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Megazine
544
Oct 18, 2018
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raansire7Are those the Shure SRH1840 in one of your photos? How do they compare to the 6XX or 58X; I own both.
AnalysisParalysis
16
Oct 18, 2018
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raansire7How long have you had the 6XX? Could you do a more detailed direct comparison with the 58X or would you say most of the online reviews between them are spot on?
cwelton17
108
Oct 18, 2018
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raansire7I totally agree about the clear, smooth highs. I'm realizing there's a plenty of songs in my library with certain parts that I instinctively flinch at when I listen but on the HD 6XX the harshness never comes and I just enjoy listening. It's very nice because I've pretty sensitive to harsh treble.
I usually reach for my TR-X00 because they're more mobile, but I'll have to make an effort to sit down with the HD6XX and spend a little more time with them. Thanks for the post!
I usually reach for my TR-X00 because they're more mobile, but I'll have to make an effort to sit down with the HD6XX and spend a little more time with them. Thanks for the post!
raansire7
1507
Oct 18, 2018
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MegazineYup. I intentionally placed them there just in case anyone would ask! :D They are on a higher echelon of technical performance compared to the 6XX and 58X, but I'm still trying to fall in love with them months later. The thing is that while the bass is detailed, it's flat, so it doesn't satisfy my brain. It hits, but it's not full. It lacks weight.
It's there, but it needs more beef. The upper highs to my ears somehow sound rolled-off even though they aren't because of the shouty lower highs, and the mids are very forward and bright but lack certain smoothness. These Shures don't sound lively at all to me even though a lot of people praise them for being almost perfect. I get what people mean, but the emotional engagement factor is not triggered in me.
I don't understand what's missing, because again, they have impressive clarity and speaker-like sound due to the air between sound layers. That's the thing, that they really don't have any obvious flaws or anything that stands out, but they sound boring to me. The Shures' sounds seem to be on the same plane even though they sound on different layers. The layering of sounds is not very holographic, so from left to right there is more width than front to back depth.
The center channel sounds above the center of the head instead of in front. It's somewhat disorienting and distracting. The 6XX place the center channel in front of the forehead. The SRH1840 sound open and wide, way more than the Jubees, but not 3D-like, because the stereo image is more zoomed-in than on the 6XX. They're have more of an intimate presentation compared to the 6XX but less than the almost closed-in 58X.
The sound presentation, while more detailed and clear than the 6XX and 58X, is not as involving. A weird pair of headphones for sure. They sound more like Sennheisers than any other brand I own, but the deliciousness factor is missing somehow. Also, the 150 ohm Jubees sound louder at the same volume than the Shures that are only 65 ohm.
The 6XX sound stuffy in the mids but in a good way in terms of textural detail, not muddiness. The Shures sound empty and lonely even though they aren't thin sounding. There is more air between sounds, but the music is not there, just the sound. Dynamics-wise, one would expect the more refined Shures to win in terms of PRaT, but the 6XX smoke them.
I would've felt remorse at $500, but at $374, it's a fine buy. I almost paid $500 for them due to the excellent reviews, but thank God when I decided to pull the trigger, they were discounted everywhere to $374 by Shure for a really short period. They do sound like $500, but they aren't dopamine pumps like the 6XX and Jubees. In terms of which one is technically better, obviously the SRH1840, then the 6XX and last, the 58X. While it sounds almost like the 6XX, it's on a lower echelon of performance.
I don't recommend anyone to deaf-buy them unless it's on Amazon where and you can return them if you don't like them. As a matter of fact, on fun factor and enjoyment alone, I'd steer people towards the Jubees even if they're less detailed and refined than the 6XX. God bless!
EDIT: If I was going to place them on easy to understand terms... Bass detail - SRH1840/6XX/58X Bass thump - 58X/6XX/SRH1840 Bass weight - 58X/6XX/SRH1840 Bass tightness - SRH1840/6XX/58X Mids detail - SRH1840/6XX/58X Mids brightness - SRH1840/58X/6XX Mids smoothness - 6XX/SRH1840/58X Highs detail - SRH1840/6XX/58X Highs brightness - SRH1840/58X/6XX Highs smoothness - 6XX/SRH1840/58X Airiness - SRH1840/6XX/58X Clarity - SRH1840/6XX/58X Sound layering - SRH1840/6XX/58X Soundstage width - SRH1840/6XX/58X Soundstage depth - 6XX/SRH1840/58X Holographic aural image - 6XX/SRH1840/58X Overall detail resolution - SRH1840/6XX/58X Overall refinement - SRH1840/6XX/58X PRaT dynamics - 6XX/SRH1840/58X Fun factor - 58X/6XX/SRH1840
In terms of echelon of technical performance, the SRH1840 is Tier A, the 6XX is Tier B and the 58X is Tier C. The $50 price difference is to my ears at least a $200 sound difference. No hyperbole. By themselves, impressive sound and incredible value, but compared to the 6XX, the 58X lose composure at higher but still sane volumes, where bass can get a bit bloaty and the mids a bit muddy.
Just a bit, nothing ugly, but enough to fill the ear canals and distract from the musical enjoyment experience. Now, this is compared between all three. By themselves at $149, the Jubees are comfortably Tier A, beating basically everything else out there that costs the same or more. All of this is my personal opinion, so keep that in mind. :D
It's there, but it needs more beef. The upper highs to my ears somehow sound rolled-off even though they aren't because of the shouty lower highs, and the mids are very forward and bright but lack certain smoothness. These Shures don't sound lively at all to me even though a lot of people praise them for being almost perfect. I get what people mean, but the emotional engagement factor is not triggered in me.
I don't understand what's missing, because again, they have impressive clarity and speaker-like sound due to the air between sound layers. That's the thing, that they really don't have any obvious flaws or anything that stands out, but they sound boring to me. The Shures' sounds seem to be on the same plane even though they sound on different layers. The layering of sounds is not very holographic, so from left to right there is more width than front to back depth.
The center channel sounds above the center of the head instead of in front. It's somewhat disorienting and distracting. The 6XX place the center channel in front of the forehead. The SRH1840 sound open and wide, way more than the Jubees, but not 3D-like, because the stereo image is more zoomed-in than on the 6XX. They're have more of an intimate presentation compared to the 6XX but less than the almost closed-in 58X.
The sound presentation, while more detailed and clear than the 6XX and 58X, is not as involving. A weird pair of headphones for sure. They sound more like Sennheisers than any other brand I own, but the deliciousness factor is missing somehow. Also, the 150 ohm Jubees sound louder at the same volume than the Shures that are only 65 ohm.
The 6XX sound stuffy in the mids but in a good way in terms of textural detail, not muddiness. The Shures sound empty and lonely even though they aren't thin sounding. There is more air between sounds, but the music is not there, just the sound. Dynamics-wise, one would expect the more refined Shures to win in terms of PRaT, but the 6XX smoke them.
I would've felt remorse at $500, but at $374, it's a fine buy. I almost paid $500 for them due to the excellent reviews, but thank God when I decided to pull the trigger, they were discounted everywhere to $374 by Shure for a really short period. They do sound like $500, but they aren't dopamine pumps like the 6XX and Jubees. In terms of which one is technically better, obviously the SRH1840, then the 6XX and last, the 58X. While it sounds almost like the 6XX, it's on a lower echelon of performance.
I don't recommend anyone to deaf-buy them unless it's on Amazon where and you can return them if you don't like them. As a matter of fact, on fun factor and enjoyment alone, I'd steer people towards the Jubees even if they're less detailed and refined than the 6XX. God bless!
EDIT: If I was going to place them on easy to understand terms... Bass detail - SRH1840/6XX/58X Bass thump - 58X/6XX/SRH1840 Bass weight - 58X/6XX/SRH1840 Bass tightness - SRH1840/6XX/58X Mids detail - SRH1840/6XX/58X Mids brightness - SRH1840/58X/6XX Mids smoothness - 6XX/SRH1840/58X Highs detail - SRH1840/6XX/58X Highs brightness - SRH1840/58X/6XX Highs smoothness - 6XX/SRH1840/58X Airiness - SRH1840/6XX/58X Clarity - SRH1840/6XX/58X Sound layering - SRH1840/6XX/58X Soundstage width - SRH1840/6XX/58X Soundstage depth - 6XX/SRH1840/58X Holographic aural image - 6XX/SRH1840/58X Overall detail resolution - SRH1840/6XX/58X Overall refinement - SRH1840/6XX/58X PRaT dynamics - 6XX/SRH1840/58X Fun factor - 58X/6XX/SRH1840
In terms of echelon of technical performance, the SRH1840 is Tier A, the 6XX is Tier B and the 58X is Tier C. The $50 price difference is to my ears at least a $200 sound difference. No hyperbole. By themselves, impressive sound and incredible value, but compared to the 6XX, the 58X lose composure at higher but still sane volumes, where bass can get a bit bloaty and the mids a bit muddy.
Just a bit, nothing ugly, but enough to fill the ear canals and distract from the musical enjoyment experience. Now, this is compared between all three. By themselves at $149, the Jubees are comfortably Tier A, beating basically everything else out there that costs the same or more. All of this is my personal opinion, so keep that in mind. :D
raansire7
1507
Oct 18, 2018
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AnalysisParalysisI've had them for eight days now. In understandable terms, I place them like this:
Bass detail - 6XX/58X Bass thump - 58X/6XX Bass weight - 58X/6XX Bass tightness - 6XX/58X Mids detail - 6XX/58X Mids brightness - 58X/6XX Mids smoothness - 6XX/58X Highs detail - 6XX/58X Highs brightness - 58X/6XX Highs smoothness - 6XX/58X Airiness - 6XX/58X Clarity - 6XX/58X Sound layering - 6XX/58X Soundstage width - 6XX/58X Soundstage depth - 6XX/58X Holographic aural image - 6XX/58X Overall detail resolution - 6XX/58X Overall refinement - 6XX/58X PRaT dynamics - 6XX/58X Fun factor - 58X/6XX
Most intelligent reviews are accurate. The 6XX are clearly superior, but the Jubees are more fun and unrestrained. They pound the ear drums with more aggression due to their more intimate soundfield. I do think sometimes they have too much bass on some tracks, and I'm a reformed basshead.
Bass detail - 6XX/58X Bass thump - 58X/6XX Bass weight - 58X/6XX Bass tightness - 6XX/58X Mids detail - 6XX/58X Mids brightness - 58X/6XX Mids smoothness - 6XX/58X Highs detail - 6XX/58X Highs brightness - 58X/6XX Highs smoothness - 6XX/58X Airiness - 6XX/58X Clarity - 6XX/58X Sound layering - 6XX/58X Soundstage width - 6XX/58X Soundstage depth - 6XX/58X Holographic aural image - 6XX/58X Overall detail resolution - 6XX/58X Overall refinement - 6XX/58X PRaT dynamics - 6XX/58X Fun factor - 58X/6XX
Most intelligent reviews are accurate. The 6XX are clearly superior, but the Jubees are more fun and unrestrained. They pound the ear drums with more aggression due to their more intimate soundfield. I do think sometimes they have too much bass on some tracks, and I'm a reformed basshead.
raansire7
1507
Oct 18, 2018
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cwelton17Yup. Totally agree with you. Happens to me too. I don't flinch in those parts with the 6XX even though ALL the detail is there. You're so welcome, friend!
How are the TR-X00? Do they sound closed-in? How do you like them?
How are the TR-X00? Do they sound closed-in? How do you like them?
Megazine
544
Oct 20, 2018
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raansire7Thank you for your contributions. I‘ve read that the SRH1840 are reference headphones and why it may sound boring to many people. From my experience, I put the Jubilee superior to the 6XX. I feel the bass tightness just brings all the other sounds together in harmony.
ARaudio
38
Mar 10, 2021
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raansire7Wondering if you can comment on this subject. It seems you loved HD 6xx until HE 5XX came out. With 6XX being 300 Ohms and need an additional Amp to drive it, and 5XX being only 16 Ohms and can be driven by any handheld music device, does it mean that owning a 5XX is overall a much cheaper package than the 6XX+Amps? If 16Ohms 5XX can sound better (at least in your perception) than 6XX, then what advantage is 6XX having with 300 Ohms? My assumption is that higher Impedance headphones are undeterred by N of SNR and respond only to S, making them sound as intended, and lower impedance headphones are more vulnerable to the N or SNR. In a way, if you have a perfectly clean signal then 5XX can sound better but if you have even a little Noise seeping in, then 6XX will sound better. Is that right? Thank You.
raansire7
1507
Mar 10, 2021
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ARaudioYeah, the HE-5XX are more lively, dynamic and playful, even if the HD 6XX sound more refined. By the way, you should treat both the HE-5XX and HD 6XX equally as DAC and amp-needy regardless of their differing impedances, because they have different driver technologies.
Let me correct you: the HE-5XX can be driven by a handheld music device, but that doesn't mean they'll sound good. They'll make sound, but it's not ideal.
It would be a waste of headphone in my opinion. Planars need clean power and more importantly, strong current, to sound their best. They're headphones that need the high-gain on the amp enabled (not all of them, obviously), because current, not voltage, is what makes them dance.
In my experience, they need as good of a DAC and amp as the HD 6XX. Planars basically need the electricity to move their diaphragms good, like a watermill needs the constant push of a heavy, flowing body of water. A little stream is not enough regardless of its speed, because what is needed is volume.
Yes, you read correctly: the 300 ohm and the 18 ohm HE-5XX both need high gain. It's why specs can't be compared universally between headphones. There are too many variables.
My Audeze LCD-X, on the other hand, have an impedance of 22 ohms, more than the HE-5XX, but they are very sensitive, so much that a gnat could make them go loud. Yet, they sound completely flat and dead unless driven by a clean DAC and amp.
I only need to use low-gain on the CEntrance DACport HD and a bit of volume for them to come alive and sound amazing. Big-freaking headphones with giant planar drivers yet they're very sensitive.
Now CHECK THIS OUT: my Aeon Open X have an impedance of only 13 ohms, yet they max out the volume on the DACport HD without even getting uncomfortably loud. They sound muffled, dull and lifeless, too. 13 OHMS!!!
Once I enable the high-gain with just a bit of volume knob, they come to life as if cotton was removed from my inner ears, sounding 3D and with lots of clarity.
You are correct in assuming that the higher the impedance of headphones, the lower the noise floor is moved compared to the signal, but it's on similar dynamic drivers. Planars behave differently and low impedance doesn't mean high sensitivity.
It's why IEMs need low gain and clean power, because their low impedance combined with their high sensitivity allows them to show the most minimal noise in the signal chain.
EDIT: Regarding why the HD 6XX were designed to have such high impedance, it's for better driver control and less distortion compared to those same drivers had low impedance.
They were intended to be driven by high-quality, powerful equipment, and not by portable devices with noisy DACs and weak amplifiers like most consumer products have.
If you check the DT series beyerdynamic headphones, the company designated the 32 ohm models for portable devices, the 250 ohm for pro-audio applications and the 600 ohm for audiophile equipment.
(Edited)
AMC4x4
60
Dec 1, 2022
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raansire7I write too much too, I think, so here I go - I just had to comment after reading your review of the Elegia in comparison to the Sennheiser's. I've got a pair of Event 20/20 BAS monitors that I've had for 30+ years, and I kind of judge everything in comparison to those. They're smooth, punchy, and clear, with excellent imaging, and I credit them for my love of a more "neutral" sound. I currently use them with a Focusrite 18i8 on my workstation. When Drop initially announced the HD58x Jubilee's, it seemed like it would be right up my alley, especially once I read about the slight tweaks that were being made to the sound signature after the prototypes were tested. Just over four years later, I've tried a few other headphones, but the Jubilee's are still my favorites - for all the reasons you cited (yes, I know they're not the 6XX's, but I feel about the Jubilee's as you feel toward their big brother). Recently though, I've been looking for a good set of closed-back phones and when I saw the Elegia's on a Black Friday sale for $299, I figured it would be a no-brainer.
They arrived today and I was so disappointed. I was chatting with someone on Reddit who had recommended them, and they asked me what I didn't like about them. The following is what I said - it's essentially the same critique as you offered, only you wrote it SO much better. But I was SO glad to come here and try to find a comparison between the Sennheiser sound and the Elegia's and find I wasn't completely off my rocker! So thank you for that!!
----
Maybe I need to stop A/B-ing the Elegia's with the HD58x's. I set up both with the Harman curve using Oratory1990's settings in Equalizer APO to hopefully make the two a little more comparative-friendly, but I still much prefer the Sennheiser's.
The Elegia's are certainly much clearer, to the point where they almost sound sharp and fatiguing to my ears. Even with the EQ, the bass seems to be lacking and everything seems very top/clarity heavy. With the Sennheiser's, I can crank the volume and feel the "punch," and the bass still seems tight and not boomy, and everything feels balanced. When I try the same with the Elegia's, it just increases the sharpness.
But going back to the Sennheisers from the Eligia's, they do sound a bit more muddy in the mids and they definitely don't sparkle like the Eligia's. Maybe I just don't know what the hell I want lol. But if I listen to the HD58x's for a few minutes, my ears/brain kind of ease into the sound and they're fun to listen to. If I try the same with the Elegia's, they still sound sharp and bass-light, even though I can hear everything well.
Hope that all makes sense? That's the best I can describe it. I think I'm going to send them back. I know some folks say "burn them in," but I am skeptical of burn-in as a "thing." :D
I think I'm just looking for the HD58x sound in a closed-back headphone, but a little extra mid-to-high clarity out of the box would be nice, just not this much lol.
----
So perhaps given your review, I might just pick up a pair of the 6XX's and give up on a set of closed-back headphones? We'll see. :D Cheers, and thanks for the reassurance that I really was hearing what I was hearing!
raansire7
1507
Dec 1, 2022
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AMC4x4YES, dude! It totally makes sense what you wrote, ha-ha. I totes agree. The Elegias just force-feed all of the sound to the ear drums. They have no nuance at all.
You know what cured them for me? The RME ADI-2 Pro FS R Black Edition. No EQ. Just straight out of its headphone output. They sounded calmed and balanced, and the bass was actually ear-filling. I couldn't believe it.
I have no explanation for it besides what we all agree is headphone/amp synergy. When it happens, it happens and we notice it hard!
What can I say? The Elegias are very revealing. $299 is a bargain. It's just the presentation that sounds too aggressive. I was tempted to get another pair last week, but decided that maybe someone else needed it more than me.
If you like the Jubilees, the HD 6XX are like that but the bass is a bit less tight and the upper mids have a bit of a scoop. The highs are not as sparkly but they are more revealing. Sounds counterintuitive, but it makes sense once you hear them.
If you want a closed pair that sounds fun and a bit like the Jubilees, the Superlux (let me finish, ha-ha) HD 681 are amazing for the $18 I paid on Thomann.
I had a Superlux shopping spree, so I got a few models and those were the cheapest ones, but WOW! After the HD 668B, those are my next favorite. Bass is a bit wild, but not uncontrolled. They sound so refined and outside of the ears. I giggled like a maniac as I compared them to my pricoer headphones. 😄
BTW, I'm jealous about those Event 20/20 BAS monitors. That took me back 20 years ago to my music production newbiness.
AMC4x4
60
Dec 1, 2022
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raansire7OMG man - if I need a $1700 DAC to make a $299 set of headphones... ? I think I'd just be looking for $2000 headphones! :D
I've decided to try the Beyerdynamic DT 177X Go here on Drop. I'll let you know how I like them once they show up. If they end up being a bust, I'm definitely going to try the HD 6XX. I like the sound from your description.
Funny story on the Superlux - I went online just now to check them out, and they look almost identical to a set of cans I got in a podcasting kit a while back - the Samson SR850 semi-open back headphones. I was shocked at how good they sounded. They're just a TAD bright for my taste, but for a set of $35 headphones, I hadn't liked much in that price range besides the Koss KPH30i. I was wondering if perhaps they were made by Superlux but I couldn't find anything on that. What I did find was a review from RTINGS that said if you like the Samson SR850, you might cross-shop it with the Superlux HD 681 - "The Superlux HD 681 are better for neutral sound than the Samson SR850. They have a similar semi-open design, but the Superlux have a much more neutral sound profile, which some may prefer. They're also much more comfortable and breathable. However, the Samson have a significantly better build quality."
Looks like I might be picking up a set of 681's! Thanks for the tip! Cheers!
raansire7
1507
Dec 1, 2022
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AMC4x4Ha! I didn't get the RME for the Elegia. I got it because I waited and waited like a year and it never got lower on price, so I got it as my biggest audio splurge.
The Elegia were stored and I remembered I had them so I decided to try them and was wowed! 😃
Superlux is a Taiwanese OEM besides selling through their Superlux brand, so maybe the Samson are made by them.
Let me know how you like the beyers. I'm a beyerhead. Only beyers I dislike are the Amiron home. Just can't jive with them. I barely use them. Same driver as the T90, which I had two pairs, but totally different sound.
Cheers, brother! 🤓
AMC4x4
60
Dec 7, 2022
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raansire7I figured you had the amp lying around and didn't buy it just for the Elegia. ;)
So I got the Beyers and they're *really* good - high quality feel, excellent sound reproduction, not "shouty" at all, at least once I put the leathers (sounded MUCH better than with the default velour). I actually almost prefer their out-of-the-box sound over the Harman-EQ'd sound. They sound a little muddier with no EQ, and a little shallow on the Harman curve. But I really don't want to be playing with EQ much. I really torn. Not sure if they're worth keeping them at $350 because I just see myself reaching for the Sennheisers more often. So I think I'm taking your advice and going to just give up on the closed-backs for now and get the HD 6XX's. I imagine I'll move my 58X's to portable use. Going to give myself a couple days testing to think it over.
raansire7
1507
Dec 8, 2022
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AMC4x4Thanks for updating me. Yeah, if you do not love the beyers, you should return them. The thing about the Jubilees is that they sound exciting but also correct. The HD 6XX are not as exciting presentation-wise but they are overall more detailed and refined.
The lows are fluffier but satisfying, the mids are uniquely textured and extra special, and the highs have a scoop that makes them inviting even if it causes them to sound less correct.
If you don't feel guilty using EQ, it takes just a tiny bit to make the lower bass hit harder and the upper mids to sound normal. I've used the RME's built-in EQ and also Equalizer APO to "fix" them, but ultimately end up missing those "flaws" and I disable the EQ.
Nothing else sounds like the HD 650/6XX. If you end up loving them, chances are you'll compare every other new headphone you buy against them.
The few beyers I've owned have all had something unnatural about them. The DT 990 Pro 250 Ohm had incredibly tizzy upper highs. The DT 880 Edition 600 ohm, which I still have, sound metallic all the time.
The T90 made every single element sound way too sparkly and shrill. The Amiron home, which I also still have, lack spark up top and also sound muffled like some upper frequency is missing.
AMC4x4
60
Dec 8, 2022
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raansire7OK, you've convinced me to return them. Thanks. Given all you've said here, I'm just curious why do you keep headphones you don't absolutely love? I fully expect that after picking up these 6XX's, I'm just going to become that "Sennheiser HD58x/6XX guy" who almost never uses anything else. :D
raansire7
1507
Dec 8, 2022
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AMC4x4Well, I do love the DT 880 Edition 600 ohm even if they sound metallic. That's really their only fault. Apart from that, they have an awesome presentation and aren't far in technical capability from pricier headphones.
They just happen to be an older model that's really affordable. Makes no sense for how good they are, so it's like an open secret we owners know. Once you power them properly, you go, "Oh yeah. I'm definitely in a secret club now!" 😁
The Amiron home I don't love, but they make badly recorded or badly mixed tracks sound less punishing. They are forgiving. Total opposite of the T90 even if they use the same drivers.
raansire7
1507
Dec 8, 2022
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AMC4x4Hah. Try not to spoil yourself, because really, those Sennheisers are in a league of their own.
Pricier headphones might be more detailed and sound more real (like my LCD-X 2021 which sound the realest) but so far, I've never heard anything else like them.
They already have enough objective high sound quality. They could be end game for anyone, and at one point, the HD 650 were indeed the summit until the HD 800 came out.
Evshrug
3772
Community
Dec 8, 2022
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raansire7What a journey!!! Loved this write up, and the dedication to keep coming back with updates. I saw your note about soldering on an XLR4 connector… the Sennheiser stock HD 650 cable is just $12, are you curious to try out the cable upgrade rabbit hole yet? 😁
And yep, too much treble can mask and bleed over details in other frequencies just like too much bass can ;)
AMC4x4
60
Dec 10, 2022
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raansire7Dude. DUDE! Wow. Just .... WOW. Yeah, I'm giving up now. Nothing I'll want to spring for will sound as good as these 6XX's. Everything I've read about them now makes sense - from the narrower soundstage, to how something can have more finesse and clarity while at the same having those "fluffier" lows. I totally get it. I always thought the 58X's were pretty mature sounding, but now they just sound a little more "childish" if that makes sense. I will say these things seem really hard to drive, especially when EQ is configured correctly with the pre-EQ. I might have to start looking at amps now and get my listening for enjoyment away from my computer. This is baaaad (for my wallet)! I'm just astonished how much I love these things right up front. Thanks again for walking me through this, and for your review. These things are amazing. Happy Holidays!!
raansire7
1507
Dec 10, 2022
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AMC4x4Haaaah. I told you! 😁 While audio is a very subjective thing, it's also objective enough for a bunch of Internet strangers to choose the same words to describe what we hear! 😏
I totally agree at the HD 58X being more childish and the HD 6XX being more mature in comparison. Whatever that means, a lot of folks have said the same thing. It's a bit funny. The Jubilee is the rowdier little brother, ha-ha!
Now get yourself a beefy amp and watch how much clearer the HD 6XX get. It's no hype or cliché: these things really scale up with better gear.
Everything good about them gets better and everything less good becomes gooder.
For example, even with something as affordable but as proper as the Schiit Modius/Magnius stack in balanced mode, which puts out a lot of power, they sound amazing using the stock cable terminated with a Neutrik XLR connector.
They jump headphone tiers.
Even the HD 8XX with a fancy Cardas XLR cable can't touch the HD 6XX mids. Vocals just sound so special. 🤤
I'm glad I was of help to you. HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU TOO, BROTHER! 😌
Evshrug
3772
Community
Dec 11, 2022
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AMC4x4The reason some people keep the HD 6xx but pick up other headphones is… to explore. Fresh wow moments! But the HD 650/6xx is definitely a reliable staple, I still have mine and I’ll never get rid of it, it was a gift from Axel Grell himself!
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EDIT: [November 9, 2020] After receiving my HIFIMAN HE 5XX last week, I noticed for the first time how dynamically-compressed, tonally-congested and flat depth-wise the HD 6XX sound in comparison. It's not a ding against the HD 6XX. By themselves, I still stand by everything I've written about them, but they do sound like two levels below the HE 5XX (whatever that means), which sound to me so effortlessly dynamic and open. For me, they have dethroned the HD 6XX in musical enjoyment factor. However, I can wear them back to back and still have a great time! My ears and brain adjust quickly! EDIT: [July 11, 2021] Last week I finally received my Schiit Magnius that I ordered back in February, and after not liking the SE output, I decided to solder a Neutrik NC4MXX-B male XLR connector to the stock HD 6XX cable with Cardas Audio Quad Eutectic Solder and try the balanced output. BINGO! The boring sound was gone. Keep in mind balanced and SE outputs should not be compared between different amps. It's apples to oranges, and a good SE amp will sound better than a bad balanced amp. I left both RCA and XLR cables connected from the Modius to the Magnius, so all I had to do was press a button to switch from SE to balanced output without disconnecting the headphones from the XLR output connector. Because the Magnius' balanced output has over 3X the power of the SE output at 300 ohm on high gain, I had to level-match by ear. Interestingly, when setting higher the SE output's volume to try to give it an advantage (louder=better psychology), the balanced output always sounded better and more pleasing to me from song to song. I couldn't avoid noticing how the highs were less dull, and imaging sounded less flat than on the SE output. It was a true audiophilic difference. This was anti-expectation bias, because I wasn't expecting any differences other than power, ha-ha. What surprised me is how the Magnius' balanced output has enough power on low gain to not need to go past 12 on the volume. It's too much on high gain for the high impedance but signal-sensitive HD 6XX. By the way, I still don't love the Magnius presentation even if the sound quality is great. The stereo image is just not wide, deep and separated like on the Schiit Asgard 1 and 2. It's accurate, but very close to the head, so now they sound very, very intimate, more than what I'm used to. It's not holographic like with my other amps, but with the extra power and imaging improvement from the Magnius' balanced output, the HD 6XX just tighten up and sound even more clear and defined, reminding me a bit of my Audeze LCD-X in terms of realness and texture. Even the bass got a weighty similarity to the planar lows, and they never sounded weighty or big to me before. I'd have to get another balanced amp to see if it's the extra power of the balanced output or the Magnius topology itself that improved the HD 6XX so much to me. It's a different kind of amp for Schiit, an uncharted territory, so possibly it pairs great with these headphones. I think so, and why should it not when the evidence is all over my ears? I also converted my HIFIMAN HE-5XX's cable to balanced, since the two Neutrik XLR connectors were lower in price by piece than buying only one, and they didn't scale up as high as the HD 6XX. They pretty much sound the same SE or balanced on the Magnius. It's a good sound, but not significant difference at all, so that was disappointing to me. OTOH, the HD 6XX really improved on what matters to me, which is definition, clarity, resolution and smoothness. I'm not an audio snob at all, but like you and many others in this hobby...or way of life, I can truly enjoy the benefits package that audio snobbery provides. It might not be necessary for overall music listening, but to me the additional refinement makes the listening experience more enjoyable when in analytical mode. It's easier to tell apart microphones, compressors, reverbs, rooms, distance, etc. in a recording. It's just more aural info I receive, the level of musical enjoyment that I like to be in, he-he. Remember I said up there in the November 9, 2020 edit of this review that the HE-5XX dethroned the HD 6XX in musical enjoyment factor for me? Well, the HD 6XX got their throne back. Everything good about them improved. Everything less good about them like the not-so-tight bass, muddiness in the lower mids, and slight darkness up top also improved. They now sound more correct to me compared to my less quirkier headphones. Even the reverb and delay tails that used to sound darker on the HD 6XX are way more apparent even when listening at lower volumes. With the Magnius' extra balanced output power and improvement in sound presentation, they now sound more pleasing than the HE-5XX. Even better, the Magnius is a super-quiet amp and has very little distortion, so I can listen to music much louder than what I'm used to. The Modius/Magnius combo is very freeing to my ears. I don't get that cerebral warning of discomfort I'm used to with my other amps regardless of volume level. So, if you seem to dislike the HD 6XX with what you currently have, maybe try getting a clean and powerful balanced DAC/amp combo. I always say it here to people, that adequate power and loud listening levels is not enough to yield the best sound quality out of the HD 6XX. Enough power is not good enough for them. In my experience, an Asgard 2 on high gain is the minimum I'd suggest to get them to sound better than impressive, even if low gain has enough power to get them deafeningly loud. EDIT: [October 5, 2021] I finally received the Sennheiser HD 8XX in late September after long months of wait and have been enjoying them a lot. To my personal likes, Drop really kicked it out of the park with the "last minute" tuning changes.