Forgive Me for I Have Senn'd - A Comparison of Sennheiser HD600, 6XX, 660 S, 58X, 800, 800 S 

Great analysis, thanks for the video.

wow what a huge comp episode.. just picked up a used set of HD800S and they are quite fantastic for the the price point I got them at. Very comfortable and I find I can listen all day long.

Great videos, man. I’m a huge fan. Definitely the comparisons, along with MidFi Guy, that everyone is looking for in this hobby.

First, thank you for the huge comparison. Been wondering what the differences were.

amazing review, thank you very much Sir

Excellent review. Kudos for saying a lot in a few words. You earned a new subscriber.

Wow. This is the best headphone comparison video I have ever watched, and I’ve been watching a boatload over the last several months. The explanations of the differences are so in-depth and in plain English. Just excellent. Now I have a renewed respect for my 600 (and recently purchased 6xx).

You're the fckin best reviewer out there. None others can't compete really. I'm sorry to ask for more but i hope so much you'll be able to review the new Hifiman Ananda Nano and maybe Arya Organic too in the future, anyway ty so much for ur amazing work here !

Great vid thanks. I bought my 660s around 4 years ago and at the time the 6xx were over the top priced compared to here in NZ (the 660s were about the same price retail after currency and postage). The 600 was the old version and didn't sound great. I wanted a headphone that would be powered by my iPhone when needed. After listening in store I was unimpressed. At the time people were saying the ifi Nano black was great so I went for that so I had possibility of portability. Big mistake. This product was completely underwhelming and the iPhone or direct from my laptop actually sounded better. Just got an smsl 6 stack. All of a sudden the 660 has Bass... now enjoying them but got some GAS and looking for new headphones.... your channel helps on one hand and makes me green on the other ... great stuff, keep it up ps. my hearing isn't as good as yours having had 3 operations (2 on the left one on the right) ear plus am over 50 but I know what I like.

Excellent review. I still have the HD 600 in my HP stable. Can't bring myself to sell it. Ananda SM review incoming soon?

Subbed. I love my 12 yr old HD600's for sure. I am a guy that loves bass fwd but as you said I love the midrange and the vocal clarity these bring. IYO does the HD6XX have slightly more bass presence is it worth the purchase? I do not want to lose the clarity I have with the 600's PS I use a chinese tube amp. Forgot the name.

Used the 600 for more than 10 years with a slightly warm sounding Sugden Headmaster amp. It sounded completely natural on orchestral music, with deep bass in the sense of clearly hearing contrabass instruments in a hall acoustic and high violins and piccolo are clear. What it lacks is that , in. My opinion, forced bass like in a nightclub, and could ideally have more punch for rock and dance.

Back when the original 660s came out people speculated that Sennheiser had taken the 700 driver and put it in a 600 series style chassis. I believe direct comparison showed that the drivers weren't exactly the same, but very similar.

Saying that 660S sound similar to 58X is Wrongi n my opinion, HD 660s Imaging , Separation, Speed, Timbre , Naturality is waaay better . The only common is a bit similar sound signature .

I will watch in full after my A.M. appts, but OMG, that pun!

HD600/800S with an external subwoofer is endgame. 🌶

Great title! :)

I bought the HIFIMAN SUNDARAS & they sound awesome. I use them with the IFI DAC2 AMP

I like bass and I still love my HD6XX (paired with a Little Dot MKII)

Thanks. Good, detailed review of some of the finer points/differences. I agree re the Beyer 880/600, even more so now that I have the Bifrost! Any suggestions for the 600 timbre with the 800s separation and SS for my classical/jazz vocal use? (Future thinking here.) 😉

Need a HD558 review! Maybe gaming headset reviews too like Game Ones vs 38X

The 660s is currently £259 in the sale on Sennheiser's store so I jumped on it at that price. It'll be my first Sennheiser. I currently have the Sundaras (which I like) and the Grado SR325x (which I love with the Geekria G pads).

I just got the fiio K7 amp don't know if this is a dumb question because I'm new to this stuff but is there a tube amp that would be better for about $200? I have the HD660S

600 sounds more refined like a studio, 660 sounds more live like a chamber stage among performers, 650 sounds more cooked like at a concert stage, 800 sounds more splendid like at a concert hall

I loved the first good pair of headphones even for the music I listen to which is late 80s and 90s metal and that was the Philips Fidelio X2 and I used them for years until I broke them. Then people recommended Grado SR80e for metal and with any EQ or DAC they were way too fatiguing to me. Then I bought HD 600 and loved them and eventually bought the 58x because I got them for very cheap and actually prefer them still to this day prefer them to the HD 600 even with DACs and different EQ and even flat. Then I bought the Hifiman 400ES and they are OK but I still like my 58x the most. Maybe I like more of a "fun" factor. I'm not sure if I should buy the 6XX. I listen to heavy/power/prog metal from the late 80s and 90s like Savatage Crimson Glory Fates Warning ect. Some people recommended DT 880 and DT 990 but I'm not sure if that is the signature I would want.

I am very interested in Your thoughts about the impact of ZMF pads on HD 600 an HD 6XX. Is there a chance for it?

what do yo think about separation in Dt 880 250 ohms vs Dt 880 600 ohms? thanks i have the 250 ohms version and I want to know if it is worth scaling to the 600 version

Can you make a video on pad rolling on all the 600 series as these pads wear out and needs to be replaced frequently?

Great review man. But 560s missing.

That pun was the reason I clicked on your video FYI XD

Totally agreed. I've tried all the headphones in this video and picked my HD600 few days ago. It probably has the least spatial effect comparing to others, but its mid-range is incredibly detailed and standout. For people enjoy more on vocal and string instrument, I consider 600 to be the only best in the price range below 700£. I'll say 820 is a genuinely better one but it is too expensive for a student. Additionally, better try them out in a headphone bar before you decide to buy a headphone which suits you.

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

The HD600 have plastic pads behind the capsule, while HD58X don't. Therefore, the mids on the 600s sound more noisy, colored. Personally, the mids performed by the 58Xs are more pleasant for me. Although now there are already a sea of IEMs (and inexpensive ones), which, in MF of clarity, will suit both of these Sennheiser ))

Do you recomend a HD800s with a THX 789 amp?

Sennsational !

Can the 660S be run off a dap? 200-230mW specifically (Sony ZX-507 and the L&P W2 are my sources)

You're the only person I've ever heard, in my entire lifetime, pronounce "niche" properly!

Hi..I’ve got 650’s…but am thinking of the AUDEZE LCD X….as an upgrade..what’s your view 😋

580 Precision, 58x and the 600 are the best . I don,t like the 650 , 6xx and the 660s 1&2

Any thoughts on the 580?

curious if you can eq a 6xx to sound just like a 600 on peace eq

I think you under value how much someone might like the HD58x as a entry point purely for the Sennheiser sound. Hifiman might out value it in terms of performance to money but I for one don't like the sound of them compared to Sennheiser. For me the 58x is great, I got it on sale for 40% off so it was a steal and it really doesn't need an amp unless you plan on using it on portable devices. My macbook power it fine, loud is at 60% volume for me. If I amp it even with a cheap amp loud is at 30% and I don't notice much of a difference in sound besides a slightly wider soundstage and a more clean high end but only on tracks that demand that level of detail in the high end. For me they cover 99% of my needs for half the price of anything else close to them and if they break I don't care as much because they are always on sale every year and people tend to resell them second hand brand new most the time for the same reason I don't like other headphones. Sennheisers sound isn't for everyone. You really do have to respect the HD58x and the 6xx because Drop has done an amazing job at getting the same sound for a much cheaper price. I'll always recommend people try the HD600 with a proper set up if they can otherwise I push people down this road. I don't think the HD800/s are worth it anymore for how much there setup would cost compared to getting the equivalent from a different company. I've always been a fan of Sennheiser, I first got started with them back in 2012 with the HD518 a very neutral sounding open back in the budget tier. Eventually I got myself some HD600's until they got broken in travelling and thats when I got the HD58X on sale.

Question $230 HD 6XX or $340 HD 660 S .. is it worth the difference?? I realize this is an older video, but that's the choice I'm facing right now... I need your pro level advice and thank you! ✌️😎

When's the HIFIMAN Ananda stealth magnet edition review coming actually AT r70x has a 470 ohm impedance and the AT ADX5K has 420 friendly ohms and I love my Active Nose canceling

From the Lyr+ FAQ: “So why not balanced? You tell us where to put the balanced connections and supporting circuitry, and we’ll make it happen. Seriously? Come on, look at the chassis. It’s full. Sorry, if you want balanced, we have Jotunheim 2, which is an amazing headphone amp and preamp in its own right. But I want balanced and tubes and- Yeah. We did that. It was called Mjolnir. It was big and inconvenient and we couldn’t move it with bran.”

560s, 599 have soundstage , and soundstage matters to me, one is more detailed, the other is smoother. Both better than entire 600 line, for me.

And the he60/hev 70?

Can anyone advise? I've had a pair of 598sc's(I think it's the no.) and want a good open pair. Any ideas? Up to 300 pounds

I *HATED* the 800. Harsh. The treble spike was like a nail into my eardrum. Serious eq was needed. (The S model is just a damping ring mod)

Active nose counsellors sound painful.

Looking for a new pair of headphones that hit hard in the MidBass area while maintaining great separation in mids & highs

Summary : IF you dive into headphones and audio too much, it is gonna be too much headache for you, enjoy music with the gear that you have.

I have had a hd600 and hd650 for 15 years plus. Last few years been into chfi iems. My little 50 dollar Mele iem will give both hd's a run for their money. Headphones really need to up their game and be lower priced to really complete with chifi iems.

So many youtubers simply sharing their opinions. Wish there was someone actually let us listen to the differences.

Can t we have good soundstage without too much tremble?

You sound like a teacher. The way you emphasize words at the end of a sentence, makes you sound exactly like a teacher , teaching some boring material to students who either don’t get it or are just not interested in the subject. Your subject is interesting but the presentation was like I described it.

I sum up the HD600 series as "Vocal" cans. They do good as monitoring headphones. Like in a talk radio studio setting, or a Podcast Joe Rogan context. For music. They miss the mark of delivering All the music. Like leaving out it's overtones & harmonics. Which makes them not that enjoyable & boring once the singer's stop singing & the double bass & the cymbal ride outtro fades. My HD600 don't get much playtime other than listening to YT vids like this! They're just not engaging enough for serious music listening. Particularly, after hearing what Focal is doing! With headphones, the visceral impact is missing that a good pair of speakers can produce. The excitement of feel has to be overly compensated by fooling the auditory sensation it exisit. The Missing bass rumble, impact & air just isn't happening with HD 600 cans. Their HD660s do a better job at it than all the others. Focal does it best ! Granted at considerable more cost! It's evident, to bring any of the 600 series to life a "particular" amp is highly recommended. My two favorite cans are the Utopia & Stellia. I also highly enjoy Stax L-700 Mk2 ! Those three.

EF400 review… bated breath

I don't agree with much of your content, which is not good, because I was really hoping I would. I'll move on.

No HD580, didn't watch

Think of them as the BBC LS3-5A 🙂

hd800 is the way to go!!! it is compared to Toyota vs Porshe!!