Worth getting the HD600?

[GamerDude]

As some of you may know, I have a ton of headphones, including the HD800 (SDR Mod) and HD6XX, but a HD600 has become available locally. Reason why it's caught my eyes is that the seller is asking for about 110USD for it.....a real bargain!. Looking at the pic of the can, it looks to be in good condition (according to seller, in near perfect physical condition), the top headband cushion has flattened, but I can replace that easily enough. The earpads have recently been replaced, so that's good. Cable looks a tad worn but I ain't concern about that as I have both SE and 4 pin Balanced XLR cables for my HD6XX. So, worth getting at that awesome price?

[dizmo]

Why? Isn't the HD6xx better anyway?

[Guest]

As an ultra fiscally responsible person, I say do it.

 

Spoiler

Very responsible.

 

But yeah, at that price, grab em. If you don't like how neutral they are, sell em for a profit.

 

[Guest]

@Dackzy ... @an actual squirrel ... HD6xx << HD600 > HD800 ?

 

@Densetsu makes sense. Fix ‘em up. Try them out. No joy? Flip them for cash... Me? I’m just happy my listening nook & gear’s all set up and running tickity-boo. I’m upgrading my music files to ALAC or/and FLAC. 

[kxrider85]

15 minutes ago, dizmo said:

Why? Isn't the HD6xx better anyway?

No. They are different

25 minutes ago, GamerDude said:

As some of you may know, I have a ton of headphones, including the HD800 (SDR Mod) and HD6XX, but a HD600 has become available locally. Reason why it's caught my eyes is that the seller is asking for about 110USD for it.....a real bargain!. Looking at the pic of the can, it looks to be in good condition (according to seller, in near perfect physical condition), the top headband cushion has flattened, but I can replace that easily enough. The earpads have recently been replaced, so that's good. Cable looks a tad worn but I ain't concern about that as I have both SE and 4 pin Balanced XLR cables for my HD6XX. So, worth getting at that awesome price?

The 58x Jubilees on massdrop are the only headphones I can recommend at this point. They are 125 dollars, and sound basically like the HD 660s (a 500 dollar pair of headphones), an improvement upon the HD 600 and HD 650 of the past. Like the 660s, the 58x jubilees are 150 ohm headphones so they are pretty easy to drive on smartphones.

 

The 58x jubilee drivers are extremely similar to the 660s drivers. The main difference in sound is produced by a foam pad between the grill and driver. It gives the 58x slightly more subdued highs and slightly more bass. If you take the foam out of the headphones though, you should basically have an HD 660s for a fourth of the cost...

 

Here is a good video to watch about this:
 

So is it worth 110 dollars to get an HD 600? 110 dollars may be a good price for the HD 600, but why have an HD 600 when you can have (what is practically) a 660s for 15 dollars more?

[Dackzy]

6 hours ago, GamerDude said:

As some of you may know, I have a ton of headphones, including the HD800 (SDR Mod) and HD6XX, but a HD600 has become available locally. Reason why it's caught my eyes is that the seller is asking for about 110USD for it.....a real bargain!. Looking at the pic of the can, it looks to be in good condition (according to seller, in near perfect physical condition), the top headband cushion has flattened, but I can replace that easily enough. The earpads have recently been replaced, so that's good. Cable looks a tad worn but I ain't concern about that as I have both SE and 4 pin Balanced XLR cables for my HD6XX. So, worth getting at that awesome price?

100% get them if you want them, $110 is extremely cheap. I would buy them again if I could get them for that price.

I can't think of a better or even equal headphone you can get for that used.

Though either you should get them because you want to use them or because you want them as a collector item. 

5 hours ago, PrometheanCat-1970 said:

@Dackzy ... @an actual squirrel ... HD6xx << HD600 > HD800 ?

 

@Densetsu

HD 600 and HD 650 are overall about equal in their technical abilities, but they both don't stand a chance against HD 800 when it comes to technical abilities. These 3 headphones also cater to 3 different preference.

 

Also for that other guy no the 58X aren't just 660S with different dampening, there are some changes to the design of the driver. Even when you mod the 58X to sound like 660S, then they are still subpar to the 660S and stock the 58X mid bass is rather bloated.

 

Zeos is extremely inconsistent with what he likes and hears, you can find videos of him calling a quite bassy headphone neutral and him not noticing a huge dip in FR. He hypes things a ton too, because that is how he makes money. He is probably the last person to take any kind of sound advice from, but I get it, you are probably new to audio or have little experience and then zeos seems like someone that knows what he is talking about.

 

Also impedance doesn't make a headphone hard to drive, sensitivity/efficiency is what really matters. 

Also HD 58X are $150, not $125.

 

Honestly I see the 58X as a money grab from Sennheiser and Massdrop. They use the hype that was starting to build up around the original HD 580 and the legacy of the 580 to sell a headphone that supposedly should honor it, but it sounds nothing like it. I get it though, they earn nothing with used sales and I would probably have done the same if I saw prices go from like $80 used to $150-250 and upwards of $500-700 if you have the jubilee.

 

Also gamerdude sorry for the off topic part.

[kxrider85]

@Dackzy You are right. The 58x jubilees are 150 dollars. My bad.

 

I don't want to turn this into a big Zeos argument, but the fact is, he has listened to more headphones, speakers, amps, and DACs than either of us will probably touch in a lifetime. There are not very many credible reviews of the HD 58x Jubilee (yet), and he is the only person I know of who has reviewed modded 58x Jubilees. Whether the 58x jubilees are like the 660s or not, the bigger picture is that the 58x jubilees do not sound like a 150 dollar pair of headphones. Given reviews that implicitly compare the 58x jubilees and the HD 600, 110 dollars doesn't sound like that good of a deal. That's the only point I was trying to make.

 

With that said, it doesn't matter anymore. The 58x sold out.

[Dackzy]

44 minutes ago, kxrider85 said:

@Dackzy You are right. The 58x jubilees are 150 dollars. My bad.

 

I don't want to turn this into a big Zeos argument, but the fact is, he has listened to more headphones, speakers, amps, and DACs than either of us will probably touch in a lifetime. There are not very many credible reviews of the HD 58x Jubilee (yet), and he is the only person I know of who has reviewed modded 58x Jubilees. Whether the 58x jubilees are like the 660s or not, the bigger picture is that the 58x jubilees do not sound like a 150 dollar pair of headphones. Given reviews that implicitly compare the 58x jubilees and the HD 600, 110 dollars doesn't sound like that good of a deal. That's the only point I was trying to make.

 

With that said, it doesn't matter anymore. The 58x sold out.

nobody in the serius audio community actually listens to zeos when it comes to sound, because it has been proven time and time again that he has zero idea about what he is talking about, it has been proven time and time again that he can't descripe sound to safe his life and there have been plenty of times where he has completely missed the mark. Only new people listen to him and people with no idea about audio. It doesn't take much to see that you shouldn't listen to him, you will hear stuff like "these just sound so good, I can't describe why, they are just good" from him. His videos are basically 15-20 min rant about pads, cables and comfort and then like 2min of actual sound talk, but that is filled with quotes like the one I said earlier and fluf like that. He is also so extremely inconsistent, like in one video he will love a set sound and in the next he will hate it.

 

Also you have no idea about how much gear I have tried or owned....

 

$110 is a steal for HD600, it beats the HD 58X in technical capabilities and those two headphones also sound extremely different. I am not saying the 58X is a terrible headphone and compared to a new HD 600 it is a better value, but compared to a $110 HD 600 it is a worse value. You can also look at this from a economical standpoint, the used price of HD 600 is generally between 150 and 200 on audio specific selling sites, if you dip below $150 then it is almost a insta sale.

[Guest]

5 hours ago, kxrider85 said:

@Dackzy You are right. The 58x jubilees are 150 dollars. My bad.

 

I don't want to turn this into a big Zeos argument, but the fact is, he has listened to more headphones, speakers, amps, and DACs than either of us will probably touch in a lifetime. There are not very many credible reviews of the HD 58x Jubilee (yet), and he is the only person I know of who has reviewed modded 58x Jubilees. Whether the 58x jubilees are like the 660s or not, the bigger picture is that the 58x jubilees do not sound like a 150 dollar pair of headphones. Given reviews that implicitly compare the 58x jubilees and the HD 600, 110 dollars doesn't sound like that good of a deal. That's the only point I was trying to make.

 

With that said, it doesn't matter anymore. The 58x sold out.

@kxrider85 ... I paused, and squinted at your avatar (f$$king brilliant, btw). Re: Massdrop collaborations. @Dackzy... Indeed, it could be a money grab. Now that my listening nook & gear are all optimized for me... I want MORE. Sigh...  I was getting all excited about the Mr.Speaker-Massdrop planar magnetic offering. As I read the Massdrop community forums, I’m detecting a noticeable level of buyer’s-remorse (exact product specifications are redacted; uneven build-quality, splitting seams after ~1 year). A cliche comes to mind...

“I get what I pay for... if it’s too good to be true, it probably is”.

 

That has cooled my jets. Hmmm, save up for a pair of electrostatic cans ... (not). 

[kxrider85]

3 hours ago, PrometheanCat-1970 said:

I paused, and squinted at your avatar (f$$king brilliant, btw).

Thanks lol. Its just a random gif I saw on a discord server a while back.

 

3 hours ago, PrometheanCat-1970 said:

I’m detecting a noticeable level of buyer’s-remorse (exact product specifications are redacted; uneven build-quality, splitting seams after ~1 year). A cliche comes to mind...

“I get what I pay for... if it’s too good to be true, it probably is”.

Yeah Massdrop has had a lot of QC issues for some reason. I don't think it is quite as bad with the HD 6xx and HD 58x Jubilee since they are made along with the 660s at Sennheiser's manufacturer in Ireland. I have a CTRL keyboard arriving tomorrow though and I'm a little nervous... At least their customer service seems alright.

[GamerDude]

I've decided to get it, it's a classic after all.....and for about 110USD, I don't think I can go wrong. The headband cushion's gonna cost me a few bucks more and it'd be almost as good as new. As Arnie would say, "Ah'll be buck!"........with pics.

 

Edit - Got it already, looks to be in near mint condition, washed the earpads and have inserted the replacement headband cushion/pad. Waiting for earpads to dry before I reassemble the can, pics will follow.

[GamerDude]

I'm putting the HD600 thru its pace, one thing that surprised me was that it actually has bass.....I'd half-expected it to have bass (or lack thereof) like the HD800. I've heard many mentioned that the HD600 lacked bass, I find this level of bass quite enjoyable actually. Anyway, here's some pics of this classic pair of can. I'm using the 3rd party 4 pin XLR Balanced cable with it, I'd gotten it for my HD6XX.

[Dackzy]

55 minutes ago, GamerDude said:

I'm putting the HD600 thru its pace, one thing that surprised me was that it actually has bass.....I'd half-expected it to have bass (or lack thereof) like the HD800. I've heard many mentioned that the HD600 lacked bass, I find this level of bass quite enjoyable actually. Anyway, here's some pics of this classic pair of can. I'm using the 3rd party 4 pin XLR Balanced cable with it, I'd gotten it for my HD6XX.

damn they look to be in a good condition, that is honestly impressive for $110. That cable is also quite nice and I see that you changed the headband padding already.

[Guest]

10 hours ago, GamerDude said:

I'm putting the HD600 thru its pace, one thing that surprised me was that it actually has bass.....I'd half-expected it to have bass (or lack thereof) like the HD800. I've heard many mentioned that the HD600 lacked bass, I find this level of bass quite enjoyable actually. Anyway, here's some pics of this classic pair of can. I'm using the 3rd party 4 pin XLR Balanced cable with it, I'd gotten it for my HD6XX.

What the hell?! ~110 bucks for a brand new looking set of cans. @GamerDude ...That was a score. No buzzing? No weird smells coming from the drivers? I’m sincerely happy for you, eh.

 

[Guest]

20 hours ago, kxrider85 said:

Thanks lol. Its just a random gif I saw on a discord server a while back.

 

Yeah Massdrop has had a lot of QC issues for some reason. I don't think it is quite as bad with the HD 6xx and HD 58x Jubilee since they are made along with the 660s at Sennheiser's manufacturer in Ireland. I have a CTRL keyboard arriving tomorrow though and I'm a little nervous... At least their customer service seems alright.

...and of course (blah), another pair of planar magnetic headphones are now being Massdrop-offered...

Dekoni Blue by Fostex Planar-Magnetic. For ~$230 USD (plus extra shipping to Canada). 

Heavy Breathing.

Spoiler

OH HELL YEAH. I WANT IT. IT’S SO F@@KING PRETTY. ME. ME. YES. OH, GOD, YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. I’LL GO CLEAN UP NOW...

They look like something I’d see at a 1980-90s era language lab (at college/university). My beer allowance has been exhausted... if they’re offered n the new year, I might try them out.

Edited September 17, 2018 by Guest
Grammar

[GamerDude]

2 hours ago, PrometheanCat-1970 said:

What the hell?! ~110 bucks for a brand new looking set of cans. @GamerDude ...That was a score. No buzzing? No weird smells coming from the drivers? I’m sincerely happy for you, eh.

 

It's in just about in mint condition, according to the seller, he'd gotten it in 2014, used it for a couple of years before having to enlist for a two and half years of compulsory military service. He'd just finished his military stint recently and is going overseas for further studies. He'd taken really good care of his can and isn't into audio anymore (I was conscripted myself, decades back, and it sucked the life outta me). Now you know why I hang around the local audio and tech forums scoping for deals (that's how I'd landed the ENIGMAcoustics Dharma D1000 for 655'ish USD, and it too was in very near mint condition.

 

The can just needed a headband pad replacement (already did that in my pics) and sound-wise, it sounds great with no buzzing or audio defect that I can detect. I think the HD6XX sounds a tad warmer compared to this badboy.....need to listen to A/B both to be sure, but I like what I'm hearing.