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cronus999 OP t1_itpvrf5 wrote

Sennheiser has always had a special place in my collection and journey into audiophilia. The HE-90 was my first introduction to Hi-Fi headphones back in the late 90s and what started me chasing that perfect sound. It wouldn’t be until 2010 that I would finally take the plunge and buy my first pair of Sennheiser’s, the brand-new flagship HD800, which still remains a favorite going strong over a decade later. At the time the HD650 lacked the wow factor of their little brother and I was left unimpressed, however every time I found myself at the audio store, inevitably I would give them a listen again and again but always left with something else. Eventually I gave in and finally bought the legendary HD6XX three years ago and finally understand why the 600 family is so revered.

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Build and Comfort

The HD6XX is solid plastic through and through and built like an absolute tank, second only to Beyerdynamic. I feel absolutely no hesitation throwing them in a bag or leaving them about, they’ve fallen on the floor from my desk and not a scratch or issue. They may feel cheap to some but they are built to last just like the HD800.

Comfort wise they are fine, the clamping force is night and day compared to the HD800 and feels like its stuck to your ears, but its not past the point into discomfort. The headband is padded well with no hot spots after all day use, and has solid slider mechanism for fine adjustments.

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Packaging and Accessories

The packaging is the epitome of utilitarian, you get a box and a cable and that’s it. However, the box is very nice for the price and is basically just a cost down version of the HD800’s. The cable is fine, it’s a good length for desk use or mobile, but excels at neither.

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Sound

What hasn’t already been said a thousand times about the HD6XX since its release. So, I’m going to take the approach of looking at it from the perspective of what it offers compared to my higher end headphones and why I believe it still deserves a place in my collection. Firstly, for my taste the HD600-HD800 families sound best on tubes with a bit of EQ, for this review I used the RME ADI 2 FS->Woo Audio WA2 as my primary listening setup, however the HD6XX still sounds great on all of my amps and even my apple dongle and before anyone argues about if tubes make a difference, just look at them they are gorgeous, does it change the sound maybe, is it placebo probably, do I care NO. With that out of the way how do they sound, like a Sennheiser. The HD6XX claim to fame is its midrange, which is engaging and full in a way that not even my Focal Clear can really compete with. The only headphones I’ve heard that beat it are the HE-90 and HE-1, that alone makes them worth owning. Bass is lackluster, it’s there but it lacks impact and speed compared to the HD800 EQ’d or something like the CFA Cascade or LCD-2. The highs are ok but I finally understand what people mean about the Sennheiser veil, as a HD800 owner who loves their treble detail I never got why people claimed all Sennheiser are lacking in this area. The HD6XX’s treble extends far enough to enjoy basically any music but is lacking compared to the Clear or HD800. Soundstage is a joke compared to the HD800, if the HD800 is a concert hall then the HD6XX is a tiny cramped closet. However, this is not a bad thing the Clear has only a slightly larger soundstage and as a result they both have an intimate presentation that can make the music feel more engaging. Honestly the HD6XX makes me forget that I’m listening for all these minor nitpicks and I always just end up kicking back enjoying the music.

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Conclusion

Overall, the HD6XX definitely deserves much of the acclaim it has garnered over the years and remains the benchmark that all of Mid-Fi is compared to. It is a headphone that specializes in presenting its midrange to near perfection while doing everything else good enough that you don’t really care. If you go looking you will find faults and get that itch to upgrade to something “better”, but the HD6XX could very well be your first and last headphone purchase and you wouldn’t be missing out on much. At its price it is basically unmatched and by the very fact I’m comparing it to Kilobuck headphones at all should speak volumes. The HD650 is undisputedly a legend within the audiophile community and the HD6XX has become one in it own right in the years since its release. Even though the design is 19 years old at this point it is still something I believe every one should try at least once and is absolutely worth of being part of any collection no matter how much Summit-Fi you already own.

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ku1185 t1_itre4t8 wrote

I had a similar relationship with the HD6x0's, where I always felt they were just "meh." Over time, I got to try them on different source chains and thought that the right chain made them sound really really nice.

I stumbled on one such source gear, and ended up getting a 660s. Wish the 600/650 worked out for me so I could use tubes, but the upper mids are just too much for me.

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PutPineappleOnPizza t1_itqp96z wrote

>does it change the sound maybe, is it placebo probably, do I care NO

I own the Xduoo TA-26 and after a long tube rolling journey (mostly non vintage, some budget nos stuff from the 60s too though) and for budget amps I can safely say: it's more about the ritual than about the sound. Maybe, like just maybe I get like 5% better dynamics and sub-bass, but that's very, very difficult to say.

I tested it against a FiiO K5 pro ESS, both devices using the DAC of the FiiO. Sadly I do not own a source flip switch, that would've made things easier but I really tried to match the volume while comparing.

Tubes seem to go more up and down in some songs, but it's so subtle that I might be imagining things. One thing is for sure: I won't hunt for weird vintage tubes. I would love to try a vintage tube, but heck, there's no way I am paying that amount of money for something that can simply break after a uncertain amount of runtime, that then forces me to go on the same hunt once again, that is if these vintage tubes really make a difference. Sadly there is no audio store or person I know that owns some, I would love to test this, but I don't see myself spending 200ish € just to try some stuff out.

Maybe I will get a Bottlehead Crack one day but customs fees absolutely suck and I have two left hands so I am probably too stupid to build one + I would most likely shock myself to death during the building procedure. Also, buying one off of someone is usually more expensive because people wanna see some money for their efforts (which is understandable).

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Icy_Vegetable1933 t1_itr21zu wrote

Yep, tube rolled on a TA-26 with 6XX. Could honestly not hear a difference between tubes, or between the A90 and TA-26. Just a waste of money IMO. I'm happy that people enjoy tubes and keep them around, but I really wish the difference between solid state and tube wasn't so overexaggerated in audio circles.

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suredont t1_itr2vu5 wrote

Yeah, I think it builds expectations waaaaaay too highly.

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PutPineappleOnPizza t1_itr372j wrote

Overexaggeration is the audiophiles biggest strength. I will maybe try a higher end tube amp in some hi-fi store one day, but not without bringing my Xduoo for some A and B testing because I really don't feel like getting baited by snake oil.

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Icy_Vegetable1933 t1_itrhtej wrote

2nd biggest strength - more money than sense! I'm no exception. Trying to get better

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headphonesex2 t1_itt09nn wrote

i agree, went from a50s to ta26 and wasnt as blown away as the communty expectations set me...

dOnt get me wrong i feel like there is longer decay and more reverb, but its so flipping minor you wouldnt be able to tell if u werent looking for it.

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Icy_Vegetable1933 t1_ituy9h6 wrote

>but its so flipping minor you wouldnt be able to tell if u werent looking for it.

Guarantee if you did a blind volume matched A/B you wouldn't be able to tell

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headphonesex2 t1_itv6dx8 wrote

id be hard pressed to deny that...

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Icy_Vegetable1933 t1_itvm82m wrote

I thought I had good ears and could tell a difference when I "upgraded"...

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I had a class A amp and a denafrips ares II, volume matched them and had my wife switch between that stack and a topping A90/D90 while I was turned around. Unfortunately couldn't tell a difference at all.. then threw the TA-26 in the mix. same story.

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Ended up selling everything but the topping gear, can't beat features and power at this point.. I just think we're at a point where the chip DACs and chip amps are just too good.

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Gubernaculum69-420 t1_itspe10 wrote

That sucks. I have the xDuoo TA-30 and the increased richness in sound was immediately apparent when putting an ebay $50 Sylvania 5931 (from 1957) rectifier tube in to replace the stock tube. Replacing the stock preamp tubes with genalex gold lions was more subtle with probably some more brightness, not sure if detail...

I know nothing about the TA-26, but seems silly to judge tube amps based off a single entry level one. The first review of it I found on google was from headphonesty which concluded it doesn't have that much euphonic distortion often associated with tube amps.

I'm not ever going back to solid state on my current headphones. I'm definitely gonna audition one of the multi thousand dollar ones before I ever upgrade the TA-30.

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headphonesex2 t1_itt0ks9 wrote

the ta30 is expensive af, better sound good, although you re paying extra for the bluetooth,the dac, screen and the extra tube, so not sure how much better it is to a ta26 in a good chain.

how is ta26 level entry？ is my point. its supposed to be a better darkvoice amp, and if anything almost if not on par with your ta30 dac-amp. just saying 350 aint cheap

my ta26 is fine, but i wasnt blown away either. havnt tube rolled yet

edit btw ta30 is hybrid amp, so not otl, should sound less tubey if anything. just saying

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PutPineappleOnPizza t1_ittwdhg wrote

I agree on the TA-26 being fine, but not more. It's comfortable to use, it looks super cool, it maybe changes sound by a tiny amount, most notably dynamics and sub-bass, but not by much. My 6XX can also sing when hooked up to my FiiO K5 pro.

The TA-26 is definitely entry, I know, it's ridiculous, but some headphone amps cost more than a thousand dollars.

However and thank God we have audio demos on YouTube: between a few tube amps, cheap and expensive, I could mostly not hear any difference and if there was one, then it was so subtle that it makes no sense at all to spend hundreds more for a slightly different sound (different, not better, very important). So that's why I will continue being a sceptic and stay away from chasing minimal improvements. It's really not worth it.

What I'm curious to experience is to hear how my tubes will change once a lot of time has passed. I don't believe in any burn in stuff, but tubes definitely change, some even stopped humming after I let them run for a few hours and I'm pretty sure some infamous vintage tubes are only desperately searched for because some people heard tubes close to the end of their lifespan, adoring how soft they sounded.

But I'm done for now. Enough headfi snake oil reviews, enough overexaggerations on YouTube. I listen to music and not to my headphones.

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headphonesex2 t1_ittwoa3 wrote

deff agree with you brother, so much snake oil running deep in this industry, a hobby for people with more money than brains or ears for that matter. idk

deff listen to music more than chase that 1％ improvment of technicality , its so easy to lose sight of why we are in this hobby in the first place haha

im also done with my purchases, i grabbed an hd800s on the cheap and a ta26, im done too

cheers

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PutPineappleOnPizza t1_ittxzl3 wrote

It's definitely super confusing. I crawled out of a different rabbit hole just to fall into this audio trap. But I'm done for now, the next thing would be speakers or a pair of ZMF after I'm done with uni and that is in the distant future.

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PutPineappleOnPizza t1_itttllt wrote

Well, you can basically read all over the internet that the TA-26 is a better Darkvoice and that it has tube sound, according to some people.. I mean it does sound different, but not much different. Like max. 5% as I wrote in one of my previous comments.

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AverYeager t1_itqr117 wrote

what's that mousepad?

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cronus999 OP t1_itqrxab wrote

It’s a custom mouse pad, the character is Prinz Eugen from Azur Lane.

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Philcollins_sucks t1_itt9tjd wrote

Hd 600/650/6xx are match made in heaven with tubes. NOT 660s

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verifitting t1_itpyn96 wrote

So what's that amp?

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cronus999 OP t1_itpypwi wrote

Woo Audio WA2

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headphonesex2 t1_itt12kz wrote

holly s thats 1500donkeys... no way, bought ny hd800 for 500usd shipped, cannot justify an amp like that holly...

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jumboshrimp93 t1_itrdzpv wrote

Have you tried your Clear on tubes? It’s low impedance but I’ve heard some people say they sound really good over tubes

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cronus999 OP t1_itrljyf wrote

They sound ok on tubes, the bass is increased but it screws with the rest of the frequencies, still sound best from my ADI-2.

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JunkyardSam t1_itrrsuz wrote

I adore my Sennheiser HD6XXs... However, I often need closed back headphones for various reasons. Am I the only one that wishes there was a closed back version of this headphone as well?

Can anyone recommend an equivalent? I do have HD 280 Pros, and I like the fairly neutral tonal balance but they're not on the same level as the HD6XXs.

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headphonesex2 t1_itszjt5 wrote

thats so pretty .

u swear tube amps are the pinacle of sound. my journey was one i would recommend,

buy a headphone, buy a cheap ss amp, buy better headphone, buy better amp, buy a dac, buy a tube amp

done, bliss

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hurtyewh t1_ituio87 wrote

Tubes certainly make a big difference in sound compared to solid state, but for me personally it's a negative one with the HD650 (not considering very high-end tube amps or hybrids that might be better). The tubes I've experience (Little Dot Mk3 and similar) added the missing bass, but made the sound really messy, boomy and technically weak. A preference thing for sure, but I hated it. Instead I do EQ to keep all the good and fix almost all the bad.

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audiophile_lurker t1_itycqq8 wrote

>The tubes I've experience (Little Dot Mk3 and similar) added the missing bass, but made the sound really messy, boomy and technically weak.

Ya, that matches my experience. Little Dot MK3, Darkvoice 336i - those are just not great amps. They change the sound by virtue of having high output impedance and copious distortion. Good tube amps tend to be hard to distinguish from solid state, which makes them kind of a moot point for a lot of folks.

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mastaboog749 t1_iucoyd2 wrote

I used to love my 6XX. Then I got Audeze, Focal, tried Meze and ZMF. Now I fucking HATE the vocals on my 6xx. Musically it's balanced pretty legit but the vocal sound stage makes me barf

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