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Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX Headphones
Someone3257
0
Jan 14, 2024
checkVerified Buyer
Overhyped and Overrecommended
Let me get started by saying this: I think there are too many positive reviews of this headphone. I'm here to balance those out.
I do not consider myself an audiophile. I am just a person who appreciates good sound. And I am willing to spend a bit - but not a lot - of money to get that. Prior to the HD 6XX, I had the Shure 840A with a FiiO E10K-TC DAC/amp. That combo sounded wonderful to my ears. The only complaints I had were a lack of comfort, and occasional harsh treble. So began looking for a more comfortable pair of headphones with a better treble response to use in addition to my 840A's.
I ended up choosing the HD 6XX because there is so much praise for it on the internet, and also because it was on sale for a very good price here on Drop. I live in Canada, and the HD 650 which it is based on normally retails for 450-650 CAD plus tax. Meanwhile, I was able to snag the HD 6XX for 169 USD, which, after shipping, taxes, customs, and currency conversion, amounted to 320 CAD. A good deal, I thought.
But immediately upon hearing them, I was disappointed. They sounded worse than my Shure 840A in almost every way.
Let me first get the good parts out of the way: The mids and treble are great. The treble in particular, I think, is where this headphone shines. It is smooth, and not at all harsh or fatiguing.
Now for the bad: There's just not much bass on these headphones. If you like music with any sort of bass in it, steer clear of these. The soundstage is also very narrow - music does not feel spatial at all. And the whole frequency range has a "veil" to it. Almost is if you were in a concert hall, and the curtain was still drawn while the band or orchestra was playing. Everything sounds slightly muffled. Hence, there's not much detail. In general, it seems as though these headphones are tuned only for "old" music - i.e. classical and jazz. But that's not the music that I listen to. I listen to more modern stuff, like pop, rock, country, hip-hop, and EDM. And all of that just sounds dull and boring on these headphones. Perhaps it could also be because these are based on an old design - the HD 650 was released in 2003, after all. I'm sure headphone technology has evolved since then.
As for the non-acoustic properties of these headphones: Build quality is good. These headphones are sturdy - they feel like they will last a while. Ergonomics are also good - the headphones are shaped well, with angled earcups that can extend very far down for people with big heads. The earcups themselves are quite roomy. I've had issues with other headphones where my ears touched the inside of the earcups - not so with these. Given that the earcups are open-back, my ears do not get hot. The clamping force is quite high, but I think I'm okay with that. It makes the headphones feel secure when they are sitting on my head. The headband pad is soft, yet firm enough that it does not collapse under the weight of the headphones.
But none of that makes up for the lacklustre sound. The praise that the Sennheiser HD 600-series has gotten across the internet led me to have high expectations, and I was severely let down. The HD 6XX is just not worth it for me, even at this discounted price. The sound, as it is now, just doesn't "wow" me. I think I would have been happier with the HD 58X, since people say it performs better with lower frequencies (and it's cheaper, too!). But I'm an indecisive person, and I only came to that conclusion after the 30 day return period. Plus, since I live outside the United States, I would have lost a lot of money by returning these. Overall, not happy.
EDIT: Some miscellaneous items:
- The 3.5-6.35 mm adapter supplied in the box tends to be more secure on the 6.35 mm end than the 3.5 mm end. Meaning, if I use it to plug these headphones into a DAC/amp, and then I try disconnecting them, the adapter will likely stay stuck in the DAC/amp, while only the 3.5 mm jack comes out. I wish the adapter screwed on to the 3.5 mm jack, so that this wouldn't happen.
- The box itself is made of very thin cardboard, with not much padding inside. Despite that, everything inside was in good condition upon arrival.
- Drop's product support is abysmal. They claim they have "no technical support knowledge", and yet, when I contact Sennheiser, they say Drop is responsible for support.
- The headphones actually sounded better when they were connected directly to my computer than to my FiiO E10K-TC (they sounded a little muddy with the latter). Not sure why. I decided to try them with an SMSL C200 as well, in case I wasn't providing them with enough power, but the sound was about on par with what I got directly from my PC.
(Edited)
jklemmer08
35
Jan 18, 2024
Someone3257Just FYI, a couple of the things that you mentioned may have been due to your headphone "amp" which recommends using a headphone between 16 and 150 ohms impedance (meaning 150 is probably pushing it and 300 is gonna sound like crap), the 6xx is 300 ohms meaning its a relatively difficult headphone to drive, your amp may not be giving it the juice it needs to be "happy." That being said, the 6xx is known to be a very resolving headphone with a fairly neutral sound, definitely not bass heavy, really accurate and clean mids and highs. Maybe if you had done some research on it that would have turned you off and it would have been enough to avoid buying them, who knows. For myself, I listen to a wide variety of music and I am definitely a bit of a bass head, I listen to a lot of EDM, Hip Hop, Reggae, RnB, etc, and, while I wouldn't use these cans when I listen to that sort of music, I do quite enjoy them listening to classical, folk or even alternative or grunge as the musicality is quite nice. I agree with your assessment of the soundstage, it's not amazing, but very few $200 or less headphones are going to give you amazing soundstage, and even less likely on a relatively cheap amp, the only ones I can see punching up with soundstage in this price range would be the Hifiman 4xx's. And when it comes to bass, just get a decent digital or analog eq, a lot of headphones are probably not going to satisfy that itch.
I think the 6xx's are one of the better values in their price range, but I definitely understand why you wouldn't be a fan given your feedback, at the end of the day it's all about personal preference, and that's why I do a lot of research before purchasing something.
(Edited)
Someone3257
0
Jan 21, 2024
jklemmer08I did do a lot of research, but I guess not enough. The problem is, there are so many conflicting opinions on audio gear. Everyone has their own preferences, and everyone hears things a little differently. Yes, there are frequency response curves, but knowing how various curves sound is only possible by actually hearing them. If you have not experienced anything with a similar curve, then it's a bit difficult to tell how that line on a graph will end up sounding. In addition, there are a lot of qualities which a frequency response curve does not convey.
Regarding my amp - which one are you referring to? I wrote that I used both a FiiO E10K-TC and an SMSL C200. I wondered if the former wasn't providing enough power, which is why I tried it with the latter. And with the C200, the sound, like I said, was about on par with my computer's headphone jack. How much power does this headphone even need? That's one thing that the community is conflicted about. Some folks say it needs a very powerful amp; others say it doesn't need an amp at all. I queried Drop support, and they weren't willing to provide me with a concrete answer, and Sennheiser's support ghosted me. Audio Science Review indicates that the HD 650 has significantly elevated impedance in the mid- to upper-bass region (as much as 483 ohms in their test unit), but even if I plug that number into a headphone power calculator with the sensitivity of the HD 650, and a loudness level way higher than I'd ever use, the calculator suggests that not much power at all is needed. Am I missing something?
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I had a good experience with Drop. Thank you Drop.
Impressive warranty service. Real quick. I needed to return my 6xx for a buzzing in the right speaker. I inquired with the manufacturer regarding the two year warranty and was batted around a couple of times before being directed back to Drop. Drop then covered the warranty even though it was a couple of days past the purchase date of the warranty’s terms. I’m not stating you will have the same results. I initiated the claim prior to expiration. I was issued an rma, I returned my unit and had a new unit two weeks later. Thank you Drop. Another happy customer. I’m not a bot. Send me any puzzle and I’ll complete it.
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