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[deleted] OP t1_j8k2c18 wrote

It is probably indeed because the HD 600 is bass shy. I too enjoy them quite a bit without EQ, but as soon as I crave that DnB, their flaws become apparent and all enjoyment is lost.

I'd try EQ, if I were you. I recommend starting with Oratory's settings. You can also only apply the bass EQ, if you feel the rest to be unnecessary. Then adjust band three (the low shelf) to preference.

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[deleted] OP t1_j8ko9jp wrote

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ratatat t1_j8kxh31 wrote

if you're not using an amp, I'd recommend the FiiO K3 as a cheap solution for this too. I got one for $49 shipped on eBay and its bass boost gives me juuuust enough on my 660S. I've had sound distortion trying to use integrated EQs in Spotify or Apple Music listening to mostly bass-heavy hip hop.

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[deleted] OP t1_j8kysw4 wrote

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RChamy t1_j8l270r wrote

The shop background noise could've hurt the performance. Rule of thumb is try the headphones with a cheapo Apple dongle, if you dont hear a difference then its not time for upgrading. I keep a Fiio KA1 for demoing headphones if my clients with to

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[deleted] OP t1_j8l2yti wrote

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RChamy t1_j8l52gg wrote

There is a significant difference in bass and treble definition when jumping from onboard audio to a dedicated dac/amp combo unless you are using a modern audio codec like the ALC1200. Most dedicated USB dac/amp combos will sound very similar of not the same after that, with exception to valve amps.

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[deleted] OP t1_j8l5yi4 wrote

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RChamy t1_j8l6ame wrote

I stand corrected, but both are MUCH better than the ALC892 or that toy Dell audio

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scrtzwow t1_j8k5q2b wrote

I tried the hd660s twice myself but prefer bass heavy music too much (mainly dubstep, dnb, hiphop, rap) so kept going back to my dt1770 for that reason. Dt770/dt700x/dt1770 is some quality bass.

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ducky92fr t1_j8k9g6x wrote

With this kind of music u should avoid sennheiser

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[deleted] OP t1_j8kju94 wrote

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ultra_prescriptivist t1_j8kmfd5 wrote

It's getting downvoted because suggesting that people avoid an entire brand based on certain types of music is asinine.

I love many types of music including dnb, hip-hop, dubstep, and electronica, and I'll take my various Sennheisers over some Beyer DTs any day of the week.

Calling the HD600s sharp is a new one, by the way - in terms of treble they're nowhere near as hot as the DT880 or DT990s. Maybe it's the upper mids you don't like? If so, that can mitigated with EQ.

Anyway, this hobby is largely subjective - what works for you won't work for others - so you're right in that it's more important to test out headphones for yourself rather than rely wholly on the advice of internet strangers.

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[deleted] OP t1_j8kqzvz wrote

It is a studio headphone.. emotionless ( It's one of my favorites). Maybe hifiman sundara would be better for you

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Extrapaj t1_j8m39et wrote

Is it tho? I thought this was Sennheiser's flagship from the 90's.

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AntOk463 t1_j8lmwgt wrote

When I first showed my AKG to my cousin, I showed him a demo and he said the sound quality is better, but when he listed to his own music he didn't like them. It was a bit odd feeling due to the lack in bass because they are open back, but when listening to most hip hop tracks the loss of bass brought out other instruments and sounds I didn't notice before. So I just kinda got used to the sound. A benifit is how open they sound, if they didn't sound as open and the sound was unfamiliar, then I might not like them. But because they are so open and give an experience like no other, I love using them.

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Avatar-san t1_j8mf9lk wrote

As someone who owned them for many years I can say that it's a headphone with 2 downfalls, one being in the sub bass as seen in any graph and the second being the infamous sennheiser veil and that is a dip in the treble. It's not a completely flat headphone, it's mid forward.

What you think of the headphone is music library dependant, if you want exciting then it is not the perfect headphone as its smooth treble isn't nearly as exciting as a metallic treble of a planar headphone, it's bass cant compete with a good closed backs bass.

It's a certain presentation, it's safe, it's sub-bass deficient with a slight bump in the mids and slight woolliness in the treble.

You most certainly can find headphones that prioritize exciting over being even, I highly recommend trying a denon d5200 if you're keen on using some eq.

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headphonehabit t1_j8q0d5u wrote

The 600s sound best when driven by a tube amp. More/better bass too.

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RB181 t1_j8k79h7 wrote

I feel similarly about the HD 600s. They're good headphones for music I don't listen to and not so good for music I do listen to (mostly /r/symphonicmetal), so now they're sitting in my drawer as a backup pair most of the time.

Maybe try EQ as the other commenter suggested. If you still don't like the 600s after applying EQ, or can't/don't want to use EQ for some reason, I think it's best to return them.

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SuperValue t1_j8ksvvb wrote

What's your go to hesdphone? I'm a fellow symphonic metal lover. (just saw Nightwish last summer, missed Epica though in the autumn).

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RB181 t1_j8lvlfq wrote

My favourites are Sennheiser HD560S, AKG K612 Pro and Hifiman HE400SE.

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SuperValue t1_j8nyln4 wrote

> AKG K612 Pro

Always wanted to try a HD560s, never have though. I'm in upper middle class fi hell these days.

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RB181 t1_j8o5p4c wrote

They're my favourite Sennheisers under $500 (haven't really tried their high-end stuff), highly recommended.

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SuperValue t1_j8reu2v wrote

I have a bunch of cans that are "above" these and many that are equal. Still want to try them.

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ku1185 t1_j8kyo0s wrote

Guessing that "sharpness" you hear is probably the upper mids. I find it to be a bit shouty/obnoxious and fatiguing.

I also thought that the HD6x0 series can sound a little boring, but certain source gear does seem to add a lot of life.

Did you mention what you were using to drive those headphones?

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[deleted] OP t1_j8l0ibe wrote

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ku1185 t1_j8l2jnb wrote

You'll probably get different advice but IME the HD600s are fairly hard to drive and benefits from a more powerful source. s

Could try some different amps but frankly, you might be better off trying different headphones.

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80dimebagz t1_j8m2ysd wrote

finally someone said it lol

i love $b and bones but admittedly their music is nothing stellar in terms of mixing and mastering. headphones like the hd600 will blow you away when listening to rock, jazz or something that involves real instruments. they’ll blow you away when listening to IDM and ambient, music that involves a ton of little details. otherwise, they’ll reveal all the glaring flaws with a song’s mixing, and take all the fun out of them.

which is precisely why i don’t like them.

i respect them highly, but i would personally never own one. i can’t stand when a headphone just won’t sound good with 50% of my music taste. keep in mind that music has evolved a lot since the hd600s came out in 1997. a lot of today’s music is bass-heavy or mixed badly, often intentionally, and that just won’t translate well to an hd600.

i would recommend going for a more modern open-back reference headphone, as those are a lot more musical and can do hip-hop perfectly. the audio-technica r70x come to mind. they have great bass and warmth, yet retain the great clarity, detail, soundstage and imaging that you come to expect from professional headphones.

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Plenty_One2502 t1_j8mydu8 wrote

Its dark as a tunnel with no light inside a black hole.

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CrniFlash t1_j8n9yl3 wrote

Well HD600 are studio headphones and are made for studios in mind so its not a suprise, EQ can fix that up tho, just play around with it till you find a sweet spot

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