Sennheiser HD 600 – Audiophile Hi-Res Open Back Dynamic Headphone

10 reviews for Sennheiser HD 600 – Audiophile Hi-Res Open Back Dynamic Headphone

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   forkboy1965 – April 1, 2015

   All the very positive reviews cannot be wrong…. and they aren’tMy road to the Sennheiser HD 600’s has been a little long and filled with some interesting twists and turns that have, or so I hope, led me to a better understanding of what are a great set of headphones. Naturally it is very typical to wish to compare these to other headphones. After all, isn’t that how we so often make purchasing decisions? We try differing products until we find the one which works best/right for our needs. So my review is going to work on two fronts: a review of the product itself, and a review against some competitors I have acquired in the last year in my quest to find headphones that are right for me. And hopefully for you.Regarding the HD600’s themselves I have mostly nothing but excellent news to report. Personally, I like the way they look. The mottled black and blue coloring is different, but not garish in any way. The large and deep oval ear cups are precisely what one wants for an over-the-ear design. At 6’4″ I’m certainly sporting a larger head than the average male and fortunately for me my entire ears fit comfortably inside the ear cups. My ears do not touch the protective cloth over the drivers, but the outer edge of my ear does touch at places around the inside of the ear cup. This is a minor annoyance and goes unnoticed some of the time. Those of you more average of height and head size will likely never have this issue. The ear cups themselves are very comfortable, seal well to my head and do not get hot even after a good number of hours of use. This also means the head clamping force is perfect for me; I never feel like my head is being squeezed. Everything about the headphones seems to indicate they are well-made, but I cannot help but feel the plastic seems a bit thin. Maybe cheap even. They do not creak and nothing flexes, but it’s the only part which lets me down at all about the headphones.The included box, while awesome for storage, is clearly not oriented for travel. But I would argue these aren’t portable headphones meant for the on-the-go user. They do not fold up. The ear cups do not turn to lay flat. And considering the amplification needed to properly drive these, using a typical portable music player (your cell phone, iPod, etc.) isn’t ideal anyway.Now for what I consider to be the more important part of how I came to select the HD600: research and listening. Let’s first be clear about something… audio equipment is not unlike some other equipment markets in that you often spend exponentially more money for an item just to gain minor, incremental increases in some important criteria. To you speaker X sounds better than speaker Y, all other things being equal. It’s likely speaker X costs more. Most of the time it will cost more, but not all of the time. But how much more does it cost and how much more quality of sound are you receiving for that additional cost? It’s almost always a matter of diminishing returns… loads more money for a bit firmer bass or slightly clearer treble. But this is the nirvana for which we seek in audio equipment.Over the last year I purchased two other sets of headphones: Grado 80e and Sennheiser Momentum. Clearly the Grado’s at $100 are the least expensive with the Momentum jumping up markedly to $299, while the more recently acquired Sennheiser HD600 hit the $400 mark. Comparing my first two purchases, the 80e’s and Momentum’s, the differences were pretty straight-forwarded. To me the Grado’s sounded brighter with good bass and sligthly harsh mids (“smeared” is the word which came to mind as I compared them in listening tests at home). The Mometum’s sounded more laid back (not as bright) with great bass (that could be a bit smeared itself in the upper bass) and definitely superior mids (thinking men’s voices here – became painfully obvious will using a live track from Morrissey between the two headphones). And so it was I came to find myself using each pair for different purposes.The Grado 80e’s became my preferred can for classical music (a genre into which I am becoming more deeply involved of late) as I felt, for my personal preferences, the brighter qualities enhanced the instruments typical of classical music, while the bass was more than sufficient. But when I wanted to rock (or alternative as is more often the case) I broke out the Momentum’s. The accentuated, but not overblown bass, was quite welcome and I noticed less the laid back nature of the treble, especially as I used them more and more.But with the also recent purchase of some better home audio equipment (Marantz CD6005 CD player and a SoundEngine D1 DAC/Headphone amp for my computer – listening to ALAC encoded tracks) I found myself thinking both the Momentum and 80e were somehow lacking. That I wasn’t getting everything I could from my music via this better equipment.From all the research I had done previously I elected to spend the money and purchase the HD600. I don’t think I have found a single bad review out there in the Internet sphere. A few have thought them a little warm or laid back. But most every review hits upon how, and especially for the money, the HD600s hit all the right notes (sorry). Having had them burned in for 30-hours the listening tests began. I had considered this purchase principally for classical music. I really didn’t think I’d get more from them for rock/alternative than I was already getting from the Momentums and so it was the classical CDs came out and I plugged into the CD player. I also plugged in the Grados to the Marantz A/V receiver, direct mode engaged. Adjusting for volume as best I could (this is hardly scientific) I played a handful of very familiar tracks from very familiar CDs; swapping back and forth between the HD600s and Grado 80e.It too almost no time to hear the difference. I’ll concede that it’s sometimes difficult to put into words the differences heard, but I’ll try. The first thing I noticed were the violins. When a number of them are playing notes together the Grado’s sounded smeared compared to the HD600s. Not unlike a poorly created JPEG from a digital point-n-shoot versus a well-made JPEG from an original RAW processed via Adobe Lightroom. Details are are lost in the former, but the latter does a far superior job of keeping the detail even in the process of losing information. The HD600 left me feeling like I was actually sitting there in the room with the musicians. I’m not referring to placement of the instruments (the HD600 do a good job, but I’ve read reviews for other cans that do better), but simply how clear, precise, concise and live-sounding are the violins. Actually, it was true of all the stringed instruments. The resonance of the strings… their very clear nature… was a welcome and astonishing difference.Granted, the Grado’s are one-quarter the cost and I shouldn’t be surprised the HD600’s sounded better. Markedly better. And I didn’t have to listen long or hard to notice the differences. They are obvious; not subtle. That said, I can’t say I was every displeased with the Grado’s. It was only in comparison to the HD600’s that it became possible to hear and understand the Grado’s limitations.And like the stringed instruments, voices also became sharper, clearer, more focused. I had found what I was looking for regarding my classical music interests: a pair of headphones that while generally neutral (which some would consider to be ‘flat’ and flat has, I think, a negative connotation), are not at all boring or flat. I feel the music is more alive than ever in comparison to the Grado’s.So… I also broke out some rock and alternative music (the recently remastered Led Zeppelin discs, some Nine Inch Nails and Pet Shop Boys) to see what the HD600’s could do. Here I feared the Momentum would just kick butt thanks to the fuller bass, but I must say the HD600’s continued to impress. All the good things they brought to mid and higher frequencies (clarity, precision) were still present, but, surprisingly, the bass was rock solid as well. I may hate myself for saying it, but I think the bass was a bit better. The upper-bass bloat in the Momentum’s doesn’t appear on the HD600’s, which tends to make the lower-bass stand out more because they aren’t overwhelmed by the enhanced upper-bass. I’d still say the Momentum’s have more punch and who doesn’t like that when listening to rock or alternative, but I could find myself readily using the HD600’s just as often for The Smiths, The Cure, Skinny Puppy, etc. as I would the Momentum’s.And here I think I have found a most excellent trio of headphones. Finding one perfect pair of headphones for all needs and opportunities is probably impossible. But I think I have accidentally stumbled upon a most excellent hat trick of cans that meet my various needs. I like to listen to music when I’m on the go; I have needs for portability. And while not truly the most portable of headphones, the Grado’s for classical (and still quite reasonable for rock and alternative) and the Momentum’s for rock and alternative (I confess I don’t like them as much for classical as I do the Grado’s for rock and alternative), AND the HD600’s for more critical, at-home listening with audio equipment that has enough amplifier ooomph to properly push them.Add my name and voice to the long list of of folks who think, dollar for dollar, the Sennheiser HD600 are the best value in headphones out there.

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2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   C – October 11, 2016

   Goldilocks’ CansIt’s easy to forget that, next year, the HD 600 will turn 20 years old. Admittedly, audio transducers have a funny way of sticking around longer than just about any other piece of electronics equipment. A line of speakers will, usually, be in production for at least several years. Even when they’ve been replaced, they usually aren’t even close to obsolete, because even mid-fi has gotten pretty far into diminishing returns. But, even in this alternate timeline of audiophile-dom (others might call it an alternate reality, an insane asylum…) the HD 600s are freakin ancient. I can only think of a few other cans with this kind of longevity:The Sony MDR-V6; so old that it still has “for DIGITAL” emblazoned on the side. A quick trip through audio theory will reveal that this is meaningless, but in 1985 it sounded really cool.The Beyerdynamic DT770/880/990; so old that they still have shag carpet earpads.Various Grados; so old that it’s too late for anybody to admit they sound like trash. Instead, they just mumble something about “sparkle” and then go buy something else.And yet, 20 years later, the HD600 is still the headphone that, within headphone circles, everybody talks about and everybody has heard. There’s a reason for that: it’s not just really good. Purely on the strength of its sound, it stands out as excellent. When price is considered? It might just be the best headphone in the world.THE SOUND:Inevitably, whenever anyone tries to talk about the HD600 or the HD650, someone brings up the “Sennheiser Veil.” This so-called veil was a kind of muffling of the sound, and the people who complain about it would have you believe that the HD6XX sounds like Apple Earpods.I cannot state emphatically enough how much the veil does not exist. It is either a product of the imagination of people who wish the AKG K701 was a bit brighter, or the result of people trying to plug the HD6XX straight into an inadequate source, i.e. most phones, MP3 players, iPods, laptops, etc. They need an amp. More on that later. At any rate, these headphones are as veiled as Eva Green in The Dreamers. You. Will. See. erm, Hear. Everything.That’s both a blessing and a curse. Lesser headphones – even my Sony MDR-V6s, for instance – can mask the flaws in a bad recording. All of those 128kbps MP3s you’ve pirated because you’re a bad person? They’re gonna sound awful. If your father-in-law-to-be hands sends you some recordings of his garage band, grab however awful a set of backup cans you need for it to sound good. Because these will tell you the truth. Yet, to a good recording, they are shockingly flattering. If you put garbage in, you’ll get garbage out. Give it something good, though, and you’ll get magic. I’ve listened to just about my entire music library with these, and there are a few recordings in particular that really demonstrate how well these shine:-In the Air Tonight (Phil Collins, Face Value, 1981): On a decent-to-good set of headphones, this song sounds ominous; it sounds cool. Whatever. On the HD600s, it’s a religious experience. Sounds swirl around your head. The crescendos and diminuendos blow you away. The vocals sound perfect. Incredible.-In Your Eyes (Peter Gabriel, So, 1986): The entire album is fabulous. Listen to it over and over again. But there’s a reason this song is singled out. It’s a sibilance nightmare. On my MDR-V6s, it’s unlistenable above a moderate volume. Enter the HD600s: there’s no hiding how much sibilance there is, but they handle it as gracefully as possible.Enough ink has been spilled over how these handle classical and jazz (spoiler: fabulously), and their vocal presentation in particular is spot-on.THE STUFF YOU’LL NEED:To get all of this brilliant sound, you’re going to need a few things. First and foremost is an amp. This can get crazy pretty quick, so first let’s draw a distinction: solid state vs tubes. The HD600 has a high enough impedance to really get along with OTL amps (ie, most headphone tube amps). This will color the sound somewhat, get hot, be unreliable, need to warm up, etc. If you want to go down this road, you can. There’s also a lot of really expensive solid state amps.Or, you could just get a Schiit Magni or a JDS Objective2, both of which sound… well… about perfect.Next, you’ll need to think about a DAC. Now, a lot of people just assume they’ll need one. That may not be the case. If you have a Retina Macbook Pro, for instance, skip it. You’ll never hear the difference between it and whatever you get for 150 bucks. Same deal if you’re plugging a (good) CD player or receiver or whatever straight into the amp. If your source is something else, like a midrange PC, you’ll need to evaluate this yourself. Unfortunately, I can’t help you with that.If you decide you need a DAC, there are a lot of expensive options out there.Or, you could just get a Schiit Modi or a JDS ODAC, both of which sound… well… about perfect.(Side lesson: The internet audiophile community fights back and forth all the time about whether the O2/ODAC or the Magni/Modi is the better setup. Realistically, their performance is nearly identical. Buy whichever you think looks better.)(Another side lesson: You seriously probably don’t need to spend a ton of money on DACs and amps. The O2/ODAC was designed by some wacky internet crusader who wanted to prove that the performance of the Benchmark DAC2 and HPA2 could be achieved without spending thousands of dollars. From an engineering perspective, this is obviously possible. If you look into this further, you will still find people who insist that the O2/ODAC doesn’t sound as good as significantly more expensive gear. Just remember that these are audiophile crazies, who think they need 192kHz recordings because Nyquist-Shannon doesn’t apply to special snowflakes. The two most important things in any digital-to-analog system are the input file and the transducer.)Finally, you’re going to need good recordings. iTunes is sufficient. Vinyl is pretty good (repeat after me: vinyl does not sound better than CD, it is objectively worse, a record will only sound great 25 times, and will be the equal of the CD never). CD is your best bet, particularly those mastered before the “loudness wars” started up in the late 1990s. However, the world isn’t perfect; fear not, the Senns still sound good with stuff that has a compressed dynamic range (within reason). Anything beyond the Redbook CD standard is simply a ploy to get you to spend more money for things you can’t hear, and that your dog can’t either.SOME REALITIES:The way that the Senns achieve all this great sound is by being “open-back” headphones. This means that, on the side of the driver opposite your ear, there’s just some mesh to protect it from damage. This means that you can’t really use these outside a quiet environment, because you’ll hear everything around you. It also means that you probably won’t want to listen to them in public, because it’s really difficult to look cool when everybody knows you’re blasting the Bangles.Also, they’re ugly as sin. But they aren’t leaving your house, so who cares?A WORD ABOUT THE HD650:Released several years after the HD600, the HD650 at first glance looks like an upgrade. That… depends. The HD650 is darker and smoother at the expense of detail. That’s all. I prefer its sound signature. But, it usually costs between 75 and 150 dollars more than the HD600, and so it wasn’t worth it for me. It probably isn’t worth it for you, either.So, yeah. These headphones sound just about dead neutral, wonderfully crisp, and yet smooth enough that you can listen at high volumes without fatigue. They can usually be had for less than 300 dollars. And for the price, they have no equal. Now we just have to hope that someday the HD800S can be such an easy decision to make.

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3. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Jeremy – November 24, 2014

   Amazingly Crisp and ClearWell this is the first real pair of headphones I’ve owned. Previously I wasn’t too serious about headphones and had purchased some SOL Republics over-the-ear headphones. There was a customer service guy that recommended them among others like Skullcandy and other sub $150 non-audiophile headphones saying that “All these headphones are pretty good, just don’t buy Beats or your just paying for the name”. Well at the time I thought the Republics sounded good for music like Rage Against the Machine. But after I purchased some quality NHT Superzero bookshelf speakers for my office I noticed that the headphones were completely missing the higher frequencies. Boosting the Highs on an Equalizer helped but it still had a muddy sound to them. So I decided to try some more serious higher priced headphones and see what happens.I already had a decent Peachtree Audio Integrated Amp/DAC with headphone amp to test them. So as I sat in front of my bookshelf speakers, I plugged them into the headphone amp. I wasn’t that blown away thinking the HD 600s sounded slightly better than my other headphones but certainly not worth the extra $250 Dollars. However I noticed right away details in music that I’d never noticed before. Like clearly hearing the squeaking chair of a producer at the beginning of The WHO’s ‘Don’t get Fooled Again’. I let them keep playing music and burn themselves in while I did something else for about 4 hours. When I came back the bass response was noticeably better and sound was slightly improved but still felt it was not that great of an improvement.Then I had an major facepalm moment when I realized I was comparing these headphones to my bookshelf speakers. They sounded so much like them that I didn’t even realize that I had the memory of the bookshelves sound in my head and not the other headphones. I had been listening allot to my main speakers and not much to my other headphones so that must be why. Needless to say I was pretty impressed when I realized my error. Kind of hate to admit that they sound a little better than my main speakers. The bookshelfs have a slightly darker sound and have a somewhat boosted bass by default that I don’t care for. So then I compared the actual other headphones and as I expected muddy bass, missing highs and mediocre at best sound. The other headphones also had a very noticeable noise floor. On the HD 600s there is absolutely NONE! Any background noise you notice through the headphones is either due to the recording itself or the source your hooking it up to. This is great because you can listen to music at low volumes and still clearly hear the music without fuzzy noise interfering.I was surprised also that my phone was even able to drive these headphones to a respectable medium volume. I expected the volume to be allot lower considering the 300 Ohms rating. However you need an amp to get loud enough to get the full details of the music and the phones amp doesn’t have the separation of instruments like my home headphone amp. The Bass and Treble don’t fully emerge until you get to a loud volume and I mean LOUD. These can be fatiguing if you want to hear all the details of the music because I find the volume has to be fairly loud to reach 100% potential. Just listen to these at medium volumes compared to loud volumes and you will be shocked. There is a sweet-spot with these headphones for sure. It is great for easy listening ‘classical’ music, acoustic with vocals, symphonies, light rock etc. People saying the bass is too light on these have got to be kidding. I use a Peachtree Audio Amp and DAC which is considered to be neutral by many and at louds volumes it can be a little overbearing on bass-heavy songs. At low volumes I’d agree that the bass is a little light but so is the treble. It has a good punch without taking over and overwhelming your ears. Not flat in anyway whatsoever.Definitely find Open headphones to sound better without the boxed-in sound of a closed headphone. Yes you can’t use them in a quiet room when someone is sitting next to you. But what I like is that you can still somewhat hear what is going on around you if you are not listening at too loud of a volume. I’m a mail carrier that cases mail for hours a day before delivering. So at work I can listen to music at low volumes without someone having to throw something at me to get my attention. I much prefer it to closed headphones in situations like these where you are not concerned about critically listening and just want some background music to pass the time. These headphones are also very comfortable and feels like your wearing earmuffs when they are on. My entire ear fits in the headphone without touching the sides of the enclosure, so rarely get soar even after several hours of use. They clamp a bit tight on your head at first but eventually get stretched out and loosen up over time.Not a fan of the headphone cable that comes with the HD600. After only one week of use and trying to be careful, the headphone signal was cutting out when I flexed the cable. The cable is so thin and cheap and not deserving of these high quality cans. I’m not one of those people that says cable will change the audio quality but it has to at least be built well enough to withstand normal wear and tear. I upgraded to the HD 650 cables which are almost twice as thick and much more respectable. Although it has a 1/4″ plug instead of the 3.5mm plug from the original cable, so you need an adapter for that too. Be prepared to spend about another $25 dollars though on top of your $400 dollar investment(Much cheaper now I guess). I almost wanted to dock a star just for the poor cable but ultimately it’s one speedbump in a field of positives.These headphones can’t match the physical feeling of sound vibrations hitting your body from big speakers. However the big speakers can’t match the detail the HD 600s give you being right next to your ears either. Unlike stereo systems with subwoofers needing room equalization and treatment, all you have to do it is put these headphones on for near perfect sound. There is no boominess to the bass and it’s very fast and tight. The bass is not overpowering and just right. While the Highs sound very crisp and detailed. Vocals are very lifelike. Nora Jones has never sounded better.Last but not least these are made in Ireland! Good to know there are still SOME electronics not being made in China. I have no problem paying a premium for something that wasn’t made in a sweatshop. You don’t need to spend $1,000+ dollars on an Amp/Dac to reach these phones potential despite what people tell you. I use an Objective2Amp/DAC Combo that has really low distortion and doesn’t color the sound like many Amps Do and it sounds brilliant. I’m not someone that buys new headphones every month and was looking for a great headphone that would last several years. Hopefully this is the one. :)1/26 Update: I’ve discovered after listening to these for awhile that I was actually pushing these headphones too loud. Apparently these headphones are EQed for a more distant mellower sound instead of being loud and in-your-face like headphones I was used to in the past. The bass was not strong until I had the volume very loud and then the treble was almost ear piercing. But if I listen at more moderate volumes the bass is not quite as present but blends with with treble perfectly. There seems to be a pretty small window for the volume not being loud enough, to being to loud to get a full clear sound. The default flat settings are not really suited for music with electric guitar as it sounds a bit faint. It’s more for relaxed listening when your browsing webpages on your computer or just listening to musical instruments/vocals. Which is Ok with me but thought I’d tell others so they should know what to expect. You’ll just need to change Equalizer settings if you want a more aggressive neutral sound. I like switching between the default warm sound and more bright sound depending on the music.

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4. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Bobby – December 8, 2022

   Superior HeadsetWow! that’s it, Wow! I have a pair of Bose Quiet Comfort wireless, Audio Technica BT-M50 wireless and Marshall Major IV wireless and all sound great in thier own way but these Sennheizer’s are superior! The previous mentioned cans deliver great sound all of them very balanced with the Audio Technica being the best out of the three when it comes to highs, mids and lows. The Bose and the Marshall’s pretty equal with the Bose probably a little more separation but the Marshall’s deliver better bass. Now the Sennheizers. First off, I was a bit hesitant in pulling the trigger on getting these because of some of the reviews saying the bass wasn’t as prominent as other headsets. Wrong, the Sennheizers deliver plenty of bass and the separation in the highs and mids are very distinct. I have an ear for heavy bass and prefer a strong bass presence and these cans did not disappoint. I listen to primarily rock with heavy bass influence such as Gary Numan, Genesis, Black Sabbath, Korn, Katatonia, Opeth etc. and it came through loud and clear. Is the sound different being open back, yes, it sounds more like your in a studio not so contained, the sound is more “airy” if can use that description. As far as the quality they are built very sturdy, comfortable to wear with the earpads covering the whole ear. They are snug so if your sensitive to tightness around your head and ears it might be a problem but they didn’t bother me. In closing I’m glad I purchased these cans and after the first use have become my favorite. Oh BTW, if your looking for noise cancelation or bluetooth these aren’t for you, but if you want to listen to your music in superior sound hooked up to your stereo system these are the ones.Edit: So I’ve read cell phones or laptops don’t have enough amplifier juice to power these bad boys, well not true. There is enough to drive the Sennheizers but they will not get as loud as when plugged into a stereo amp system and they will not be as clear. Solution, invest in an inline headset amplifier which I already had to amplify my other cans and it will take care of the weak volume of your cell phone or laptop, and it will be much clearer. Now if your not that concerned about volume or clarity just plug right in to cell phone or laptop and you will be fine.

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5. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Daniel Lye – January 5, 2023

   Fantastic headphones with great details and durabilityThe legendary HD600 from Sennheiser truly lives up to its name. They produce an incredibly detailed and neutral sound that is intimate and clean, while also having robustness that inspires confidence in their build quality. While they can be driven by your phone or PC onboard audio, the sound quality definitely takes a hit from the lack of amplification, so it is highly recommended to use them with a proper DAC and Headphone Amp. I drive them with an Audient iD4 Audio Interface.These are open-back headphones, so they do not isolate sound well. It will be easy for users to hear surrounding noises, and also for others to hear what is playing through the headphones (though not overly loud). However, this also result in music that sounds more natural and clear. So while this means they do not make great travel headphones, they make fantastic studio / home headphones where it is quieter and people may not mind the sound leaking from the headphones.The clamp on these headphones are pretty strong. Those with big heads might need to stretch the headband a bit, or simply bear with the headaches. However, the earpads are quite comfortable. Once I get comfortable with the headphones, I can use them for hours and hours on end without feeling fatigued.However, these are not suitable for everyone as their bass is rather lacking (EQ fixes it a little bit) and its soundstage is not the greatest, but nothing is ever perfect. Overall I am very happy with my purchase and I can foresee myself using these cans for many years to come!

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6. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Shaun Pettit – January 22, 2023

   Just wowSo I’ve been in the headphone audiophile game for some years now and have experience with various tube and solid state amps. For comparison, I own(ed) Audeze LCD-X, Senn HD800S, Senn 660S, Hifiman Arya’s, Focal Clear, DT1990, DT1770, and a bunch of cans under $250 mark.Having the 660S really deterred me from grabbing these HD600 but knowing that these are the OG legends, I felt that I can’t call myself a true listener without at least trying these. Welp… they’re worth every penny and more. These will likely be my daily drivers because I can listen to these for hours without any issues. Fit, sound signature, comfort, treble, bass, mids, overall EQ, stage, imaging, just EVERYTHING is a perfect melding that creates this intimate experience with the music. I’ve truly been missing out..I love them and will tell you that if you’re getting your first sennheiser set, or adding to your inventory, these are a MUST have.

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7. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Nora Howard – November 11, 2022

   The most balanced headphones I’ve ownedThese headphones are pretty much the standard for this price range, and excellent if you want to explore more detail in what you listen to.They are open-backed headphones, which means you can hear outside noise with them on more easily than normal closed-back headphones or earbuds with a rubber seal. (This is why I didn’t rate it’s noise cancelling, as that isn’t something these try to achieve) It also means that they have a very wide soundstage. It’s hard to describe if you’re not into audio, but basically it feels less like the sound is coming from speakers right next to your ears and more like you’re in a room with the music playing.The sound is remarkably balanced, meaning most frequencies are emitted by the speakers at about the same volume. Being open backed headphones, the subbase tapers off a bit at the end, but is still very easy to hear. These shine when listening to music of all sorts, but particularly big-band jazz and orchestra. That being said, when listening to hip hop or rock or something, I find myself picking out much more detail than with something like my Bose QC45s (which are great in their own way)So what’s the catch? You will need to have something a little more powerful than a normal computer audio jack to drive these headphones. I use mine with a Moto M2 USB audio interface, which is great because you can also run monitors and two xlr mics with phantom power at the same time. These aren’t cheap but are about best bang for your buck if you want to record as well. Otherwise, you can probably fine a USB headphone preamp to run these.Overall these are excellent headphones for just about anything. They are my daily drivers for literally everything I do at my desk

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8. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Chris – November 20, 2022

   Neutral with Warmth from Elevation in the Upper Bass RegisterAll the Sennheiser headphones I tried and reviewed are well built and of high quality standards. Everyone’s preferences are different, and Sennheiser truly has something for everyone–whether a bassy soundcurve for punch (for dance music, DJing, and fans of genres of music which rhythm is important to them), a neutral soundcurve for authenticity (for Classical music, movies, music as it is originally mastered, Musical Theatre, and TV series), or a trebly soundcurve for clarity (for audiobooks, news, sports, talkshows, and vocal music if understanding what is being said/sung is more important than reproducing how they sound in real life). The HD 600 is the well-built, open-back pair of headphones with that neutral soundcurve I’ve been looking for. If I have second thoughts, I will post an update.12/02/22 Update: While it doesn’t bleed into the mids whatsoever, there may be a minor elevation in the bass register. I am going to give the HD 560S another try to determine if its treble causes silibance, and/or if its bass is too weak.12/05/22 Update: After researching headphones since February, I can understand why the HD 600 has maintained a high place among audiophiles and recording engineers since 1997. While its slight elevation in the upper bass register may help warm things up for a less fatiguing listening experience, such an effect might not be desired if your objective is something completely neutral/transparent. I never tried the HD 58X, HD 650, or HD 6XX, but they are reported to be even warmer than the HD 600. After trying the HD 560 S again, I feel like its bass response is more neutral than the HD 600, and I don’t notice any of the harshness or silibance I feared I would notice.

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9. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Tony – May 23, 2017

   Detail at all costsIf you’re reading this, you’re deep enough into the audio hobby to have realized an important psychological truth about yourself: you can’t leave well enough alone. Neither can I. That’s why, even after falling head over heels in love with the sound of the HD650, I ordered the HD600. I just had to know.The verdict? It’s almost too close to call, but for my preferences the 650 is the better headphone. The two have been compared to death online, but if you have the capacity to think for yourself, audio review sites and forums are usually an unsavory if fascinating combination of shilling, self-justification, and “follow the leader” parroting of received opinions. Many self-proclaimed “audiophiles” have strong opinions about equipment they’ve never actually heard, which I can’t accept.Given that, I decided the only way to compare the two headphones honestly was to listen to both myself for hours, going back and forth on a wide variety of recordings. The difference between a good recording and a bad recording dwarfs the difference between lossy and lossless, and the HD600 (more so than the HD650) may end up changing your taste in music because it makes good recordings sound SO GOOD and bad recordings sound SO BAD. In other words, it reveals the “truth” of the recording, and sometimes the truth hurts—it’s really hard to enjoy The Killers now.The fact is that the 600 and 650 are ultimately more alike than different, and the popular insistence that they sound completely different has more to do with what Freud called “the narcissism of small differences” than the headphones themselves. If you Google some variation on “HD650 vs HD600,” you’ll hear over and over that the 650 is “bassier” or “darker.” Not really. There’s actually very little difference across this parameter. Piano music presents an exception, but this is rarely what people think of as a bassy genre.There are two significant differences. The first is soundstage. The HD650’s soundstage is wider, but that doesn’t mean it can make a cramped recording sound airy. The HD600’s soundstage is more intimate; there’s less space between left and right channels, but it’s not a huge difference, and I could see people preferring (or at least not minding) the HD600’s tighter spacing.The most striking difference between the two headphones is in what I’d call “smoothness.” The best analogy I can think of comes from digital photography. As an image sensor increases its sensitivity, it also increases its noise because you can’t amplify a signal without also amplifying noise. There are two rival philosophies for dealing with noise: leave it as “grain” or smooth it out. Grain has its devotees, and the advantage of grain is that it preserves fine detail. The disadvantage is that past a certain point it becomes a distraction. The advantage of smoothness, meanwhile, is that it looks superficially nicer. The disadvantage is that when you look closely you won’t see all the fine details. Like all things, it’s a continuum of compromise. The 600 is the headphone to get if you value detail at the cost of an occasionally unpleasant grainy and even metallic quality to the sound. The 650 is the one to get if you care more about music than sound and don’t care if your headphones sand down the sharp edges of your music a bit.Going back and forth between the two, it quickly becomes clear that the 650 is the stronger all-around performer: it sounds nicer on more recordings and across more genres. The 600, meanwhile, is the champion of a particular niche: good recordings with lots of micro detail. Want to be able to count how many times the skin of a drum reverberates after it’s struck? Want to hear such fine vocal gradations you’ll know how a singer felt during recording? The 600 is for you.Make no mistake: at its best, the 600 produces the most astonishingly detailed sound I’ve ever heard. Unfortunately, at its worst it sounds grainy, jumbled, and not particularly musical. I’m sorry to report that piano music sounds particularly off on the 600: low frequencies disappear and take the fullness of the keys with them. Vocals can sound oddly recessed, even far away. In general, the 600 seems to fare better with female vocals than male ones, and with strings over pianos. It’s absolutely glorious for acoustic guitar, but then, so is the 650.The 650’s great advantage lies in its ability to bring out vocals like a spotlight. They stand out so clearly and powerfully from the instrumentation that you’ll feel like you’re hearing your favorite songs for the first time. The effect is really quite incredible: it’s like there’s a special sonic space reserved for vocals and unpolluted by other sounds. Based on Sennheiser’s own specs, the 650 has lower distortion than the 600 and it’s clearly a more refined driver unit. Whatever the technical reason, the 650’s background is pitch black: sounds rise from and fall back into a sea of silence. Be forewarned: a well-recorded vocal track through the 650 may bring tears to your eyes, and that’s why I kept the 650 and returned the 600.Finally, let’s talk about measurements. While there’s a valid SUBJECTIVE argument for preferring the sound of the 600, the 650 has an objectively better driver that improves on its predecessor in every way: higher sensitivity, lower distortion, and better power handling. Here are the figures straight from Sennheiser’s manuals, which you can find for yourself on the product pages for both headphones at bhphotovideo[dot]com. The terminology used isn’t consistent from one manual to the other, but the parameters in question are the same. I’ve noted these variations where applicable.Frequency response (-10db): 12 – 38,000 Hz (HD600), 10 – 39,500 Hz (HD650)Impedance: 300 ohms (same for both)Sensitivity/”Loudness” (Sennheiser also calls this “Sound pressure level at 1 kHz”): 97 dB (HD600), 103 dB (HD650)Load rating (Sennheiser also calls this “Long-term max. input power”): 0.2W aka 200mW (HD600), 500mW (HD650)THD (Total Harmonic Distortion): ≤0.1% (HD600), ≤0.05% (HD650)In short, the HD650 will get louder than the 600 because it has higher sensitivity at the same resistance. The fact that it can handle almost twice as much INPUT power is a positive, not a negative; if you turned a decent amp ALL THE WAY UP with the HD600 connected, you could damage or even destroy the drivers. The 650 has enough headroom for more than twice as much input power, but there’s little point in driving your headphones loud enough for permanent hearing loss.At the end of the day, headphone preference, like any preference, is primarily subjective, and I can’t seriously imagine anyone being unhappy with the HD600.

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10. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Leo – December 14, 2022

    Like but Not LoveIt is great to own a piece of the legendary HD 600, the sound quality is amazing just like most of the Sennheiser openbacks . If this was my first set of Sennheiser I would said “wow, I love it ! ” however I had been using the HD 660s for a few years now and when comparing both headphones , the HD 600 sounded more narrow and dark but not always a bad thing , I also found the HD 600 is a little bit harder to drive and not always able to get the sound I wanted . If I have to pick , I would choose the HD 660s over the HD 600 since it’s more well rounded. A little dispointed how the HD 600 came , Sennheiser no longer ship them with a storage case , just a thin paper box..Still the HD 600 is still a good headphone

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