660S vs HD58X modified.png
 

Tks

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Their two drivers are very obviously different :
HD58x driver
HD660S driver
Whether that results in something special or not, I'll leave to others :D.
Im thankful as a consumer their cost cutting didnt coincidentally entail having sound degradation, or much of a FR shift. Though it makes you wonder, were they that big of a bunch of idiots to think simple housing changes would be enough in avoiding the canabalization of their product line? Getting them in this position they find themselves in now, having to sell off their consumer division? Likewise, cutting deals with Massdrop?
 

Chocomel

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Deluded folks.

Likewise for the HD660S vs the 58X. When I saw Sennheiser was using the same 150 ohm spec. It didnt take much to conclude their lazy asses werent doing anything special.

Also, whats up with the prices on their site? $500 for an HD650 (and now both their 600 and 650 are out of stock for some reason). When did they reach these prices? They have lost their minds.

HD650 has always had a mrsp of $500.
 

milosz

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I have a pair of HD-600's. I got them for about $230 someplace. Might have been used. I can't remember.

They are a nice headphone, I like to use them for testing headphone amps that I build. While it is not a TOTL 'phone, it is representative of audiophile headphones and if the amplifier performs well with them, the amp will probably be suitable for most headphones. ( IEMs are another matter, most of the amps I've built have gain that is tailored to headPHONES and not IEMs. )

I also test with my HiFiMan HE-6. If a headphone amp can drive my "4 screw" HE-6, then it has enough power to drive most anything.

(For serious listening I use my early model Stax SR-007 and a KGSSHV amp, with parametric EQ. The KGSSHV amp makes an HUGE difference with any electrostatic 'phones, none of the Stax amps can touch it.)
 

NDRQ

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I think they only similar because of the used/heavily flattened pad, but if u try a new HD600, that is really different.
I am using the HD650 and wanted to try HD 600 so i bought it.
The 600 have much less midbass, the sound is more clear and airier , while the higher mids / lower highs are a little harsh.

I am an a objectivist so i was a bit skeptic but the differences are really there.
In the end i returned the 600 after 1-2 week, because the overall sound was too harsh and lean after the 650.
 
Last edited:

WickedInsignia

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Review for those in a hurry Amir! LOL.
I'm using a HD600 with worn pads at the moment as my new pair comes in. Strangely there seems to be a shortage in Australia for the last two months. It will be nice to make a comparison to new pads.
Like others have stated, I think it's an oversimplification to say the 650 & 600 sound identical. In every single user experience case I've heard the 650 is warmer and smoother. The bump in the lower mids/high bass compared to the 600 confirms it.

The HD600 has the most realistic timbre of any headphone I've heard (most under $600). Snares sound utterly addictive, probably my favorite aspect of the whole FR.
A great option for those who might prefer Harman without the massive sub-bass shelf of the K371.

In terms of budget Harman-accurate phones the prime bunch seems to be the HD600, SRH440, R70x and K371.
 

Robin L

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I'm sure that measuring the Drop 6XX would indicate that it's functionally identical to the HD 650. Still, it would be good to be test, just to make sure.
 

Robbo99999

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This is a review and detailed measurements of the Sennheiser HD600 headphone. I purchased this sample new after I visited major labels around year 2000 and noticing this was a reference headphone they used. I handed it to my son Karman who has been using it for years and replacing the worn out pads. He was visiting us (we are all vaccinated) and brought it with him. I had shown him how to make measurements and what you see below are his.

Other than showing some wear, you can't tell the HD600 from HD650:

View attachment 128745

The measurements you are about to see are made using a standardized Gras 45C. I searched for any and all measurements I could find online. Alas while a number of them are close to mine, none are using the exact fixture down to coupler and pinna. As you will see, I have confirmed the approximate accuracy of the measurements using Equalization and listening tests. Ultimately headphone measurements are less exact than speakers above a few kilohertz so keep that in mind as you read these tests.

Sennheiser HD600 Measurements
Let's start with our usual frequency response measurements:

View attachment 128746

This is basically the same as HD650 given the vagaries of headphone measurements, fit, pad wear, etc.:

View attachment 128747

Distortion is higher but this could just be wear and tear:

View attachment 128748

View attachment 128749

Here is Group Delay which again is similar to the HD650:

View attachment 128750

Sensitivity is essentially the same. Variation is due to slightly different reference point:

View attachment 128751

Sennheiser HD600 Listening Tests
I only made a brief evaluation of the HD600 with and without equalization I made for HD650. I could not tell a difference between the two in the confines of slow switching time between the two headphones. As with HD650, I was yet again impressed by how good this headphone sounds. Equalization made an improvement but the headphone was very listenable without it.

Conclusions
I don't know what is supposed to be different between HD600 and HD650. Based on both objective and subjective testing, these two headphones perform the same.

To the extent the HD600 is available and costs less than HD650, it would make just as good a purchase.

-----------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/
HD650 is generally touted as being a slightly warmer headphone than the HD600, which is backed up by some measurements out there, but they are undeniably very similar. I've got the HD600 (bought new last year) and for me it's the only headphone I truly enjoy without any equalisation applied (and you likewise thought it was good at stock), however it's my least favourite headphone once equalisation is applied due the inherent small soundstage of the HD600/650. Vocals are a real joy with the HD600 even at stock and were the standout quality for me. Re distortion, the HD600 is generally shown in most measurements to have slightly more distortion in the bass and slightly less distortion in the mids & treble when compared to the HD650, but there's not much in it. The HD600 is a really solid headphone if you're not bothered by the small soundstage but enjoy some beautiful vocals/mids.
 

Robbo99999

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Review for those in a hurry Amir! LOL.
I'm using a HD600 with worn pads at the moment as my new pair comes in. Strangely there seems to be a shortage in Australia for the last two months. It will be nice to make a comparison to new pads.
Like others have stated, I think it's an oversimplification to say the 650 & 600 sound identical. In every single user experience case I've heard the 650 is warmer and smoother. The bump in the lower mids/high bass compared to the 600 confirms it.

The HD600 has the most realistic timbre of any headphone I've heard (most under $600). Snares sound utterly addictive, probably my favorite aspect of the whole FR.
A great option for those who might prefer Harman without the massive sub-bass shelf of the K371.

In terms of budget Harman-accurate phones the prime bunch seems to be the HD600, SRH440, R70x and K371.
Yes, great point about Harman without the bass, spot on.
 

JIW

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The reviewed unit seems to be the original version with black damping material around the driver. A revision, where the colour of the damping material changed to silver, was made around 2007 or so.
iu


Also, the cable shown is the stock cable of the HD650 not the HD600. The cable for the HD600 is thinner and uses smaller connectors and terminates into a 3.5 mm plug with an adapter to 6.35 mm.
1620562982837.png

The older stock cable used up to the latest revision in 2019 did not have a screw on adapter but something rather different and flimsy.
1620563182088.png
1620563194346.png


Fortunately, the HD650 cable is available for $11 directly from Sennheiser.
 

WickedInsignia

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Keen spotting there @JIW !
It's also worth mentioning that the HD600 is now made in Romania (not Ireland) since 2019. The "kitchen counter top" look has also been replaced with a matte grey and chiselled bevels on the corners as opposed to rounded.
Anyone hoping to buy a HD600 today would most likely land that version. As per measurements, Sennheiser's own marketing and user experience that I've seen around, the sound is meant to be identical.
 

NDRQ

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To be honest, this review kinda questioning the credibility of the the site, because basically anyone can tell that there is a clear difference between the 650 and 600's sound. Would be really good to measure a new pair of HD600, because this review are kinda useless in this form. 20year headphone with ancient, flattened pads..

This could become a meme/ laughing stock. Every subjectivist a**hole would mention that this is the joke site where people think that the 600 and 650 are the same, while every random people in the street could tell the clear difference.
 

DSJR

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Back in the early to mid noughties, I bought HD600's on a trade promotion (around £120 from memory). used via preamp and tape deck headphone outlets I found them a bit meh frankly and bland. I now appreciate the flatter response they offer and the need for a proper headphone amp for best dynamics BUT, the bass distortion bothered me -

- I was alarmed by the percussion 'thumps' at the beginning of Tangerine Dream's 'Poland,' the mid noughties remastered disc having significant distortion and 'doubling' when played via these headphones (like now, speakers weren't really a regular thing for me). Preamp then was a Bryston BP25. I sold the 600's shortly after, returning to my highly funky but hugely 'characterful' HD25SP's which do 'take off' higher up at sibilance and 'sparkle' frequencies rather than the 'fizzle' of other models. Looking at the distortion plots in this review, I wonder if this is what I heard - this kind of 'doubling' effect.

Interesting that the 580 may well be more similar than different. I regarded these as 'restrained' at the time - we had the Sennheiser 'headphone bar' with several pairs connected all ready to compare.

P.S. Can someone please send some Grado's in (doesn't have to be the expensive ones) as these have been incredibly popular in the UK for decades and it now seems the bottom two or three models are basically much the same except for the ear-pads...
 
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