New Drop Customers: Massdrop X Sennheiser HD 6XX Open-Back Headphones (Blue) Expired

A few basics to get out of the way first, since I know people wander onto these headphone deals not realizing these are audiophile cans for critical listening: these headphones are wired only (no bluetooth or wireless connections of any kind), have no form of active noise cancelling, have extremely poor sound isolation (you can hear whats going on around you, and everyone around you can hear what you're listening too), and are moderately heavy and bulky. They are designed to be used at home with a dedicated audio setup.

With a high impedance and only moderately high sensitivity these headphones are fairly difficult to drive. I would only recommend purchasing these headphones if you already have a headphone amplifier or plan to purchase one, your motherboards 3.5mm output or a phone dongle will not be able to drive the hd6xx well at standard listening volumes. If you plan to use eq (equalization) at all this is even more relevant, as the necessary negative preamp to prevent clipping means these headphones will require even more power.

The hd6xx (and the hd 650, which is functionally identical) are widely regarded as baseline audiophile headphones. They are near universally acclaimed for their sound and build quality in their price bracket. The hd6xx are renowned for having exceptionally balanced and detailed mids, and having an overall laid back sound signature that the vast majority of people find pleasant. That being said, the hd6xx has fairly deficient bass and a mildly restrained treble, so those who prefer a more v-shaped sound profile would likely be better served looking elsewhere. Their soundstage and imaging are also middling for open backed headphones, though still superior to the majority of closed back headphones.

The build quality of the hd6xx is very good, they have an excellent reputation for longevity. The cable included with the hd6xx is supposedly somewhat worse than the one included with the hd 650, but I haven't heard any major complaints regarding it. The hd6xx is made in Ireland, and I believe it uses the older slightly different plastic molding than that which is used in the current silent revision of the hd 650. Regardless, the pads, drivers, and entire driver/cup assembly are identical between the hd6xx and hd650, and measurements between the two headphones fall within expected unit to unit variation. Those with larger heads may find the clamping force to be somewhat high, this can easily be rectified by stretching out the headband.

While the hd6xx are no longer the absolute undisputed value kings they used to be due to the advent of several competitive headphones in a similar price bracket (hifiman 400se @ $109, sennheiser hd 560s @ $130, etc.) in the past several years, they still remain a compelling value proposition.

A few basics to get out of the way first, since I know people wander onto these headphone deals not realizing these are audiophile cans for critical listening: these headphones are wired only (no bluetooth or wireless connections of any kind), have no form of active noise cancelling, have extremely poor sound isolation (you can hear whats going on around you, and everyone around you can hear what you're listening too), and are moderately heavy and bulky. They are designed to be used at home with a dedicated audio setup.

With a high impedance and only moderately high sensitivity these headphones are fairly difficult to drive. I would only recommend purchasing these headphones if you already have a headphone amplifier or plan to purchase one, your motherboards 3.5mm output or a phone dongle will not be able to drive the hd6xx well at standard listening volumes. If you plan to use eq (equalization) at all this is even more relevant, as the necessary negative preamp to prevent clipping means these headphones will require even more power.

The hd6xx (and the hd 650, which is functionally identical) are widely regarded as baseline audiophile headphones. They are near universally acclaimed for their sound and build quality in their price bracket. The hd6xx are renowned for having exceptionally balanced and detailed mids, and having an overall laid back sound signature that the vast majority of people find pleasant. That being said, the hd6xx has fairly deficient bass and a mildly restrained treble, so those who prefer a more v-shaped sound profile would likely be better served looking elsewhere. Their soundstage and imaging are also middling for open backed headphones, though still superior to the majority of closed back headphones.

The build quality of the hd6xx is very good, they have an excellent reputation for longevity. The cable included with the hd6xx is supposedly somewhat worse than the one included with the hd 650, but I haven't heard any major complaints regarding it. The hd6xx is made in Ireland, and I believe it uses the older slightly different plastic molding than that which is used in the current silent revision of the hd 650. Regardless, the pads, drivers, and entire driver/cup assembly are identical between the hd6xx and hd650, and measurements between the two headphones fall within expected unit to unit variation. Those with larger heads may find the clamping force to be somewhat high, this can easily be rectified by stretching out the headband.

While the hd6xx are no longer the absolute undisputed value kings they used to be due to the advent of several competitive headphones in a similar price bracket (hifiman 400se @ $109, sennheiser hd 560s @ $130, etc.) in the past several years, they still remain a compelling value proposition.

Curious if anyone has any thoughts on how these would compare to the HD58X or PC38X in the context of gaming. Not concerned about the lack of mic, could always use a mod mic or similar in that regard.

Not sure why someone would pick up 560s when 599s go on sale for $90 -$100.

The 599s are more versatile because their sound stage is wider and more actuate. But I can hear more details with the 6xxs in music.

A few basics to get out of the way first, since I know people wander onto these headphone deals not realizing these are audiophile cans for critical listening: these headphones are wired only (no bluetooth or wireless connections of any kind), have no form of active noise cancelling, have extremely poor sound isolation (you can hear whats going on around you, and everyone around you can hear what you're listening too), and are moderately heavy and bulky. They are designed to be used at home with a dedicated audio setup.

With a high impedance and only moderately high sensitivity these headphones are fairly difficult to drive. I would only recommend purchasing these headphones if you already have a headphone amplifier or plan to purchase one, your motherboards 3.5mm output or a phone dongle will not be able to drive the hd6xx well at standard listening volumes. If you plan to use eq (equalization) at all this is even more relevant, as the necessary negative preamp to prevent clipping means these headphones will require even more power.

The hd6xx (and the hd 650, which is functionally identical) are widely regarded as baseline audiophile headphones. They are near universally acclaimed for their sound and build quality in their price bracket. The hd6xx are renowned for having exceptionally balanced and detailed mids, and having an overall laid back sound signature that the vast majority of people find pleasant. That being said, the hd6xx has fairly deficient bass and a mildly restrained treble, so those who prefer a more v-shaped sound profile would likely be better served looking elsewhere. Their soundstage and imaging are also middling for open backed headphones, though still superior to the majority of closed back headphones.

The build quality of the hd6xx is very good, they have an excellent reputation for longevity. The cable included with the hd6xx is supposedly somewhat worse than the one included with the hd 650, but I haven't heard any major complaints regarding it. The hd6xx is made in Ireland, and I believe it uses the older slightly different plastic molding than that which is used in the current silent revision of the hd 650. Regardless, the pads, drivers, and entire driver/cup assembly are identical between the hd6xx and hd650, and measurements between the two headphones fall within expected unit to unit variation. Those with larger heads may find the clamping force to be somewhat high, this can easily be rectified by stretching out the headband.

While the hd6xx are no longer the absolute undisputed value kings they used to be due to the advent of several competitive headphones in a similar price bracket (hifiman 400se @ $109, sennheiser hd 560s @ $130, etc.) in the past several years, they still remain a compelling value proposition.