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Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX Headphones
Audiophile
Showing 1 of 7817 conversations about:
Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX Headphones
Annndy
89
May 3, 2017
I'm hesitant to say this but, . . I'm not thrilled with mine. As large as they are, the angled padding on the inside of the earpieces makes them too small for my ears without pressing my earlobes down, and that's uncomfortable. I have another pair of Sennheiser headphones that were less than $100 that fit me better. Second - these don't sound that great to me. I think the problem may be that I'm not using a good headphone amp, but does anyone think that would actually make these sound just so-so? What do Massdroppers think the least expensive headphone amp would be to give this pair of legendary cans their proper due? I've used them straight out of a computer, Motorola Android phone, Stellar Labs T-Amp (which sounds spectacular with all of my other headphones) and an Altoids tin CMOY 9V battery amp. I guess none of those are really sufficient. I haven't tried my McIntosh preamp/control center headphone amp yet because it's inconvenient, but maybe I just need to move some stuff around and do it. Also, do these break in significantly with use?
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SomeTechNoob
466
May 3, 2017
AnnndyPerhaps the sound signature of these headphones isn't for you. The 650s are really laid back and sounded like they were veiled to me since I was used to treble heavy cans. I gave them a couple weeks of usage and they grew on me and are now my main cans. I like vocals and vocals sound really good on the 6XX.
Currently powering them with a Magni 2 hooked up to a Fulla 2. I find that while amping can make a difference, that difference is much smaller than simply changing to a different pair of headphones.
On the plus side, resale value on these is an easy $200 + s/h or so, so you can probably sell em and not lose any money in the end.
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DenonFanboy
825
May 5, 2017
AnnndyI suggest a Schiit Jotunheim but its 399$,  it completely gets all the hidden fairies out of the headphones tho. :)
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Annndy
89
May 5, 2017
DenonFanboyThanks to both of you for your replies. I'll keep experimenting with different setups and see what I find. One question remains though: am I the only one who's ears don't quite fit into these?
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Objectiveone
2
May 5, 2017
AnnndyI ran mine on the Massdrop Odac and O2amp and they sounded fine. I did buy and build the Bottlehead Crack otl tube amp when it was on sale. They produce an impressive synergy, tube rolling has brought a bit of high end sparkle and lush vocals. I added the Speedball ccs upgrade and am shopping for film output capacitors to bump the bass cohesion and extension. I'm not saying others will find this setup sublime but it warrants investigation. Try to find someone local who might let you audition what you are considering purchasing. Good luck!
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Annndy
89
May 6, 2017
ObjectiveoneThank you for that feedback! The O2 really does intrigue me. Oh they "get you" with all of the possibilities! I have done a more thorough investigation of these headphones with the Tripath T-Amp headphone amps and indeed that combination is completely terrible. The bass distortion was obvious so I'm planning to do some listening with the headphone amps that are built-in to the McIntosh C712 Control Center (pre-amp) and an NAD 1020 Preamplifier. I think my feelings about the sound may be entirely based on poor amplification. I'm no snob when it comes to headphones (I actually love my Koss sub $30 headphones) but I'm also not clueless about all of the factors that make up good sound inn a headphone. I knew that these, like virtually all Sennheiser's, are not "bright" and like virtually all high-end models they aren't bass boosters, but these just sounded bad, distorted I guess, although until I made a more focused test with three different T-Amp models and some straight to PC listening it wasn't clear to me what was wrong. When is the next O2 drop? LOL
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Danbstein
306
May 7, 2017
AnnndyWhile I've bitched a lot about the cable problem, I will admit that these are FANTASTIC headphones. However, it has taken me nearly 6 months to get to that point. Initially, I found them dull--beautiful midrange, but lacking significantly in treble. The bass was also thumpy on some sources. After reading ALOT about the HD650's, I did a few things which has completely changed my opinion about these. First, I finally amped them correctly. I have close to 100 pairs of headphones and none of them are as sensitive to amping as these are. Not only do they need an amp, but they need a GOOD amp with a decent amount of juice. I've used a range of amps to power them. Until recently, I had settled on a great vintage receiver, the Kyocera R-461 which is surprisingly warm for a solid state amp. However, the HD6xx's REALLY became my go-to headphones for at home listening when I got the Darkvoice 336se tube amp. After ditching the stock tubes and rolling in some RCA JAN-CRC 6SA7G power tubes and a Sylvania Bad Boy driver tube, I've been in headphone nirvana. The HD 6xx's are so sensitive to amping that even a change in tubes changes the signature significantly. Even with basic tubes however, the Darkvoice 336se seems to have been made specifically for the HD6xx's (or 650's). The second thing I did was do some mods that are described in numerous places online (I found a great step by step overview on a Super Best Audio Friends thread--if interested google "super best audio friends hd 650 mods"). The mods were pretty easy--I removed the foam from behind the driver (this alone reduced much of the "veil" that many people describe) and I added dynamat in a number of places (again, check the thread which does a great job of describing how to do this). These changes made a HUGE difference in the sound. In that mods thread I referenced, someone described the modified sound as a cross between the HD 650's and the HD 800's which I think is pretty accurate.
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Danbstein
306
May 7, 2017
AnnndyI have the NAD 1020, and while many NAD amps have great headphone outs, this isn't one of them. Not sure of your McIntosh. If it's a tube amp, I would imagine that it would pair well. I'm not surprised that the T-amps sounded horrible. Definitely not a good match for the Senns (or other high impedence cans).
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Annndy
89
May 7, 2017
DanbsteinThanks. The McIntosh C712 is a solid state preamp but I'm sure it's at least decent for high impedance headphones. Thanks for the heads-up on the NAD 1020. I have never even used the headphone jack on that since I got it. I'm not really surprised the T-Amps utterly failed to drive the HD6XX but I thought it should be posted here just for the public record.
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Annndy
89
Aug 2, 2017
AnnndyI started using these on a Teac AI-101DA (from Massdrop, who else?) and indeed it makes a world of difference! These HD6XX are undeniably the best sounding open-back headphones I have ever heard. (I specify open because I think open and closed back headphones are such different things, different ways of listening, that I wouldn't compare them.)
I tried these headphones straight from a computer and a phone and, of course, they were just plain blah, but with proper amplification they produce a stereo image unlike any headphones I've ever heard. It even holds true with my NAD 1020 which had previously been identified as less than spectacular by +Danbstein (thanks Danbstein).
Just as impressive, the bass on these is the opposite of my original impression with poor amplification. With decent amplification the bass is astoundingly good! These are SO good on bass that I keep getting fooled/confused into thinking my subwoofer is on. I'm not sure how these headphones can make me feel the bass in my back and feet, but they do. It's more than just a neat trick, it really sounds great. Anyone who feels the bass on these is too soft should try hooking them up to a really good amp.
However, without at least a reasonably good mid-fi amp, these are not really fully working. I don't think even high quality portable amps would really be suitable for these. (If anyone knows of a suitable portable/pocket amp for these please let me know. ) Cheaper headphones, ones that are made to work with cellphones, sound better than the HD6XXs without solid desktop amplification. These are "must amp" headphones.
Needless to say, I am hearing things in my favorite songs that I never heard before too, so it's a little like getting a whole new record collection.
Thank you to everyone who replied to my original scared and confused post. I am through the woods and things on the other side are beautiful.
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