Sennheiser HD6XX Open Back Professional Headphones - Black

Product Information

In fact, the KSC75 was so consistent on my rig (and fitting methodology) that I had to literally force myself to put on a weird, insecure fit to get different results. It doesn’t have a lot of sub-bass rumble but the rest of the bass presentation is quite pleasing in my opinion. HD6XX is no different in this regard and I found myself using the HD6XX more and more for my production work than others.

The HD 6XX’s knack for detail and presence includes all the instrumental textures and timbres an audiophile longs for, which are especially well outlined in the bubbly puffs of a saxophone reed, or the subtle scratches of a horse-hair bow across a violin’s strings. I dont understand the full story of crowdsourcing and how it applies to this headphone but ill explain what i do understand. That’s a pretty significant amount of power needed to reach higher volumes, so you want to leave these by the computer. Therefore, it is more emphasized in the mid-bass without being exaggerated, but still close to the neutral ideal.The natural habitat of the Sennheiser HD 6XX is by a computer, or plugged into a home theater setup. Sennheiser doesn’t quite claim that, but hype has been slowly building where the HD560S may be a viable replacement for the legendary HD6X0 headphones. The giant, open-back earpieces pop out like oval hula hoops, attached on an adjustable hinge and layered with dense mesh windows that unveil spiderwebbed drivers beneath. So I got my HD6xx’s and I am finally able to A/B the three legendary 600 series cans… HD600, HD6xx (aka HD650), and the newer, more divisive HD660s. Both have good upper treble extension but HD6XX becomes more laid back as the ear pads start wearing out but is a bit more prominent in upper treble with fresh ear pads.

With its neutral lower midrange and relatively light note weight, its 5k-ishHz boost gets a little intense and harsh at times.The earpads have a velour cover (which crunches a little bit with glasses), which encloses the complete ear and fits very securely due to the (a little too tight) contact pressure of the housing. Plucked strings like guitars sound like they’re severely lacking snap, and bowed strings sound like a heavy cloth has been draped over them. Similarly, while the soundstage could have been a bit wider, what the open-back HD 6XX offers is significantly clearer and broader than 99% of the closed-back headphones out there. Given the KSC75’s mid-bass emphasis and forward upper-midrange response, I would classify it as a “bass rolled V-shape”. Assuming of course that they beef up the construction materials because while it’s almost HD6X0-tier sound, the build quality still screams “yes, I’m a HD500 headphone”.

Now you’ve probably already read some impressions on the HD560S and this peak; some say it’s completely benign and not worth the worry. Compared to my previous headphone though, DT880 250ohms, it sounds a mix of way more lively, aggressive, and “correct”. It's exactly what the HD6XX needs, pushing forward the treble, resolving the bass, and giving the headphones a far more dynamic presentation.That being said, these truly are the start of the journey for audiophiles and not the place your journey will come to an end.