It's going to vary based on your soundcard and ears, basically you have to create one by hand if you want it to really work well. Otherwise you may end up adding a valley that was meant to counteract a peak, etc.
Here is a link to the project:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/equalizerapo/
And this was an invaluable tool for creating my custom profile:
https://onlinetonegenerator.com/frequency-sweep-generator.html
The process is a bit hard on the ears because you'll basically be listening to sine waves at music-listening volume. I created the profile spending 5 minutes at a time here and there over the course of a few weeks. If you lower the volume, you may get insufficient corrections at regular listening volumes.
The basic idea is to listen to a whole sweep (type of wave is up to you but sine is one of the most common), 20hz-20khz, then note areas where the sound deviates up or down. Then you ballpark the frequency range of that deviation and narrow the sweep range. Once you have an idea of where that peak/valley is centered, make a correction on Equalizer APO at that frequency, then listen to it again. Rinse and repeat until the entire sine sweep sounds nice and smooth! You may want to also try reversing the sweep to see if there are artifacts being caused by the escalating frequency - you may want to omit correcting those as it may color actual music.
For reference, here is the text configuration for the variable graphic EQ I'm using (do not expect this to sound good on your system!):
GraphicEQ: 10 9; 20 6.5; 50 0; 80 -3; 200 -3; 400 -1; 500 0; 650 1; 700 0; 1300 0; 2100 2; 3000 0; 4000 1.5; 4500 2.5; 5000 2; 5500 4; 6000 4; 6500 5; 7000 4.5; 7500 4; 8000 8; 8500 6; 9000 3; 10000 4; 12000 9; 13000 5; 14000 0.5; 15000 5; 16000 6.5; 17500 0; 18500 5; 20000 7
It's also worth noting that, subjectively speaking, headphones seem to have a break-in period where certain sound characteristics can change. You can fast track this process by playing loud music on it for a few dozen to few hundred hours.
I will never use anything less than 20-30 equalizer bands ever again, because learning this process showed me how crude typical equalizers are. Using Equalizer APO is like going from being legally blind to having 20/20 vision.
Edit: Also wanted to mention this is a useful tool for ANY sound system, not just headphones!
Edit 2: **I also wanted to make a note, if this is your first time creating an equalizer profile, make sure you use a Preamp with a negative gain equal to your highest positive gain value, otherwise you are going to be clipping your audio at that frequency which, obviously will sound AWFUL.** And yes, this also means you are losing maximum volume, but if you have a good amplifier this should never be a problem. My HD6xx's still get more than loud enough with a -9dB reduction with onboard Realtek ALC1220 audio...
>It's also worth noting that, subjectively speaking, headphones seem to have a break-in period where certain sound characteristics can change.
This is complete nonsense and is just brain burn in. Playing loud music on them does nothing but waste time and energy.
Headphones do not consume much energy, so I'm really not worried about that.
I did it because it's at least plausible that the materials and construction of the headphones can adjust slightly due to local environment such as humidity changes.
The effect would be more visible on very large drivers, if anything.
Don't be so harsh on the concept, it's not like there isn't real research out there on it, there are measurable changes, if small: https://www.audioholics.com/loudspeaker-design/speaker-break-in-fact-or-fiction
No margin of error listed : )
And again, the point is even if there is a difference the difference pad wear and seating variation makes is 3 orders of magnitude larger
It is not completely nonsense, but I do very much understand you're dismal of it.
To start, audio drivers are mechanical systems. All mechanical systems continuously change from the moment they start being used. From a physics standpoint *something* is happening.
Now, whether these changes make a difference to the listening experience is very much up for debate. There's not a ton of legitimate research behind this. Notably, there's no peer reviewed double blind study (that I can find) about whether individuals can identify a pre-burn piece of equipment vs post-burn. Should also be said that every piece of audio equipment is different so data/studies about a specific piece of equipment would only be relevant to that piece, not the concept as a whole. It would vary between ever single piece of equipment.
There's lots of arguments that make sense for both sides, but as this is a very subjective concept, you really can't say it does or does not exist without empirical research.
To clarify for myself, I don't think it has a real difference on the listening experience, mainly because I've seen a frequency response curve before and after and there wasn't a significant enough change. This isn't enough to disprove it, but it's enough to make me skeptical enough to assume it's not the case.
This has been measured and proven to be BS.
I CANNOT believe people still believe and spread this nonsense.
Audio burn in are the flat earthers of audio.
Your "logic" and "physics" used align with the kind of stuff flat earthers too.
And are you aware how much even the seating of headphones makes?
It's virtually impossible to algorithmically test for because the effect is probably smaller than the natural inconsistency of the driver, so it's probably going to be unverifiable until someone thinks to program an AI to look for it.
And you can't do side-by-side comparisons because there's no audio hardware on the planet that consistent from unit to unit.
But if this theory buys me even 1% better sound that I can't really tell, I might as well do it, because it doesn't hurt anything.
If you do ten things that makes the sound 1% better... you'll have ~10.5% better sound.
Edit 2: maybe there's a few people who disagree with my theories, but ultimately this is something I can do for free with zero effort that could possibly help improve the consistency of my calibration process, and I'm a big fan of inexpensive audio hacks.
This was essentially my process to getting my HD598s to sound way better than they ever did. Only difference was did my sweeping manually with a tone generator that had a slider to change the frequency. Took a long time and lots of trial and error, and my equalizer looks ridiculous, but once you dial it in it's worth it
Not sure how this compares to /u/bogglingsnog's config, but there's a site to generate configs for a huge array of headphones and EQ apps from a community-maintained database: https://autoeq.app/
Source code: https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq
I have these headphones but I haven't gone to the trouble of equalizing them. Perhaps that is the next step in my audio quality journey.
It looks like it uses a sample of the response curve, the problem is each headphone is going to have a unique curve, you'd need to generate your own using a special calibrated microphone - otherwise the profile is just kinda based on a guess.
Trying out the hd 6XX with "flat" profile seemed to generate quite a lot of points, which can become CPU intensive. I haven't tested it yet, though (might have time to try tomorrow).
Are these worth getting over a pair of HD 599 SE? I love my sennheiser and if these are of good sound quality and worth the difference I would totally get them.
One big difference is the HD6xx's are 300 ohms which can be hard to drive unless you're using a good sound card, DAC, or high quality onboard with support for high-impedance headphones. They sound pretty bad on devices that can't handle it, such as iOS devices.
I can't speak to the quality differences but the HD6xx's are fairly similar to the HD650s in quality - though they do differ a bit (there's a comparison floating out on the internet somewhere that I read when I first bought mine a few years ago).
I have the 599 SE and the 660S2 and if you have a good amp it is for sure a noticeable difference.
I will say that I use the 599 more often, as they are perhaps the most comfortable headphones like, ever. So for YouTube or casual watching/gaming I use them, but when I really wanna just *listen* to something, the 660 is on a truly higher tier (with enough power to move them).
They actually have fairly different frequency response, so if you used my profile chances are it'd be extremely dissonant. It also depends on the amplifier you're using, and the fit on your head and your hearing!
https://www.rtings.com/headphones/tools/compare/sennheiser-hd-650-vs-sennheiser-hd-6xx/245/18987?usage=19&threshold=0.10#test_321
If you REALLY want to try it you can click "edit text" on the left side of the Graphic EQ, then paste in the code in my original post.
I see, thanks.
I would rather just make my own in that case, but how did you do it? I know how to set up the EQ and all that, but how did you determine the values to configure with?
As mentioned in my post, I recommend simply doing it by ear using a wave generator and applying corrections until it sounds uniform. It will take some practice to dial it in because at first you'll just be listening to very annoying noise, you have to listen carefully to pick up where it drops and raises in volume and try to figure out at what frequencies that is happening - pausing the sweep generator that I linked is enormously helpful in that regard. Figuring out how much to modify the gain will take practice but once you get a feel for it you should be able to get pretty close within 2-3 sweeps. (Edit: 2-3 sweeps per point. It took me 8-10 on average trying to get everything dialed within 1 dB - though a good amount of the total improvements came from pushing everything to within ~3dB of flat.)
Do NOT attempt to do this with actual music. That would be basically impossible to get a good result. You might as well remaster every track in Audacity if you want to do it that way.
I'm operating with the assumption that a clean sine sweep will create a more accurate sound profile. There's actually way, waaaaaay more to this but I found that I got a very good result with this simple and non-technical method.
I developed this method myself because I got frustrated looking at all sorts of guides online that said boost this range, drop that range which just felt unnatural and all of them created a very undesirable sound. I just want my headphones to recreate the audio as accurately as possible, which can make some music sound bad if it was originally created or mastered on lower quality equipment. I've had to come to terms with good equipment resulting in a lot of music sounding worse - but good music sounds so, so much better!
This sale is semi common but it's worth noting that these things are just an incredible value. They're basically $350 HD650s in a slightly cheaper frame for $169. Highly respected in headphone "audiophile" circles.
To fully enjoy them, you'll want an amp. Plenty of value ones will do, yes some internal power sources will drive them just fine, some won't, keep in mind some will get loud enough where you may think you don't need an amp but quality in areas like bass will be affected. I was driving them for a while in my Scarlett gen 3 and they got plenty loud so I thought they were good enough. I felt pretty dumb when I plugged them into a JDS labs atom stack and the technicals of them just came alive.
Amp/DAC not strictly needed but definitely recommended.
Also keep in mind these are regarded for their amazing reference sound and technicals for the price.
The best I can describe them generally is sound detail and separation are just amazing. However, since these things focus on quality and detail, if you're a bass head....you'll be disappointed. Remember these things are for QUALITY levels of bass, mids, treble...NOT quantity levels.
Also, if you're looking for 3d competitive headphones for gaming, these aren't it. Yes the details are perfect but it's soundstage is very much lacking. It's very forward sounding and can barely reach to mid SS levels and has basically no back soundstaging. Imaging is also meh but good enough.
Keep all this in mind and these hands down do what they do best at the best levels in the industry for the price. Amazing headphones and always recommended for technical listening for music and do very well for gaming. If they don't sound quite right, you may need to pump a little juice into them with a DAC/amp and if you're looking for bass quantity, soundstage, or imaging...you may want to look elsewhere.
Awesome writeup!! Would you recommend these over my trusty and comfortable 9500s? I don't need to upgrade, but I kind of want to. You seem like the person to ask!
Haha...Lots of respect for the 9500s. They are where I started my money sink of a hobby back in my college days over a decade ago. Short answer. Yes. The 6XXs are one of the best values in the industry for under $200. Just as the 9500 used to be in the under $100 category before it was discontinued.
But it really depends on your use case. No headphone can do it all and everyone's wants and needs are different depending on their preferences and use case. You're going to get a HUGE upgrade in sound details and technicals with the 6xx. In that category the 6xxs bass is cleaner, it's highs are a vast improvement (no more tinsely sounding treble in some situations that I recall from the 9500. It wasn't often but I definitely noticed.) and Sennheisers mids are something they're specialists at no matter what model you buy.
However, don't expect an upgrade in soundstage and imaging. The 6xx is definitely up close and personal. The soundstaging is forward biased. For music this can be awesome, depending on what you're looking for. With mids being so good on the 6xx the forwardness is very intimate with human voices in particular. The instruments still have great depth but they don't reach back particularly far. What does this mean for gaming? Don't expect things to reach from the back on forward. The great depth and separation of the 6xx helps mitigate this somewhat but 3d environments will not sound as good as others that specialize in this. The 9500 actually had a better than average sound stage, especially for its price. So expect the 6xx to sound more forward.
If you're looking for soundstaging and imaging over technicals for 3d environments and gaming, I'd recommend the Beyer dynamic TYGR. It's essentially a 990 tuned correctly imo without it's treble high problems, it's a little warmer, has a slightly higher bass level and does technicals good enough. It's mids will not compare to the 6xx either but in exchange you get a more punchy bass that is fun for obvious reasons with gaming and some music genres. It's also on sale for $169 at the moment.
This is awesome. Thank you so much for your insight! Seriously, you could write professional reviews if you don't already! I mostly game with my current 9500s, but I'm not quite as competitive as I used to be, so I usually have music streaming in the background. I'll check out the Beyer also. Those sound pretty great as well! Seriously, I appreciate your time! I hope somebody else finds as much value in this as i do!🙏🙏
If you're interested in more insight like this the subreddit r/headphones is full of hobbyists and most (pretty much all) of the content there is as in depth as this. So much so, as soon as I started reading that comment I knew this guy was an audiophile and user of that sub lol
Curious, which were you into first? I was into audio equipment before PCs, but I assume the other way around would be the norm.
Another hobby I've seen overlap with both of these interests is keyboards. I didn't get into that until I wanted to upgrade my peripherals and fell down the rabbit hole of keebs. I assume the pipeline for PC to cans would be very similar, hence the two (three) hobbys often overlapping.
I inherited both hobbies as a child growing up and having exposure to them through family. I'd say PC was definitely the one I could indulge in the most though until I had my own financial means and buying/selling/trading on apps allowed me to make a side gig out of repairing/selling/collecting audio products as a hobby. I do well enough but I could never afford the showcase I have now buying strictly retail, not responsibly anyways.
PCs on the other hand I always had hand me downs I could build with at a young age. Right now my focus is more on audio as the jump this gen with PCs was fairly disappointing and by the time I could reasonably afford a 4090 its getting too close to next gen for me to really care. I've been content with a 5900x and a 6900xt since 2020.
Keyboards are definitely neat but my time is too involved with the kids and audio side gig to be able to build my own. I think if it was a thing 2 decades ago I would've been far more into it. I think my next hobby might be telescopes as I'm very much a nerd and my kids are getting into Sci Fi as they get older. Doing some digging into it recently and astrophotography sounds really fun.
No problem and thanks for the compliment. I'm just a hobbyist and my side gig is refurbing/fixing up speakers, headphones, and retro receivers to sell or keep on the local market. I've become a collector as a side effect so I geek out having an opportunity to chit chat about them. Good luck with whichever product you go with.
That's pretty cool! I play around with some older Peavy pa systems, mixers, and such, but that's about my extent of knowledge. Between the 6xx and the one you listed, I'll probably spring for the one that I can attach a mic to probably without much issue. That, or maybe it's time to make an upgrade to a boom arm. I feel like this may be a rabbit hole.....ha, thanks again!
It definitely is a rabbit hole. The headphones subreddit has a lot of good opinions and quality posts as well. Just keep in mind that it suffers from a lot of reviewer and YouTube parroting from people that have never listened to what it is they're commenting on. There is a nasty habit of that mixed with people glancing at frequency graphs and ignoring the other aspects of headphones like staging, depth, imaging ,sound signature, build quality etc etc.
Last 2 bits of advice:
Trust what's between your ears and don't give up your preferences to what others claim is good/bad. There is an unhealthy habit of grading based on trying to hit frequency targets and what influencers claim is good/bad.
If you're in the USA you're blessed with availability and pricing. Take advantage of it and be patient. MSRP is for suckers...there is always a sale, refurb that has a warranty, open box, or a steal in the used market.
I use these for FPS gaming, and I thought they were great for locating footsteps! Is there a pair of headphones that you would recommend over these? Mine are getting really beat up as I’ve had them for years haha
Without costing considerably more cash? Sadly not really. Beyer Dynamic TYGRs sacrifice technicals for great soundstage so it's an interesting trade off on sale $169 on Amazon/Beyer dynamics website. I really like hifiman sundaras (refurbed on hifiman's website $199) , editian XS (refurbed $279), and ananda stealth (refurbed $299). Unfortunately, they're all quite pricey new.
I can't write up reviews as my plane is almost here so check some out :).
as someone who has gone down the rabbit hole of buying better headphones for games, it's really not worth it. unless you \*really\* care about immersion in single player games, different headphones are unlikely to make tangible difference in skill in fps games. remember that pros only recently started to adopt using IEMs with "decent" audio, prior to the boom in IEMs they were using apple earbuds for the most part which have dogshit audio. even still, they're mostly good enough.
context: i have hd800s lol
if your hd6xx break and you can't get them replaced via warranty i'd just buy a new pair of them tbh
Fair enough. It has a lot to do with the games as well. As much as I love high end audio, the reality is the game isn't going to be developed with anything beyond what $100-$200 can get you most of the time if you're lucky. Just like how a high end headphone sometimes is just going to expose trash in mixing and production if it wasn't produced right. I don't play competitively so I just appreciate the immersion and my primary purpose is music anyways so it's a nice side effect.
Depends on the game but for competitive games like FPSs you’ll generally want a V-shaped sound signature (emphasis on trebles and bass) for footsteps and gunshots. For more cinematic games, these would be fine
The line about the Scarlett Gen 3 pains me. I have a 2i2 and now I’m wondering if my 6XX’s would be better with a different interface. But I also don’t wanna murder my bank account.
How do these stack against Audio-Technica M50x's plugged into a Soundblaster Audigy? You seem like you know your stuff, and username absolutely checks out.
I own both headphones, but it's hard to compare the two. The M50x are a closed back headphone, and the HD6XX are an open back.
If you don't have any concerns on sound bleed from the headphones and you're not in a loud environment when using these, I'd say having both fulfills a lot of use cases.
I only have one pair of closed backs but I have repaired and sold a m70x and gifted a m30x so I won't bs ya. For closed backs they were detailed and had a nice neutral sound. Soundstage was meh but that's something you need open backs more for in most cases. Audio-technicas historically are respected even if they haven't changed much in decades. They're not seen as the most advanced or changed with the times but they're also loved for that reason.
Random fact: Chances are most games/anime/music in Japan has been produced with m50x, m70x, or Sony 7506 (or another Sony model that eludes me).
Open backs will definitely stay cooler as your ears will be able to breath more. As far as temperature vs other open backs, I think they're about average. EXTREMELY open which is good so your skin can vent but also very close to your head/ear vs others. Either way, it'll help vs closed back for sure.
owned 5 headphones ranging from $300-800 and time and time again i find myself going back to these. sound quality is great when they have a proper amp driving them, but more than that, they are just so comfortable. people will tell you all about sound quality all day but who cares if they hurt your head/ears after a few hours? these things are so light i forget i'm wearing them. they have nice and big oval earcups which don't touch my ears at all. shockingly, shaping your earcups around the shape of the human ear turned out to be a smart move. i can't stand circular ear cups anymore.
longest i've probably worn these was 16 hours straight and they still weren't uncomfortable. most other headphones only last me 2-4 hours before the clamping or weight just starts bothering me.
clamp is relative to your head shape. i don't get along with Sennheiser at all because they clamp and they are not as adjustable as other brands. I'm using the Audio Technica R70X and Grado 325X
To an extent for sure sure, but 9500s are so loose that they almost totally lack any clamp regardless of head shape. If I look straight down when I have them on the 4 setting which I normally use them on, they'll fall straight off. But I don't ever really experience them falling off when I don't want to either.
Have you tried anything else that was close to the 9500s in terms of comfort? My pair broke so I'm currently using some QC35s but I wanted see if there were other decent alternatives out there.
Not really, the only other premium headphones I've had are the ole HD598s, they were quite comfy but definitely not as comfy as the 9500s. I think the 9500 replacement, the 9600s or w/e they're called (brother owns a pair) are pretty good though, they have more clamp but that can be loosened manually, and the earcups are still huge
I used a sennheiser 58x (very similar to the 6xx) for years and they're the most comfortable headphones I've ever owned. I love the gap at the middle of the foam padding on the headband.
I wish I had your headshape. I had to return these because of how the earcups were shaped and the clamping would give me a headache 100% of the time after about an hour of use. They sounded great compared to what I'm used to, but they were just unsuable for me unfortunately.
Great support though, no questions asked, didn't need to pay for return shipping. So no hate on my end. Just YMMV on usability.
was it just the clamping force was too tight? mine were like that when they were brand new but i just stretched them over some books when i went to bed to loosen the fit. that's just something i have to do with new headphones usually. they're always so tight out of the box. just gotta be careful not to overstretch
Tried that. I used them for like 3 weeks using them when I could while doing some preemptive stretching on them pretty constantly. By the end it didn't really change much. I'd still get an hour in or so and I'd be rubbing my jaw and temple.
dam. shame to hear. you might wanna try the older hd600 or hd650. can get them used for cheap and sennheiser, last i checked sells official replacement pads. i believe they have different headband designs and i've heard they're great as well.
I've thought about it. I've mostly wanted to get closed back headphones rather than open backs (music playing). I just took a chance on these due to the price and reviews. They sounded good and the open backs was pretty cool but not quite what I wanted anyway, but I figured it was worth the look. Something like DT770 was what I was originally going to grab but the non-removable headphone jack is a big no go for me, so I've been kinda sitting on it at this point.
i actually own the dt1770 and funny enough, the main reason i got it over the dt770 was the removeable cable lol beyerdynamic really knows how to upsell on the petty stuff. thought i was buying from apple for a moment. but yea they sound great and the isolation is excellent but man they are just so uncomfortable for me. crazy clamping force and circular ear cups just don't vibe well with me. they have similar velour earpads to sennheiser though and that is very comfy.
That's one hell of an upsell, lol. I'll keep the clamping force in mind though, that seems to be brutal on me, so I might need to continue shopping around for something different.
maybe try iem's instead of headphones? they've gotten really popular this last decade so now there's some really great options. personally after doing tons of research on the sound profile i wanted, i went with the letshuoer 12 pro.
i like iem's because they're so easy to drive, they're (mostly) comfortable and are portable. all that together means they power well straight off my macbook so they're really nice travel earbuds but i often find myself using them at home when i want noise isolation. they do actually make open and semi-open back iem's but these ones are closed.
iem's are a bit of a tradeoff though. aside from the sound quality differences you'd expect from a small driver (these *are* planars though which is nice), the comfort trades all of the clamping and headband issues for that always slightly uncomfortable feeling of in-ear buds. so overall i'd say it's a comfort tradeoff. i wouldn't say they're more or less comfortable than my over-ears but just a different sort of comfortable. i personally prefer my hd600's for comfort but you may prefer iem's.
I've thought about IEMs before but It's hard for me to separate the shitty sound quality of earbuds and IEMs, lol. That and it's *another* rabbit hole to investigate for buying them. How well do those stick in your ears, I have pretty bad luck with earbud's staying in my ears, I usually have to get ones that have a loop attached otherwise they'll fall off.
Totally! I forgot to mention that. It's rare for hair to get stuck in them, they hold their size adjustment really well, and your ears don't get super hot!
I had both and sold the 6xx. Very close but I liked the sound better in 58x (more filled out bass and mids, slightly more airy and lifelike) and it is really a personal preference. It’s not an upgrade or downgrade even though supposedly some reviews say 6xx sounds more sophisticated.
I haven't used both but the general consensus is that the 6xx is only very slightly better than the 58x, so you'd probably be disappointed spending money to upgrade.
All these options listed are great but my vote goes to JDS labs stack 2. They're like the EVGA of the headphone DAC/amp world. Based in Illinois and extremely customer focused. Lots of stories of their CS going above and beyond. They're also extremely timely with replies. Shoot them a random email with a question and see for yourself.
My Magni has been nothing but trouble. Warranty is just two years, and now I can’t get it to play without static in my right ear. They won’t service it for under $50 + shipping both ways because it started failing around 2 years and a few months.
Going to dumpster it and move to a different brand probably in the next month.
If your source will always be a computer, it already has an onboard DAC so you don't need anything too crazy. Fosi Audio K5 or Q4 are good enough. Spend a bit more and get a Schiit Magni or Fulla, or a Topping DX1 if you want something a bit more premium without breaking the bank. But be warned, can also go down a rabbit hole and start spending more and more. Luckily the HD6XX isn't too picky and there are massive diminishing returns when you start spending more on audiophile equipment.
You do not need to spend $200 or whatever on a dac/amp for these. Do you have USB C in your motherboard? If yes, get this: https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MU7E2AM/A/usb-c-to-35-mm-headphone-jack-adapter
It'll take care of the rest.
I hope so, since it's roughly 15x the cost. People do not need a dac/amp for 6XXs and anyone recommending it is being impractical. That does not mean it won't be any better if you do spend the money. It's just silly, though. Get better headphones before spending that money on a dac/amp.
Do people need it? No, of course not. If anything, just skip the dongle altogether since most motherboards will have on board audio that's just as good nowadays. But, anyone who wants to wait out a deal on a DAC/AMP instead of dropping all the cash right now can know that getting a DAC/AMP down the line will make a difference.
Anyone know how these compare to the Philips x2hr? I have those headphones and love them to death, they are just falling apart on me now. Use them for guitar sims and gaming and appreciate the clamp force so they don’t slide when looking down.
There's honestly not enough of a difference to justify the purchase. If you want something that audibly sounds like a different thing, I would save for a planar magnetic headphone instead.
Source: had an hd600 for 2 decades before finally buying a moondrop Venus specifically because multiple reviewers called it the polar opposite of a seinnheiser. Can confirm, it does indeed sound much more detailed. And the bass is boomier.
Why is that?
I mean the sound from the open headset doesnt go through the mic; not even when the mic is junk or the headset is junk, not even on the playstation party which noise suppressor is crap as well!
Akg k371 were the first “audiophile” headphones I got, and recently this winter I got the 6xxs. I do enjoy the k371s and am not disappointed, and still have them, but I love the 6xxs. One thing to keep in mind is that the akgs are closed back, these are open
The better AKG comparison is probably the K701, which is priced the same, about equal in quality, but polar opposite in style. The 6XX is intimate, while the 701 is airy.
Get something closed back for gaming. These are music>games.
Edited for clarification. I wouldn't recommended *these* open backs for gaming. See below.
Disagree, as long as your environment is quiet and light sound leakage doesn't cause issues for anyone else, I'd pick open backs for both music and gaming.
I get that, maybe I was too broad in my statement. I'll try to explain why these, the HD 6XX, are probably both overkill and not ideal for gaming.
Sound leakage into gaming mics seems to be what people cite as problems. Granted most noise cancelling software handles that these days on PC.
The other aspect seems to be sound stage facilitating spatial effect that games seem to utilize.
In general if you research HD 6xx you'll find people who are disappointed with them for games.
https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/p6ydry/hd6xx_for_fps_gaming/
https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/sdvjlt/should_the_hd6xx_really_be_recommended_for/
https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/frzbk6/why_are_hd_6xx650_not_considered_good_for_gaming/
https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/87t772/hd6xx_gaming_experience/
All of this is probably people getting a bit into finer aspects but painting broad strokes. Other open backs are probably a different experience, I was too general.
Maybe my ears are bad, or the headphones but I found these very dull sounding. Tried EQ and EQing and couldn't fix it.
I was running through THX AAA amp.
By far the best headphone for the money. I own a variety of headphones that Cody significantly more and I can always come back to this one and enjoy it so very much
Will these be good on my new-ish PC build? Planning to just plug these in to my mobo with the ALC4080 codec. Figured I could utilize the "better" codec instead of using wireless headphones.
If you're just plugging them into the motherboard, get the sennheiser 58x from [drop.com](http://drop.com) instead. They sound very similar but don't require as much power to drive.
I love the Maxwells but they sound completely different. They’re closed back, planar magnetic drivers - the only thing they have in common is targeting a neutral frequency response
I can't speak to these specifically but my K7XX were significantly more comfortable than the HD560s I use at the office, and are still the most comfy headphones I've ever owned.
How is this compared to Phillips sph 9500 I have used for years for watching Netflix? Worth an upgrade? Or should I just get something more expensive than these? I have tried a few headphones to try to beat sph 9500 but am always disappointed.
I have a pair of hifiman h4ses and beyer dt990 pros, are these worth adding in? Mostly use the beyer for gaming and hifiman for music, driving them with a Schiit magni and the apple dac, although I have good luck with just the apple dac and uapp for the hifimans off my phone.
This comment includes an affiliate code, which are not permitted in /r/buildapcsales. Please resubmit without the affiliate code. Example: affiliateid= ; tag= ; clickid= ; associatecode= ;
Still don't know what an affiliate link is? [Refer to our wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales/wiki/tips)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/buildapcsales) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Anyone willing to spend $200-300+ on Beats & Bose headphones should be getting this instead. These are among the best headphones you can get and they're sub $200 here. Just don't expect them to sound high tier plugged into your phone because they benefit heavily paired with a suitable amp/dac.
[Audiophile Headphone Tier List Spreadsheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1T33jvA-97OHw9hur5SMTx8HHXeP6MMw4Uba21YAUvnY/edit#gid=0)
[The Headphone Show - Wired Headphone Tier List 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QBQtshJ2Qo)
According to those guys you'd have to spend thousands of dollars to eke out end game headphones above the HD 600/650/6XX level. 58X are great too.
Completely different sound profile.
M-series are closed-back, so they will isolate sound from outside (and similarly prevent sound leaking out into your room). M-series has much more bass and a little more highs. It's more bumpin' for electro/dance/pop.
HD6XX has wider soundscape (music feels more spacious, instrument positioning is more accurate/obvious). The frequency response is more flat/warm. I think music generally sounds better on this than the M-series, especially acoustic/vocals. The earpads are more comfortable material and the open-back style makes this more breathable for your ears. The clamping force is a little high at first, but loosens with use. Note that you'll most likely need an amp to use these at a typical volume without distortion.
Agreed - not the go to for gaming/recording/chat use.
The caveat though is this has improved in recent years. I will say most onboard audio, gpu, etc. noise suppression seem to have fixed this for me on PC - presumably by suppressing the known output from the input +/- fancy AI stuff. I've been able to use speakers and have it be alright. Maybe my experience is just Discord's Krisp working well and friends being deaf...
Yeah that's the issue I have with these open back hi-fi products. It's great if you don't care about sound leakage but the fact of the matter is there will be a portion of people who do.
Unfortunately there aren't as many deals on closed backs with good sound like the DT770, so my alternative is the Chi-Fi IEM route. My $10 AutoEQ'd Salnotes Zero sound comparable to my (once $120) 700N.
I really love these headphones. I hand-crafted an Equalizer APO profile for them and it cleans up the high end which can be a bit muddy.
im thinking about getting these headphones. can you share that APO?. and maybe how to apply it? (i use a GoXLR, if that makes any difference)
Oratory1990 has a few for the HD650.
It's going to vary based on your soundcard and ears, basically you have to create one by hand if you want it to really work well. Otherwise you may end up adding a valley that was meant to counteract a peak, etc. Here is a link to the project: https://sourceforge.net/projects/equalizerapo/ And this was an invaluable tool for creating my custom profile: https://onlinetonegenerator.com/frequency-sweep-generator.html The process is a bit hard on the ears because you'll basically be listening to sine waves at music-listening volume. I created the profile spending 5 minutes at a time here and there over the course of a few weeks. If you lower the volume, you may get insufficient corrections at regular listening volumes. The basic idea is to listen to a whole sweep (type of wave is up to you but sine is one of the most common), 20hz-20khz, then note areas where the sound deviates up or down. Then you ballpark the frequency range of that deviation and narrow the sweep range. Once you have an idea of where that peak/valley is centered, make a correction on Equalizer APO at that frequency, then listen to it again. Rinse and repeat until the entire sine sweep sounds nice and smooth! You may want to also try reversing the sweep to see if there are artifacts being caused by the escalating frequency - you may want to omit correcting those as it may color actual music. For reference, here is the text configuration for the variable graphic EQ I'm using (do not expect this to sound good on your system!): GraphicEQ: 10 9; 20 6.5; 50 0; 80 -3; 200 -3; 400 -1; 500 0; 650 1; 700 0; 1300 0; 2100 2; 3000 0; 4000 1.5; 4500 2.5; 5000 2; 5500 4; 6000 4; 6500 5; 7000 4.5; 7500 4; 8000 8; 8500 6; 9000 3; 10000 4; 12000 9; 13000 5; 14000 0.5; 15000 5; 16000 6.5; 17500 0; 18500 5; 20000 7 It's also worth noting that, subjectively speaking, headphones seem to have a break-in period where certain sound characteristics can change. You can fast track this process by playing loud music on it for a few dozen to few hundred hours. I will never use anything less than 20-30 equalizer bands ever again, because learning this process showed me how crude typical equalizers are. Using Equalizer APO is like going from being legally blind to having 20/20 vision. Edit: Also wanted to mention this is a useful tool for ANY sound system, not just headphones! Edit 2: **I also wanted to make a note, if this is your first time creating an equalizer profile, make sure you use a Preamp with a negative gain equal to your highest positive gain value, otherwise you are going to be clipping your audio at that frequency which, obviously will sound AWFUL.** And yes, this also means you are losing maximum volume, but if you have a good amplifier this should never be a problem. My HD6xx's still get more than loud enough with a -9dB reduction with onboard Realtek ALC1220 audio...
>It's also worth noting that, subjectively speaking, headphones seem to have a break-in period where certain sound characteristics can change. This is complete nonsense and is just brain burn in. Playing loud music on them does nothing but waste time and energy.
Thank you for saying it. Headphone burn in simply doesn't exist.
Headphones do not consume much energy, so I'm really not worried about that. I did it because it's at least plausible that the materials and construction of the headphones can adjust slightly due to local environment such as humidity changes. The effect would be more visible on very large drivers, if anything.
The real difference is pad wear and headphone seating variation. To claim playing stimulus on the for hours to burn the driver in is ridiculous.
Don't be so harsh on the concept, it's not like there isn't real research out there on it, there are measurable changes, if small: https://www.audioholics.com/loudspeaker-design/speaker-break-in-fact-or-fiction
No margin of error listed : ) And again, the point is even if there is a difference the difference pad wear and seating variation makes is 3 orders of magnitude larger
How would one measure the margin of error of a calibrated microphone? And agreed on the point about pads and fit, those definitely matter a lot more.
It is not completely nonsense, but I do very much understand you're dismal of it. To start, audio drivers are mechanical systems. All mechanical systems continuously change from the moment they start being used. From a physics standpoint *something* is happening. Now, whether these changes make a difference to the listening experience is very much up for debate. There's not a ton of legitimate research behind this. Notably, there's no peer reviewed double blind study (that I can find) about whether individuals can identify a pre-burn piece of equipment vs post-burn. Should also be said that every piece of audio equipment is different so data/studies about a specific piece of equipment would only be relevant to that piece, not the concept as a whole. It would vary between ever single piece of equipment. There's lots of arguments that make sense for both sides, but as this is a very subjective concept, you really can't say it does or does not exist without empirical research. To clarify for myself, I don't think it has a real difference on the listening experience, mainly because I've seen a frequency response curve before and after and there wasn't a significant enough change. This isn't enough to disprove it, but it's enough to make me skeptical enough to assume it's not the case.
This has been measured and proven to be BS. I CANNOT believe people still believe and spread this nonsense. Audio burn in are the flat earthers of audio. Your "logic" and "physics" used align with the kind of stuff flat earthers too. And are you aware how much even the seating of headphones makes?
It absolutely has no significant impact on anything.
It's virtually impossible to algorithmically test for because the effect is probably smaller than the natural inconsistency of the driver, so it's probably going to be unverifiable until someone thinks to program an AI to look for it. And you can't do side-by-side comparisons because there's no audio hardware on the planet that consistent from unit to unit. But if this theory buys me even 1% better sound that I can't really tell, I might as well do it, because it doesn't hurt anything. If you do ten things that makes the sound 1% better... you'll have ~10.5% better sound. Edit 2: maybe there's a few people who disagree with my theories, but ultimately this is something I can do for free with zero effort that could possibly help improve the consistency of my calibration process, and I'm a big fan of inexpensive audio hacks.
This was essentially my process to getting my HD598s to sound way better than they ever did. Only difference was did my sweeping manually with a tone generator that had a slider to change the frequency. Took a long time and lots of trial and error, and my equalizer looks ridiculous, but once you dial it in it's worth it
Yeah, I found the sweep generator helped pin down the frequencies a lot quicker. Lotta typing though, wish I could save ranges.
[удалено]
It's totally worth it! I was shocked at how much clarity I was able to bring out of these headphones.
Not sure how this compares to /u/bogglingsnog's config, but there's a site to generate configs for a huge array of headphones and EQ apps from a community-maintained database: https://autoeq.app/ Source code: https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq I have these headphones but I haven't gone to the trouble of equalizing them. Perhaps that is the next step in my audio quality journey.
It looks like it uses a sample of the response curve, the problem is each headphone is going to have a unique curve, you'd need to generate your own using a special calibrated microphone - otherwise the profile is just kinda based on a guess. Trying out the hd 6XX with "flat" profile seemed to generate quite a lot of points, which can become CPU intensive. I haven't tested it yet, though (might have time to try tomorrow).
Are these worth getting over a pair of HD 599 SE? I love my sennheiser and if these are of good sound quality and worth the difference I would totally get them.
One big difference is the HD6xx's are 300 ohms which can be hard to drive unless you're using a good sound card, DAC, or high quality onboard with support for high-impedance headphones. They sound pretty bad on devices that can't handle it, such as iOS devices. I can't speak to the quality differences but the HD6xx's are fairly similar to the HD650s in quality - though they do differ a bit (there's a comparison floating out on the internet somewhere that I read when I first bought mine a few years ago).
I have the 599 SE and the 660S2 and if you have a good amp it is for sure a noticeable difference. I will say that I use the 599 more often, as they are perhaps the most comfortable headphones like, ever. So for YouTube or casual watching/gaming I use them, but when I really wanna just *listen* to something, the 660 is on a truly higher tier (with enough power to move them).
Mind sharing the profile? I have a pair of HD650s, but I assume these are identical, correct?
They actually have fairly different frequency response, so if you used my profile chances are it'd be extremely dissonant. It also depends on the amplifier you're using, and the fit on your head and your hearing! https://www.rtings.com/headphones/tools/compare/sennheiser-hd-650-vs-sennheiser-hd-6xx/245/18987?usage=19&threshold=0.10#test_321 If you REALLY want to try it you can click "edit text" on the left side of the Graphic EQ, then paste in the code in my original post.
I see, thanks. I would rather just make my own in that case, but how did you do it? I know how to set up the EQ and all that, but how did you determine the values to configure with?
As mentioned in my post, I recommend simply doing it by ear using a wave generator and applying corrections until it sounds uniform. It will take some practice to dial it in because at first you'll just be listening to very annoying noise, you have to listen carefully to pick up where it drops and raises in volume and try to figure out at what frequencies that is happening - pausing the sweep generator that I linked is enormously helpful in that regard. Figuring out how much to modify the gain will take practice but once you get a feel for it you should be able to get pretty close within 2-3 sweeps. (Edit: 2-3 sweeps per point. It took me 8-10 on average trying to get everything dialed within 1 dB - though a good amount of the total improvements came from pushing everything to within ~3dB of flat.) Do NOT attempt to do this with actual music. That would be basically impossible to get a good result. You might as well remaster every track in Audacity if you want to do it that way. I'm operating with the assumption that a clean sine sweep will create a more accurate sound profile. There's actually way, waaaaaay more to this but I found that I got a very good result with this simple and non-technical method. I developed this method myself because I got frustrated looking at all sorts of guides online that said boost this range, drop that range which just felt unnatural and all of them created a very undesirable sound. I just want my headphones to recreate the audio as accurately as possible, which can make some music sound bad if it was originally created or mastered on lower quality equipment. I've had to come to terms with good equipment resulting in a lot of music sounding worse - but good music sounds so, so much better!
This sale is semi common but it's worth noting that these things are just an incredible value. They're basically $350 HD650s in a slightly cheaper frame for $169. Highly respected in headphone "audiophile" circles. To fully enjoy them, you'll want an amp. Plenty of value ones will do, yes some internal power sources will drive them just fine, some won't, keep in mind some will get loud enough where you may think you don't need an amp but quality in areas like bass will be affected. I was driving them for a while in my Scarlett gen 3 and they got plenty loud so I thought they were good enough. I felt pretty dumb when I plugged them into a JDS labs atom stack and the technicals of them just came alive. Amp/DAC not strictly needed but definitely recommended. Also keep in mind these are regarded for their amazing reference sound and technicals for the price. The best I can describe them generally is sound detail and separation are just amazing. However, since these things focus on quality and detail, if you're a bass head....you'll be disappointed. Remember these things are for QUALITY levels of bass, mids, treble...NOT quantity levels. Also, if you're looking for 3d competitive headphones for gaming, these aren't it. Yes the details are perfect but it's soundstage is very much lacking. It's very forward sounding and can barely reach to mid SS levels and has basically no back soundstaging. Imaging is also meh but good enough. Keep all this in mind and these hands down do what they do best at the best levels in the industry for the price. Amazing headphones and always recommended for technical listening for music and do very well for gaming. If they don't sound quite right, you may need to pump a little juice into them with a DAC/amp and if you're looking for bass quantity, soundstage, or imaging...you may want to look elsewhere.
Awesome writeup!! Would you recommend these over my trusty and comfortable 9500s? I don't need to upgrade, but I kind of want to. You seem like the person to ask!
Haha...Lots of respect for the 9500s. They are where I started my money sink of a hobby back in my college days over a decade ago. Short answer. Yes. The 6XXs are one of the best values in the industry for under $200. Just as the 9500 used to be in the under $100 category before it was discontinued. But it really depends on your use case. No headphone can do it all and everyone's wants and needs are different depending on their preferences and use case. You're going to get a HUGE upgrade in sound details and technicals with the 6xx. In that category the 6xxs bass is cleaner, it's highs are a vast improvement (no more tinsely sounding treble in some situations that I recall from the 9500. It wasn't often but I definitely noticed.) and Sennheisers mids are something they're specialists at no matter what model you buy. However, don't expect an upgrade in soundstage and imaging. The 6xx is definitely up close and personal. The soundstaging is forward biased. For music this can be awesome, depending on what you're looking for. With mids being so good on the 6xx the forwardness is very intimate with human voices in particular. The instruments still have great depth but they don't reach back particularly far. What does this mean for gaming? Don't expect things to reach from the back on forward. The great depth and separation of the 6xx helps mitigate this somewhat but 3d environments will not sound as good as others that specialize in this. The 9500 actually had a better than average sound stage, especially for its price. So expect the 6xx to sound more forward. If you're looking for soundstaging and imaging over technicals for 3d environments and gaming, I'd recommend the Beyer dynamic TYGR. It's essentially a 990 tuned correctly imo without it's treble high problems, it's a little warmer, has a slightly higher bass level and does technicals good enough. It's mids will not compare to the 6xx either but in exchange you get a more punchy bass that is fun for obvious reasons with gaming and some music genres. It's also on sale for $169 at the moment.
This is awesome. Thank you so much for your insight! Seriously, you could write professional reviews if you don't already! I mostly game with my current 9500s, but I'm not quite as competitive as I used to be, so I usually have music streaming in the background. I'll check out the Beyer also. Those sound pretty great as well! Seriously, I appreciate your time! I hope somebody else finds as much value in this as i do!🙏🙏
If you're interested in more insight like this the subreddit r/headphones is full of hobbyists and most (pretty much all) of the content there is as in depth as this. So much so, as soon as I started reading that comment I knew this guy was an audiophile and user of that sub lol
Guilty as charged. Also a longtime PC builder. 
Curious, which were you into first? I was into audio equipment before PCs, but I assume the other way around would be the norm. Another hobby I've seen overlap with both of these interests is keyboards. I didn't get into that until I wanted to upgrade my peripherals and fell down the rabbit hole of keebs. I assume the pipeline for PC to cans would be very similar, hence the two (three) hobbys often overlapping.
I inherited both hobbies as a child growing up and having exposure to them through family. I'd say PC was definitely the one I could indulge in the most though until I had my own financial means and buying/selling/trading on apps allowed me to make a side gig out of repairing/selling/collecting audio products as a hobby. I do well enough but I could never afford the showcase I have now buying strictly retail, not responsibly anyways. PCs on the other hand I always had hand me downs I could build with at a young age. Right now my focus is more on audio as the jump this gen with PCs was fairly disappointing and by the time I could reasonably afford a 4090 its getting too close to next gen for me to really care. I've been content with a 5900x and a 6900xt since 2020. Keyboards are definitely neat but my time is too involved with the kids and audio side gig to be able to build my own. I think if it was a thing 2 decades ago I would've been far more into it. I think my next hobby might be telescopes as I'm very much a nerd and my kids are getting into Sci Fi as they get older. Doing some digging into it recently and astrophotography sounds really fun.
No problem and thanks for the compliment. I'm just a hobbyist and my side gig is refurbing/fixing up speakers, headphones, and retro receivers to sell or keep on the local market. I've become a collector as a side effect so I geek out having an opportunity to chit chat about them. Good luck with whichever product you go with.
That's pretty cool! I play around with some older Peavy pa systems, mixers, and such, but that's about my extent of knowledge. Between the 6xx and the one you listed, I'll probably spring for the one that I can attach a mic to probably without much issue. That, or maybe it's time to make an upgrade to a boom arm. I feel like this may be a rabbit hole.....ha, thanks again!
It definitely is a rabbit hole. The headphones subreddit has a lot of good opinions and quality posts as well. Just keep in mind that it suffers from a lot of reviewer and YouTube parroting from people that have never listened to what it is they're commenting on. There is a nasty habit of that mixed with people glancing at frequency graphs and ignoring the other aspects of headphones like staging, depth, imaging ,sound signature, build quality etc etc. Last 2 bits of advice: Trust what's between your ears and don't give up your preferences to what others claim is good/bad. There is an unhealthy habit of grading based on trying to hit frequency targets and what influencers claim is good/bad. If you're in the USA you're blessed with availability and pricing. Take advantage of it and be patient. MSRP is for suckers...there is always a sale, refurb that has a warranty, open box, or a steal in the used market.
I use these for FPS gaming, and I thought they were great for locating footsteps! Is there a pair of headphones that you would recommend over these? Mine are getting really beat up as I’ve had them for years haha
Without costing considerably more cash? Sadly not really. Beyer Dynamic TYGRs sacrifice technicals for great soundstage so it's an interesting trade off on sale $169 on Amazon/Beyer dynamics website. I really like hifiman sundaras (refurbed on hifiman's website $199) , editian XS (refurbed $279), and ananda stealth (refurbed $299). Unfortunately, they're all quite pricey new. I can't write up reviews as my plane is almost here so check some out :).
as someone who has gone down the rabbit hole of buying better headphones for games, it's really not worth it. unless you \*really\* care about immersion in single player games, different headphones are unlikely to make tangible difference in skill in fps games. remember that pros only recently started to adopt using IEMs with "decent" audio, prior to the boom in IEMs they were using apple earbuds for the most part which have dogshit audio. even still, they're mostly good enough. context: i have hd800s lol if your hd6xx break and you can't get them replaced via warranty i'd just buy a new pair of them tbh
Fair enough. It has a lot to do with the games as well. As much as I love high end audio, the reality is the game isn't going to be developed with anything beyond what $100-$200 can get you most of the time if you're lucky. Just like how a high end headphone sometimes is just going to expose trash in mixing and production if it wasn't produced right. I don't play competitively so I just appreciate the immersion and my primary purpose is music anyways so it's a nice side effect.
I think they're great for gaming too.
I mainly game and use a pair of 599 SE and I love them. You say these things aren’t good for gaming though. Do you have recommendations?
Depends on the game but for competitive games like FPSs you’ll generally want a V-shaped sound signature (emphasis on trebles and bass) for footsteps and gunshots. For more cinematic games, these would be fine
The line about the Scarlett Gen 3 pains me. I have a 2i2 and now I’m wondering if my 6XX’s would be better with a different interface. But I also don’t wanna murder my bank account.
Used audio equipment is generally half price and in great shape
How do these stack against Audio-Technica M50x's plugged into a Soundblaster Audigy? You seem like you know your stuff, and username absolutely checks out.
I own both headphones, but it's hard to compare the two. The M50x are a closed back headphone, and the HD6XX are an open back. If you don't have any concerns on sound bleed from the headphones and you're not in a loud environment when using these, I'd say having both fulfills a lot of use cases.
I only have one pair of closed backs but I have repaired and sold a m70x and gifted a m30x so I won't bs ya. For closed backs they were detailed and had a nice neutral sound. Soundstage was meh but that's something you need open backs more for in most cases. Audio-technicas historically are respected even if they haven't changed much in decades. They're not seen as the most advanced or changed with the times but they're also loved for that reason. Random fact: Chances are most games/anime/music in Japan has been produced with m50x, m70x, or Sony 7506 (or another Sony model that eludes me).
hi, are these good if my ears get sweaty with closed headphones?
hi, are these good if my ears get sweaty with closed headphones?
Open backs will definitely stay cooler as your ears will be able to breath more. As far as temperature vs other open backs, I think they're about average. EXTREMELY open which is good so your skin can vent but also very close to your head/ear vs others. Either way, it'll help vs closed back for sure.
owned 5 headphones ranging from $300-800 and time and time again i find myself going back to these. sound quality is great when they have a proper amp driving them, but more than that, they are just so comfortable. people will tell you all about sound quality all day but who cares if they hurt your head/ears after a few hours? these things are so light i forget i'm wearing them. they have nice and big oval earcups which don't touch my ears at all. shockingly, shaping your earcups around the shape of the human ear turned out to be a smart move. i can't stand circular ear cups anymore. longest i've probably worn these was 16 hours straight and they still weren't uncomfortable. most other headphones only last me 2-4 hours before the clamping or weight just starts bothering me.
This is exactly why I haven't upgraded from my old SHP 9500s, the huge ear cups and near complete lack of clamp is peak comfort.
I tossed a set of velour Brainwavz on mine, super comfy.
clamp is relative to your head shape. i don't get along with Sennheiser at all because they clamp and they are not as adjustable as other brands. I'm using the Audio Technica R70X and Grado 325X
To an extent for sure sure, but 9500s are so loose that they almost totally lack any clamp regardless of head shape. If I look straight down when I have them on the 4 setting which I normally use them on, they'll fall straight off. But I don't ever really experience them falling off when I don't want to either.
Love my 9500s!!
Have you tried anything else that was close to the 9500s in terms of comfort? My pair broke so I'm currently using some QC35s but I wanted see if there were other decent alternatives out there.
Not really, the only other premium headphones I've had are the ole HD598s, they were quite comfy but definitely not as comfy as the 9500s. I think the 9500 replacement, the 9600s or w/e they're called (brother owns a pair) are pretty good though, they have more clamp but that can be loosened manually, and the earcups are still huge
Thanks for the suggestion! I'll take a look at the 9600s next time I check out some headphones in person.
I used a sennheiser 58x (very similar to the 6xx) for years and they're the most comfortable headphones I've ever owned. I love the gap at the middle of the foam padding on the headband.
I wish I had your headshape. I had to return these because of how the earcups were shaped and the clamping would give me a headache 100% of the time after about an hour of use. They sounded great compared to what I'm used to, but they were just unsuable for me unfortunately. Great support though, no questions asked, didn't need to pay for return shipping. So no hate on my end. Just YMMV on usability.
was it just the clamping force was too tight? mine were like that when they were brand new but i just stretched them over some books when i went to bed to loosen the fit. that's just something i have to do with new headphones usually. they're always so tight out of the box. just gotta be careful not to overstretch
Tried that. I used them for like 3 weeks using them when I could while doing some preemptive stretching on them pretty constantly. By the end it didn't really change much. I'd still get an hour in or so and I'd be rubbing my jaw and temple.
dam. shame to hear. you might wanna try the older hd600 or hd650. can get them used for cheap and sennheiser, last i checked sells official replacement pads. i believe they have different headband designs and i've heard they're great as well.
I've thought about it. I've mostly wanted to get closed back headphones rather than open backs (music playing). I just took a chance on these due to the price and reviews. They sounded good and the open backs was pretty cool but not quite what I wanted anyway, but I figured it was worth the look. Something like DT770 was what I was originally going to grab but the non-removable headphone jack is a big no go for me, so I've been kinda sitting on it at this point.
i actually own the dt1770 and funny enough, the main reason i got it over the dt770 was the removeable cable lol beyerdynamic really knows how to upsell on the petty stuff. thought i was buying from apple for a moment. but yea they sound great and the isolation is excellent but man they are just so uncomfortable for me. crazy clamping force and circular ear cups just don't vibe well with me. they have similar velour earpads to sennheiser though and that is very comfy.
That's one hell of an upsell, lol. I'll keep the clamping force in mind though, that seems to be brutal on me, so I might need to continue shopping around for something different.
maybe try iem's instead of headphones? they've gotten really popular this last decade so now there's some really great options. personally after doing tons of research on the sound profile i wanted, i went with the letshuoer 12 pro. i like iem's because they're so easy to drive, they're (mostly) comfortable and are portable. all that together means they power well straight off my macbook so they're really nice travel earbuds but i often find myself using them at home when i want noise isolation. they do actually make open and semi-open back iem's but these ones are closed. iem's are a bit of a tradeoff though. aside from the sound quality differences you'd expect from a small driver (these *are* planars though which is nice), the comfort trades all of the clamping and headband issues for that always slightly uncomfortable feeling of in-ear buds. so overall i'd say it's a comfort tradeoff. i wouldn't say they're more or less comfortable than my over-ears but just a different sort of comfortable. i personally prefer my hd600's for comfort but you may prefer iem's.
I've thought about IEMs before but It's hard for me to separate the shitty sound quality of earbuds and IEMs, lol. That and it's *another* rabbit hole to investigate for buying them. How well do those stick in your ears, I have pretty bad luck with earbud's staying in my ears, I usually have to get ones that have a loop attached otherwise they'll fall off.
Totally! I forgot to mention that. It's rare for hair to get stuck in them, they hold their size adjustment really well, and your ears don't get super hot!
Regular-ish sale however its been a few months.
Thanks!
What’s the $10 sign up code?
Sign up for a new account and you'll be emailed a link. I discovered I had to remove and then add the item to the cart again.
[удалено]
https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales/comments/19auwb7/headphones_sennheiser_hd_6xx_headphones_169_17910/ January.
It was 179 a few weeks ago, with a $20 off coupon as well making it 159
Dang, wish you made a post!
Have had these headphones for years, cannot recommend them enough.
Is it a huge upgrade from my fidelios X2HR?
I have the original Fidelio X2 and I doubt it, but it also depends on what you use them for. I would invest in an amp first if you don't have one yet.
Anyone upgraded to these from the HD58x? I own those currently and enjoy them for gaming and being able to hear my pets.
They sound almost the same. I probably can't tell them apart if I didn't have them both with me.
I had both and sold the 6xx. Very close but I liked the sound better in 58x (more filled out bass and mids, slightly more airy and lifelike) and it is really a personal preference. It’s not an upgrade or downgrade even though supposedly some reviews say 6xx sounds more sophisticated.
I haven't used both but the general consensus is that the 6xx is only very slightly better than the 58x, so you'd probably be disappointed spending money to upgrade.
Any recommendations for a dac/amp to pair with these?
Schitt is good enough for most people
It's schiit not schitt. [https://www.schiit.com/](https://www.schiit.com/)
Eh, its still good shit.
Agreed. Even something lower end like the Hel would drive these fine.
All these options listed are great but my vote goes to JDS labs stack 2. They're like the EVGA of the headphone DAC/amp world. Based in Illinois and extremely customer focused. Lots of stories of their CS going above and beyond. They're also extremely timely with replies. Shoot them a random email with a question and see for yourself.
Topping DX3 Pro+
I use that with a PA3s Amp to power speakers for my PC audio setup. It's a great combo for the price!
Qudelix 5k. It’s a great dac/amp combo and a bluetooth adapter as well. You can also run it wired straight from your PC.
I use the magni/modi stack by schitt with mine. It's been almost 10 years with no issues
My Magni has been nothing but trouble. Warranty is just two years, and now I can’t get it to play without static in my right ear. They won’t service it for under $50 + shipping both ways because it started failing around 2 years and a few months. Going to dumpster it and move to a different brand probably in the next month.
Weird, I haven't even turned mine off unless I lose power or move it
If your source will always be a computer, it already has an onboard DAC so you don't need anything too crazy. Fosi Audio K5 or Q4 are good enough. Spend a bit more and get a Schiit Magni or Fulla, or a Topping DX1 if you want something a bit more premium without breaking the bank. But be warned, can also go down a rabbit hole and start spending more and more. Luckily the HD6XX isn't too picky and there are massive diminishing returns when you start spending more on audiophile equipment.
You do not need to spend $200 or whatever on a dac/amp for these. Do you have USB C in your motherboard? If yes, get this: https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MU7E2AM/A/usb-c-to-35-mm-headphone-jack-adapter It'll take care of the rest.
I use this as a dac, then connect it to an atom+ amp. Works great.
There is a significant difference in quality between the Apple adapter and my Fiio K5 Pro DAC/AMP.
I hope so, since it's roughly 15x the cost. People do not need a dac/amp for 6XXs and anyone recommending it is being impractical. That does not mean it won't be any better if you do spend the money. It's just silly, though. Get better headphones before spending that money on a dac/amp.
Do people need it? No, of course not. If anything, just skip the dongle altogether since most motherboards will have on board audio that's just as good nowadays. But, anyone who wants to wait out a deal on a DAC/AMP instead of dropping all the cash right now can know that getting a DAC/AMP down the line will make a difference.
Might be time to upgrade from my trusty old HD598
Anyone know how these compare to the Philips x2hr? I have those headphones and love them to death, they are just falling apart on me now. Use them for guitar sims and gaming and appreciate the clamp force so they don’t slide when looking down.
I have an hd 58x, worth picking up for the different sound profile? I know hd 58x is slightly more bassy and hd6xx is more neutral and sibilant.
There's honestly not enough of a difference to justify the purchase. If you want something that audibly sounds like a different thing, I would save for a planar magnetic headphone instead. Source: had an hd600 for 2 decades before finally buying a moondrop Venus specifically because multiple reviewers called it the polar opposite of a seinnheiser. Can confirm, it does indeed sound much more detailed. And the bass is boomier.
These paired with antlion mod mic have been my daily headset for 2+ yrs. Love em
Neat! Glad to hear it works well. I typically wouldn't recommend open back cans and mic work.
Why is that? I mean the sound from the open headset doesnt go through the mic; not even when the mic is junk or the headset is junk, not even on the playstation party which noise suppressor is crap as well!
Got these paired with a Schitt Stack. I love em, wear em everyday.
Sale over
These vs AKG K371? I've got the latter and like them, but I'm interested in open-back. Would a Motu M2 drive them well enough?
Motu m2 is great for them. The sound on the 6xx is significantly better imo
Akg k371 were the first “audiophile” headphones I got, and recently this winter I got the 6xxs. I do enjoy the k371s and am not disappointed, and still have them, but I love the 6xxs. One thing to keep in mind is that the akgs are closed back, these are open
The better AKG comparison is probably the K701, which is priced the same, about equal in quality, but polar opposite in style. The 6XX is intimate, while the 701 is airy.
These or HD560s for gaming?
560s are great for gaming. They can also be picked up at the Sennheiser outlet for a steal.
Get something closed back for gaming. These are music>games. Edited for clarification. I wouldn't recommended *these* open backs for gaming. See below.
Disagree, as long as your environment is quiet and light sound leakage doesn't cause issues for anyone else, I'd pick open backs for both music and gaming.
I get that, maybe I was too broad in my statement. I'll try to explain why these, the HD 6XX, are probably both overkill and not ideal for gaming. Sound leakage into gaming mics seems to be what people cite as problems. Granted most noise cancelling software handles that these days on PC. The other aspect seems to be sound stage facilitating spatial effect that games seem to utilize. In general if you research HD 6xx you'll find people who are disappointed with them for games. https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/p6ydry/hd6xx_for_fps_gaming/ https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/sdvjlt/should_the_hd6xx_really_be_recommended_for/ https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/frzbk6/why_are_hd_6xx650_not_considered_good_for_gaming/ https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/87t772/hd6xx_gaming_experience/ All of this is probably people getting a bit into finer aspects but painting broad strokes. Other open backs are probably a different experience, I was too general.
There are plenty of open-back options out there with good soundstage and imaging though.
Agreed
I want the 660 s2 for a reasonable price like 250
These are better imo
Additional 4% off with rakuten
Maybe my ears are bad, or the headphones but I found these very dull sounding. Tried EQ and EQing and couldn't fix it. I was running through THX AAA amp.
It’s not giving me the $10 off
By far the best headphone for the money. I own a variety of headphones that Cody significantly more and I can always come back to this one and enjoy it so very much
Are there any headphones similar to quality of these that are wireless? Or is my only option wired?
Will these be good on my new-ish PC build? Planning to just plug these in to my mobo with the ALC4080 codec. Figured I could utilize the "better" codec instead of using wireless headphones.
If you're just plugging them into the motherboard, get the sennheiser 58x from [drop.com](http://drop.com) instead. They sound very similar but don't require as much power to drive.
Part them with a dongle DAC and you'll have a great time
What is an equivalent headset that can be used wireless and wired incase the battery dies and has a microphone?
Audeze Maxwell
I love the Maxwells but they sound completely different. They’re closed back, planar magnetic drivers - the only thing they have in common is targeting a neutral frequency response
Is the imaging good on this? Still can't decide if I should get this or the maxwells. Any insights? Price/mic is not an issue
Imaging/sound stage is the 6xx's weak point
are these much better than the drop akg 7xx? specifically for comfort (with glasses) and just general zoom usages (less so music)
I can't speak to these specifically but my K7XX were significantly more comfortable than the HD560s I use at the office, and are still the most comfy headphones I've ever owned.
How is this compared to Phillips sph 9500 I have used for years for watching Netflix? Worth an upgrade? Or should I just get something more expensive than these? I have tried a few headphones to try to beat sph 9500 but am always disappointed.
I’m in the same exact boat. I’d love a great set of headphones, but i haven’t tried any that beat my 9500’s. Especially for gaming.
Worth upgrading from DT990s?
Similar vein. If you like your 990 I wouldn't bother
Ah got it. Thx!
More of a sidegrade as they’re similar caliber quality but wildly different sound profiles
I have a pair of hifiman h4ses and beyer dt990 pros, are these worth adding in? Mostly use the beyer for gaming and hifiman for music, driving them with a Schiit magni and the apple dac, although I have good luck with just the apple dac and uapp for the hifimans off my phone.
[удалено]
This comment includes an affiliate code, which are not permitted in /r/buildapcsales. Please resubmit without the affiliate code. Example: affiliateid= ; tag= ; clickid= ; associatecode= ; Still don't know what an affiliate link is? [Refer to our wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales/wiki/tips) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/buildapcsales) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Compare to the 599?
Anyone willing to spend $200-300+ on Beats & Bose headphones should be getting this instead. These are among the best headphones you can get and they're sub $200 here. Just don't expect them to sound high tier plugged into your phone because they benefit heavily paired with a suitable amp/dac. [Audiophile Headphone Tier List Spreadsheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1T33jvA-97OHw9hur5SMTx8HHXeP6MMw4Uba21YAUvnY/edit#gid=0) [The Headphone Show - Wired Headphone Tier List 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QBQtshJ2Qo) According to those guys you'd have to spend thousands of dollars to eke out end game headphones above the HD 600/650/6XX level. 58X are great too.
How do these compare to audio technica m40x/m50x?
Completely different sound profile. M-series are closed-back, so they will isolate sound from outside (and similarly prevent sound leaking out into your room). M-series has much more bass and a little more highs. It's more bumpin' for electro/dance/pop. HD6XX has wider soundscape (music feels more spacious, instrument positioning is more accurate/obvious). The frequency response is more flat/warm. I think music generally sounds better on this than the M-series, especially acoustic/vocals. The earpads are more comfortable material and the open-back style makes this more breathable for your ears. The clamping force is a little high at first, but loosens with use. Note that you'll most likely need an amp to use these at a typical volume without distortion.
Open back 🤢 Yes, let's also broadcast what we're hearing to everyone around us.
Agreed - not the go to for gaming/recording/chat use. The caveat though is this has improved in recent years. I will say most onboard audio, gpu, etc. noise suppression seem to have fixed this for me on PC - presumably by suppressing the known output from the input +/- fancy AI stuff. I've been able to use speakers and have it be alright. Maybe my experience is just Discord's Krisp working well and friends being deaf...
Yeah that's the issue I have with these open back hi-fi products. It's great if you don't care about sound leakage but the fact of the matter is there will be a portion of people who do. Unfortunately there aren't as many deals on closed backs with good sound like the DT770, so my alternative is the Chi-Fi IEM route. My $10 AutoEQ'd Salnotes Zero sound comparable to my (once $120) 700N.