HD600

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by SpaceLaser, Oct 8, 2015.

  1. murray

    murray Friend

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    Thanks, this is good to know. Mine are over 2 years old now.
     
  2. starence

    starence Facebook Friend

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    If your pads are breaking down so quickly that they need to be replaced 2-3 times a year, I would wonder if maybe the clamp is too strong on your pair.
     
  3. ColtMrFire

    ColtMrFire Writes better fan fics than you

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    Clamp force is definitely a factor but that also affects SQ. I find a tighter seal helps the bass but frankly the seal isn't that tight on my pair. As with anything its going to depend on the individual.
     
  4. Walderstorn

    Walderstorn Friend

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    Still that's a very high number of times to change your pads. I have a girl friend that wears braids, from time to time, and that destroys everything in a short period of time, not mentioning the lack of seal.

    Edit: she also uses some type of wax on the braids so I am sure those chemicals don't help.
     
  5. ColtMrFire

    ColtMrFire Writes better fan fics than you

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    I mean, it's like saying doing laundry once a week is a very high number of times to clean your clothes. And? If your clothes are dirty they need to be cleaned. It is what it is. The way I use my pads wears them out every few months. So I switch them out.

    The end.
     
  6. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    We don't need pad wear nervosa.

    My 0.02: the specific HD650 I occasionally borrow from a friend at first had pads flatter than most anime characters' development arcs. I used my own cash to replace the pads by way of thanks to the owner for the extended loaner, SQ improved dramatically to the point it felt like an entirely new headphone.

    Months later, maybe half a year, friend was off travelling again and so left some audio gear in my care to try, the HD650 included. Previously good pads were marshmallows again, and so I eventually swapped in the aftermarket Yaxi pads he'd included to try (and eventually went "Holy Mary this sounds so weird", but that's another story).

    Sparknotes summary, I don't think it impossible for pads to wear out so quickly. Whether or not it's worth the constant cycling or whether sonic degradation is so immediate I don't know— I've yet to do a back to back comparison, but to each their own if they can afford it. I'm more concerned about proper disposal and recycling of plastics in the old pads.
     
    Last edited: Jun 30, 2019
  7. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    If pads are not lasting, ask an ENT specialist for an Ear Environment Ph Test. Either way, too acid or too alkaline is destructive to the pads. One can try changing the diet. My ENT man suggested less cauliflower.

    Edit: pH!
     
    Last edited: Jun 30, 2019
  8. Skyline

    Skyline Double-blindly done with this hobby

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    I'm borrowing a pair of 600s right now from @Claritas .

    I've heard them before at meetups, but this is my first extended audition in a quiet setting.

    I've been a 650 guy for a couple of years now, but my first gut reaction is that these feel "right" in comparison. Cleaner, less colored, and more natural.

    The problem is that there are tracks every now and then where the glare from the elevated mids hits me entirely the wrong way. It feels like going out on a sunny day without my sunglasses. 90% of the tracks are bliss and the other 10% end up getting skipped before the song is over.

    How do the Dekoni pads impact things? I've heard a lot of impressions regarding them with the 650s, but no so much with the 600s.
     
  9. Ksaurav402

    Ksaurav402 Friend

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    I am using HD600 with Elite Hybrid. They do take some edge off from the upper mids and lower treble ever so slightly but they also bump up the mid bass a bit. These pads along with Norne copper cable has taken some edge off for sure. I’m using LP with Gungnir Multibit as well.
     
  10. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    I don’t care for the Dekoni pads on HD600/650 in general.
     
  11. Jerry

    Jerry Friend

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    Nowadays I just use the built-in Graphics EQ in Foobar to decrease 2 spots. upper mid (I think 3k) and treble (8k) by 3db.

    When you get a 600, do apply dynamat to it, like the 650/6XX. Then you're good to go. No more glaring sun.

    After you listen to the 600 for a while, and then go back to 650........just feels darker and muted.
     
    Last edited: Aug 17, 2019
  12. Skyline

    Skyline Double-blindly done with this hobby

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    I'm very curious about this. Rather than hop back and forth, I plan to go 600 only for a bit to let my ears and brain settle in before switching back.
     
  13. Jerry

    Jerry Friend

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    That's what I did.

    650 has its charm. Laid back and more speaker-like. Great for easy listening. The 600 feels like it cuts through the veil. The starkest difference is female vocal and string instruments. Even the bass is better in my setup.

    Never heard of the KISS mod though. Wonder if it is better than the 600.
     
    Last edited: Aug 17, 2019
  14. ColtMrFire

    ColtMrFire Writes better fan fics than you

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    Not sure if you use PC audio but the sonarworks plugin fixes the glare.

    I did not like the Dekoni pads, they darkened the sound to the point where I didn't recognize the 600 anymore. Not my thing at all.

    Also did not like the dynamat. I feel that only worked wonders for the 650.
     
  15. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Dynamat is bad for HD600.

    Dekoni pads mess up the HD600/HD650's unless you want more lows and bass and prefer how they feel.
     
  16. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    I recently did a casual bake-off between HD6XX (from the first drop) and HD600 (a new pair, made in Ireland) on DAC1541/BW2. I used both SonarWorks compensation and unmolested playback for this. HD6XX can be initially seductive, warm and easy to listen to and this does work for certain tracks. Comparing to HD600 though I immediately found that strings especially have a bite and presence that is rather muted on HD6XX, and there is an overall sense of air and openness in the upper registers. It is almost like you forego half the song for the plush comfort factor of HD6XX. Bass is less present but also less, mushy, for lack of a better term.

    IMO it's a better result EQ'ing HD600 to get what I want than HD6XX, it feels like I'm starting with a platform that is not only closer from the get-go, but a bit more malleable as well.

    I do note that DAC1541/BW2 is quite 'refined' in the sense of providing great treble without harshness and a sense of mass/density throughout the range.

    Right now I'm borrowing an OG Gungnir DS which is interesting in contrast and may work better with HD6XX (I have moved the 6XX on so I can't try it out). The Gungnir is clearly less capable than the Soekris, but has a very engaging heft to the bass and a sense of chunkiness to the sound. Treble is a little strident on HD600. It's almost like a well executed large-scale wood carving with an axe vs delicate carving with special tools. I could see HD6XX responding to those strong strokes.
     
  17. Claud

    Claud Living the ORFAS dream

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    I am going to learn to search first, then post on this forum. Please remove!!
     
  18. JustAnotherRando

    JustAnotherRando My other bike is a Ferrari

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  19. Claud

    Claud Living the ORFAS dream

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    I love my HD 600s. I bought them new about 25 years ago. They are on their 3rd set of pads. Today I received a Norne Draug 3 for my HD 600 & 650 Senns. Now my HD 600s rock. We got Bass that is clearly defined. We got nice treble and a sweet midrange. I am pissed off because I did not buy this cable years ago.
    I wondered why my HD 800 did not come alive before Draug 3. I would not have tried this cord except that Trevor sent me 2 Draug 3 trial headphone cords for my HD 800 and fool that I am, I loved number 2, the new formulation for HD 800.
    I have loved my HD 600s for a bunch of years, and only bought HD 650s this year to find out about all the hype. I am going to switch them to the Draug 3 tomorrow and report here tomorrow night.
     
  20. Claud

    Claud Living the ORFAS dream

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    I am putting the HD 650 / Norne Draug 3 mini review in the HD 650 thread.
     

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