Excessive-end sound with out breaking the financial institution: Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX headphones – CNET

Settle in with the HD 6XX and you will find your self listening to increasingly delicate element in your music.

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Sennheiser HD 650 headphones are a contemporary traditional; they’ve by no means gone out of favor with the cognoscenti. Put on a pair for 10 minutes and you will know why: They simply sound correct. A part of the attraction is that they sound extra open, much less caught inside your cranium than on a regular basis headphones. The “tone” is good too. Bass, midrange and treble are effectively sorted out. They don’t seem to be low cost, although. The HD 650 lists for $499 ($319 on Amazon). However the Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX model we’re taking a look at at this time runs $220. In case you’re simply now getting severe about headphones, there is not any higher place to begin than the HD 6XX.

The HD 650 seems to be practically the identical. The primary distinction is the HD 6XX headband is deep blue and the HD 650’s is darkish grey. The sound producing components are the identical. They’re digital twins.

The HD 6XX is an open-back, over-the-ear design, and it’s extremely comfy to put on for hours at a time. It comes with a six foot lengthy, very versatile, user-replaceable cable terminated with a three.5mm plug, and there is a 6.5mm adapter plug. Head clamping strain in opposition to my ears was reasonable, and the velour coated ear pads are simply the best softness.

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The HD 6XX’s impedance is rated at a really excessive 300 ohms, however that did not pose any downside in my listening assessments. It weighs 9.2 ounces, fairly gentle for full-size headphones. Massdrop sells the HD 6XX with a two-year guarantee, double the size of protection of most headphones.

I used a $100 AudioQuest DragonFly Black digital converter/headphone amp working off my Mac Mini laptop for all my listening assessments. One factor is clear from the get-go, the HD 6XX sound is not hyped or pandering to mass market tastes. Nothing jumps out or feels amiss. The bass-midrange-treble stability is so clean it might sound somewhat boring at first. However settle in with the HD 6XX and you will find your self listening to increasingly delicate element in your music, however with out the fatigue of, say, a pair of Beats headphones.

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Bass was plentiful on Huge Assault’s 5 Man Military all proper, however not overdone. The HD 6XX’s deft management over the low notes was refreshing. Vocals have been likewise current and articulate. The treble was blissfully freed from harshness, and the HD 6XX sounds proper with the quantity turned means down low or means up.

The HD 6XX is an open-back headphone, nevertheless it sounds extra open and fewer inside my head than most open headphones, and you’ll simply hear sound from throughout you. The draw back to all open headphones is they do not isolate the wearer from exterior noise, and other people close by can hear sound “leaking” from the HD 6XX. So it is principally a hear by your self at residence headphone.  

I cherished the sound, nevertheless it’s not the form of headphone that’ll fulfill patrons craving most element and readability. If that is extra to your style, take into account a Hifiman HE400S headphone (presently $229 on Amazon). It is extra clear and dynamically alive than the HD 6XX. The Hifiman is a terrific headphone, nevertheless it’s not as comfy or open sounding because the HD 6XX. The HE400S may not be a sensible alternative for patrons who hearken to quite a lot of extremely compressed or brilliant recordings. The HD 6XX would tame the harshness to some extent.

In case you discover most headphones too brilliant, the Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX could be simply what you are on the lookout for. It is such a simple headphone to like as a result of it is so darn comfy and brings out the most effective in most recordings.