The Sennheiser HD 600 is a headphone that has been in my memory ever since I started reading about HiFi, however, at the time, neutral meant bright or maybe even flat and nonmusical to me. I have sensitivity to treble and spent a lot of time with the HD 650 trying to find an ideal setup with a slightly warm yet detailed signature instead. 

The Sennheiser HD 600 is considered by many to be a headphone that is for audio purists. It’s a transparent signature that has a reputation for being the standard for high-fidelity listening. Sennheiser has also said that it’s a headphone that gives an impartial scale of everything in the audio chain.

The Sennheiser HD 600 is an essential headphone when experimenting with different components in your chain; it will help you discern different characteristics in your chain and how they sound.

The HD 600 is an excellent headphone to have. I remember it being on the market for around ~$200 dollars, but the price is now $399 retail, and ~$279 on sale on Amazon, which is what I got it for. 

The build quality of the HD 600 is top-tier and fit has been mentioned by Sennheiser as something they have worked tirelessly to achieve. When wearing the HD 600, I notice that it definitely feels secure, premium, and also lightweight. It’s snug but not too tight on my head and I wore it comfortably for extended periods.

I’ve grown to enjoy neutral signatures like the HD 600 because we experience music through the capability of the source components. We can then use equalize to our preferences and experiment in a fashion to know the sound more.

The HD 600 is nimble, it’s light and revealing; this makes it interesting because when it renders the lower frequencies, it sounds very pure and clean, and yet it doesn’t shy away from the slam and impact if powered with a proper amp. I find that the slam in the HD 600 is unique because the timbre and definition are the purest we get, and it surprises when it plays through the HD 600. 

So far, I’ve really enjoyed the HD 600. For every source component, you can pinpoint nuances of the signature. It’s a good headphone to have because it’s meant for analytical listening, and I’ve recently become someone who enjoys seeing if I can hear more in the recording. 

My preferences weren’t always inclined toward neutral, but I’m impressed with the HD 600 in the short time I’ve had it, and it’s a great headphone that is quickly becoming one of my favorites for its versatility and its function of revealing the source of the playback while also sounding like something I’m proud to own.

The timbre is not as bold compared to other headphones; the space and note definition is soft, feels swift, and it gives a sense of space that we can define as pure. The lack of coloration to the sound makes the note more definable to the ear, and frequency extension becomes lovely when you don’t have coloration affecting the stage. The comparably thinner notes of the HD 600 allow more clarity and clearness in the stage while also accommodating with energy when it’s available in the source.

I wouldn’t say it’s an acquired taste, but I wasn’t interested in neutral, and now I fully enjoy the HD 600’s take on it. The detail coming thru the light notes of the HD 600 can be enlightening and revealing of the recording while retaining the original expression of the work.

I don’t experience fatigue when listening with the HD 600, and it manages to sound good while being an excellent headphone for pure detail retrieval, making it a great all-rounder.

The HD 600 is a headphone that I appreciate and will be with me for a long time. I like listening to the HD 600 its in a class of its own for its utility and faithfulness to the source. 

Product link: https://amzn.to/42QSYlE

Cables: Worlds Best Cables (RCA Neutrik, RCA Amphenol)

Sources: Audio-GD HE-7 MK I, Schiit Modi Multibit, Yulong D18, Topping D90SE

Amplifiers: ampsandsound Nautilus, ampsandsound Kenzie OG Rev 2, Yulong A18

USB: Matrix Audio X-SPDIF 2, Singxer SU-6