These are great, especially for the price... definitely not the best under $1000 though. At that budget you can get Anandas, Focal Elex, etc. Still great cans though.
Great review; Apparently many opinions are now that the newly released 560s's are significantly better than the 6xx's making them a bit less relevant today. It might be worth doing a head-to-head on those or checking them out. Thanks again for the ongoing entertainment that can only be had from, The CHEAP....audioman.
@@IanRS63 do you find your 560s to sound too bright? I am considering to buy myself a pair, but I am in doubt if i should shell out 200 Euros for plastic headphones that may sound too bright and sibilant? Thank you for your response. God bless. Sani
I had both at the same time, 560s is definitely not "significantly better". It does some things better (staging, imaging, low end extension) while doing other things worse (detail, timbre).
HD 600s and an affordable tube stage HP amp. Done! Sit back and enjoy the tunes. I'm sure the 6XXs are in that same ball park. Maybe a bit more bass? Mids on a set of 600s on tubes? Forget about it!
I own a good old HD650 for years now, and sometimes wear it 8 hours listening. Never tires me. I once heard the Sennheiser HE1 which is somewhat more expensive. That almost made me cry...
The 6xx are good but not the best under $1k at least to my ears. I don't think they're even the best on Drop, my Beyer DT177x blew them away out of the box for $450. As a side note I'm not sure why the 58x exists anymore, the slightly extra bass isn't worth the trade off from detail the 6xx gives you.
Was fortunate enough to come across a set of hd600 in original packaging with a 20' custom hand terminated cable at one of the local value village stores for like $50 a couple years ago. They sound amazing and I do not feel any need to look for something better.
Great review. I've bought several pair of headphones Bluetooth and regular. Kind of weird how that works out for me my 10 yr old has them all lol. I don't care about the headphones she's not allowed to touch my iems though. That crazy guy with the cat talk to me into multiple inexpensive headphones that were actually really good.
I've been in manufacturing and materials since I started out my adult life in the navy and after that into manufacturing and different chemical requirements of different processes.
I guess I have been living under a rock! I know Sennheiser, but not this model. :-) Long term comfort? Those of us who do video meetings would like to know!
@@cheapaudioman None taken! You did mention the space in the center of the headband. I think that velour ear pads are the best kind - the fake leather ones almost always lose their surface material, and getting replacements can be a royal pain.
Your video title is reaching way too high. While the 6XX are in contention for offering the best value, they are most definitely NOT the best headphones under $1K. They're not even the best headphones that Drop offers under $1K!
HD6XX are great, but the HD600 are even better. You can also be tempted by the Drop HD58X Jubilee but don't, they are not in the same league. Although they are not bad, they are very disappointing compared to HD6XX and HD600.
I had a set of these with the Geshelli Labs Archel 2 Pro amp and Topping E30 DAC. Killer combo, loved listening to Jackson Browne's Running on Empty album on these. BUT since they're open back the wife hated them and me when using them so I'd have to go in the other room or down stars to enjoy them. I'm not a headphone user really so if Im gonna go down stars to my listening area I'd rather just listen on my stereo system. I can crank it up when ever down there and not bug anybody so I really don't have much use for head phones. Sold off all my headphone gear except the Koss KPH30i and KSC75 with a FX Audio DAC X6 around still and its plenty good for me when it comes to headphones. Awesome vid Randy!
Thanks for this review, really like your style. Was just watching the Steve Guttenberg review of the Sony SSCS5 speakers and he mentioned you. You're going places Mr Cheap Audioman.
@@cheapaudioman And now I just saw the "a more serious chat" video with Steve :). Loved it! "Serious chats" and "Between two speakers" brings a nice balance.
For the money I prefer the Koss KPH30. Super inexpensive, Super available, Super comfortable AND lightweight. Sound is excellent. I wish you could review these. Just wondering what your thoughts are. I did buy 3 pairs and replaced the ear pads on one set for cheap($12) with larger open ones and they sound better and are even more comfy. These are the only headphone you can wear for hours and hours. Thank you for the review
That's a great headphone but I like more the sonic presentation of the Sennheiser HD-58x for $150. For an out of this world price performance ratio try to get your hands on a Koss KPH30I, for the cost of $20 it's a no-brainer.
New subscriber here. I’m a boomer that is finally trying to really listen to the music I may have missed (any set up sounded great then- such as bookshelf speakers wired to my 8 track), because we were “wired.” 😎 I’m not an audiophile, just trying to learn how to put together a setup that I can listen to with headphones that need more power to shine. Maybe I waited too late, I don’t know, but I can tell the difference between my Phillips Fidelio X2 HR headphones and my Bose 35 ii. The Philips, without an amp (not sure it needs one), sound much better IMO. Is there hope for me? I’m looking at the Drop HD 6xx because it seems to get raves about the value. I know it needs a dac/amp combo on my desktop. Just not sure whether to get something capable of even more powerful headphones should I decide to get some in the future. Any suggestions? It seems everyone likes their setup.
I may be late to the party on these but I just ordered me these. I got the PC38x and like them so much I decided to get these and step up my open back game.
Open back > Closed back 99.99% of the time for headphones... Anybody who's listened to a dozen or so headphones know this to be true. Verite Closed, Stellia, LCD closed, Aeon Closen are all great but better can be had in the open back equivalent for much lower $.
I had a pair of Grados back in the day and they ended up getting stolen and I thought those were the best ever. I got out of audio for a few years and was daily driving some superlux hd668b which btw you should review they are effing fantastic. I had these running through a Schitt Heresy and Modi combo and it rocks. I finally had some extra coin laying around and after a co worker swore by his 6xx’s I bought the bullet and got a pair. Wow these things are fantastic. I think your review is spot on. I have about 60 hours of listening on mine and they just keep getting better. Would deff recommend the HD 6xx’s to anyone. Also if you like cheap audio you got to get a pair of Superlux hd668b and get some brainwaves pads for them they are also amazing for like 40 bucks.
I have been a senn hd6 series lover since the 1990s and I've seen a lot of reviews that go into detail about them (hd580/hd600/hd650/58x/6xx) but you made this review in a way that anyone can understand and as a 6xx owner can agree with pretty much everything you said about them. Overall my favorite headphones due to a great combination of just enough detail to keep me interested yet not too much in your face to get me fatigued. And yah like you said... those senn mids are the schizm aren't they :D
So much for cheap audio.... Depends who your talking to I guess. When people are looking for cheap audio...They look at price first, then they look for the best quality on the cheap. Most are looking for headphones in the $20 - $100 range. Don't misunderstand. Not saying that the Drop X sennheiser 6xx is not worth the asking price. The price performance ratio may be spot on, but there are better options that are cheaper for people looking for dirt cheap audio that is very good. Examples: Koss KPH30iK (under $30, Koss KSC75 (under $20). The highly praised Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone can be had for under $90 on Amazon. Now this is truly cheap audio that is fairly decent. I think the above items, or similar should have been mentioned as alternatives to people on really low budgets. More choice is always good. I do like your channel, and I like you as a presenter. I hope it continues to grow, and I will continue to support you. Your heart is in the right place. Just saying there are cheaper audio gear that is real good for the people that can't afford much .
Ivan's Soviet-era letter openers? 😄 One note re: ear pads is that every reviewer out there, as well as the "experts" on the forums, all seem to be in agreement to ONLY use Sennheiser branded pads, as all others change the sound--and not for the better.
The 6XX are far from being the best headphones under a $1000 on their own … the 660S perform better, the 58X offer better value, the DT1990 have better detail retrieval, you can even get the Focal Clear for less than 1000$ these days… however pair the 6XX with an entry level DAC / Amp combo like the iFi Zen or Zen Signature stacks (the 6XX needs quite a bit of current to perform at its best) and you have a full system under a 1000$ that’s hard to beat.
I have tested my 6XX on several different equipment. Aune x1s, ifi Zendac v2, Rega Io, and Dragonfly Red. The winner is the Red, but only when it is connected to the high power USB port, marked with a battery symbol. The Red will take all the power it can get from the USB port, and the more powerful the port is, the better the Red will sound. Especially on 300 ohm headphones like the 6XX. This has to be the cheapest path to true high end sound. Truly amazing sound and just magical to hear every sound separated by a lot of room in the huge three-dimensional soundspace it creates.
I agree, 6XX (650) or Sundara and a DAC/AMP is the best you can buy for under $1000, it will be a end-game for 99%, which one you choose is a matter of taste.
Have you ever run 3 pairs of speakers @ the same time ? My near field experience is just dumb. I'm literally sitting in headphones with power from the gods. Dual subs as well. I can listen at whisper volume and it is just amazing the same or I can Crank it up and it'll knock your head off. Cheap!!!
Randy - question for you about these headphones compared to either the Audio Technica ATH-R70x and/or the HiFiMan Sundara headphones. These are both more expensive, but all seem to be *approaching* the same sound balance?
I love a good set of headphones. Yamaha is excellent. My favorite are a pair of vintage studio monitor headphones made by Denon in the year 2000. Model AH-D950
C.A.M. Thanks for telling us about those headphones. I would like to compare a pair of $200+ headphones to my $70 Audio Technica. There has to be a huge increase in sound quality even though I am very happy with mine.
Thanks Randy really enjoyed the review. Just starting to get into headphones and I don't want to buy a bunch trying to get a good one. Sounds like you may have had a not so good experience with an entitled suburban housewife or two.
Found your channel through Steve. Been enjoying the videos. Bought a set of the Sony Bookshelves and the Fosi amp. More of a headphone guy myself, but also very value minded. I make videos as well, feel free to check them out if you’re interested. If you like the 650, try the 660s-I prefer them.
Hi there.I need your help.I bought topping mx3 and I connected to uni-fi 2.o and when the volume go over 77 its disconnected from my bt source(phone) and the power on mx3 go off.Idk why?protection???.Thx anticipate
This video is the first place I have ever heard someone namedrop "Hastelloy C" outside of my industry. That's how I know CheapAudioMan is bringing the quality, and will never get eaten up by errant HCl!
They are just a low detail headphone with bottom tier imaging and sound stage along with some of the worst bass roll off. They are overhyped and not worth the money
@@cheapaudioman I’m not a big fan. They’re ok in selected small doses. I had to learn a few for covers too. They’ve got a cover of The Dead’s Scarlet Begonias over the funky drummer loop. I was punning over your use of the superlative “sublime”. Punning sucks; I should know better
Randy Check out Brian Bromberg track Come Together or Star Spangled Banner from the album, Wood. Solo acoustic bass tracks I’ve always found well-recorded upright great for featuring the whole range of Sonics from bass to transient highs