Should You Upgrade to the HD800S (if you own an HD 600/650)?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- This is a question I get asked sometimes by owners of HD 600/650. Given that the HD 600/650 have saintly status among audiophiles starting out and even among veteran audiophiles, I thought this would be an interesting idea for a video, lol.
Email: sh2367@caa.columbia.edu
#SennheiserHD600 #SennheiserHD650 #SennheiserHD800S #Audiophile #SajidAmit
The secret is to have them all. 🙈
Zeos, is that you?
I own HD600 and HD800s and I think they are a perfect combo.
what?
@@Evoke-Chaos The HD800s doesn’t replace the HD600, it’s not an upgrade but a different sound signature.
Well done! I’ve been a recording engineer for 40yr and agree 100%! I do have all three and am sick of listening to people wine and cry about the top end on the 800s! I’ve mic’d / recorded & mixed hundreds of drum kits in dozens of studios . To my ears, nothing beats the staging, transient reproduction/speed & comfort of the 800s!
I agree 100% My first "Real" headphone was the HD650, and I've had the HD700 & HD800. Let them both go because I never thought they matched the "magic" of the HD650. Even now (YEARS later) with headphones ranging up to my Susvara, I'd NEVER sell my HD650! (Though I'd be sad replacing it with a new one because it won't be my beloved "first headphone" anymore...) HD-600 never interested me. Back when you could audition in stores (Pre-COVID), it just never made me want to take one home. But the rotation of HD650, HEDDPhone, & Susvara keeps my ears from ever being bored, and covers just about any music I am in the mood for. (Though I still have an old, heavily-EQ'd & over-driven JVC HA-SZ2000 for those rare sessions when I want the sensation of tower-amped 80's club/rave bass!) ;-)
How do the 650 compare to the 660s ?
you are living the dream, man.
HD600 are worth owning even if you have the HD650. Everyone should own a pair!
@hapox4145 There's several revisions of the HD650. The black cloth version is not muddy at all. I own the HD600 also.
I had HD 800S, but they made the top of my head hurt. Something odd with the shape/padding. You might think it's the same shape as HD 800, but it actually isn't. The bend is different. So I returned them and managed to buy a nice pair of HD 800 instead. They are perfectly comfortable and sound brilliant.
Having low clamp all the weight is discharged on the head and they're not so lightweight. That said, I find them super comfortable.
Very nice assessment.
Own them both, love them both but for different reasons and different music.
Ochestra (-moviesoundtracks) that are very well recorded are a treat on the 800.
Even more than on something like the LCD 4....
The tuning target of the 800 just seem right for anything orchestra.
Did you try some western soundtracks from moricone?
Its all about preference you buy and use what ever sounds good to you i do have the hd 600,hd 650,and the hd58x and alternate between all of them and i also have the beyerdynamlc dt 880 600 ohm which i prefer over all my sennheisers again thats just my preference. Its what ever floats your boat!!!!!
The HD650 + HD 800s make a great pair.
650/6xx if you want warmth and dont want to eq (they are better with eq though). 600 if you will eq and want more detail and sacrifice a little warmth and soundstage. been a long time since ive heard 800 but i remember saying to myself its not worth the price for me but i also dont think i used eq then. my go to has been for the last 2-3 years is the beyerdynamic dt 880 600ohm with oratory1990s warm pad eq. before that it was the 650
In the HD650, I removed the pad between dynamic and my ear and I think I got that sound from HD800s. That when the sound is not playing anymore inside your head, but like you are listening monitors. More clean and accuracy reverbs, more space for 1-2meter. Then I removed pad from the magnet on the back and I got bassse 😂 Sub-base. But I still using Sonarworks to reduce the level of mid range 100-300hz and +3db for 30-60hz. And now they sound so real, so natural, soo clean and deep. There is no more distortion. Voices sounds like they are real. Reverbs… instruments, drums you can hear now the position in the 3D and not like before in the 2D. I like that sound a lot more. It so clean and detailed. Other headphones now sound for me like a bucket filled with foam with a bunch of unpleasant reflections and compressed bass.
btw. I also replaced my old ear pads to the new. They are thicker and has a different sound - better sound and it’s different sound with a bigger sound area.
Great comparison. Cheers!
I have the hd 700. I love them. They do not get much love though. Don’t know why.
you are a person who likes pain and bleeding lol
😂
Hd700 is the black sheep.
I have more than 25 headphones, including pretty pricey ones and studio monitors but for my hearing the HD 420 are optimal.
Great Comparison, Sanjay! Any plans to include comparisons with other mid-tier headphones from Philips (X3 and or X2HR)? I would greatly value your opinion 🙏
The Philips headphones aren’t even in the same zip code. I would say UNIVERSE but that might be a bit insulting. But pretty much.
650 is literally good at everything and best vocals headphone I've ever owned.
I have the 660s1 and I think a $300 IEM sounds noticeable better... brighter more openess sounstage etc... 660 sounds very boxy. Upgrading to the 800S sounds like I would get IEM quality audio.
Hd600 for casual and computer gaming use.
Hd800 for serious music listening.
On a proper headphone amp they are both great but the 800 just sounds bigger bolder and way more detailed.
From the HD600 i upgraded to Stax L700 mk2...if you want to try a great sidegrade to the HD600 try the AKG 612 pro huge soundstage and loves a tube amp to and for half the price of the HD600...great info though...do you have a play list that you could share ? thanks.
akg 612 pro is a great gaming can too
Answer is simple, HD800s. Simply a far superior headphone in every way. Just a matter if your budget extends that far.
How about the 660S2?
I have the hd660s and the hd800s, love the hd800s by far the most, but I absolutely hate the headband on it. I feel like Sennheiser spent so much of their budget for these headphones on the driver and the drivers casing that after they were finished with those design's they clued in that they totally forgot about including the headband into the budget and design. When they finally clued in, they asked "how much of the budget is left for the headbands?" and they were answered with "10 cents". Like the f'ing thing will not stay together for the life of it, and on the right side of the size adjustment, it is about as loose as your mothers vajaja, I have to set it every time I use the headphone, and sometimes more then once and I also need to squeeze the headband to make sure it's clicked into place, which it normally isn't. Yet the left side is tighter than your sisters vajaja and feels like I'm going to break it whenever I adjust it. I wish that Sennheiser had just put a normal headband on it, no different than they put on any of the 600 series. Only if they just saved more then that "10 cents" that they did, if only.
Subscribers! I went straight to the hd800s, and this makes me feel a bit better about not trying the other headphones you’ve shown here. Next stop, utopia!
Bro idk why even tho you have a very “normal” accent I immediately knew you were from BD 😭😭😭 something abt the way we speak I just subconsciously knew. Anyways, great video! Love to see local content creators who are so sophisticated 😄
I have a few friends that have gone own the top of the link headpones + chain and have gone back to black silk hd650. They say on a chain like Rockna / DNA / Eddie Current the hd650 black silk model scales beyond anything else.
Totally agree…older black silk are great.
Finding it very, very hard to find an upgrade to my 12 yr old 600s
Why upgrade when you have a favourite and you're happy with them?
@@ickebins6948 true fact! I did order and also think are great are some planar HE-4XX's
I have the hd600. They are boring on my low fi amps. They shine in otl tube amps.
I use them with my sloppy seconds dark voice and certain tracks will elicit the biggest grin for thickness and fun! Do you notice the hd800s change on a tube?
you could just use eq and or dsp no need for another amp
Amps are supposed to be neutral. With tube amps you're sacrificing quality and neutrality for a sound you could much better achieve with a digital EQ.
I would strongly recommend Beyerdynamic T1 2nd gen or 3rd gen over HD800S. They sound almost identical, for half the price.
My personal pick would be og Focal Clear because they sound more neutral and dynamic.
Yes regarding the T1! (And I found that my 2nd gen also sounds better than 1st gen. Plus the cable is removable.) Still haven't auditioned the Focal stuff, but keep hearing good things about the original Clear. Same as my hd650, I kept my T1 over the HD800, but that decision seemed to be questioned by others OFTEN... But we like what we like.
what about soundstage?
@@BlueNukez that’s what I hate HD800S/820 the most. Their stage is so empty in the middle, with everything pushed far away from the center. It’s like looking through a fisheye lens, very unsettling.
@@allansh828 If they sound empty in the middle that means the music you're picking to listen too are middle empty to begin with. I have a pair of hd660s and a pair of hd800s, and whenever I watch a show/movie I really like/wanna watch or a videogame I really like/wanna play, I always go to the hd800s because they are just so much more resolving, way bigger soundstage, much better imaging and overall a much better experience and sounding headphone then the hd660s which are a great pair of headphones in their own right. I usually use my hd660s for watching TH-cam videos and everything else that is not something I really wanna watch or play badly. Oh, and with the hd880s, using them for everything that I do, they sound better in the middle then the hd660s does, so it isn't the headphone that is giving you trouble and if it is it's because there is something wrong/broken with them, they are certainty not working correctly.
I want HD800S so much. I hate HD6x0 stuff. How is the bass compared to something like Arya ? I heard the Ananda and it does sub bass well but the soundstage is just not enough.
Arya has better bass, with more quantity. However I think hd800-s is more delicate and more unique headphone. Arya is better for all kind of music, but hd800/s will give you the magic moments, not the aryas.
if you hate the 600s do not get the 800s
Great Video Señor.,I have not owned any Audiophile grade headphone.I am Planing to buy the Hifiman Sundara 2020 edition..Any suggestion for warm sounding dac/amp combo or stacks..
I had the Sundara until recently, (I gave it to my little sister to help her get started with appreciating GOOD headphones.) and it worked well with just about every amp I used from $99 Fiio, iFi, ES100, & Qudelix mini amp/DAC combos to Schiit Audio Asgard 2 (Old model, the "Asgard 3" is out now) to more expensive all-in-ones like iFi Micro iDSD, iDSD Black Label, xDSD, Gryphon, & Signature lines. Popular more expensive separates like the Topping A90, SMSL SP200 (Least favorite), THX 789, Burson Audio Soloist 3X Performance, Denafrips Artemis amps, and various DACs up to a Denafrips Pontus II (I haven't settled on a final "end-game" DAC yet and auditioned too many to list.) all didn't IMPROVE the sound of the Sundara. The Sundara just acted as a transparent window for how THOSE COMPONENTS sounded. So my advice is to be realistic about your budget, and buy from stores you can audition from because it is more likely the DAC and AMP that you're going to like or not than the fairly transparent Sundara which is the best all-rounder below $500 USD "in my opinion". No matter what you decide - GOOD LUCK, and ENJOY what you get!
Ifi zen dac and zen can is a killer combo .... its got a bass boost that gives the sundara a bit of a kick..and it's all most normal people, would ever need...
@@knorrissirronk8665 Thank u man..✌✌
@@chefsteve8381 Thanks Steve..🙏🙏
i had HD660S and i loved it. i have also tested hD820 and 800S but i didn't like the sound of these latest models despite they are the top of the line. they sound weird and woody without any tipe of colour and mid and bass are almost absent. i prefered a lot the focal clear MG in the same range price
I felt the same. Do you think the clear mg are very good? Even better than the 660s?
@@Emmbedd yep sure. I tested it in a shop with my HD660s and the HD820 for a comparision and i was very pleased by The sound and dynamics from the focal clear mg. For my opinion is just the right upgrade from the HD660s
@@alessandroparma6297 thanks man I think I’ll go with the mg professional
@@Emmbedd good. So Let know to us, when you have bought and tested it, your feels and views on it
@@alessandroparma6297 here I am, I got the clear MG pro - this headphone pairs perfectly with the 660S, I find them very clean and open compared to the 660s, however what strikes me is how the bass is translated into the entire mix, mixing tracks with them become easy especially working on the bass, is so clear, is as if you can almost analytically hear how much a speaker could push the bass on that specific segment! I am impressed, the magic is the combo with the 660s, once you are done with the clarity of the bass you can use the 660s to work on all the rest of the track making it more dirty if you like, once is done back to the clear mg pro and you can hear if everything is correct. Very pricey, I found a b stock for 300 less, great deal, this headphones are a luxury tool for whoever make music, I wonder how the stellia and the utopia are at this stage, but I am way to afraid for try them.
Great Video!
Which pads would you recommend rolling on the Hd650s?
Yes
All the "TH-cam" sound demos I heard never convinced me to buy the HD800S or HD660S2
What recommendations would be for solid state amplifiers to drive 800S to listen to classical music?
RME-ADI 2 DAC FS
@@ixoye56
I confirm you need an equalizer Brian Liu
get a good tube amp like TRIODE TRV-35SE INTERGRATED TUBE AMPLIFIER phone is amazing , I have Burson 3x GT solid amp no way near my tube amp sound
@@Stephenwongdirectimaging thank you 😊
How do the 650 compare to the 660s ?
Yes
The answer is Yes
The HD660s is the best in the 600 series.
The HD660's is without a doubt a better headphone than both the 600 and 650
@@soulfulfool It can be and is
@@Pagaugezero Nope... The best one is the original 580 😆
I have the HD650 and the HD600 result the HD600 is better
De todas maneras....no tiene nada que ver una serie con la otra.
HD600 is between HD800 and HD650
hd800s bass performance low. hd820 bass performanca more good
The hd800s may not have gobs of bass, but the bas it does have is highly refined and sounds like magic to the ears. Every other headphone or speaker I have listened to that had as little bass or even slightly more as the hd800s's do, just sounds not so good to me, but whatever Sennheiser did to the bass on the hd800s, they made it that my brain thinks there is way more bass then there is and it sounds more like reality then the amount of bass should. I don't know how or why the hd800s bass sounds so good to me but it does, all I can think is maybe the bass is just so pure that a little goes a long way.
hd600 are extremely uncomfortable
Um, no they aren't.
@@coloradoing9172 yes they are
@@ChickenPermissionOG I agree. the clamping force for the whole HD600 series is too much. I got an used pair of HD800s and they are surprisingly comfortable.
The 800 s is a totaly different headphone and to compare them is useless.
But this is precisely the reason to do a comparison.. A Subaru BRZ vs. Toyota 86 review wouldn't be the interesting.
yeah it is a worse headphone made for stupid consoomers ;)
Nope just get a HD58X and EQ. 👌🏼
The 58X is shit what are you talking about? Get an original 580 witb the proper driver design.
@@ChrisStoneinator Hence why he wrote EQ, if they sounded so great out of the box then he wouldn't have written "and EQ". lol
@@randysalsman6992 they are still shit when you EQ them.
All of these are like 30 years old now, so if you haven't tried them all by now, may as well move on lol. Sennheiser needs to make an HD900 already. Forget this ancient stuff with terrible stage, sad one-note bass, or dumb special connectors.
Have tried and owned them for a while. But still relevant. I have owned and reviewed the other newer top of the line stuff as well on this channel, in case you are interested. :)
Yep. One can get the soundstage, detail and airiness, but with actual bass extension and a much better bass with the Hifiman Arya.
'x-tech gaming' u DON'T get it. competitors around the world are still trying to figure out the magic fuckery Sennheiser achieved with the HD600/650 ie. NATURAL sound!
very, VERY FEW headphones compete with how NATURAL sounding they are.
'Amplify Audio Reviews', does the boxes that came with your HD600/650 say "NATURAL SOUND" on them? Could u please confirm this for me. :)
@@godinhumanform1594
Personally I consider that I have 4 irreplaceable helmets among my other helmets :
- Grado The Hemp
- ATH R70X
- HD600
- HD650
I use my HD650 (equalized) for everything and judge the listening of headphones on TH-cam for any purchase in order to plant myself less.
Potential purchase:
- Focal Clear
- Neumann NHD30
- HiFiman Arya
I don't think you understand how audio technology works.
I bought the HE1's 🙂
Guys, when he has the tubey things on his desk, he knows what hes talking about. Lol