OFFICIAL: Massdrop Sennheiser HD6XX

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by purr1n, Nov 1, 2016.

  1. Tyll Hertsens

    Tyll Hertsens Grandpappy of the hobby - Special Friend

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  2. HitmanFluffy

    HitmanFluffy Hoping to see real genitals someday!

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    So it's a 650?
     
  3. Robert777

    Robert777 Acquaintance

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    I was thinking exactly this but did not post because I could not articulate my thoughts well enough.

    What happens when someone plugs these bad boys into a laptop playing a Kanye mp3?

    This is a genuine question. Will it sound okay or will they reach for something else?
     
  4. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Give me a minute. Need to move pix over.
     
  5. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    FWIW I still see people on other forums asking why everyone like the 6x0 series, and it usually comes out that they driving them straight from a laptop. Most people who just want to hear some tunes with headphones don't realize that some headphones require more power than others.
     
  6. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Pix moved. Yes. Smells like 650.
     
  7. Mdkaler

    Mdkaler Friend

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    In Jude's video he showed a few graphs. With the same system measuring two headphones, I think it is safe to ignore any errors (not saying there are, as I am not experienced enough to do so) for the purpose of comparison. Looks like 650 and 6xx are pretty much the same sonically.
    Oh and he used a new HD 650, kudos to that one. Thoughts?
     
  8. Mdkaler

    Mdkaler Friend

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    Can we assume you will bring it to the meet?

    edit: I am worried about build quality, as I have a hard time imagining how a change of paint can cut the price by >$100.
     
  9. ibzrg1570

    ibzrg1570 Facebook Friend

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    I don't think the non-audiophiles will complain about sound quality through their smartphone/laptop as much as they will about isolation. It doesn't matter how many disclaimers they put on the product page, there will always be people who won't read and will later bitch about how these headphones suck.

    Bass level preferences aside, I don't think it'll be a problem. Most people who are buying $200 headphones have never heard decent headphones before, so even an improperly amped HD650 will be a revelation. I know it was for me when I got my HD600 back in the day, I couldn't heard a difference between my smartphone and my Magni.
     
  10. Vtory

    Vtory Audiophileâ„¢

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    Totally agree! Maybe I might be too accustomed to SBAF standards. :)
    But I still think that the combo I mentioned would be comfortably recommendable to any audiophiles who have decent willingness but are budget-conscious. This is how I defined 'masses'.
     
  11. TMRaven

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    So now I can wait for someone to sell their used HD6xx for 150.
     
  12. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    Materials might not have changed. Perhaps paint job is cheaper. But I'm sure a lot of it comes down to discounts by securing very large, bulk orders, and then selling to customers at a lower per-unit price than most retailers.

    Looks like a good thing overall. HD650 for $200. Fantastic deal regardless of what anyone thinks of the paint. Don't forget, it'll inevitably end up with a bunch of visible Dynamat on the inside anyway. ;)
     
  13. ibzrg1570

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    Considering that it's a 13 year old design with relatively little R&D investment added over the years, I would bet their production costs are low enough that they didn't need to change anything at all to make a profit at $200. That said, I was expecting Made in China, cheap creaky plastic, etc. Given that it's made in Ireland like the HD6X0 though, I'm hopeful that it's built just as solid.
     
  14. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    Well, if they all have proper 650-like driver matching like that, it answers my biggest worry..
     
  15. AllanMarcus

    AllanMarcus Friend

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    I cannot speak to the Abyss, but I have the loaner Jodie and HD650, and I much prefer the PMx2 and HD800 to the HD650. Both of those are over $1000 and are in no way 5x better to me, but I definitely prefer them (the HD650 sounds thin to me compared to the PMx2; likes it's missing something).

    Audiophiles point to the law of diminishing returns all the time. A $1000 headphone might be twice as good as a $200 headphone. A $5000 headphone might be twice as good again. So 10x price for 4x the sound (obviously these numbers are for comparison purposes only).

    Don't forget that the $200 HD6XX is maybe 4x better than the $27 Koss PortaPro, but 7.4x the price.

    This is a very common concern you raise. In any hobby you can usually get to 80% enjoyment pretty fast, but that last 20% costs an arm and leg.
     
  16. Dino

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    I'm thinking that we might feel differently if we didn't have the teaser and the time to project our wishes of what the HD6XX might be.

    Yeah, it is disappointing in ways. I am over that. I am quite glad that Sennheiser/Massdrop did not screw it up!
     
  17. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    It's missing a TOTL tube amp. ;) (Also unsure of DAC...I heard DAC differences more readily on HD650 compared to PMx2.)
     
  18. AllanMarcus

    AllanMarcus Friend

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    he has no accent.
     
  19. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    Well, the HD5X8 line was pretty damn resilient, IME, and it was less than $200. Some of you guys are overthinking things.
     
  20. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    The importance of driver matching is super underappreciated. The measurement monkeys here know how important this is when it comes down to the subjective experience. (@Hands, @Serious, feel free to disagree or agree). It makes me want to barf when I see higher cost products without this kind of attention and care. Even a Grado RS-1s, priced at what used to be considered an expensive headphone at $599 has excellent driver matching. We hear all sorts of excuses: oh, it's the pads, it's your measurement rig, etc. When then get yer fricking pads to be consistent. I didn't have problems with Utopia pads and I've never had problems with Sennheiser pads. Cheap is cheap and should not be sold for more.

    And yeah, F U Jude for hawking all the craptastic shit for the past six years. You Jude are the biggest enemy to consumers pocketbooks by preventing the commoditization of headphones where consumers can buy features and performance that even somewhat relate to price. Yeah Jude, you are the public enemy #1 to all people in this hobby.

    Sorry, I just woke up today to question myself: why the F do we have all these one - two - three thousand dollar headphones that are so shitty, or at least don't pay attention to certain aspects of quality. Only in this "hobby" can manufacturers get away with this.
     
    Last edited: Nov 3, 2016

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