Sennheiser HD600 or HD650 big differents?

[Gigolo Tony]

i am looking for a good headphone for mixing, not recording.
i thought about Sennheiser HD600 or HD650, is there a big differents between these two headphones?

[Stroem]

If I where you, I would consider something from the Grado Prestige Series. The Sennheiser HD6XX series is good but Grado headphones tend to be far more transparent and therefore more suitable for mixing. It’s worth the difference in price.

As for the Sennheiser I would go for the HD-600. Go to a hi-fi dealer and do a comparison. Don’t buy anything only on advice from some gearslut; most people on this forum cant even hear the difference between a Rosetta and a Fireface.
Rosetta VS Fireface in an A/B test.

[anxious]

I use both the 580 and the 650 daily. They are very different phones. While the 580 > 600 transition is fairly subtle, but the 580 > 650 is pretty dramatic. To my ears, the 650 is a very, very smooth, with very deep bass. The 580 has a little more presence, and can help me hear certain details that the balance of the 650 obscures. (Not is bad way, just a different tonality.)

[Daddy No]

I've got HD600s and couldnt be happier.

Some do prefer the 600s to 650s - including Bob Katz as it happens
http://gearslutz.com/board/showthrea...600#post724704

I auditioned Grados but didnt like them personally btw, I find the Sennheisers much less like 'listening to headphones'. And more comfy too, which is pretty important if you are hgoing to spend any amount of time with them on

:J

[Gigolo Tony]

Originally Posted by Stroem

If I where you, I would consider something from the Grado Prestige Series. The Sennheiser HD6XX series is good but Grado headphones tend to be far more transparent and therefore more suitable for mixing. It’s worth the difference in price.

As for the Sennheiser I would go for the HD-600. Go to a hi-fi dealer and do a comparison. Don’t buy anything only on advice from some gearslut; most people on this forum cant even hear the difference between a Rosetta and a Fireface.
Rosetta VS Fireface in an A/B test.

thanx, i will check them out. Grado & Sennheiser. wich grado models are interessting? SR-225? just google a little bit
i need a good headphone for a quick check for stereo image, pannings, levels and stuff, not for all day mixing, because i have a good monitor system, SMART AUDIO, NS10 & AURATONE, but nowdays people listen to my music on ipods :( so i think its important to have a headphone in the studio, and i don´t...only a lot of broken dj headphones ;)

[Bob Olhsson]

I REALLY like the 600s with the 650 replacement cord.

[Gigolo Tony]

Originally Posted by Stroem

most people on this forum cant even hear the difference between a Rosetta and a Fireface.
Rosetta VS Fireface in an A/B test.

i sold my 2 firefaces, after i heard the AD16-X & DA16-X, now i got them in my studio ;)

[mixerguy]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

I REALLY like the 600s with the 650 replacement cord.

may i ask where you got that, and how much $ was it?

many thanks

[mixerguy]

so - has anyone here actually compared the 600 to the 650 side by side?

[anxious]

Originally Posted by mixerguy

so - has anyone here actually compared the 600 to the 650 side by side?

Sure, I've listened to the 600's vs. the 650's several times. My comments, above, on the 580 vs. 650 would generally hold for the 600 vs. 650.

I'll go out on a limb and say that, for me, the 650 have a slightly more "neutral" balance and translate well. The 600 is more involving to listen to, and presents a bit more inner detail. Headphones really do interact with individual ear shapes in ways that make it important to audition them yourself, if really critical listening judgements are to be made. It would not be surprising at all if you had the opposite experience from me. This goes beyond "personal preference," even, and has a purely acoustical component.

In terms of the cords, check out:

http://www.headphone.com/products/ca...les-by-others/

$35.

[mixerguy]

Originally Posted by anxious

Sure, I've listened to the 600's vs. the 650's several times. My comments, above, on the 580 vs. 650 would generally hold for the 600 vs. 650.

I'll go out on a limb and say that, for me, the 650 have a slightly more "neutral" balance and translate well. The 600 is more involving to listen to, and presents a bit more inner detail. Headphones really do interact with individual ear shapes in ways that make it important to audition them yourself, if really critical listening judgements are to be made. It would not be surprising at all if you had the opposite experience from me. This goes beyond "personal preference," even, and has a purely acoustical component.

In terms of the cords, check out:

http://www.headphone.com/products/ca...les-by-others/



$35.

super cool

thanks!!!!

[3rdeyeKnight]

The HD600's are so comfortable, I got up to answer a phone-call one day and damn near yoked the chord out of the amp, forgetting that I still had'em on. Oh, and they do sound good too.

[mcsnare]

I use the HD-580's for mixing and I think they are fantastic. I recently compared to a friend's HD-600 and I liked mine better. Maybe I have just gotten more comfortable with the slight differences, but I thought the bass on the 600's was not as 'beefy' and the top end was a little brighter or possibly cleaner, but I like the top on the smooth side for mixing. When I master, I like to work with stuff that is a tad dark and a little too big on the bottom. I find it easy to sculpt even if I am only doing very small amounts of eq. Even though my description of the 580 tonal balance would indicate the opposite, I find a smooth top and big low end is exactly what I get when mastering my own mixes. I do the mastering in a dedicated studio with a totally different playback system.
Dave McNair

[Synth80s]

I know this doesn't answer the question directly, but just as an FYI my understanding is that the HD580 and HD600 models use identical elements/transducers, but the HD600s have structural advantages that are supposed to improve the sound. (I believe this link confirms it: http://shop.sennheiserusa.com/retail...ct_prod=091570)

I've tried the HD580s (they were great), but I've never heard them back to back against the HD600s or HD650s. Since the HD650s are a new design and don't share parts with the HD580/HD600s, I'd expect the 650s to sound somewhat different from the odler line. I picked up a set of HD650s last year -- they are easily the best headphone I've ever heard. It's finally time to retire my old HD565 Ovations. :)

Testing new headphones is tricky: their sound change as they break in, even more noticeably than most speakers IMO because they have such an intimate relationship with your ears that the finest details (and changes) are easier to hear (less interference from the room acoustics, listening distance, listening positioning, etc.)

-Synth80s

[ResonantFilter]

I bought the HD650 after testing both - they just seemed to be a little more open with better bass.

[supaheef]

i have hd600's stuck to my head right now. well, not physically stuck, i could remove them if i wanted too, but they sound great, so i don't want to remove them. i did some comparisons with the 650's over several different days, over a few months, just to make sure i knew which ones i wanted. after that i bought the 600's (quite obviously, if you could see my head right now.) never heard the grados.

heath.

[Bob Olhsson]

Originally Posted by anxious

...In terms of the cords, check out:

http://www.headphone.com/products/ca...les-by-others/

$35.

You can buy them from Sennheiser for $11.62...

[Thermionic]

Wow, new cables in the UK are £25!

I have HD600 as well as HD565 and HD535. I like them, but I really wouldn't want to mix long-term with them, only if I really needed to "in the field" so-to-speak.

The 600 are very flattering IMHO and tend to add a certain "gloss", making things sound more polished than they really are.

As one must say when presenting subjective opinion, YMMV.

Justin

[Bob Olhsson]

I use the 600s for QC. I've never heard any phones that I'd try to mix with.

[billwarner]

I LOVE my HD 600s bit have had cord issues. They are great for an alternate
listening perspective but I would never attempt mixing on them either.
Perfect for detecting mouth noises, squeaks, etc. and have huge "wow" factor when the mix client puts them on which I often encourage them to do so.

Bill

ww.warnerworks.net

[mixerguy]

Originally Posted by billwarner

I LOVE my HD 600s bit have had cord issues.


(snip)...

have you tried using the HD 650 cord on them?

and - may I ask what issues you've had with the cord? Just curious (I'm about to maybe buy a pair)

Your comment about wow-ing the client sounds like a good reason to own a pair!

[billwarner]

Originally Posted by mixerguy

have you tried using the HD 650 cord on them?

and - may I ask what issues you've had with the cord? Just curious (I'm about to maybe buy a pair)

I own two pairs of HD 600s and the cord has gone bad on both sets of phones. I will definately be getting the 650 replacements.

Your comment about wow-ing the client sounds like a good reason to own a pair!

True!

[klaukholm]

Originally Posted by Stroem

most people on this forum cant even hear the difference between a Rosetta and a Fireface.
Rosetta VS Fireface in an A/B test.

Really?
There may be more knowledge on this forum than you realize.

[anxious]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

You can buy them from Sennheiser for $11.62...

Ouch! I'll remember that.

[mixerguy]

I understand that both the HD600 and HD650 break in, and change in sound quite a bit with 40-100 hours of use... so that does indeed make comparisons difficult.

Anyone know of any retailers in Los Angeles that might have 650's on demo? (a pal has 600's I could borrow)

[fifthcircle]

I want to say that Shelly's in on Topanga just north of the 101 has Sennheiser headphones as does Ahead Stereo on 3rd (or is it Beverly?) near La Brea. Been awhile since I've been in either store, though, so call first...

--Ben

[Rob King]

Hey guys, I here a lot of complaints about the cable on the 600/650's. I own (3) pair of the HD600's and I purchased 3 cables from this guy

http://www.stefanaudioart.com

They aren't cheap, but they open the sound up on the headphones and the cables are hand made with pure copper quad cabling AND a standard 1/4 jack. These are pricey, but they make a difference in the sound..and after going through 6 Sennheiser cables I got these and have been going strong for 3 years now. They really are good. Hope this helps a few of you.

Rob

[FossilTooth]

Originally Posted by Stroem

If I where you, I would consider something from the Grado Prestige Series. The Sennheiser HD6XX series is good but Grado headphones tend to be far more transparent and therefore more suitable for mixing. It’s worth the difference in price.Rosetta VS Fireface in an A/B test.

I totally disagree. The Grados were designed with a giant scoop in the mids and boosted highs and lows to appeal to those listening at a low level. True, at a very low level this curve could plausibly sound flat to a listen... or at least that's the theory behind it.

I've tried both back to back, and to my ear the Sennheisers sounded more neutral.. and 'better' for my tatses as well.

The Grados are great headphones, but they are also overpriced audiophile hype-phones, marketed to seperate the rich and ignorant hobbyists from their unearned money. Sorry, but I'm a bit of a populist.

Anyway, it's not too hard to try both for yourself. In addition to 'flatness' and 'neutalness', it's important to get something that you personally like the character of.

I once bought a pair of monitors that I hated the sound of because they were 'supposed' to be good. Whenever I would make things sound the way I liked, I would playback elsewhere, and the overall tonality would be way off.

Ever since I got a pair of monitors I like, when I make things sound the way my ear wants to har them, things sound the way my ear wants to hear them! Period.