HD6XX vs momentum 2.0

[MYX]

Hey everyone, I know this is a hard comparison for headphones because they are different types, but I was wondering what are the best headphones around this price point for my needs, I'm a student and spend a lot of my time studying/working with others around, but for the other half of the time I'm gaming and editing in my room, in both situations there are pros and cons but I was wondering (because I DO NOT have the money for both) which is better for my needs. Thanks!

 

Ps. the Momentum2s have a wireless edition is this worth it? I have an iPhone and a custom build pc and don't know if only my phone can utilize this feature

Pps. Is there any difference between the m2's and the m2 wireless sound? if they only cost $150 more with no other benefits is it worth it?

 

Thanks for reading

[AperumDesign]

Unfortunately I couldn't tell you whether the m2's sound any different from their wireless version since I've never heard the wireless ones. Wireless isn't that important to me personally, and unless you're running with them or using a device such as an iPhone without a 3.5mm headphone jack, I don't think they're worth the $150 extra. The hard part of the comparison is that they're very different headphones that cater to two opposite customers. I own a pair of HD600s and have used HD650s extensively in the past. My friend had a pair of the m2's but for some reason had to RMA them and when with different headphones instead.

 

Put it this way, if my HD600s were to break for some reason (although they're pretty indestructible and all spare parts are available online), I would purchase a pair of the HD6XX headphones within minutes. For their price, it simply doesn't get any better. I paid I believe $550 AUD at the time for my HD600s (moreso references headphones compared to the 650s/6XXs), and I was incredibly happy with my purchase. For $199 USD it's an absolute steal. The sound is unbeatable, especially with the extra bit of warmth in the low end on the HD6XXs, and the bigger soundstage is something you just don't get from closed back headphones. Once you get them, the majority of headphones you put on will sound narrow and bland, trust me. That being said, you absolutely can't use them in a library or any quiet study space, as the music is just about as loud for you as it is for anyone within a 3m radius of you. You also can't use them in say a car or bus because not only will others hear your music, you lose all low end when there's substantial background noise. They're really home-listening only headphones. For that reason I purchased a pair of Shure SE215 in-ears to use while studying around others/on a bus etc. Couldn't be happier. You could always get some cheaper in-ears as well for studying. There's some amazing stuff out there for very cheap.

 

If you can't afford to have a separate pair besides the HD6XXs, whether that be the m2's, some in-ears or something else, they're probably not your best option because they're simply not versatile, despite being pretty well undoubtedly the best value headphones on the market. 

[Max_Settings]

So I’m assuming you have $200. The HD6XXs are leagues above the momentums, this isn’t even a close contest. However the 6XXs are going to have fatal flaws for your use case. The 6XXs are open. You can hear everything around you and everyone around you can hear exactly what you are listening to. Also I dislike the 6XXs for gaming because of their super light bass, which make gunshots sound anemic. Also the 6XXs need an Amp for them to reach their full potential. Now I’m not a massive fan of the momentums. You need some closed headphones to keep noise from bothering anyone else. Look at the Audio Technica MSR7s or Beyerdynamics DT770s

[Max_Settings]

2 minutes ago, AperumDesign said:

Unfortunately I couldn't tell you whether the m2's sound any different from their wireless version since I've never heard the wireless ones. Wireless isn't that important to me personally, and unless you're running with them or using a device such as an iPhone without a 3.5mm headphone jack, I don't think they're worth the $150 extra. The hard part of the comparison is that they're very different headphones that cater to two opposite customers. I own a pair of HD600s and have used HD650s extensively in the past. My friend had a pair of the m2's but for some reason had to RMA them and when with different headphones instead.

 

Put it this way, if my HD600s were to break for some reason (although they're pretty indestructible and all spare parts are available online), I would purchase a pair of the HD6XX headphones within minutes. For their price, it simply doesn't get any better. I paid I believe $550 AUD at the time for my HD600s (moreso references headphones compared to the 650s/6XXs), and I was incredibly happy with my purchase. For $199 USD it's an absolute steal. The sound is unbeatable, especially with the extra bit of warmth in the low end on the HD6XXs, and the bigger soundstage is something you just don't get from closed back headphones. Once you get them, the majority of headphones you put on will sound narrow and bland, trust me. That being said, you absolutely can't use them in a library or any quiet study space, as the music is just about as loud for you as it is for anyone within a 3m radius of you. You also can't use them in say a car or bus because not only will others hear your music, you lose all low end when there's substantial background noise. They're really home-listening only headphones. For that reason I purchased a pair of Shure SE215 in-ears to use while studying around others/on a bus etc. Couldn't be happier. You could always get some cheaper in-ears as well for studying. There's some amazing stuff out there for very cheap.

 

If you can't afford to have a separate pair besides the HD6XXs, whether that be the m2's, some in-ears or something else, they're probably not your best option because they're simply not versatile, despite being pretty well undoubtedly the best value headphones on the market. 

Yes I agree with this 100%. The 6XXs are probably the best headphone under $500 in my opinion. To the OP this is what I’d do. Buy the HD6XXs and use them in your dorm. Then buy a pair of Venture Electronics Monk Plus Earbuds for $5. I have both and I will tell you it’s scary how good those earbuds are for $5. They are if say 80% as good as the 6XXs, they can’t be beat.

[MYX]

18 minutes ago, AperumDesign said:

Unfortunately I couldn't tell you whether the m2's sound any different from their wireless version since I've never heard the wireless ones. Wireless isn't that important to me personally, and unless you're running with them or using a device such as an iPhone without a 3.5mm headphone jack, I don't think they're worth the $150 extra. The hard part of the comparison is that they're very different headphones that cater to two opposite customers. I own a pair of HD600s and have used HD650s extensively in the past. My friend had a pair of the m2's but for some reason had to RMA them and when with different headphones instead.

 

Put it this way, if my HD600s were to break for some reason (although they're pretty indestructible and all spare parts are available online), I would purchase a pair of the HD6XX headphones within minutes. For their price, it simply doesn't get any better. I paid I believe $550 AUD at the time for my HD600s (moreso references headphones compared to the 650s/6XXs), and I was incredibly happy with my purchase. For $199 USD it's an absolute steal. The sound is unbeatable, especially with the extra bit of warmth in the low end on the HD6XXs, and the bigger soundstage is something you just don't get from closed back headphones. Once you get them, the majority of headphones you put on will sound narrow and bland, trust me. That being said, you absolutely can't use them in a library or any quiet study space, as the music is just about as loud for you as it is for anyone within a 3m radius of you. You also can't use them in say a car or bus because not only will others hear your music, you lose all low end when there's substantial background noise. They're really home-listening only headphones. For that reason I purchased a pair of Shure SE215 in-ears to use while studying around others/on a bus etc. Couldn't be happier. You could always get some cheaper in-ears as well for studying. There's some amazing stuff out there for very cheap.

 

If you can't afford to have a separate pair besides the HD6XXs, whether that be the m2's, some in-ears or something else, they're probably not your best option because they're simply not versatile, despite being pretty well undoubtedly the best value headphones on the market. 

Thanks for the amazing info!!! I realize I cant have the best of both worlds, but since the 6xx's are on sale rn I might just buy them and keep using my crappy apple ear buds. I know that on open back headphones the lows/bass/mid can sounds mushy, I really like sharp/ clear sound with a natural base. Do the 6xxs match this descripion?

[AperumDesign]

3 hours ago, MaxCraft said:

Thanks for the amazing info!!! I realize I cant have the best of both worlds, but since the 6xx's are on sale rn I might just buy them and keep using my crappy apple ear buds. I know that on open back headphones the lows/bass/mid can sounds mushy, I really like sharp/ clear sound with a natural base. Do the 6xxs match this descripion?

I don't agree with that at all to be honest. The low end on closed-back headphones I find tends to be much worse as bass is able to reflect off the back of the can. They're incredibly clean throughout the whole spectrum in my opinion. You'll notice you hear a lot of detail in music that you hadn't heard before because of this. The HD6XXs aren't designed to have super loud low-end, but it's very good low-end. My HD600's have a very clean low end. They're a little more natural than the 650s (same as 6XXs) which are a bit stronger in the low end and warmer in general I found. You could say at around 30-45Hz the low end drops off a bit, which in my experience tends to be the case with open back headphones. You can however EQ the low end up a little to compensate for this. Put it this way, unless you've heard hundreds of pairs of headphones and you're an extreme audiophile, you will not be able to fault the sound of these cans. 

[AperumDesign]

3 hours ago, Max_Settings said:

So I’m assuming you have $200. The HD6XXs are leagues above the momentums, this isn’t even a close contest. However the 6XXs are going to have fatal flaws for your use case. The 6XXs are open. You can hear everything around you and everyone around you can hear exactly what you are listening to. Also I dislike the 6XXs for gaming because of their super light bass, which make gunshots sound anemic. Also the 6XXs need an Amp for them to reach their full potential. Now I’m not a massive fan of the momentums. You need some closed headphones to keep noise from bothering anyone else. Look at the Audio Technica MSR7s or Beyerdynamics DT770s

The issue of lighter than average bass can be overcome with a simple EQ like Realtek. The headphones I find do have the low end there, it's quiet and tends to be lost out the back of the headphones. I wouldn't call the base "super light" though. It's just lighter relative to the overly bass-heavy headphones that most companies churn out. The HD600s are considered pretty well the best monitoring headphones ever made because of their super flat response curve, and the 6XX's do have a decent bit more in terms of low end.

 

Agreed on the DT770s and MSR7 alternatives. Also great headphones that may cover more options, although I would still personally go with the 6XXs and some cheaper in-ears.

3 hours ago, Max_Settings said:

Yes I agree with this 100%. The 6XXs are probably the best headphone under $500 in my opinion. To the OP this is what I’d do. Buy the HD6XXs and use them in your dorm. Then buy a pair of Venture Electronics Monk Plus Earbuds for $5. I have both and I will tell you it’s scary how good those earbuds are for $5. They are if say 80% as good as the 6XXs, they can’t be beat.

 

I have a pair of Phillips She3590 in-ears and for their $8 price tag they're just incredible. The only reason I bought some SE215s was because of the quality and I wanted something more premium for the long-run. But seriously, they're about 90% of the SE215s and in the treble, they're better.

[GamerDude]

1 hour ago, AperumDesign said:

I don't agree with that at all to be honest. The low end on closed-back headphones I find tends to be much worse as bass is able to reflect off the back of the can. They're incredibly clean throughout the whole spectrum in my opinion. You'll notice you hear a lot of detail in music that you hadn't heard before because of this. The HD6XXs aren't designed to have super loud low-end, but it's very good low-end. My HD600's have a very clean low end. They're a little more natural than the 650s (same as 6XXs) which are a bit stronger in the low end and warmer in general I found. You could say at around 30-45Hz the low end drops off a bit, which in my experience tends to be the case with open back headphones. You can however EQ the low end up a little to compensate for this. Put it this way, unless you've heard hundreds of pairs of headphones and you're an extreme audiophile, you will not be able to fault the sound of these cans. 

So, you're basically saying that if OP fits into those two criteria, he'd be able to fault those cans? Even so, he may happen to like that (those) sound signature(s), hence, he may not see it (them) as fault(s) at all. I've learned that in the audiophile world, there's simply no one sound signature that suits all, there's no one type of can that suits all, there's an endless myriad of shades of sound signatures that one may like or dislike. I happen to be drawn to sparkly highs and good bass, mids isn't of vital importance to me, though I can appreciate good mids especially when it comes to female vocals. I'd owned more than 2 dozen cans at one time, now reduced to a mere 17, and have auditioned a great number of others, I've yet to find one that'd make me say, "Yep, that's THE ONE, I can now get rid of my other cans".

[AperumDesign]

37 minutes ago, GamerDude said:

So, you're basically saying that if OP fits into those two criteria, he'd be able to fault those cans? Even so, he may happen to like that (those) sound signature(s), hence, he may not see it (them) as fault(s) at all. I've learned that in the audiophile world, there's simply no one sound signature that suits all, there's no one type of can that suits all, there's an endless myriad of shades of sound signatures that one may like or dislike. I happen to be drawn to sparkly highs and good bass, mids isn't of vital importance to me, though I can appreciate good mids especially when it comes to female vocals. I'd owned more than 2 dozen cans at one time, now reduced to a mere 17, and have auditioned a great number of others, I've yet to find one that'd make me say, "Yep, that's THE ONE, I can now get rid of my other cans".

Perhaps not fault, but yes, he may be able to form conclusions regarding the sound signature that he otherwise wouldn't be able to. I never said that he may not like those characteristics of the HD6XXs, they're just my observations from using the HD650s. I can't however think of many people who prefer their low-end to be rolled off.

 

It's my assumption that the OP isn't an audiophile and doesn't have the experience with headphones to be able to make such an informed decision about the exact sound signature he is looking for. Perhaps it would be a good idea to ask the OP what kind of sound signature he prefers, although I generally assume that most people don't know exactly what they want. I believe that unless you've experienced for instance a pair of headphones which have sparkly highs, you wouldn't really know that's what you really wanted. My opinion is that the only way in which you can come to a true judgement as to what pair of headphones you should buy is if you have plenty of experience with other cans, allowing you to compare one to another, which would typically mean you have a pretty sound understanding of audio products, or if you had a variety of similarly priced cans for comparison before purchasing. Based on my assumption that the OP doesn't fit into that criteria, if I gave a pair of HD6XX's to him, without the luxury of having various alternatives ready for comparison and a plethora of past experience with similarly priced cans, I would say it would be the safest bet. For most people, a minor variance in sound signature is not a deal breaker, especially within the context of the original post which is mostly concerned with practicality. But, perhaps I should've asked such a question before providing such a strong recommendation. 

[MYX]

2 hours ago, AperumDesign said:

Perhaps not fault, but yes, he may be able to form conclusions regarding the sound signature that he otherwise wouldn't be able to. I never said that he may not like those characteristics of the HD6XXs, they're just my observations from using the HD650s. I can't however think of many people who prefer their low-end to be rolled off.

 

It's my assumption that the OP isn't an audiophile and doesn't have the experience with headphones to be able to make such an informed decision about the exact sound signature he is looking for. Perhaps it would be a good idea to ask the OP what kind of sound signature he prefers, although I generally assume that most people don't know exactly what they want. I believe that unless you've experienced for instance a pair of headphones which have sparkly highs, you wouldn't really know that's what you really wanted. My opinion is that the only way in which you can come to a true judgement as to what pair of headphones you should buy is if you have plenty of experience with other cans, allowing you to compare one to another, which would typically mean you have a pretty sound understanding of audio products, or if you had a variety of similarly priced cans for comparison before purchasing. Based on my assumption that the OP doesn't fit into that criteria, if I gave a pair of HD6XX's to him, without the luxury of having various alternatives ready for comparison and a plethora of past experience with similarly priced cans, I would say it would be the safest bet. For most people, a minor variance in sound signature is not a deal breaker, especially within the context of the original post which is mostly concerned with practicality. But, perhaps I should've asked such a question before providing such a strong recommendation. 

You guys are absolutly correct in the fact I am not a seasoned auidiophile yet, but (I think) I know the sound signature I enjoy and prefer for my listening style. From my other headphones (hyperX cloud II) and trying on my friends HD 586 and beats studio 2017 (didn’t like that one) that I like a natural, sharp and ephisized bass, clear mids and warm/recessed highs (not to biting or sharp) I know this is vague but I really think these would be an awesome pair of headphones, thanks for the help

[Max_Settings]

7 hours ago, AperumDesign said:

The issue of lighter than average bass can be overcome with a simple EQ like Realtek. The headphones I find do have the low end there, it's quiet and tends to be lost out the back of the headphones. I wouldn't call the base "super light" though. It's just lighter relative to the overly bass-heavy headphones that most companies churn out. The HD600s are considered pretty well the best monitoring headphones ever made because of their super flat response curve, and the 6XX's do have a decent bit more in terms of low end.

I don't believe in EQs. That defeats the purpose of the headphone if you EQ them. You ruin all the engineering that went into them and ruin their sound signature with an EQ. If you want more bass, buy headphones with more bass.

[Guest]

5 hours ago, Max_Settings said:

I don't believe in EQs. That defeats the purpose of the headphone if you EQ them. You ruin all the engineering that went into them and ruin their sound signature with an EQ. If you want more bass, buy headphones with more bass.

EQs as in equalizers, right? Your comment about spending coin on headphones to get bass-heavy output (instead of little silver boxes) makes sense to me. Have you seen the Schiit Loki on their site? Schiit’s cofounder makes an argument for reintroducing equalizers to the marketplace. Their posting about the Loki. Comments?

 

I dunno. I grew up in the 80s with boomboxes and their slider arrays. I never saw the attraction.  Anyway, just nattering...

 

Crap! I just saw @Max Settings ‘s tag. Yep, gaming headphones..... yeeeesh.

Edited January 10, 2018 by Guest
Meh

[GamerDude]

8 hours ago, Max_Settings said:

I don't believe in EQs. That defeats the purpose of the headphone if you EQ them. You ruin all the engineering that went into them and ruin their sound signature with an EQ. If you want more bass, buy headphones with more bass.

Neither do I, some may say that, perhaps I am being anal, or elitists, or snotty......not the case. When I pay so much for my cans, they should perform well without needing EQ. Now, IF I were to buy a cheap can that lacks the sound I like, then yeah, it'd be a good case for some equalizing to get the sound I want.

 

So far, even my lower ranked can, the AD700X (which I find to be quite anemic in bass), I do not EQ simply because I don't want to color the sound I hear, other than what the can does on its own (its own sound signature).

 

I'm pitting these two badboys against each other using Spotify Premium, and foobar2k without messing with EQ on my Oppo HA1 for the next few days. I'd bought the 4pin Balanced XLR cable for my HD6XX, while for the HE4XX, I borrowed the 4pin Balanced XLR cable from my HE1000.

[Max_Settings]

20 minutes ago, GamerDude said:

Neither do I, some may say that, perhaps I am being anal, or elitists, or snotty......not the case. When I pay so much for my cans, they should perform well without needing EQ. Now, IF I were to buy a cheap can that lacks the sound I like, then yeah, it'd be a good case for some equalizing to get the sound I want.

 

So far, even my lower ranked can, the AD700X (which I find to be quite anemic in bass), I do not EQ simply because I don't want to color the sound I hear, other than what the can does on its own (its own sound signature).

 

I'm pitting these two badboys against each other using Spotify Premium, and foobar2k without messing with EQ on my Oppo HA1 for the next few days. I'd bought the 4pin Balanced XLR cable for my HD6XX, while for the HE4XX, I borrowed the 4pin Balanced XLR cable from my HE1000.

Nice! My money is on the 6XXs. I’m running my pair balanced and I can tell you there is a noticeable improvement. They are incredible cans. But like I’ve said before, I dislike them for gaming. I use my T50s over those for gaming.

[GamerDude]

1 hour ago, Max_Settings said:

Nice! My money is on the 6XXs. I’m running my pair balanced and I can tell you there is a noticeable improvement. They are incredible cans. But like I’ve said before, I dislike them for gaming. I use my T50s over those for gaming.

Even with such a short time comparing them, I find the HD6XX to be more balanced sounding (NOT that it has a balanced sound per se), the HE4XX has a little too much treble energy for my liking (don't get me wrong, I love treble, but when it's a tad too hot or shrill, well, even I can't take that). The HE4XX does have a wider soundstage for sure, and is, overall, not a bad pair of cans. I'm giving myself more time to adjust to the sound, and admittedly, my Oppo HA1 may not be a suitable pairing with the HE4XX because it has a neutral'ish sound, and with the Sabre DAC's rumored 'glare'.....so, to be fair, I'll try it on my Fostex HPA4 which is a little warmer than the HA1.

[Max_Settings]

41 minutes ago, GamerDude said:

Even with such a short time comparing them, I find the HD6XX to be more balanced sounding (NOT that it has a balanced sound per se), the HE4XX has a little too much treble energy for my liking (don't get me wrong, I love treble, but when it's a tad too hot or shrill, well, even I can't take that). The HE4XX does have a wider soundstage for sure, and is, overall, not a bad pair of cans. I'm giving myself more time to adjust to the sound, and admittedly, my Oppo HA1 may not be a suitable pairing with the HE4XX because it has a neutral'ish sound, and with the Sabre DAC's rumored 'glare'.....so, to be fair, I'll try it on my Fostex HPA4 which is a little warmer than the HA1.

Yes that's what I figured and is exactly what I have heard from other people's impressions. How's the low end compare between the two? I'm going to assume the 4XXs have more bass correct?