Sennheiser HD 600 Audiophile Headphone

Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Completely.

Strengths: Insanely high fidelity, comfortable, light.

Weakness: Janky initial cable, may not sound all too pretty on portable units

When I got the box this afternoon, I opened it with the glee of a child during Christmas. My previous means of personal sound had failed me, and I decided to splurge. And the results? Well, let me put it this way; even the container they come in is well-made and high quality. A ridged packaging cover gives way to a rather durable box that cradles the headphones in case you need to transport them....
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When I got the box this afternoon, I opened it with the glee of a child during Christmas. My previous means of personal sound had failed me, and I decided to splurge. And the results?

Well, let me put it this way; even the container they come in is well-made and high quality. A ridged packaging cover gives way to a rather durable box that cradles the headphones in case you need to transport them.

The first song that piped over these magnificent cans was like heaven; perfect seperation, perfect placement, and as accurate as I've ever heard. Highs, lows, mid-range... It covers everything supurbly. The headphones slip firmly over my ears and stay there(I've tested with some joyous head banging), but don't feel weighty like other sets of headphones I've used. I guess that'd have to do with the carbon fiber, and aluminum they use for a majority of the components.

When trying this on my portable CD player out of curiousity, I came to find my CD player couldn't "push" the headphones well; the sound became slightly fuzzy and while not totally undesirable, led me to think I might as well be wearing a pair of crappy earbuds. You could no doubt remedy this with a portable amp, but I felt it should be noted.

My only real gripe with the headphones would be that they come with a cable that feels inadequate compared to their, dare I say, complete and total sexiness. Sure, it's kevlar coated, replacable with aftermarket cables, and long (A good seven feet ain't bad in my book, I'm used to cans with three foot lines), but it doesn't allow for much adjustment unless you're getting out some tape and an exacto knife every time you want the "y" of the cord to change.

All in all... If you have the $300.00 USD to drop on headphones, go for it.

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Here's an update, as I've been using them for roughly two months of pretty good use. Despite my initial qualms, these headphones hold up. However, I'll break down things simply:

Good things I've noticed:

The frame can take quite a beating
The padding feels new still, even after incessant use

Bad things that I've noticed:

The cord can get in the way of things
The cable-to-headphone connection can be fickle

By radeaton_1123790283 - Aug 16, 2005

Very nice headphone - if you are...

Strengths: Very nice, clear sound and bass.

Weakness: none so far

Very nice headphone - if you are an audiophile, you have to take a look at this one. The sound is so clear that you can tell how badly people record their music pieces.

By PMrjn83 - Apr 13, 2005

These cans do what they are...

Strengths: Great balance of sound, comfortable, and long cord.

Weakness: none.

These cans do what they are designed to do, and they do it well. For this reason it would be unfair to list "amp required" as a weakness because they were not designed to be used otherwise. The sound and volume are limited w/o an amp since I'm still waiting on a dedicated headphone amp. Pressure on the sides of the head may take a little getting used to as well. Got mine for 183.94 shipped...
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These cans do what they are designed to do, and they do it well. For this reason it would be unfair to list "amp required" as a weakness because they were not designed to be used otherwise. The sound and volume are limited w/o an amp since I'm still waiting on a dedicated headphone amp. Pressure on the sides of the head may take a little getting used to as well. Got mine for 183.94 shipped refurbed from ecost after $5 rebate. Even from a cheap headphone jack though, they do sound better than any cheapy earphones bundled with portable audio players. So even if you are debating because you can't afford an aftermarket amp now, these headphones are all you need for life (unless your dog eats them) since they sound good either way and can be upgraded to be used with $5k+ systems.

By stefanboerboom - Apr 9, 2005

we're talking lightweight carbon...

Strengths: superb fidelity / supremely comfortable high-end cans

Weakness: the cable/connector: enthusiasts will want to tweak their Senn cans with either the CARDAS or Clou 212 cable upgrade

we're talking lightweight carbon fibre headband and plush ear muffs here, folks... simply divine. The HD-600's have set the standard for years; Sennheiser themselves have only recently surpassed their top-of-the-line with the new model HD-650. When the price of HD-600's drops, or if you find them used on eBay -- grab them! Model HD-580's are only a tick behind: they're excellent (but not "superb"...
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we're talking lightweight carbon fibre headband and plush ear muffs here, folks... simply divine. The HD-600's have set the standard for years; Sennheiser themselves have only recently surpassed their top-of-the-line with the new model HD-650. When the price of HD-600's drops, or if you find them used on eBay -- grab them! Model HD-580's are only a tick behind: they're excellent (but not "superb" :)

Comparable only to the (completely different) ETYMOTIC "ear buds" or, electrostatic headphones (costing much more).

Audiophiles tweak their HD-600's by replacing the cable and plugging their cans into purpose-built headphone amps; ie., HEADROOM; GRACE 901; CARY AUDIO 300 SE1; etc.

By MonsieurGonzo - Dec 6, 2003

Detailed sound / won't fall off your head

Strengths: Clarity, full-size ear cushions

Weakness: clamps very tight to head, bass light without headphone amp

I love detailed sound. My car system is bright and the CD player has compression to bring out the small details even more. These headphones don't need compression. But I also like tight bass, which my car lacks, as do these (without an amp). I am comparing them to my Beyerdynamic DT-880's, which are not as bass-heavy as the 770's, but are just bassy enough for me. Comfort-wise, the DT-880's are...
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I love detailed sound. My car system is bright and the CD player has compression to bring out the small details even more. These headphones don't need compression. But I also like tight bass, which my car lacks, as do these (without an amp). I am comparing them to my Beyerdynamic DT-880's, which are not as bass-heavy as the 770's, but are just bassy enough for me. Comfort-wise, the DT-880's are 10 times more comfortable (although the headband metal occasionally literally bites into your skull until you reposition it). I've had many cheap headphones with plastic pads that feel better than both of these. I'm going to try bending the HD600 headband to relieve the clamping pressure. Update: it doesn't bend, it just readily breaks.

By pengel - Nov 22, 2006