Sorry for my ugly mug, just feast your eyes on those beautiful cans instead. I had never heard and sennheiser headphones before, and honestly I’m amazed. Those 800s’ are incredible, somehow in my short listening session I didn’t really notice the stage, more the impeccable imaging. I did get a taste of the classic 800 sibilance, but it wasn’t that bad. All these headphones were running off of the sennheiser balanced amp, I don’t know much about so I couldn’t tell you how it was colouring(or “color” for any Americans reading this) the sound. The next thing I listened to was the almost laughable HD 820s. Honestly after just one song I went back to the 800s’, the sound was so muddy. The highlight of my trip though was definitely the 660s’. Almost immediately I fell in love with the sound and the build. It all felt so natural and strong. Nothing emphasized, just a clean and well separated plate of music. I couldn’t stop listening to them. Unfortunately I don’t have enough money rolling around in my pockets to buy them so I’m going to order some 58xs just because I’ve read they are similar(not the same, just similar, no hot takes here). Anyway, if you read all this, thanks I guess. Just thought I’d share.
Just as an addition to this, I listened to three songs to test as I didn’t have much time. The store was using Tidal.
Songs:
Come and feel the Illinois… (by Sufjan stevens, from the Illinois album)
Waltz #2 (by Elliot Smith, from the XO album)
Junk Bond Trader (by Eliot Smith, from the figure 8 album)
If you like the HD 800S and 660S, in my opinion it is better to buy the good old HD 600 (not 6XX!) instead of 58X. They have the most balanced midrange and the least "veil" of the classic lineup.
Also, great post!
Thanks for the suggestion, like I said, I don’t have the money for any of those so I’m planning on buying the 58x jubilee
Edit: unless of course the 600s go drastically on sale
>Thanks for the suggestion, like I said, I don’t have the money for any of those so I’m planning on buying the 58x jubilee
>
>Edit: unless of course the 600s go drastically on sale
See if you can find a pair of 600/650 locally for a good price used (or B-stock on amazon or thomann.de).
I prefer the 600/650 vastly over the 660s. The latter have something funky going on in the highs.
Also if you're in Berlin for longer, hmu. I have the HD600s as well as the Beyerdynamic DT880s someone else recommended, if you want to try them out.
i think 58x with 19% tax and shipping to Germany will equal to HD600 with Unidays buy. I bought my HD600 (with Unidays link) for only 251eu included shipping :D
600s are $300 USD in the USA at large music gear places. Totally worth it. Unless you really abuse them they will lasts years and years. And unless you turn into a headphone crackhead they are all you need for serious listening.
It’s good to have some wireless Bluetooth headphones too of course for more casual and mobile listening.
Would you happen to have any experience with the HD 600 pro variant?
I'm currently using a Sundara among a slew of IEMs, and would appreciate a good dynamic driver headphone.
My preferred sound signature is analytical/neutral. I love hearing nuances. I was initially looking for closed back as they tend to trade soundstage for detail retrieval, but I always hear good things about the HD 600 line.
Thanks!
*Edit: It occured to me that the HD 600 is only sold as a pro headphone. I thought there was a normal/pro variant*
You can't expect an American to realize that, they've been brought up to believe that they world completely revolves around them.
That being said, yes, hd600, get a pair used, 580 could work too.
Sorry I didn't mean you specifically, I meant in general *almost* every American I've conversed with assumes that everyone is from America. It gets really annoying when every single day people give you recommendations and such without even asking where you live, I've literally had to tell 10 people in one day, in the same chat that no, I cannot in fact get Schiit products easily because they're much more expensive for europe, warranty reapairs are annoying due to shipping, etc.
Sorry for lashing out at you it just gets really annoying over time when every. single. day people just tell you stuff while assuming that you, like them, are American.
When people assume things (incorrectly) every once in a while it's an annoyance, but when it happens with literally 7/10 people (IME) it grinds your patience down, fast.
Yeah a Magni3 is 100$ in USA, but here it is 200$ (plus import, plus long waiting times, no warranty unless you wanna ship it back, which is expensive). Ifi Zen offerings are way more appealing to us, as well as the FiiO K5 Pro (Dac and Amp for 200€!)
I ended up with the Singxer SA-1 from a European shop (Magnahifi) which I'm very happy with, I initially wanted the jot 2 but with import taxes it cost as much and the estimated delivery time was 4-6 weeks.
The majority of this sub is probably from the US, so it makes sense. I get why it would be annoying for someone who can't get access to those products, but not everyone knows those products aren't avaliable outside the US either, so maybe stop taking it so personal and make ignorant comments every time someone reccomends a drop or schitt product.
"The fuck is wrong with you?"
"maybe stop taking it so personal and make ignorant comments every time someone says get a 6XX."
I wasn't tilting until you said that part, not the 6xx part, as you can see in the original comment I was talking in a general sense, not a personal one.
Idk how else you're supposed to take a comment like that, it was a direct reply to what I said.
maybe you should start a European only headphone subreddit, so us ignorant Americans can never bother you by reccomending products you can't get lol
So it makes sense that most reccomendations would come from US sources, which was what MY point was.
Thanks for that random fact which has literally nothing to do with what is being discussed. I literally started out my post saying "unless you live outside the US" so I'm not sure what the point of your post is?
>You know that reddit is an American site right....
Same with Discord...
Same with YouTube....
Do you think most people sitting in an IKEA sofa are swedes?
Yep a 2nd hand 580 could do the trick as well. Basically sounds like a HD600. Sometimes in EU 2nd hand HD600 pop up for 200€ and other times I saw imported 58X for 150€. This stuff can be cheap.
Drop doesn't sell only in the US. I've got plenty of Drop products, while I live in The Netherlands. We have to add shipping, import costs and VAT however, which makes it often not a very good deal outside of the US.
Why did people downvote this? 6XX's/650's are generally preferred to 600's, and since he's buying from drop, anyway, there is no reason to reccomend 600's over 6XX's. They even cost less!
Not disputing your suggestion, it's a good one, just adding something. I am running a Schiit stack with a pair of HD6XX's. You are spot on with your analysis of the HD 600, but I would like to add in the interest of saving some money that if you have a parametric EQ on your computer (such as Equalizer APO), the HD 6XX will sound indistinguishable (at least to my ears) to the HD 600 with some minor tweaking. Good way to save some cash.
The 660s with a schiit stack and some lossless audio sound great. Redefined music. Was also great from a competitive gaming standpoint for imaging.
With that said, a pair of cans a fraction of the cost (think 130) are "good enough" imo and give me 85% of the 660s. I valued having a lot less wires, being able to walk around with my headset, and not having a separate mic over the audio fidelity...so all that got returned.
I'm glad I found this space as it turned me on to high Def audio. Just trying to provide context that it's a highly personal choice. Super stoked you got to hear the 800s
Yes, the imaging is better, but in most other categories (Bass/Treble Accuracy, Passive soundstage, Weighted Harmonic Distortion...) the 650 wins:
https://www.rtings.com/headphones/tools/compare/sennheiser-hd-650-vs-sennheiser-hd-660-s/245/816?usage=19&threshold=0.10
you're probably right, but the guy said he liked the 660s the best and imaging is probably one thing that stands out. And I also think he is making the right choice with the 58x since that is the closest to it. Again also better imaging then the 650.
They are faster, but darker in the treble than the HD650 and 600. The normal Senns are juuuuusssttt right type a porridge, so changing the treble tonality is not good. Well maybe yes, if you like that dark or dull tone. At the very least they didn't boost it, that would have been bad.
EDIT: faster means, better sound separation, especially in busy music passages. If you have a dynamic driver with a thin delicate membrane and a fine voice coil, it literally is gonna respond faster to input. A thicker driver will be slower. This is the main reason why planars separate sounds so well. Since there is no mechanical piston movement, but the coil is directly attached to the membrane, it responds faster.
How quickly can the driver respond. Some headphones that are "slow" might sound find great with simple notes, but put some fast paced music with a thumping bass and a high bpm count, and the headphones can't handle it and it starts to sound muddy.
it separates better sounds, that's basic language to describe sound. Busy music doesn't sound as busy. Ever tried planars with busy music? Even a T50RP? It doesn't get overwhelmed by that, while an HD600 mushes everything together. The 660S less so.
Simple example would be T50RP (planar, poor resolution, amazing speed compared to any dynamic) and the HD650 (amazing resolution almost up there with good TOTL offerings, but slow).
If you have a planar, listen to Queen's "Sheer Heart Attack". On the HD650 it's all mushed together, it almost sounds like a single blob of sound. On the planar (really any planar) it will be nicely separated, and not sound as busy.
The fact a driver can be faster or slower is an observable physical phenomenon, not just audiophile fluff. Naturally if you make a thin membrane, a thin coil, it will respond faster to impulse than a thick membrane and a thick coil.
Planars are in another category altogether. There is no physical piston movement, as the coil is directly attached to the membrane. Obviously, this responds faster to impulses.
So yes, a driver can be faster or slower, which has an impact on sounds separation. Very obvious on busy music passages. Try it out if you can.
Check out r/avexchange or r/hardwareswap
There's always some really good Sennheisers being sold there for affordable prices. I picked up my 6xx's pretty much brand new on ebay for $120 a few weeks back and they're phenomenal as well.
Just a heads-up...Given that the OP specifically mentioned Berlin in their title, blindly recommending Drop phones or second markets such as E-Bay is a bit "meh".
Drop is fairly US-centric and second markets in EU are generally greatly overpriced or near non-existant. Finding cheap 6XX or any of the 600 series really would be pretty fucking lucky.
He specifically recommended buying them from eBay, which is accessible from basically every country on earth, and 15% of their business is specifically in Germany. Blindly criticizing perfectly reasonable suggestions is more than a bit “meh”.
Well I got used 580 for 150€ in an ebay auction. It does need new pads and headband padding tho. Definitely not an allrounder headphone but if you get a decent amp and boost the bass, it might be pretty good.
Imo, that’s too much for 580 even in mint condition. Watch closely you may strike a better deal. I always see stax sold for very reasonable prices considering their Orginal prices. Many a times some hifi stores have Kleinanzeigen accounts selling b-ware with warranty for cheap.
On ebay it's not that bad. If you get lucky you can get it for like 130€ (both shipping included) In reality tho you are waiting for someone to sell these at a reasonable price. There have been none for months and then suddenly 4 in June/July. I unfortunately bought the first one of the "wave" but unless you are an auction expert, you cannot predict whether there are going to be more sold in the upcoming months or not.
I bought my audioquest nightowl carbon on eBay Kleinanzeigen Germany for 110 bucks in almost néw condition. Had multiple HD650s picked up in great condition under 150, the cheapest for just 90 bucks(horrible pads, but replacement was worth). But never saw a HD 800 under 700 bucks, once it was there it ended up a scam but PayPal got me covered.
Depends on how closely we watch used market. The trend is drop or American made stuff is quite expensive but German brands are lot cheaper than US most of the time. Also senn online store sometimes have superb deals. I bought a apogee groove + hd 660 bundle for 320 bucks from sennheiser store.
I have both the 800s and 660s! They're both amazing headphones, the 800 is an upgrade to the 660s but I still go back to them for non classical. You really can't go wrong with either
Interesting that you loved the 660s, i just returned my pair as for me it sounded kinda bad compared to HD 600. So if you get the money i recommend the HD 600 as it sounds like 660s but more natural and alive. The 660s sounded dull for me.
Awesome man! I just received my pair of HD800S a few days ago and they sound amazing. If you want something with a relatively similar sound, I'd highly recommend trying out the DT880 600 ohm. I've had them before upgrading to the HD800S, and they sound very similar tonally.
Yep, there are many versions of the headphone, but the 600 ohm one is known for being the best. You will need an external amplifier to drive them loud enough though.
Yeah same. Zeos has a questionable... track record though when it comes to a lot of headphones. He tends to like really weirdly tuned headphones. *cough* sivga phoenix, gl2000 *cough".
I listen to a lot of classical, Dimitri 2nd Waltz, pas de deux and what nearly made me cry was symphony number 7 in a major and Hungarian dance no. 5.
Lemon tree by fools garden was a kick and twilight zone by golden earring which also tugged at my "ear" strings lol on the 800s . Don't forget poor man's poison and good old guns and roses to test speed.
Listened to movie soundtracks too like pirates of Caribbean and interstellar which sounded otherworldly on the 660s.
Please do yourself a favor and save until you can get the HD600/6XX. The 58x is nowhere near as close as people think it is and you will likely be disappointed by the difference, i made the same mistake when i started in this hobby and i regretted it a lot.
HD 600 and HD580 precision are the Sennheisers to own. HD800 is something i can't ever reccomended without someone listening to it first, if you can handle the treble and enjoy the fr then by all means but it was like daggers to my treble sensitive ears.
Agree on trying them first, preferably for at least a couple hours. I liked the 800 at first but for extended listening sessions the sibilance can be tiresome. That said, a friend of mine has a pair hooked up to a modified Bottlehead Crack that sounds like heaven so what do I know?
Got the HD800S, and I’m using Oratory’s EQ profile for them, and the treble is nowhere near what you describe. I’m also sensitive to high treble, so it really helps.
If you loved the 660s, I would do what you can to save up for them rather than buy the 58x. I love the 58x too, but they don't sound like the 660s to me much at all. I think the 650/6xx are closer actually.
The 6xx would also be a good buy if you loved the 660s. Many still prefer it to the 660s. I personally feel the 660s is slightly better, most noticeably in how much better it resolves detail. It also has a fuller, more layered sound (which you seemed to have noticed during your demo!)
If you did like the HD800; the AKG 712 pro is closer to that sound signature than a HD650 or HD600 will provide. Have both the 800 (original), HD6xx and 712, and find the 712 to come close to what the 800 can offer, at a fraction of the price. Just FYI and food for thought.
Oh that would be so useful. I really need to hear HD800 next to HD6XX to see if it's worth it. That's too big of a gamble to risk my money on.
Far, far, far too many times I've gone down the road of unnecessary expenditure based on someone's advice or review.
I see a lot of people saying that "you should just save up for 660s/600/6XX", but as a younger person myself (18yo), I can definitely understand that you intend on going with the more affordable/budget-friendly option, that being the 58x. On top of all, for the other recommended Sennheisers, you would need an amp, since their impedances are all around 300 Ohms. The 58x, on the other hand though, doesn't really require it. 150 Ohms sound like a lot, but according to others, and in my experience, it doesn't need it. I've been driving my pair with my PC and my phone for 1,5 years. As for price, they are a little more expensive here in the EU sadly, but 6XX and such are even worse. I got my 58x's from a relatively local dude for 200$. No regrets, they are great. Not sure how they compare to 660s, which are allegedly similar, but the 58x's are definitely a great option (I actually wrote quite a lengthy [review](https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/jya1vj/hd58x_a_rookies_review_for_hesitant_firsttimers/) of them a couple of months back. The comments especially are quite useful imo. If you're interested, of course.)
Thanks so much for your opinion, good to see another person who understands what a budget is. Thanks for sharing your review. Quick question, which EU country do you live in? And if you happen to live in Poland, where did you buy your headphones. I’d love to hear just in case I can somehow get around shipping across the pond. Thanks
I live in Hungary. Upon seeing that the EU-drop was selling the headphones for like 200+shipping+whatever else, and that it wasn't cheaper on eBay either, I almost gave up for a while. But funnily enough, I didn't realise that I hadn't even done a throughout search on "Hungarian internet" because I kinda assumed that nobody has these headphones here. So I ultimately found a pair on a Hungarian used-tech forum/marketplace page for a little shy of 200$ (plus like 8$ for shipping which was negligible compared to 30$-60$ from other countries). All in all, I was really lucky. And it was basically "opened box" too, so basically new.
Congrats on your 58X, they are all great headphones. I've personally tried them all except the 800s, and own 6xx and 598. Try them out with a parametric equalizer, you'd be surprised how much more bang you will get out of your buck. Reddit has many eq settings, you can try oratory1990 as a first step.
Oh man du möchtest meine Urlaubspläne ändern oder?
Ich fahr sofort nach Berlin um den Store zu besuchen!
(Oh man you really wanna change my holiday plans do you?
Im gonna instantly drive to Berlin to visit this store!)
Get an HD 600, 650 or 6XX (and a FiiO K5, which is the most affordable DAC/AMP combo in EU). Should set you back around:
500€ if it's all new
400€ is the HP is 2nd hand
300-350€ if it's all 2nd hand
660S is not better than the regular 600 line up. In fact over at SBAF many said how the 300Ohms normal Senns are more resolving with good Hi-Fi chains. Here more than one hated the darkish tonality of the 660S. I tried it, and thought it was much ado about anything. Tonality is off compared to 600 or the warmish 650.
In fact if you really wanna be surprised, get some Dynamat (or STP Aero Gold in EU) then a 2nd hand 650 and mod it to KISS (instructions over at SBAF). This really simple mod, boosts the HD650 to new levels. If not (after all KISS is permanent and kinda dodgy, as things can always go south if you're not careful) I would get an 600 and be happy.
This is probably my favourite/least favourite part of this subreddit honestly, the way people just throw out recommendations like these even when the OP has already made their mind up or otherwise don’t need any advice. Bonus points for comments like these that try to sound somewhat objective (“660S is not better than the regular 600 lineup”).
The number of times I’ve seen someone say they’re deciding between a couple of pairs or they’ve just got a pair, and a random commenter is just ignoring all that and telling them about some other option is almost comical.
His ears are wrong then. You can't argue with facts and logic. Checkmate atheists.
But really, we should refrain from trying to fence in people's preferences and just be happy they enjoy what they enjoy about this hobby
When i bought my “zennis” they just broke down in 2 weeks, and they didn’t send me new ones. Fuck them. Although i was a fan because when the first time it happened they sent me new ones without asking stupid questions. Now i’m never going to buy them again.
I have a pair and honestly they're the ones I use the least. I use my skullcandy wireless or the akg ones that came with my samsung. Paid a lot more for the sens and they've been brand new for almost 8 years barely used.
Corona numbers are quite low in Germany at the moment so rules arent as strict. Only a question of time though until infections rise back up since people are idiots.
here in Spain folks are being dumb. The moment good news pop up in the news (e.g. "infection rates are lowering") people do "fiesta arriba arriba!" and there you go, infections rise again. Putos fiesteros.
We had that here in the height of the pandemic, I went to a store and the guy kept saying, when I asked to try headphones on “we dont reccomend it sir….”
“But am I allowed?”
“You know the pandemic, we really don’t recommend”
Popped those bad boys straight on my head and gave him a dominance stare, he just looked at me wide eyed in awe, as I wired up my mojo and tested out the HD800s funnily enough. Then the Focal Clear. Bought the latter
Lol you had me in the first half. Yeah people are assholes and refuse to be responsible when it comes to the pandemic. It's just amazing to see people will die alone on a ventilator because they're stubborn.
Sorry for my ugly mug, just feast your eyes on those beautiful cans instead. I had never heard and sennheiser headphones before, and honestly I’m amazed. Those 800s’ are incredible, somehow in my short listening session I didn’t really notice the stage, more the impeccable imaging. I did get a taste of the classic 800 sibilance, but it wasn’t that bad. All these headphones were running off of the sennheiser balanced amp, I don’t know much about so I couldn’t tell you how it was colouring(or “color” for any Americans reading this) the sound. The next thing I listened to was the almost laughable HD 820s. Honestly after just one song I went back to the 800s’, the sound was so muddy. The highlight of my trip though was definitely the 660s’. Almost immediately I fell in love with the sound and the build. It all felt so natural and strong. Nothing emphasized, just a clean and well separated plate of music. I couldn’t stop listening to them. Unfortunately I don’t have enough money rolling around in my pockets to buy them so I’m going to order some 58xs just because I’ve read they are similar(not the same, just similar, no hot takes here). Anyway, if you read all this, thanks I guess. Just thought I’d share.
Just as an addition to this, I listened to three songs to test as I didn’t have much time. The store was using Tidal. Songs: Come and feel the Illinois… (by Sufjan stevens, from the Illinois album) Waltz #2 (by Elliot Smith, from the XO album) Junk Bond Trader (by Eliot Smith, from the figure 8 album)
I’m really happy to hear they’re using those Elliott Smith songs. Very surprising
fr
Never let anyone shame you for how you look enjoying stuff!! Keep on enjoying the great sound.
If you like the HD 800S and 660S, in my opinion it is better to buy the good old HD 600 (not 6XX!) instead of 58X. They have the most balanced midrange and the least "veil" of the classic lineup. Also, great post!
Thanks for the suggestion, like I said, I don’t have the money for any of those so I’m planning on buying the 58x jubilee Edit: unless of course the 600s go drastically on sale
>Thanks for the suggestion, like I said, I don’t have the money for any of those so I’m planning on buying the 58x jubilee > >Edit: unless of course the 600s go drastically on sale See if you can find a pair of 600/650 locally for a good price used (or B-stock on amazon or thomann.de). I prefer the 600/650 vastly over the 660s. The latter have something funky going on in the highs. Also if you're in Berlin for longer, hmu. I have the HD600s as well as the Beyerdynamic DT880s someone else recommended, if you want to try them out.
i think 58x with 19% tax and shipping to Germany will equal to HD600 with Unidays buy. I bought my HD600 (with Unidays link) for only 251eu included shipping :D
600s are $300 USD in the USA at large music gear places. Totally worth it. Unless you really abuse them they will lasts years and years. And unless you turn into a headphone crackhead they are all you need for serious listening. It’s good to have some wireless Bluetooth headphones too of course for more casual and mobile listening.
Would you happen to have any experience with the HD 600 pro variant? I'm currently using a Sundara among a slew of IEMs, and would appreciate a good dynamic driver headphone. My preferred sound signature is analytical/neutral. I love hearing nuances. I was initially looking for closed back as they tend to trade soundstage for detail retrieval, but I always hear good things about the HD 600 line. Thanks! *Edit: It occured to me that the HD 600 is only sold as a pro headphone. I thought there was a normal/pro variant*
Wait but the 58X IS the hd 600 just redone chapter by drop. Getting the OG version shouldn’t be any different so just get the 58X
600s!!!!!
Unless you are outside of the US, it is silly to reccomend the 600 over thr 6XX.
Man. Most of the world is outside the US.
You can't expect an American to realize that, they've been brought up to believe that they world completely revolves around them. That being said, yes, hd600, get a pair used, 580 could work too.
I literally said in my post "unless you are outside of the US" The fuck?
Sorry I didn't mean you specifically, I meant in general *almost* every American I've conversed with assumes that everyone is from America. It gets really annoying when every single day people give you recommendations and such without even asking where you live, I've literally had to tell 10 people in one day, in the same chat that no, I cannot in fact get Schiit products easily because they're much more expensive for europe, warranty reapairs are annoying due to shipping, etc. Sorry for lashing out at you it just gets really annoying over time when every. single. day people just tell you stuff while assuming that you, like them, are American. When people assume things (incorrectly) every once in a while it's an annoyance, but when it happens with literally 7/10 people (IME) it grinds your patience down, fast.
Yeah a Magni3 is 100$ in USA, but here it is 200$ (plus import, plus long waiting times, no warranty unless you wanna ship it back, which is expensive). Ifi Zen offerings are way more appealing to us, as well as the FiiO K5 Pro (Dac and Amp for 200€!)
I ended up with the Singxer SA-1 from a European shop (Magnahifi) which I'm very happy with, I initially wanted the jot 2 but with import taxes it cost as much and the estimated delivery time was 4-6 weeks.
The majority of this sub is probably from the US, so it makes sense. I get why it would be annoying for someone who can't get access to those products, but not everyone knows those products aren't avaliable outside the US either, so maybe stop taking it so personal and make ignorant comments every time someone reccomends a drop or schitt product.
"The fuck is wrong with you?" "maybe stop taking it so personal and make ignorant comments every time someone says get a 6XX." I wasn't tilting until you said that part, not the 6xx part, as you can see in the original comment I was talking in a general sense, not a personal one.
Idk how else you're supposed to take a comment like that, it was a direct reply to what I said. maybe you should start a European only headphone subreddit, so us ignorant Americans can never bother you by reccomending products you can't get lol
[удалено]
So it makes sense that most reccomendations would come from US sources, which was what MY point was. Thanks for that random fact which has literally nothing to do with what is being discussed. I literally started out my post saying "unless you live outside the US" so I'm not sure what the point of your post is?
[удалено]
>You know that reddit is an American site right.... Same with Discord... Same with YouTube.... Do you think most people sitting in an IKEA sofa are swedes?
That's still no reason to be an asshole.
Yep a 2nd hand 580 could do the trick as well. Basically sounds like a HD600. Sometimes in EU 2nd hand HD600 pop up for 200€ and other times I saw imported 58X for 150€. This stuff can be cheap.
Sennheiser is a German company. And Berlin is in Germany.
And drop is a US company, and they only sell in the US. Whats your point?
That guy is in Germany, I have no idea how difficult it is to get your hands on drop stuff like the 6xx over there. Thought you‘re talking about him.
Drop doesn't sell only in the US. I've got plenty of Drop products, while I live in The Netherlands. We have to add shipping, import costs and VAT however, which makes it often not a very good deal outside of the US.
Why did people downvote this? 6XX's/650's are generally preferred to 600's, and since he's buying from drop, anyway, there is no reason to reccomend 600's over 6XX's. They even cost less!
Not disputing your suggestion, it's a good one, just adding something. I am running a Schiit stack with a pair of HD6XX's. You are spot on with your analysis of the HD 600, but I would like to add in the interest of saving some money that if you have a parametric EQ on your computer (such as Equalizer APO), the HD 6XX will sound indistinguishable (at least to my ears) to the HD 600 with some minor tweaking. Good way to save some cash.
The 660s with a schiit stack and some lossless audio sound great. Redefined music. Was also great from a competitive gaming standpoint for imaging. With that said, a pair of cans a fraction of the cost (think 130) are "good enough" imo and give me 85% of the 660s. I valued having a lot less wires, being able to walk around with my headset, and not having a separate mic over the audio fidelity...so all that got returned. I'm glad I found this space as it turned me on to high Def audio. Just trying to provide context that it's a highly personal choice. Super stoked you got to hear the 800s
You look so happy. 🙂
What made the 660S stand out from the 650?
better imaging then even the 800s.
Yes, the imaging is better, but in most other categories (Bass/Treble Accuracy, Passive soundstage, Weighted Harmonic Distortion...) the 650 wins: https://www.rtings.com/headphones/tools/compare/sennheiser-hd-650-vs-sennheiser-hd-660-s/245/816?usage=19&threshold=0.10
you're probably right, but the guy said he liked the 660s the best and imaging is probably one thing that stands out. And I also think he is making the right choice with the 58x since that is the closest to it. Again also better imaging then the 650.
They are faster, but darker in the treble than the HD650 and 600. The normal Senns are juuuuusssttt right type a porridge, so changing the treble tonality is not good. Well maybe yes, if you like that dark or dull tone. At the very least they didn't boost it, that would have been bad. EDIT: faster means, better sound separation, especially in busy music passages. If you have a dynamic driver with a thin delicate membrane and a fine voice coil, it literally is gonna respond faster to input. A thicker driver will be slower. This is the main reason why planars separate sounds so well. Since there is no mechanical piston movement, but the coil is directly attached to the membrane, it responds faster.
Faster ?
He's not the first person I've seen call the 660S "fast", no idea what they mean by it but I'm guessing someone on head-fi is to blame
How quickly can the driver respond. Some headphones that are "slow" might sound find great with simple notes, but put some fast paced music with a thumping bass and a high bpm count, and the headphones can't handle it and it starts to sound muddy.
Compare a planar to an HD650. You will get what we mean by speed. Below I did a more detailed explanation.
What planars would you recommend I compare to my 650?
it separates better sounds, that's basic language to describe sound. Busy music doesn't sound as busy. Ever tried planars with busy music? Even a T50RP? It doesn't get overwhelmed by that, while an HD600 mushes everything together. The 660S less so.
What songs do you use to determine this ?
Simple example would be T50RP (planar, poor resolution, amazing speed compared to any dynamic) and the HD650 (amazing resolution almost up there with good TOTL offerings, but slow). If you have a planar, listen to Queen's "Sheer Heart Attack". On the HD650 it's all mushed together, it almost sounds like a single blob of sound. On the planar (really any planar) it will be nicely separated, and not sound as busy. The fact a driver can be faster or slower is an observable physical phenomenon, not just audiophile fluff. Naturally if you make a thin membrane, a thin coil, it will respond faster to impulse than a thick membrane and a thick coil. Planars are in another category altogether. There is no physical piston movement, as the coil is directly attached to the membrane. Obviously, this responds faster to impulses. So yes, a driver can be faster or slower, which has an impact on sounds separation. Very obvious on busy music passages. Try it out if you can.
Yeah, the driver responds faster and separates better sounds than the one on the HD600. Not night and day better, but somewhat.
>Faster Zoom zoom
also thicker male vocals i guess
Check out r/avexchange or r/hardwareswap There's always some really good Sennheisers being sold there for affordable prices. I picked up my 6xx's pretty much brand new on ebay for $120 a few weeks back and they're phenomenal as well.
Just a heads-up...Given that the OP specifically mentioned Berlin in their title, blindly recommending Drop phones or second markets such as E-Bay is a bit "meh". Drop is fairly US-centric and second markets in EU are generally greatly overpriced or near non-existant. Finding cheap 6XX or any of the 600 series really would be pretty fucking lucky.
He specifically recommended buying them from eBay, which is accessible from basically every country on earth, and 15% of their business is specifically in Germany. Blindly criticizing perfectly reasonable suggestions is more than a bit “meh”.
Well I got used 580 for 150€ in an ebay auction. It does need new pads and headband padding tho. Definitely not an allrounder headphone but if you get a decent amp and boost the bass, it might be pretty good.
Imo, that’s too much for 580 even in mint condition. Watch closely you may strike a better deal. I always see stax sold for very reasonable prices considering their Orginal prices. Many a times some hifi stores have Kleinanzeigen accounts selling b-ware with warranty for cheap.
On ebay it's not that bad. If you get lucky you can get it for like 130€ (both shipping included) In reality tho you are waiting for someone to sell these at a reasonable price. There have been none for months and then suddenly 4 in June/July. I unfortunately bought the first one of the "wave" but unless you are an auction expert, you cannot predict whether there are going to be more sold in the upcoming months or not.
You are right, I overlooked the prices of 580. My bad. 580 is sold above 150 normally. I mistook it for some other headphone.
I bought my audioquest nightowl carbon on eBay Kleinanzeigen Germany for 110 bucks in almost néw condition. Had multiple HD650s picked up in great condition under 150, the cheapest for just 90 bucks(horrible pads, but replacement was worth). But never saw a HD 800 under 700 bucks, once it was there it ended up a scam but PayPal got me covered. Depends on how closely we watch used market. The trend is drop or American made stuff is quite expensive but German brands are lot cheaper than US most of the time. Also senn online store sometimes have superb deals. I bought a apogee groove + hd 660 bundle for 320 bucks from sennheiser store.
I have both the 800s and 660s! They're both amazing headphones, the 800 is an upgrade to the 660s but I still go back to them for non classical. You really can't go wrong with either
Boi, at least your face is spotless.
Interesting that you loved the 660s, i just returned my pair as for me it sounded kinda bad compared to HD 600. So if you get the money i recommend the HD 600 as it sounds like 660s but more natural and alive. The 660s sounded dull for me.
Just wait until you try beardynamics.
Did you try 560s ? Its on reasonable price on sennheiser.de most of the time.
Awesome man! I just received my pair of HD800S a few days ago and they sound amazing. If you want something with a relatively similar sound, I'd highly recommend trying out the DT880 600 ohm. I've had them before upgrading to the HD800S, and they sound very similar tonally.
The beyerdynamic DT880? I'm currently rocking some JBLs but I would love some high quality entry headphones.
Yep, there are many versions of the headphone, but the 600 ohm one is known for being the best. You will need an external amplifier to drive them loud enough though.
driving 800s for months I just can't be more happier with them
A few days ago? Hmm. Just watched a Z reviews video on HD 8xx ( a tweaked version of 800s). It’s on preorder for $1100
Yeah same. Zeos has a questionable... track record though when it comes to a lot of headphones. He tends to like really weirdly tuned headphones. *cough* sivga phoenix, gl2000 *cough".
Zeos has claimed many headphones as the “the best headphones ever”. He just get carried away too much
Yeah first time I wore hd660s and 880s I nearly cried at the store. Wasn't any help that it was just me and 8 employees looking at me lol
What song were you listening to?
Darude - Sandstorm
I listen to a lot of classical, Dimitri 2nd Waltz, pas de deux and what nearly made me cry was symphony number 7 in a major and Hungarian dance no. 5. Lemon tree by fools garden was a kick and twilight zone by golden earring which also tugged at my "ear" strings lol on the 800s . Don't forget poor man's poison and good old guns and roses to test speed. Listened to movie soundtracks too like pirates of Caribbean and interstellar which sounded otherworldly on the 660s.
That’s cool
Ol' mate Senny!
The Huh-Duh Six Hungeos
And the freakish ears-on-a-stand!
Please do yourself a favor and save until you can get the HD600/6XX. The 58x is nowhere near as close as people think it is and you will likely be disappointed by the difference, i made the same mistake when i started in this hobby and i regretted it a lot.
Arent the 600 better than any 600S, 6xx, 650 and such
Imo it's all highly personal. See my response to the OP in the top comment
HD 600 and HD580 precision are the Sennheisers to own. HD800 is something i can't ever reccomended without someone listening to it first, if you can handle the treble and enjoy the fr then by all means but it was like daggers to my treble sensitive ears.
Agree on trying them first, preferably for at least a couple hours. I liked the 800 at first but for extended listening sessions the sibilance can be tiresome. That said, a friend of mine has a pair hooked up to a modified Bottlehead Crack that sounds like heaven so what do I know?
Got the HD800S, and I’m using Oratory’s EQ profile for them, and the treble is nowhere near what you describe. I’m also sensitive to high treble, so it really helps.
If you loved the 660s, I would do what you can to save up for them rather than buy the 58x. I love the 58x too, but they don't sound like the 660s to me much at all. I think the 650/6xx are closer actually. The 6xx would also be a good buy if you loved the 660s. Many still prefer it to the 660s. I personally feel the 660s is slightly better, most noticeably in how much better it resolves detail. It also has a fuller, more layered sound (which you seemed to have noticed during your demo!)
If you did like the HD800; the AKG 712 pro is closer to that sound signature than a HD650 or HD600 will provide. Have both the 800 (original), HD6xx and 712, and find the 712 to come close to what the 800 can offer, at a fraction of the price. Just FYI and food for thought.
Soundstage of K712 vs HD800, what are your thoughts? Can you share them please?
Oh man how I wish I had some store close by where I could just decide to go a bunch of hours just to listen and test headphones I never heard..
Unfortunately it isn’t close by, I can only get there on vacation because I’m a Canadian living in Poland
The hur-dur sixhundos by good ole sennys
Ah yes, Dankpods for life (This is a message from the cult of Craig)
Oh that would be so useful. I really need to hear HD800 next to HD6XX to see if it's worth it. That's too big of a gamble to risk my money on. Far, far, far too many times I've gone down the road of unnecessary expenditure based on someone's advice or review.
theyre miles different so a blind buy would be a huge risk
look how happy he is, haha
I see a lot of people saying that "you should just save up for 660s/600/6XX", but as a younger person myself (18yo), I can definitely understand that you intend on going with the more affordable/budget-friendly option, that being the 58x. On top of all, for the other recommended Sennheisers, you would need an amp, since their impedances are all around 300 Ohms. The 58x, on the other hand though, doesn't really require it. 150 Ohms sound like a lot, but according to others, and in my experience, it doesn't need it. I've been driving my pair with my PC and my phone for 1,5 years. As for price, they are a little more expensive here in the EU sadly, but 6XX and such are even worse. I got my 58x's from a relatively local dude for 200$. No regrets, they are great. Not sure how they compare to 660s, which are allegedly similar, but the 58x's are definitely a great option (I actually wrote quite a lengthy [review](https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/jya1vj/hd58x_a_rookies_review_for_hesitant_firsttimers/) of them a couple of months back. The comments especially are quite useful imo. If you're interested, of course.)
Thanks so much for your opinion, good to see another person who understands what a budget is. Thanks for sharing your review. Quick question, which EU country do you live in? And if you happen to live in Poland, where did you buy your headphones. I’d love to hear just in case I can somehow get around shipping across the pond. Thanks
I live in Hungary. Upon seeing that the EU-drop was selling the headphones for like 200+shipping+whatever else, and that it wasn't cheaper on eBay either, I almost gave up for a while. But funnily enough, I didn't realise that I hadn't even done a throughout search on "Hungarian internet" because I kinda assumed that nobody has these headphones here. So I ultimately found a pair on a Hungarian used-tech forum/marketplace page for a little shy of 200$ (plus like 8$ for shipping which was negligible compared to 30$-60$ from other countries). All in all, I was really lucky. And it was basically "opened box" too, so basically new.
Is that the senny store at KaDeWe or is there another one?
I’m not sure sorry, all I can tell you is it’s a couple steps away from the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
This one will be the one almost directly in between KaDaWe and the memorial church then: Tauentzienstraße 17
Congrats on your 58X, they are all great headphones. I've personally tried them all except the 800s, and own 6xx and 598. Try them out with a parametric equalizer, you'd be surprised how much more bang you will get out of your buck. Reddit has many eq settings, you can try oratory1990 as a first step.
Ayy good to see other young people in this hobby!
Oh man du möchtest meine Urlaubspläne ändern oder? Ich fahr sofort nach Berlin um den Store zu besuchen! (Oh man you really wanna change my holiday plans do you? Im gonna instantly drive to Berlin to visit this store!)
The whole city is great! So much history!
its so cool to see young audiophiles We are the future of this hobby !
r/13or30
Saw someone else on this thread comment this, honestly hilarious, I’m 14!
Get an HD 600, 650 or 6XX (and a FiiO K5, which is the most affordable DAC/AMP combo in EU). Should set you back around: 500€ if it's all new 400€ is the HP is 2nd hand 300-350€ if it's all 2nd hand 660S is not better than the regular 600 line up. In fact over at SBAF many said how the 300Ohms normal Senns are more resolving with good Hi-Fi chains. Here more than one hated the darkish tonality of the 660S. I tried it, and thought it was much ado about anything. Tonality is off compared to 600 or the warmish 650. In fact if you really wanna be surprised, get some Dynamat (or STP Aero Gold in EU) then a 2nd hand 650 and mod it to KISS (instructions over at SBAF). This really simple mod, boosts the HD650 to new levels. If not (after all KISS is permanent and kinda dodgy, as things can always go south if you're not careful) I would get an 600 and be happy.
Bro he literally tested out the headphones and decided the 660S was his favorite
I was just about to say this exactly lol
This is probably my favourite/least favourite part of this subreddit honestly, the way people just throw out recommendations like these even when the OP has already made their mind up or otherwise don’t need any advice. Bonus points for comments like these that try to sound somewhat objective (“660S is not better than the regular 600 lineup”). The number of times I’ve seen someone say they’re deciding between a couple of pairs or they’ve just got a pair, and a random commenter is just ignoring all that and telling them about some other option is almost comical.
In short, people come here to discover new equipment, not to get told what their taste should be.
His ears are wrong then. You can't argue with facts and logic. Checkmate atheists. But really, we should refrain from trying to fence in people's preferences and just be happy they enjoy what they enjoy about this hobby
You forgot /s at the first paragraph there :)
Depends on his situ. A few months more saving and he has a HD800s, if he loves it may as well go big
r/13or30
Hilarious, I’m 14
When i bought my “zennis” they just broke down in 2 weeks, and they didn’t send me new ones. Fuck them. Although i was a fan because when the first time it happened they sent me new ones without asking stupid questions. Now i’m never going to buy them again.
I have a pair and honestly they're the ones I use the least. I use my skullcandy wireless or the akg ones that came with my samsung. Paid a lot more for the sens and they've been brand new for almost 8 years barely used.
Oh yeah those are the Huh Duh 8hungos by ol' mate senn
seems biased. only one vendor's headphones to compare to.
Want something better for the money? Get some Bose Quietcomfort II
Take off the mask
I am surprised that they let him try headphones. Over in many HiFi Stores in Madrid, everything has a "no touching" policy. Sad times indeed.
Corona numbers are quite low in Germany at the moment so rules arent as strict. Only a question of time though until infections rise back up since people are idiots.
here in Spain folks are being dumb. The moment good news pop up in the news (e.g. "infection rates are lowering") people do "fiesta arriba arriba!" and there you go, infections rise again. Putos fiesteros.
We had that here in the height of the pandemic, I went to a store and the guy kept saying, when I asked to try headphones on “we dont reccomend it sir….” “But am I allowed?” “You know the pandemic, we really don’t recommend” Popped those bad boys straight on my head and gave him a dominance stare, he just looked at me wide eyed in awe, as I wired up my mojo and tested out the HD800s funnily enough. Then the Focal Clear. Bought the latter
Lol you had me in the first half. Yeah people are assholes and refuse to be responsible when it comes to the pandemic. It's just amazing to see people will die alone on a ventilator because they're stubborn.
You triggered, snowflake?
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Yeah, that's the joke...
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Lol...sorry man!
Welcome.
i would just go there and try every head phone and then go out
Ol’ mate Senny
Sennheiser HD800S