HD 600

These headphones made me cry. More on that later.They come in a sturdy wood-ish type box - not posh polished wood, but sturdy enough and covered with dark brown lining. The phones are nestled in protective grey foam, cut to the shape of the phones to keep them safe during transit. A manual accompanies them, although I just dived in and started listening.I love the sound of a piano so I had plenty of classical themed music to run through these 600s.First up was an old Naxos 1980s Beethoven Piano Concerto No.1 CD. Hmm. The sound was dull across the entire range. The playing is fantastic though and led me to buy the sheet music, which I never could play. To be fair it never sounded great through any headphones, but I was expecting some kind of magic.Let's try something recorded more recently. Second up was Yundi Li's "The Art of Yundi" (a fantastic collection of piano pieces - many new to me a few months ago). Flipping heck! What a difference a good recording/sound engineer makes! I heard nuances in individual notes I'd not heard before. I even heard accidentals/accent notes I'd not noticed before. The clarity from top to bottom was simply outstanding. Sparkling brilliance in the upper registers and warm dark sonorous tones lower down.My love of piano music led me to buy an electric piano, 15+ years ago now. It went "pop" a year or so ago and died on me. I was sad but kept it as it's handy for my home theater speakers. When I've saved up I'll buy another.Back to Yundi. Liszt's Rigoletto was one of the pieces that was new to me. I must have played it 100 times on the train to work, using my mobile + headphones. It's an addictive piece and I know it quite well now. Again there were notes/timbres/nuances that sprang into life, as though rescued from the cracks that lesser headphones would leave behind. It was like listening to a completely new recording. Rigoletto draws you in slowly, then makes you addicted with its clever ever complicating recapitulation, then exits the stadium with magnificent massive virtuoso chords crashing down the keyboard. And then silence. But there isn't. For a few seconds through these headphones you can hear the soundboard and frame of the piano ring and undulate as the brilliance of Liszt, through Yundis fingers, evapourates into the ether. That little piece of magic made me cry. It made me look at my beloved piano, now senza voce, and want to play it. But I could not, ever again. It made me remember all the good times, the bad times, the frustrations, the rare accomplishments but most of all my love of sound itself. Welcome back, my friend.Let's not get too emotive - it's just a pair of headphones after all. However, music makes us emotional.Third up was Bachs Toccata & Fugue in D Minor. These phones pick up everything, including quirks of an old air powered Church organ. You could almost hear the beast breathing through its nostrils. At full pelt in the "fff" passages with every single bank of notes from foot to teeth being tormented these phones did struggle. The music got lost as if overwhelmed. To be fair it's a cruel test as none of my headphones ever succeeded either. You have a huge Church organ pumping gallons of air to make those fat boy pipes play and expect a little piece of tech to replicate that? We need to be realistic in our expectations. However, the different registers/instruments the organ sounded were simply sublime through these. Really sweet.Fourth up was a new addiction of mine. Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies. Played by the brilliant George Cziffra. Recorded in the early 1970s I didn't expect much from this CD. In fact I was worried these 'phones might highlight the fact microphones were not as sensitive then, tape noise, that kind of thing. Oh my - what a blast! Yet again I'm hearing those accidental notes (not really accidental - they are very brief deliberate embellishments and fiendishly difficult to play without whacking). Yet again I feel like my ears have been cleansed or I'm listening to a new digitally remastered release. Brilliant.These 'phones give your ears exactly what's on the plate. If it's a poor recording then they won't make it better. If it's a good one then your ears, brain, body and soul will be overjoyed. Yep that's the word. The music I have gave me joy. Now it's joy++. Overjoyed.These initially feel tight to wear, but soon you realise you've gotten used to slack ill fitting headgear. They encompass the ear (unless you are Vulcan) and fit nicely against the head, instead of pressing into parts of the ear. I find them very comfortable. After a few minutes you forget you are wearing them.My first pair of "opens". Highly recommended. Closed gives me that "sea shell" experience of hearing my own bloodstream or something. Plus my ears now remain cool, they weigh less and I feel part of the environment rather than in some sensory deprivation chamber. A huge plus when it comes to listening to a concerto where you want to be in the audience, not isolated.Having listened to much piano tonight I noticed sound engineers don't follow any particular rule regarding left/right; some make you the listener - you are facing the piano being played so high notes come through the left ear and low notes through the right. Very disconcerting if you are a player. As the player you hear low through left and high through right. I'm not a player, but have tried and like to be "in the seat" when I'm doing air piano.Others seem to give a cross-fade which is even more disconcerting.For the wrong-way-round listener experience I found a fantastic tweak you can do to these HD 600s. If you absolutely want the player experience where low=down and high=up then make the following adjustments to these cans. Yes I know these are very expensive, but the modification is reversible:1. Take them off2. Put them on the wrong way roundImmediately you are transported from audience to player. As these phones are symmetrically flexible they feel just as comfortable either way around.Worth the money? If you're going to do something, do it once and do it properly.With a frequency response of 12Hz-40500Hz it should cover most needs. Oh nearly forgot! So many questions out there about impedance. 32/80/300/600 Ohms. Will my X phones work in a Y thing? There's lots of "info" about needing to buy a specialist headphone amp if > 32 ohms.These HD 600s are 300 ohms. I have them plugged into my Denon 4300 AVR. My CD is a Panasonic Blue Ray player. They are more than loud enough at 5/10. 3/10 would be my listening preference.These just tell it like it is to be fair. No magic. No pseudo science. Simple transparent acoustic honesty.No regrets at all.

I'm writing this review to hopefully help anyone considering these headphones, since I spent a long time trawling through online reviews, including Amazon UK and Amazon.com. The problem is not being able to demo the headphones, so you are left taking an expensive gamble. I won't go into the design, durability or the fact that these are open headphones (so if you are listening next to the wife in bed you can expect an elbow in the ribs!).The bad news is that the HD 600s sound less than impressive straight out of the box. Even after 3-4 days you might be regretting your purchase. Don't send them back! Keep them plugged in to your hifi and just let them play. I burned them in virtually non-stop after receiving them and it wasn't until after 6-7 days that they really changed their sound. Previously it was like the music was coming from behind a wall - I couldn't hear any definition or clarity. Gradually, this clarity will begin to show itself, while the bass and mids will also improve dramatically.The HD 600 is basically a fantastic all-rounder. Everything is balanced - bass is perfectly adequate and not over-emphasized (nor is it lacking). Mids and treble are really good. For most genres of music these are superb. If you really want deep, pounding bass then perhaps these are not for you, because they do not artificially enhance the bass.Is there a veil? (which many people believe the HD 650 to have) Well, I think they are slightly on the 'warm' side so not totally neutral or analytical, but it's all relative. I believe them to be strong at all frequencies, without excelling at one in particular. They are not quite as transparent as my other headphones, the Grado Alessandro MS-2i, but then these headphones are extremely detailed and more treble-forward, which also means that I cannot listen to them for hours upon end as I can with the Sennheisers.This is a headphone you can use for 3-4 hours without getting any fatigue. It's great to kick back and relax with, and don't be surprised if you find yourself drifting off to sleep! It's also very comfortable with its velour ear pads and won't make your ears hot or sweaty. Don't forget that you can change the pads and the cable, so we're talking long term use if you're careful with them.Now, you will require a dedicated amp since at 300 ohms your mp3 player won't be able to power it sufficiently. My personal recommendation is to get either a DAC/amp combo unit or separate DAC and amp units. Don't neglect the importance of a DAC. I thought all I needed was a headphone amp but I now believe that a good DAC is vital to extracting the best possible sound. I bought the Matrix Mini-i DAC/amp and Matrix M-Stage amp (with opamp upgrade) and can truthfully say that the HD 600s sound fantastic with these. However, I don't believe the 600s (because of their fairly neutral nature) require a certain type of amp, as long as it is powerful enough to drive them.Another factor is the quality of the recording. You will read people's comments about ensuring that your songs are encoded at high bitrates and whilst this is true (I rip CDs to FLAC or Apple Lossless) I have personally found that the quality of the original recording is more important. I have some CDs where the studio recording has been so poor that it wouldn't matter how it was encoded, it would still sound bad.The other thing you can do is connect your DAC/amp to your tv and listen to movies etc through the Sennheisers - you will be hearing things you could never hear through the tv speakers.I don't think you can go wrong with the Sennheiser HD 600 - just give it plenty of time to burn in and then you will see just how good it is.

Hello. I got these HD600's today after many years of owning relatively cheap & cheerful headphones - my favourites up until now being Sennheiser's 25 quid HD202's. The first question I asked myself was....was it worth upgrading to a professional pair at 8 times the price?Hmmm, dunno.The HD600's initially felt less comfy than the HD202's and also sounded a bit thin but then, after just a couple of minutes, it hit me. I heard what I should have been hearing all these years - the music itself. Not the headphones. Obvious, really. And putting the HD202's on after a few minutes of wearing the HD600's was like strapping blocks of wood to the side of my head.Yes, definitely worth the price. Incredible.I love my HD202's (I have 3 pairs for when I have people recording in my home studio). They were the most comfortable headphones I'd ever worn and sounded very respectable for the price. But having used these HD600's for the last 3 hours all I can say is, if you like the sound of Sennheiser you really should try these amazing headphones.Really.I raised the issue of the "sound" of a brand because I've learnt that manufacturers of audio equipment tend to have a signature "character" in the sound of their headphones, monitors, preamps, microphones or whatever. We, as consumers, naturally gravitate, over the years, towards certain brands - my favourites are Sennheiser, Bluesky, Focusrite & Rode respectively - if I had to describe them all I would say they have an honest clarity to their sound but are not overly clinical or sterile and there's a beautiful silky quality which is never harsh, honky or boomy - plus they all have products which sound great without you paying silly money. In fact, on deciding that I needed to get some professional headphones for the studio I was initially very tempted to buy the 50 quid cheaper AKG K702's but chose the HD600's because they were Sennheisers. I'm sure the AKG's are great too.I have no regrets at all (well, except maybe that night with the sailor and the dwarf).The HD600's do appear to need more volume from my headphone amp than the HD202's but not worryingly so. In fact, the loudest I would normally have the volume pot for the HD202's was just below midway, whereas it's just above midway for the HD600's. What's that, about 15-20 percent more level maybe?In fact, the only other thing to bear in mind if you're thinking of buying some HD600's is that they might initially surprise you at their lack of hyped bass. So for deliberately "heavy" types of music they might not "pump" the way you're used to or would like. I have basic treble & bass EQ pots on my amp so if I'm going to be listening to beefy-sounding music I think I'll be giving the bottom end a little boost. But for mixing I'll be using them as is. They really are gorgeous sounding headphones. They aren't flattering, as such, but are a real pleasure to listen to music on. I can hear so much more and the airy space in the sound is breathtaking. They appear to be very well made and, although I wasn't keen on the colour-sceme in photos, in reality the black & blue speckled effect is fine. And they're very comfortable.I'm a very happy sunbeam.They even came in a nice, hinged box which, after removing the foam inserts, was ideal for keeping all 3 pairs of the HD202's in. Sweet.Well, I hope this has been useful.Thanks.

Sennheiser HD 600 - Open Monitoring HeadphonesThe HD600 was originally introduced as a development of the very successful HD580. It was rated as one of the best headphones of its time and I think it is still very, very good.So how do they sound? Compared to cheaper headphones they impress with the added clarity and dynamics they reveal in the music. They are generally smooth and easy to listen to without the abrasive harshness you find in some competitors products. They have a well deserved reputation for being one of the most neutral sounding headphones you can buy in their price range. No particular frequency stands out as emphasized. The only slight criticism is that the soundstage is a little narrow. By this I mean the music is more in the middle of your head than some more expensive headphones.Over the years they have attracted much praise and a little criticism which I will briefly review.1) Firstly, they are said to roll off in the bass a little too early. To my ears this is true for really low bass frequencies but mostly they sound well balanced in the lower registers. A little more punch and impact would be nice but they could not really be called bass-light. Even so for those who like a strong authoritative bass you may want to look elsewhere.2) In the upper midrange/lower treble they have been criticized for having a slight rise in their response. I find this is only very mild and not objectionable. In fact the midrange quality is one of the best aspects of this headphone that reveals details you would not normally notice.3) Some think treble frequencies possess a veil that limits clarity. Compared to the best headphones I find the very extreme treble may roll off a touch, but this means they are less likely to induce listener fatigue. The treble is a good balance between sounding smooth and yet having enough attack and vibrancy. However, on poor recordings some may find the HD600s can sound a little bright (i.e. give an emphasis to treble sounds).Comfort is very good with large squashy earpads that cover the whole ear. Weight is very reasonable so they can be worn for long periods without feeling heavy. They do clamp your head a little tightly at first but are very comfortable once you get used to this. Resist any temptation to bend the headband! A few weeks of use and you will not notice the extra pressure.These are open-backed headphones which means air can pass through the back of the ear cup to the speaker element. This means there is no sealed enclosure and sound waves cannot cause distortions inside the headphones. The disadvantage is there is no isolation from external sounds. You will be able to hear everything happening in your environment just as if you never had them on. Similarly anyone sitting fairly close to you will hear what you are listening to. Therefore, apart from the large physical size, these are not suited to wearing whilst commuting!Quality of construction is more than adequate and spare parts are readily available. However, these are not the kind of headphones to abuse. The metal grilles will dent easily so treat them with some care. The cable is 3 metres long and is a bit thin, but it does have a very nifty built-in adapter to convert it to a 3.5mm socket. Although Sennheiser have improved this from the early examples, unplugging the cable from the headphones frequently can lead to the connectors becoming loose and making intermittent contact.By modern standards their impedance is high at 300 ohms. This means anything portable that is battery powered like a phone may struggle to drive them to a high enough volume. Most mains powered equipment will probably have enough power, but these headphones will either reveal poor quality or just not perform as well as expected if you partner them with mediocre equipment. If you listen to audio via a computer get a good sound card or a headphone amp or amp/DAC combined.It is worth noting that the condition of the earpads has a noticeable effect on these headphones, causing them to sound muffled and lacking in clarity. If they look a bit misshapen and lose their firmness, consider buying new ones. Choose original Sennheiser spare parts as some third-party products, although cheaper, typically do not sound or feel the same.The HD650 was introduced in 2003 and looks very similar. Gone is the marble effect finish which to many will be an improvement. The cable is thicker and has a separate adapter for 3.5mm sockets. This cable will also fit the HD600 and is certainly more durable. The headband cushioning is shaped slightly differently but the earpads are identical. From a comfort perspective they are indistinguishable. In 2020 the HD600 adopted the same headband as the HD650 and dispensed with the marble effect finish.The sound of the HD650 is similar to the HD600. The most notable difference is that the Sennheiser engineers have tilted the tonal balance to give more emphasis to bass frequencies and less to the treble. Very low bass is still slightly rolled off but mid bass (the area that gives music an added thump) is now more obvious. Many who appreciate bass will find this a positive attribute. To my ears the midrange is slightly less neutral, giving male voices, for example, a little extra body and warmth. Overall the midrange is still superb. Treble frequencies are smoother and more relaxed than the HD600, and although just as extended as the HD600, a little lower in level. This makes the HD650 relaxing to listen to and this can be useful if your favourite recording are a little harsh.Choosing between the HD600 and HD650 is down to personal taste. Technically the HD650 is the marginally better headphone, but the real difference is in the tonal balance. If you like a headphone that is easy to listen to, with fairly strong bass, and a smooth but slightly soft treble, the HD650 is the one for you. For those who prefer a more lively, neutral sound with more snap and attack, the HD600 may be the better choice. Whichever you choose you can't really go wrong. They are both excellent headphones.

Amazing headphones, they sound amazing and after giving it a week or two you adjust to the sound signature and they sound lovely. 2 issues: THE CABLE IS SO NOISY! and the nice grilles on the earcups are pretty but bend quite easily, I found out the hard way. They are also very comfy. However you cannot ignore the other options that you could buy for the same price or cheaper. Hifiman sundaras or HD6XX are both great alternatives with some saying the Sundaras are better so maybe they are worth a look at instead

These headphones make listening a real pleasure, I wish I had bought these before, I could have saved a lot of money that was spent on cheaper but ultimately less satisfying equipment. They are very comfortable and they have a sound quality that is neutral, very natural and totally captivating on every type of music. I have played reggae, jazz, classical, dance, rock, etc and all sound very clean, clear and detailed. They have a sound quality which is never fatiguing and these qualities, together with their very natural and balanced sound signature, mean that once you put these on and start playing music you won't want to take them off!They can be used directly out of a mobile or tablet and provide a very pleasant listening experience when used this way. However, the sound quality will not be as good as these headphones are capable of and the volume will also be limited. These are fairly insensitive headphones so they do need the kind of power that would be provided by a dedicated headphone amplifier, to play at realistic volume levels. Using a headphone amplifier would also significantly improve the sound quality.I use a Little Dot Mk2 valve headphone amplifier connected through an Audioquest Dragonfly DAC into my laptop using Audioquest's Cinnamon cable. I mainly listen using the online music streaming services, Spotify Premium, Qobuz lossless and Apple Music.My other headphones (AKG K702, ATH M50x and Grado SR80e) have hardly been used since I bought the HD600! Although I do use the excellent M50x at work, as they are closed back - the HD600 is open-backed meaning all the sound would get out (and in), so it would not be suitable for use in that type of environment.

After using my Sennheiser HD595 headphones for 10 years, I thought it was time for an upgrade and decided to purchase these. Music sounded "boring" for lack of a better word. After more than 16 years since these were released, these are still considered to be amongst the best headphones you can get (bar the Orpheus and HD800 supposedly). Sennheiser looks after its customers so well by offering a full range of replacement parts for the HD600, and I think this is a testament to a company that released these headphones so long ago. A good pair of headphones is an investment and should last you 10+ years if you look after them. I'm sure that in 10 years time, you'll still be able to buy replacement parts for these.The clamp force is definitely a bit tighter than the HD595s, but it's by no means uncomfortable. After a week or two, they'll feel even better. Immediately, I noticed the improved bass response over the HD595s and greater detail and clarity. I can hear lots of subtleties in songs which I hadn't been able to hear before, and it's almost like I am "listening for the first time". Background vocals are distinctly heard, cymbals clash and reverb with precision, the sound of triangles is subtle but noticeable. Even if you're not a fan of R.E.M., listening to "Man on the Moon" is such a pleasure as not only the quality of the recording is fantastic, but also the song shows off the many vocals and instruments used. And on these headphones this song really does shine.My setup:I've paired these with an SMSL SD793-II DAC & Headphone Amplifier, and I only need to use them at the 11-12 (Roughly about one third volume)o'clock position before it gets a bit too loud (or complaints from the wife!). These do require an amplifier to drive them. I have used them on my iPhone without an amplifier and at full volume, the sound is a little quiet and a little restrained. I also use them with my Onkyo TX-RZ810 receiver and listen to FLACs - mainly Rock - from Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Foo Fighters, Zeppelin, as well as some pop such as Adele, Michael Jackson and Elton John. They all sound magical.

I've owned these for over three years now. I also own the HD800S, LCD-2C, and I've listened to numerous headphones through numerous amps.The 600s perform so well, that you would be tricked in to believing that they are worth not double, but triple their price. They are so old as well, but their sound has really survived the test of time. If I was given £300 and asked to purchase some (open) headphones, I would buy these. Even if I was given £1000, I'd probably still buy these.The reason they are so good is that they manage to transmit so much detail, but still maintaining a really natural sound. It is a flat sound, they are objectively a "boring" headphone, but it's hard to have "natural" (in the sense that the sound isn't coloured) without boring, and without spending hundreds more. If you want a more coloured, warmer sound, look at the 650s, or the 6xx on massdrop. But you will lose detail. Compared to the 800S they have a slightly smaller soundstage, less detail and are a little less musical (less boring). But they also cost £1100 less. Compared to anything in the Audeze line, the 600s have less bass, but similar detail. Again, the 600s cost hundreds less.In addition to sounding great, they are also extremely light and comfortable. The pads are very easily replaceable, in fact every single element of the headphone is user replaceable. It also comes with a nice box. Sennheiser also have a fantastic 2 year warranty with great customer support. There's also a good factory tour video on youtube from Linus Tech Tips that is well worth the watch if you are interested in any Sennheisers.You may need an external amp to power these, they are a little thirsty. Most modern half decent motherboards will be able to power them with ease, so don't be tricked in to buying an amp right away. Some laptops will be able to power them as well. Phones won't. Tablets maybe. Flac is a waste of time and money, spotify or apple music is fine as long as you are streaming in high quality.

Editado el 21 de junio de 2023: Llevo siete años con estos auriculares (desde 2016) y siguen siendo mis favoritos. He probado otros auriculares más caros (HIFIMAN Edition XS, Sennheiser HD 660S2) pero no hay otros que tengan este timbre tan realista, la neutralidad que ofrecen y la respuesta de agudos tan refinada. Lo único que puedo aconsejar para mejorarlos un poquito más es amplificar con ecualizador los subgraves (por debajo de 100 Hz). Estos auriculares son una maravilla que vale cada euro y que te pueden durar más de diez años sólo cambiando las almohadillas.-----Editado el 25 de septiembre de 2020: Han pasado cuatro años y medio desde que los compré , y todavía los disfruto muchísimo. Hoy los he estado comparando con unos Fidelio X2HR de Philips y he podido comprobar cómo estos Sennheiser tienen los agudos más refinados que he escuchado en unos auriculares. La única pega que he tenido con los HD 600 es que he tenido que cambiar las almohadillas este año, y son bastante caras... Aun así éstas aguantan hasta 3 años de uso exhaustivo. He añadido la imagen de una medición de la respuesta de frecuencias en el rango de los agudos, comparándola con otros modelos como los Philips X2HR y los Beyerdynamic DT 880. Esta es una de las razones por las que me gustan tanto los HD 600. La respuesta de los agudos se siente de buena calidad, suave y detallada, porque no sufre ningún pico irregular, al contrario de tantos otros modelos.-----Después de haber usando los Beyerdynamic DT880 durante tres años, hace un mes decidí probar estos auriculares, ya que había leído que eran sinónimo de neutralidad. Me arrepiento de no haber comprado estos tres años atrás.Me han encantado desde el primer momento. La comodidad es excelente (los DT880 son también muy cómodos, pero prefiero estos por ser completamente abiertos). El sonido es tan detallado como en los Beyerdynamic pero, además, puedo disfrutar de una respuesta de frecuencias neutra.Estoy de acuerdo en que algunas producciones pueden parecer planas, "aburridas", pero desde mi punto de vista eso es problema de la producción y no de los auriculares. Además, siempre se puede remediar con un ajuste de ecualización.Estos auriculares ganan presencia en los medios comparado con los DT 880 y no me cabe duda en que el sonido es en su conjunto más natural. No producen nada de fatiga auditiva.El único público al que no recomendaría estos auriculares es a quienes buscan sólamente bajos explosivos de pistas electrónicas. No estoy diciendo que estos auriculares tengan mala respuesta de bajos, de hecho me parece correcta, pero de ningún modo llegan a ofrecer sub-bajos "aniquilantes".En esta opinión intento ser objetivo, pero tened en cuenta que en el mundo del sonido toman también mucha importancia los gustos, y si bien yo disfruto los HD 600 por encima de los Beyerdynamic DT 880 y los considero una mejor opción, a otra persona le puede parecer lo contrario. Pero no cabe duda de que los Sennheiser ofrecen una respuesta más neutra. Y, desde el punto de vista objetivo, neutralidad y fidelidad son sinónimos.Añado que en realidad no son tan llamativos como parece en la fotografía, sino que son más discretos y elegantes. El color azul es muy suave, casi gris. Esto para mí ha sido una agradable sorpresa (esto lo escribí hace años, ahora el diseño es gris oscuro...).

It'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.

Je réfléchissais depuis quelques temps pour renouveler mon casque Sennheiser HD265 Linear et je tombe à 8h00 du matin, hier , au démarrage des soldes, sur ce modèle soldé à 135 Euro au lieu de 327.Bien sur je me dépêche d'en commander un, à 8h30 y en avait plus..Voilà, en ce moment je l'ai sur la tête et je savoure le son qui m'emplit les oreilles..Pas la peine de disserter, ce casque est exceptionnel, et ce n'est pas pour rien si il a été produit pendant plus de 10ans, c'est un "winner" comme on dit et il a souvent été comparé avec des casques à 600 euros.C'est mon 5ème casque de la marque Sennheiser, depuis 30a. Avant lui j'avais opté pour un HD265 Linear, casque fermé, pour avoir plus de pression sonore, car les casques ouverts, chers à la marque,avaient tendance à manquer de patate...Avec le HD600 il n'en est rien et le son est très confortable et très détaillé.Je viens d'écouter l'album "All'n All" d'Earth Wind & Fire que je connais par coeur et j'ai découvert un petit contrepoint à la clarinette, que je n'avais jamais remarqué, dans le morceau "Serpentine Fire".Ce casque est hyper précis et très musical.

So, nachdem mich jetzt mein geliebter HD 600 für über 10 Jahre begleitet hat und es bestimmt auch noch die nächsten 10 Jahre wird, ist es wohl an der Zeit mal eine Langzeiterfahrung zu verfassen.Ich hatte mir damals den HD 600 gekauft, weil ich einfach gerne und lange Musik höre und einfach mal einen großen Schritt in Richtung „High End“ machen wollte.Mir waren dabei weniger die ganzen Zahlen und Werte rund um den Kopfhörer wichtig sondern viel mehr die Resultate die er zu Hause verbringen kann.Ich höre sowohl klassische Musik, als auch Rock, Indie, etwas Reggae und elektronische Musik.Als ich den Kopfhörer zum ersten mal aufsetzte und ausprobierte, war für mich sofort klar das ich ihn nie wieder hergeben werde.Der Kopfhörer klingt einfach ehrlich, gibt eine realistische Bühne dar und differenziert einzelne Instrumente wunderbar.Dazu gesellt sich noch ein knackiger Bass und immer eine angenehme Präsenz.Ich sage immer er „klingt“ einfach.Bei einem offenen Kopfhörer sollte man aber immer dran denken, dass auch die Mitmenschen zuhören können. Ab einem gewissen Pegel, kann das auf den ein oder anderen schon etwas störend wirken.Über die Jahre sind mir so einige Dinge an dem Kopfhörer aufgefallen und ich habe auch etliche Vergleiche mit anderen Kopfhörern, Verstärkern, DACs und Musikqualitäten machen können.Kommen wir zur Qualität und Tragekomfort des Kopfhörers:Was mir nach wenigen Monaten aufgefallen war, ist die Qualität der Lackierung.Diese fing an, an den Seiten des Bügels leicht abzublättern.Bis heute ist die Lackierung bis auf ein paar Stellen an den Seiten noch gut erhalten geblieben, jedoch erwarte ich von einem „High End“ Produkt eigentlich eine etwas bessere Wahl, was den Lack angeht.Die Ohrenpolster und das Bügelpolster haben eine samtige Struktur und fühlen sich wunderbar auf der Haut an. Ich trage den Kopfhörer oft für mehrere Stunden am Stück und hab nie das Gefühl das er kratzig wird oder drückt.Dies ist natürlich auch zum Teil dem Gewicht des Kopfhörers geschuldet. Er ist einfach ein Federgewicht und wir nie schwer oder aufdringlich.An den Ohrmuscheln befindet sich auf beiden Seiten ein Gelenk, dass der Muschel eine seitliche Bewegung zu beiden Seiten erlaubt. Dadurch schmieden sich die Muscheln sehr angenehm an die Körpereigene Ergonomie an.Den Druck, der durch den Bügel ausgeübt wird, würde ich als sehr human bezeichnen.Er ist stark genug um den Kopfhörer sicher auf dem Kopf zu halten (auch wenn man sich mal schüttelt passiert nichts) und schwach genug um ein stundenlanges Tragen ohne Kopf- oder Ohrenschmerzen zu gewährleisten.Was für mich an dem Kopfhörer neben dem klanglichen Aspekt am auffälligsten war, ist seine Robustheit. Ich habe schon aufgehört zu zählen, wie oft mir der Kopfhörer schon vom Tisch aufs Parkett gefallen ist. Über die Jahre passiert so etwas nunmal des öfteren. (jeweils mir)Das einzige was er behalten hat, sind ein paar kleine Dellen an den Außengittern der Ohrmuscheln. Das wars dann aber auch schon.So etwas nenne ich Qualität!Was gab es bisher an Defekten/Austauschen?Vor einem Jahr habe ich mich überwunden und dem 600 ein paar neue Ohrenpolster und ein neues Kopfpolster spendiert. Diese waren über die Jahre immer weiter zusammengefallen und haben am Ende ihren „Polster“ Effekt ganz verloren.Ich denke nach fast 10 Jahre, sind das ganz normale Verschleisserscheinungen.Da sie austauschbar sind, habe ich jetzt von der Polsterung und dem Tragekomfort her, einen runderneuerten Kopfhörer.Die einzige wirkliche Schwachstelle scheint neben dem Lack, das Kabel bzw. die Kontakte zu den Ohrmuscheln zu sein. In regelmäßigen Abständen, hat das Kabel einen Wackelkontakt bekommen und ließ entweder die linke oder rechte Ohrmuschel ausfallen. Dies ist ein bekanntes Problem und lässt sich mit einem recht einfachen Trick beheben. Sennheiser scheint aus diesen Fehlern gelernt zu haben, und hat beim HD 650 diese Probleme ausgebessert.Was bringt das jetzt dem 600er?Das Kabel des 650er ist kompatibel zum 600er und löst durch verbesserte und massivere Kontakte, dass alte Problem mit den Wackelkontakten!Einziger sonstiger Unterschied, ist neben dem etwas größeren Kabeldurchmesser, der Klinkenanschluss. Hier ist ab sofort keine Mini-Klinke mehr zu finden, sondern ein vollwertiger Klinkenanschluss.Sehr zufrieden bin ich übrigens auch vom Support seitens Sennheiser.Nach einem Kabelwechsel vor zwei Jahren (also jenseits jeder Garantie), habe ich durch die echt fummeligen Kontakte des original Kabels, den internen Kontakt der rechten Ohrmuschel beschädigt.Sennheiser hat mir den Kopfhörer kostenlos repariert und wieder zugesendet!Das nenne ich Support!Am Ende meiner Bewertung, möchte ich noch etwas zu Kopfhörerverstärkern, DAC`s, Musikauflösungen und Vergleichen mit anderen Kopfhörern sagen.Ich konnte über die Jahre, in diversen Fachgeschäften in Berlin und bei mir zu Hause, so einiges an Verstärkern und D/A Wandlern in den verschiedensten Kombinationen hören.Auf dem Papier, klingen diese Geräte immer sehr vielversprechend und die Lobeshymnen von Hifi Magazinen im Netz, lassen einen doch ins Grübeln kommen, ob nicht noch etwas „mehr“ an Klang rauszuholen ist.Hierbei handelt es sich natürlich um meine persönliche subjektive Meinung und jeder muss natürlich seine Erfahrungen selber machen.Ich für mich kann aber sagen, dass es keines der von mir ausprobierten Geräte (Beyerdynamic, Nuforce, Marantz, Hifiman,…) in mein Wohnzimmer geschafft hat.Nach diversen Blindtests konnte mich kein Gerät und keine Kombination überzeugen.Als Vergleich hatte ich immer den einfachen Kopfhörerausgang meines iMacs und meines Loewe TVs genommen und dazu dementsprechend hochauflösendes Material.Der HD 600 klang einfach immer gut!Größter Unterschied ist natürlich der maximale Pegel.Hier erreicht man an dedizierten Kopfhörerverstärkern natürlich eine höhere Lautstärke, jedoch war mir der HD 600 über den einfachen Kopfhörerausgang schon laut genug und noch höhere Pegel können über lange Zeit, nicht gut sein für das Gehör.Das gleiche gilt übrigens auch für die Auflösung von Musikstücken.Es stimmt das schlechte Aufnahmen, durch den HD 600 leicht zu entlarven sind und diese dann natürlich schnell aus der Musiksammlung rausfliegen.Was aber gute Aufnahmen angeht, spielt es jedenfalls am HD 600 keine Rolle ob es sich dabei um „einfache“ CD Qualität oder „lossless audio“ handelt.Im Blindtest konnte ich hier überhaupt keinen Unterschied raushören.Der einzige Unterschied von HD Musik zu CD Qualität ist wohl das geringere Angebot und der teurere Anschaffungspreis.Deswegen kann ich persönlich auch nicht viel damit anfangen, wenn jemand sagt, dass der HD 600 an einer teuren Anlage besser klingt.Aus eigener Erfahrung kann ich sagen, dass das einfach nicht der Wahrheit entspricht.Wer mehr Geld zur Verfügung hat, der sollte in erster Linie da investieren, wo man wirklich „mehr“ fürs Geld bekommt und das ist der Kopfhörer!In diversen Vergleichstests mit Kopfhörern von Beyerdynamic, Hifiman, Audeze, AKG und Sennheiser habe ich eigentlich obwohl ich auf der Suche nach etwas noch „besserem“ war erst wieder so richtig den HD 600 schätzen gelernt. Die Orthodynamischen Von Hifiman klangen alle weniger Präsent, dass gleiche galt für AKG`s, der Beyerdynamic T1 war für mich musikalisch ein totaler Reinfall und die Audeze`s waren ergonomisch dermaßen unbequem, dass sie auch sofort als potentielle Kandidaten ausfielen.Dann kam aber der Moment der Wahrheit und der Augenblick wo ich zum ersten Mal gehört habe, dass hier mit mehr Geld, wirklich „mehr“ musikalisch rauskommt.Ich probierte den HD 800 und musste mich innerlich sofort vor Sennheiser verbeugen.Der 800 trägt sich noch angenehmer, ist noch präsenter und erlaubt eine Ortbarkeit der einzelnen Instrumente, die einem bei geschlossenen Augen schon fast vermuten ließe, man stehe vor einem richtigen Orchester/Band.Alles in allem hat mir am HD 600 gefallen:- erstklassige Ergonomie- angenehme Ohren-/Kopfpolster, lange Tragezeiten möglich- Polster lassen sich tauschen- er löst sehr fein auf und ist sehr präsent- angenehmer Bass- liefert auch ohne externen KHV/DAC wunderbaren Sound- Haltbarkeit!- Support von Sennheiserdas hat mir nicht gefallen:- kleine Mängel beim Lack- original Kabel ist anfällig für Wackelkontakte

Vi muitas pessoas reclamando que receberam produtos usados e mal embalados. Não foi meu caso, produto é de excelente qualidade e o fornecedor da Grã-Bretanha mandou tudo direitinho . É um fone firme na orelha e sem apertar (e olha que sou cabeção). Leve e agradável. Diferentemente do HD 599, que se ouvia barulhos de plástico, este é bem firme. Os graves não são exagerados e os agudos não machucam a orelha. Ele soa como as coisas devem ser. Os médios são perfeitos. Em audições prolongadas não me causa cansaço em música clássica. Pode ser usado facilmente em um iPhone antigo XR, iPad antigo (saída P2) ou com o adaptador para P2 (3,5 mm) da Apple. O som não ficará estourando nestes dispositivos. Em Mac Mini/Studio o som fica adequado pois ele é preparado para fones de alta impedância. Se precisar de volume mais alto, terá que investir em um amplificador com DAC.