The HD 600 is STILL one of the best headphones.
The HD 600 is STILL one of the best headphones.
Resolve digs into the Sennheiser HD 600: Design, comfort, and performance. Just how well does this headphone from the 1990s hold up in 2023?
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Sennheiser HD 600: https://headphones.com/products/sennheiser-hd-600-headphones
HD 600 measurements and discussion: https://forum.headphones.com/t/sennheiser-hd-600-over-ear-open-back-headphone-official-thread/1043
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Resolve’s Headphone Ranking:
https://headphones.com/blogs/buying-guides/resolve-headphone-wall-of-fame
Measurement Index
https://forum.headphones.com/t/index-collection-of-measurements-made-by-resolve/15251
How to read headphone measurements
00:00 – Intro
01:07 – Build, Design & Comfort
04:43 – Sound: Objective
09:05 – Sound: Subjective
10:14 – Comparisons
13:46 – Conclusion
Sundara s quality control is pathetic, my sundara is gone in 3 years 🥴, right channel no volume.
Audio technica, Even philips headphones is going strong.
Why don’t you do a real test with different amplification, actually measuring the sound, so finally tell people how much the sound changes with distinct power etc.
Thanks in large part to you I just got my HD 600 (upgrading from a modded HD 558). Thanks, is all I want to say, totally in love.
I’m trying to find reviews from you about the Sennheiser HD 400 pro, do you plan on doing one, at all?
Thanks for the review 🙂 There’s something people often forget to say about the Sundara: compared to the HD 600, it’s HEAVY and UNCOMFORTABLE! This is relative of course, but just as an example, 372g compared to 260g makes the Sundara 30% heavier. And for me it kinda ruins the whole experience.
I should know: I owned them both. I ended up selling my Sundara after a year, because it just wasn’t worth keeping for me. Sound-wise they both are very close. And yes, the Sundara is more versatile and has a larger soundstage. But I never "fell in love" with its sound, contrary to the HD 600. And the intimate soundstage is actually an asset for me. Because sometimes you DO want an intimate soundstage. For acoustic & vocal Jazz for instance. There the HD 600 is King. Its naturalness on acoustic guitars is just unmatched. And if I do want a larger soundstage, then I just pick one of my other headphones.
So in the end for me:
– HD 600: overall sound 8/10 (8.5 to 9/10 after EQ, we can bring some of the bass back), comfort 8/10, weight 9/10, build quality 8/10 (plasticky but sturdy)
– Sundara: overall sound 7.5/10 (8/10 after EQ, but nothing "magical" about it, sorryyyyy), comfort 6/10, weight 6/10, build quality 6/10 (some may love the industrial design, I don’t)
The "perfect" headphone for me would be a HD 600, with the SAME magical natural midrange sound, better bass extension, and a suspension system like the Nighthawk or the Meze. All that while remaining light as a feather. Come on @sennheiser , you’ve been almost there since 1997! Stop with that 650/660/670/680/690 marketing nonsense. None of them are really better than the HD 600. Just make a HD 600 v2 (well, v3), improving on those particular points. Call it HD 601 if you want, but make it clear that it’s still a HD 600, only better. And then you’ll have a headphone that’s SO GOOD, that other headphones will barely even be necessary anymore. 🙂
Still _the_ reference standard for headphones. Not because they’re the best in the world, but because they do almost everything right, with great resolve and nuance, amazingly smooth tone, and they scale like crazy with better upstream gear. They’re conceivably good enough to never need to upgrade from, and they can be found relatively cheap.
Value GOAT of audio. Pair them with a Nitsch Pietus with the optional ESS DAC card for like $1K total and never look back. Highest quality sound dollar-for-dollar that money can buy.
What would be a HD 600 be with like a big soundstage or detailed room where you can pick out instruments or sound from also like directions?
I have the marble countertop. I don’t give a crap what it looks like cause I can’t see it. I DO give a crap what it sounds like, and *chefs kiss*
Hi. Hope you can help me. I like to watch videos on YouTube. Now I use B&O H6 with an ifi DAC. I just care about sound quality. Should I buy this headphones? Thanks a lot.
The HD660 S2 is the best looking of the series. I have the marble version of the HD600 and it has always looked weird. The new version looks better, but the teal color still doesn’t help. They should just get rid of it. For me, teal reminds me of those old 50s kitchens.
Had my HD600’s for god knows how long, bought my first replacement cable in 2013 and just recently replaced the ear pads and padding again, but they just keep on trucking. Wonderful headphones.
I would love to paste a screenshot of mine to make you realize how beautiful it is and how wrong you are! /nod
glad sennheiser is embracing what they did with this headphone. For me, it started an entire hobby. It was the first GOOD headphone i’ve heard and was blown away. Now i have an entire collection of headphones and a really high-end setup. But i still regularly use my HD600s, it oftentimes stays on my head as a daily for *months* … just bought replacement earpads and headband *again* … if those will ever break (which i highly doubt) i will have a new set in no time. But i want to comment on one particular thing Resolve mentioned – he says the sound signature is natural, but not warm. I think i have to disagree at least a bit. To me, the HD600 is at least as warm as necessary to really be pleasant to listen to. At least it is not sibilant or a peaky boi as so many other headphones. I just want to mention this, because to me, that is one of the key features of this headphone. It is the least annoying/offending/doingsomethingwrong headphone i own… it’s always such a pleasure to grab it, knowing, that i’m in for a treat. It’s funny if you come from a bassy of peaky headphone back to the 600. It can feel really wrong and weak at first… but you know, you just have to wait a bit until you brain adapts and embraces the almost zen balanced tuning. It’s undefeated.
These hd600 with budget dac amp vs Audeze Maxwell in usb c audio mode?
What do you think about the Austrian Audio headphones compared to this.
Soft bass ,detials filtered
The Sennheiser HD580p driver (pre-HD600) is glued directly into the unstable plastic frame , therefore the whole frame rings like madness!
If I put on my Stad Lambda Pro , the whole thing despite having similar cheap plastic is much much quieter!
And the sound is hollow , not much but recogniseable and annoying!
The same holds true for the SennHD58x Jubilee , from Mass/Drop … this headphone has also an undamped strong ringing of the metal mesh cups if touched by finger tips!
Btw – the wire cable is also very microphonic!
I own the Momentum 4, what is the difference?
I just ordered a hip dac 2
It’s the worst headphones I’ve ever come across. Can’t believe people overhyped it to hell. That signature Sennheiser veil is such a big turnoff.
Once I switched over to the Beyerdynmic DT990, the clouds in heaven opened up once again…..👍
Watching this on EQ’d Sundaras lol
By the time I bought the HD600s I had already owned and tried a bunch of different headphones. I still remember playing the HD600s for the first time and thinking "Why did I take this long?!" I think the HD600s are kind of the gold standard, and to this day if people express an interest in getting serious about headphones they are the first purchase I recommend. If you are only going to buy one multi-hundred-dollar headphone, make it the HD600.
EDIT: Fired up marble countertop cult for life!!
Do you even THD
Yes, the HD600 is exceptionally good. What we need today is a new HD600 quality headset, with the same wonderful midrange – plus full bass extension down to 20Hz. To do that Sennheiser would need to come up with a new genius driver. Their HD490 Pro is a disappointment to me – too wide and too thin sounding, like a baby HD800S. Neither of those cut the mustard for my mastering needs. My best option now may be an EQ’d Sony MDR-MV1? Has anyone here used it in mastering yet?
An amplifier used with headphones may be a crucial point especially with high impedance hps. I have been using mostly SPL Phonitor lately with a bit of crossfeed on some recordings….and for me nothing compares to good ol’ hds and dts (yes!) 😊
Do I need an AMP or DAC? (Sorry I know nothing about this stuff) In order to play FPS games or they should work fine connected directly to my mother board?
Are these considered better than Sony WH1000XM5’s? Do some wear these while exercising? Are they noise canceling? I suppose not since they are a 1997 model.
Least exagerrated and bloviated headphone ever produced
What camera are you using? Great quality!
I would never buy Sennheiser over-ear again since they seem to have built in aging, so almost all of their products change the sound they produce for the worse after just a few years of use. The Sennheisers I’ve owned all sound like crap today except for the latest Sennheisers I bought (was the CX Plus True Wireless), but they’re only ca 1 year old & still sound good.
Just ordered a pair, very excited
I love my HD 6XX headphones. The only thing that I have a problem with is that they are open back. It brings problems whenever I record gameplays with a microphone next to me, I definitely pick up a lot of sound coming from the headphones
Boosted treble & bass ….i had them 30yrs ago, good but the 150ohm 660S1’s are best for my equipment & needs…600’s are nearly 45 yrs old…you need a good headphone amp defo as 300ohm, quiet with some music, not loud enough as 600’s 97db, 660S1 104db sensitivity, you would need at least a £500 source since at 300ohm, who wants Sub Bass ?what instrument bar the largest Timpani drum is 18hz, old church organs more but you will feel sick, i want it rolled of by 20hz, -6db….i hate sub bass noise
I also have all of them and I love 600 but if I had to keep one are 660s2 by far better headphones. Why ? Because the imaging is better ,soundstage also, speed, low end texture , resolution, what 600 have better (it’s about taste)are the vocals Beeing inside a Bubble, on 660s2 the instruments are forward more than 600. Technically 660s2 are better but I can see if anyone like the 600 or 650 signature more.
Bought these with a pair of Sundara’s, and I gotta say. Two very different sounding headphones for different kinds of listening. You like podcasts? Audiobooks? Vocal-heavy operatic tracks and lots of acoustic? Go with the 600’s. But if you are the kind of person who prefers to be sitting *in* the sound, much more spacious. The Sundara’s are better for Rock, Edm, and Orchestral kinds of music. I also prefer them for immersive gaming, the spaciousness is very noticeable.
our civilisation peaked around 97, the tech, the cars the movies EVERYTHING was the best in the 90s
How amazing that Sennheiser invests so much in advertising even for old products. Advertising helps change people’s opinions.
AUDEZE & ULTRASONE !
Every time I start over in my headphone quest, I start by buying these.
I’ve bought 5 of these in my lifetime. Eventually end up giving them to friends.
It’s the gateway drug to high-fi.
Well since he’s using an RE20 mic… that counts for something.
poor imaging for nowaydays
not be able to criticized it just because so many ppl have it is so cringe
I’ve tried 600 650 and 660s. They all clamp too hard and lack any fun. Fine if you’re mastering in a recording studio, boring if you want a fun headphone. You will need an ifi with bass boost or EQ to get any kind of fun out of them. All IMO of course 🙂
I have the marble countertop version. I never see them when they’re on my head so I can’t tell if they’re gaudy or not. 😜
I have the marble version. I’m fired up!
I’m new to sender headphones and I can’t decide between the 600, 650, 660s2.
Also am I able to plug these into an IPhone as well as a computer. I’m new to the amp requirements. Thanks for the help.
Try a 650 cable on the 600 adds more weight to overall sound. Great listening thank you.
i think to get a bass boost i would get well its a bit of a budget pick but the ifi zen air can or for a more midrange the normal zen can and then if you want can pair it up with the zen dac or anything else really
I don’t know if I’m just treble sensitive, but IMHO the used senn pads sound much more flat to me, especially in the 3 to 7 kHz region (by ear, haven’t looked at measurements yet, so take that number with a grain of salt, lol).
he said that you can eq sundara and it beats hd 600
then if you eq edition xs wont be even better or not
any view would be helpful i am between those 3 headphones
i litsen to rock , pop , edm and rap
I have to say I think these are hugely over rated. I have the originals and used them for around 5 years. It is near impossible balancing tracks. The bass end is lousy. I actually have to swap to a pair of £40 Sony BT headphones to balance my mix. The 600s just don’t reproduce the power in the low end and it becomes a guessing game.
The HD600s are incredibly comfy and sound really nice but they are so weak on the bass reproduction that it throws everything out. For music production they’re great but I really wouldn’t recommend them for mixing. I’m forever having to switch to other devices. Especially anything with 808s, or 909s where the kick drum needs to drive the track. It’s just incredibly hard to get right.
Obviously warmth is a big factor in modern post production and the 600s are a nightmare for balancing it.
At first I thought I needed time to adapt but that time went on and on. My monitors, my cheap headphones, earbuds and even sound bar and sub all make material sound similar, give or take the discrepancies for response curves but the 600s just sound wildly different, so when trying to make stuff to translate across all systems, they’re an absolute disaster.
I don’t know if it’s the frequency bump at the top that throws out the bass, or something else in the design but that reasonable low end frequency response on paper does not translate to the real world listening.
Like I say, I love them for production, they sound nice but they are horrible for post production. I paid nearly £300 for them and if I had to value them, I would say maybe £100 and a lot of that is for the build comfort. I’m looking at getting a £100 pair of Sony to mix on now because I’m fed up with the trial and error and device swapping with the 600s.