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Our research indicates that this deal is $77.95 less (22% savings) than the next best available price from a reputable merchant with prices starting from $349.95 at the time of this post.
The 600/650 model is legendary and its history goes back to the mid-90s. I've owned my share of Grados and Sennheisers (650, 600, etc) going back 27+ years. These are the benchmark for "neutral" sound. The issue with this and the HD600 (and its variants like the 650, 580 jubilee, massdrop 6xx, etc) is that it requires a lot of power to drive to sound good, otherwise, they sound dark, laid back, and boring. Also, it's 2026, what are you going to plug these into, hook it up to a bluetooth adapter?
A bit of history:
Back in the late 90s, The 580 jubilee (1995) and 600 (1998) became legendary b/c of a review in the 1998 issue of Stereophile. I think I have the magazines lying around somewhere. Around this time (late 90s, 2000s) Pow Chu Moy started a website called Headwize that gave rise to the altoids tin chu moy "cmoy" headphone amplifier and amplifiers like blue hawaii, gilmore circuit, etc. that were capable of driving the HD600s. Basically the HD600 paired with a Gilmore Lite or an upgraded cmoy amp because the de-facto "headphone" combo around 2005 in online audiophile communities. Some of the audio sources used to be ipod with "sik-din" line-out connector or other similar builds using wolfson DACs or more popularly at the time a Panasonic SL-S320 PCDP with the "1-bit mash dac". (random bit of internet history, but Pow Chu Moy graduated from Yale, died in 2016 alone in a motel in Vegas, long after Headwize went down, with no known living relatives, no money, and no possessions except a bissell vacuum cleaner that remained unopened). A bit sad considering that he gave rise to the headphone and amp industry as we know it today.
Sure, at $200+, everyone should own a pair, but I use airpods pro 2 now. I'm just too lazy to haul out the HD600 and an amp and an audio source. It takes a lot of effort beyond just putting something in your ear. And after all these years, it turns out that I just don't like "neutral" "clear" sound and my headphone collection is collecting dust.
The HD 600 is a classic open back reference headphone known for neutral, highly detailed sound and strong clarity, with a reputation that still holds up for mixing and mastering. Comfort is also a standout, and the gradual bass roll off responds well to EQ, while tube gear or a good amp can make the midrange shine. The main caveat is power, since they need proper amplification and can sound dark or boring from weak sources, and the lean bass can be unforgiving with compressed masters. A solid pick if you want a revealing benchmark and already have the right setup.
Mixing engineers wanting a neutral reference, because the HD 600 is highly revealing with basic clarity and accurate mids for mastering work.
Yes. The HD 600/650 line is treated as a neutral benchmark and is used as a reference for mixing and mastering because it is highly revealing and not overly bass-heavy. It performs best with clean, high-dynamic-range sources and flat EQ.
Yes. The HD 600 is described as needing a lot of power to drive properly; without a good amp it can sound dark, laid back, and boring. With proper amplification, it becomes much more neutral, detailed, and revealing.
No. The HD 600 is repeatedly described as nearly dead-neutral with rolled-off bass, so it is not the choice for strong low-end impact. The bass response can improve with EQ, and some people prefer the HD 650 or HD 660S2 if bass matters more.
Yes for many users, with several calling it one of the most comfortable headphones they own. A caveat is that it can clamp hard and press on the ears for some people, and replacement pads may help.
It is not the lowest price mentioned in the thread. Historical prices around $160-$170 are cited, and some remember the model selling for less on Drop, so $272 is more of a premium Amazon price than a bargain-basement one.
what's a good site for reviews? rtings seems to be pay to play.
The HD 600 is legendary in the audiophile community for being nearly dead neutral and incredibly detailed. I personally own a pair and they're amazing. I could do with more bass response so I prefer the 650 but the HD 600 is incredible, especially for this price. Just be warned, you'll need an amp for them to sound their best.
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Top-tier clarity, most comfortable pair I own. Bass is rolled off, but it's gradual, so responds well to EQ. Compares well to my $1500 Focal Clear Mg and $500 Bose QuietComfort Ultra, while sounding clearer and better than all my IEMs.
Clarity
HD 600: 5
Clear Mg: 5
QC Ultra: 4.5
Soundstage
HD 600: 4.5
Clear Mg: 5
QC Ultra: 3
Bass
HD 600: 3 (if boosted with EQ: 4.5)
Clear Mg: 5
QC Ultra: 3 (if reduced with EQ: 4.5)
good luck with that one unless a clearance or liquidation event happens.
Damn, I had no clue the Drop 6XX were gone forever until I looked it up following your comment. Sad day. Glad I got mine years ago, but I probably would've bought a backup pair when they were clearing them out had I known.
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Quote
from CoreyR2384
:
Damn, I had no clue the Drop 6XX were gone forever until I looked it up following your comment. Sad day. Glad I got mine years ago, but I probably would've bought a backup pair when they were clearing them out had I known.
since when, I thought that was one of the better review sites?
It's a fantastic site, Google and other AI companies were scraping all their test data and rtings was seeing almost no web traffic, they would've gone out of business
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Quote
from zck
:
what's a good site for reviews? rtings seems to be pay to play.
The 600/650 model is legendary and its history goes back to the mid-90s. I've owned my share of Grados and Sennheisers (650, 600, etc) going back 27+ years. These are the benchmark for "neutral" sound. The issue with this and the HD600 (and its variants like the 650, 580 jubilee, massdrop 6xx, etc) is that it requires a lot of power to drive to sound good, otherwise, they sound dark, laid back, and boring. Also, it's 2026, what are you going to plug these into, hook it up to a bluetooth adapter?
A bit of history:
Back in the late 90s, The 580 jubilee (1995) and 600 (1998) became legendary b/c of a review in the 1998 issue of Stereophile. I think I have the magazines lying around somewhere. Around this time (late 90s, 2000s) Pow Chu Moy started a website called Headwize that gave rise to the altoids tin chu moy "cmoy" headphone amplifier and amplifiers like blue hawaii, gilmore circuit, etc. that were capable of driving the HD600s. Basically the HD600 paired with a Gilmore Lite or an upgraded cmoy amp because the de-facto "headphone" combo around 2005 in online audiophile communities. Some of the audio sources used to be ipod with "sik-din" line-out connector or other similar builds using wolfson DACs or more popularly at the time a Panasonic SL-S320 PCDP with the "1-bit mash dac". (random bit of internet history, but Pow Chu Moy graduated from Yale, died in 2016 alone in a motel in Vegas, long after Headwize went down, with no known living relatives, no money, and no possessions except a bissell vacuum cleaner that remained unopened). A bit sad considering that he gave rise to the headphone and amp industry as we know it today.
Sure, at $200+, everyone should own a pair, but I use airpods pro 2 now. I'm just too lazy to haul out the HD600 and an amp and an audio source. It takes a lot of effort beyond just putting something in your ear. And after all these years, it turns out that I just don't like "neutral" "clear" sound and my headphone collection is collecting dust.
Last edited by poolsmaster April 10, 2026 at 11:04 PM.
It's a fantastic site, Google and other AI companies were scraping all their test data and rtings was seeing almost no web traffic, they would've gone out of business
Oh I see, I get it now why they have a paywall...
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Thanks for the plug. I might have to snag myself a pair of these since I was on the fence a/b purchasing them when Drop was still around. I could've sworn that these sold for less when they were on Drop.
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A bit of history:
Back in the late 90s, The 580 jubilee (1995) and 600 (1998) became legendary b/c of a review in the 1998 issue of Stereophile. I think I have the magazines lying around somewhere. Around this time (late 90s, 2000s) Pow Chu Moy started a website called Headwize that gave rise to the altoids tin chu moy "cmoy" headphone amplifier and amplifiers like blue hawaii, gilmore circuit, etc. that were capable of driving the HD600s. Basically the HD600 paired with a Gilmore Lite or an upgraded cmoy amp because the de-facto "headphone" combo around 2005 in online audiophile communities. Some of the audio sources used to be ipod with "sik-din" line-out connector or other similar builds using wolfson DACs or more popularly at the time a Panasonic SL-S320 PCDP with the "1-bit mash dac". (random bit of internet history, but Pow Chu Moy graduated from Yale, died in 2016 alone in a motel in Vegas, long after Headwize went down, with no known living relatives, no money, and no possessions except a bissell vacuum cleaner that remained unopened). A bit sad considering that he gave rise to the headphone and amp industry as we know it today.
Sure, at $200+, everyone should own a pair, but I use airpods pro 2 now. I'm just too lazy to haul out the HD600 and an amp and an audio source. It takes a lot of effort beyond just putting something in your ear. And after all these years, it turns out that I just don't like "neutral" "clear" sound and my headphone collection is collecting dust.
Community Reviews
The HD 600 is a classic open back reference headphone known for neutral, highly detailed sound and strong clarity, with a reputation that still holds up for mixing and mastering. Comfort is also a standout, and the gradual bass roll off responds well to EQ, while tube gear or a good amp can make the midrange shine. The main caveat is power, since they need proper amplification and can sound dark or boring from weak sources, and the lean bass can be unforgiving with compressed masters. A solid pick if you want a revealing benchmark and already have the right setup.
Mixing engineers wanting a neutral reference, because the HD 600 is highly revealing with basic clarity and accurate mids for mastering work.
Listeners who prioritize vocal clarity and detail, because the HD 600 sounds nearly dead-neutral with clear highs and top-tier resolution.
Audiophiles with a proper headphone amp, because the HD 600 needs real power to sound its best and rewards good amplification.
Tube-amp fans chasing lush midrange, because the HD 600 can sound like absolute magic in the mids with tubes and higher-end R2R gear.
Bass-first listeners, because the HD 600 has rolled-off bass and less low-end weight than warmer alternatives.
People who want plug-and-play headphones from a phone or Bluetooth adapter, because the HD 600 needs a lot of power to drive well.
Casual listeners using compressed streaming or loud playlists, because the HD 600 can make compressed masters sound piercing and unenjoyable.
Listeners who need strong isolation for travel or office use, because the HD 600 is open-back and provides no noise cancelling or isolation.
Common Questions (5)
AI-generated summary based on comments from the community. Updated ago
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Clarity
HD 600: 5
Clear Mg: 5
QC Ultra: 4.5
Soundstage
HD 600: 4.5
Clear Mg: 5
QC Ultra: 3
Bass
HD 600: 3 (if boosted with EQ: 4.5)
Clear Mg: 5
QC Ultra: 3 (if reduced with EQ: 4.5)
Comfort
HD 600: 5
Clear Mg: 4
QC Ultra: 4.5
Noise cancelling / isolation
HD 600: 0
Clear Mg: 0
QC Ultra: 5
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Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank
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A bit of history:
Back in the late 90s, The 580 jubilee (1995) and 600 (1998) became legendary b/c of a review in the 1998 issue of Stereophile. I think I have the magazines lying around somewhere. Around this time (late 90s, 2000s) Pow Chu Moy started a website called Headwize that gave rise to the altoids tin chu moy "cmoy" headphone amplifier and amplifiers like blue hawaii, gilmore circuit, etc. that were capable of driving the HD600s. Basically the HD600 paired with a Gilmore Lite or an upgraded cmoy amp because the de-facto "headphone" combo around 2005 in online audiophile communities. Some of the audio sources used to be ipod with "sik-din" line-out connector or other similar builds using wolfson DACs or more popularly at the time a Panasonic SL-S320 PCDP with the "1-bit mash dac". (random bit of internet history, but Pow Chu Moy graduated from Yale, died in 2016 alone in a motel in Vegas, long after Headwize went down, with no known living relatives, no money, and no possessions except a bissell vacuum cleaner that remained unopened). A bit sad considering that he gave rise to the headphone and amp industry as we know it today.
Sure, at $200+, everyone should own a pair, but I use airpods pro 2 now. I'm just too lazy to haul out the HD600 and an amp and an audio source. It takes a lot of effort beyond just putting something in your ear. And after all these years, it turns out that I just don't like "neutral" "clear" sound and my headphone collection is collecting dust.
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