Sennheiser HD600 vs HD800S

[@georget10i]

After watching countless headphones reviews. I learned one thing, I don't know what I want. I was happier when I had one headphone and I did not know any better. Now it's "but this is good in this and that is good in that, there is no perfect one, I need them all!". I feel like people who are Beats fans are the happiest headphones owners, they don't know any better, they don't care, they just enjoy the music.

[@J.Artistry]

This just happened to me. Up until last week I had no idea about this world lol

[@estebandavilajr7632]

awesome video, thats the way it started for me I now have the hd 600 ,hd650 ,hd58x, Beyer dt770, m50x,mdr7506 and Shure se215,shure se535 and akg and FIIO and chord mojo topping amp/dac and so on and I almost purchased the focal clear. but I couldn't do it.i got to the point where I wasn't even enjoying my music thinking I was missing out on the next best thing.if I could go back I would just stick with my hd600 and FIIO amp and I would have been just as happy. also from my experience its all about preference there is no such thing as a perfect headphone there is a lot of things to consider, in my case I do not like bright sounding headphones such as the Grado ,Beyerdynamic I much prefer my dark sounding Sennheiser headphones especially my hd600 other people may not like the Sennheiser dark sound they may like bright sounding headphones or bassy headphones that sound like subwoofers in there ears .if you are able to audition them do so because you might not like what your hearing.in my case thats what happened to me when I purchased the se535 they are straight up trash. my $13 dollar kz ate sound better again thats just my opinion. im done buying headphones im going to enjoy my music.

[@bolisound]

I have to say, hi man let me be your friend

[@steve5662]

I am going through it now.. I hate it... and I just went through weeks of monitor stuff too... hate it all :)

[@JohnWell4131]

Sound 6:06

[@2000mlauri]

I love my HD 600, they are very durably and my daily work horse for mixing music since 20 years.

[@RenRenification]

I respectively disagree, the shortest route up the mountain is also the cheapest, so going straight to these high end headphones if you can afford it might be the smart move.

[@bengsynthmusic]

So about the distorted bass thing on the HD800S, some say that's amp dependent and not from its drivers. On high-end amps, there's supposedly no bass distortion. Also as you've noted they should be heard via balanced.

[@guyonamotorcycle1]

I just got the HD600, best cans that I've ever had. These will be just fine for me. Thanks for the vid.

[@chuckolatte600]

Welcome

[@zeeMuniStacksBundles]

I've had the hd 600 since 2015. Excellent experience. I had both the pre-2020 and now the post-2020 silent revision. I enjoy both and really like the new revision, even though it doesn't come with the fancy storage box. I've had my sights set on the hd 800 s for a while and it's most likely going to be the next one. I don't believe I'll get rid of the hd 600 ever though. It's just one of the products that never leave the collection.

[@DEATHTRUTH]

I can't agree enough about your mountain climbing metaphor. When i first got the HD600, 8 years ago I was coming from a HD558 of 3 years and HD448 of 2 years before that. However though... When I first plugged in the HD600 expecting to be in bliss I was severely underwhelmed and even regretted my purchase, don't get me wrong they were not bad and certainly not inferior to the HD558 which I come from but I simply could not tell the difference. So I eventually accepted my bad purchase and just continued to use them. In retrospect I know what was wrong - I wasn't ready. Now I don't have any science to back this up but my theory is that my brain was simply not able to process the fidelity that you get in this class of audio. Please understand I did comparisons with my old HD558 occasionally over the days/weeks after my upgrade to the HD600 to see if burn-in helped, I recall to some degree it did. Though I had to really really listen for the differences. Now skip ahead to the point I had my HD600 for about 2-3 years, for fun I decided to "test" my equipment by trying old headphones, rolling a cheaper tube in my amp, using onboard audio vs my Xonar HDAV. And the results blew me away, this is the first time I was able to hear the differences night and day. The sound of my old HD558 was laughable, my reaction was "I can't listen to this shit" all I wanted was to go back to the HD600, it just sounded so bad no matter what little thing I changed in my setup. The HD600 over the years has forced me to ascend the metaphorical mountain. It's funny because you don't realise how far you've come until you look back. If your just getting into high end headphones or your looking at stuff above $300 for the first time, get the HD600, coupled with a good $100 amp and good DAC. It will treat you very very well.

[@chuckolatte600]

Yeah, I completely agree. IMO, the reason you initially couldn't hear the difference is because you/your ears did not know what to look for. As time goes by, you start knowing your personal tracks better and will start knowing what to look for.

[@beornthebear.8220]

for my staple headphones, I use the HD600s, with an extension (the quality cables that came with it would force me to not move), and I run them through and extension into a small 5-contact balanced cable adapter with the 5 contacts, which I use for my "balanced out" on my headphone amp. I have other headphones I use for practice and sealed, critical listening, but I'm quite happy with the 600s. I'd love to try the 800s and 820, but I can't defend the cost right now. My other headphones only have the regular 3 contact small plugs with 1/4" adapter.

[@aspjake123]

Love my 11 year old pair of HD600's PS huge difference when driven with a dedicated tube amplifier!

[@chuckolatte600]

I really need to mess with my darkvoice amp a little more, I keep hearing about it all the time!

[@scottlowell493]

I had the 600HD, and while my go-to cans, the HD800s surpass them in every way. I paid $500 less for refurbs.

[@chuckolatte600]

Wow, pretty lucky that you had no issues with a refurb pair. Great deal on them, man!

[@dennisschnobrich9288]

The balanced cable is fine but most amps have the single end 1/4" jack.

[@robovirtuoso1354]

Above the price range of the HD600, diminishing returns start to kick in. Any other options in the higher echelons would not be proportionately better vis-a-vis the price difference. Fact of high-end audio, I guess.

[@chuckolatte600]

Yeah, definitely something I've come to realize as I review more and more HPs lol

[@aspjake123]

Best comment here

[@rdcb1057]

FACTS !

[@QoraxAudio]

Balanced is simply for common mode noise rejection. In other words, the noisefloor should be lower, improving the dynamic range. But sound color shouldn't change or there's funny business going on with the amp.

[@zeeMuniStacksBundles]

Bingo

[@ChrisStoneinator]

There's usually funny business going on in the amp/DAC. Or more accurately, shitty business going on in the single-ended implementation. It's why I steer clear of balanced amps

[@retrievalnow4972]

I love your video. This is a realy such a good comparison.

[@robovirtuoso1354]

The "more powerful, more controlled bass" you're hearing from HD600 might be because of its mid-to-upper bass hump and less extension into low bass compared to HD800S. Even clean low bass tends to make bass less "tight", by nature of how sound propagates. In all other regards, I have the same subjective impressions of both. Great review, btw.

[@chuckolatte600]

Yeah, interesting take on the 800s! Thanks man

[@zeeMuniStacksBundles]

Definitely the journey allows you to appreciate this hobby vastly more than just buying the most expensive. I've been in this hobby since the mid early to mid 2000s and enjoyed every minute of experience and study. First started with the koss ksc75 level headphones and various other budget headphones. I slowly moved up the ranks and eventually made it to the respectable Sennheiser hd 595 in 2007 approx. After trying a bunch of orher products and iem's, I made it to the legendary hd 600 in 2015. It was my reward for making it past 100k in the bank. Paired with the schitt modi magni, the game was never the same. I have my sights set on the hd 800 s now.

[@chuckolatte600]

Keep climbing, good sir :)

[@ChrisStoneinator]

Bros financial restraint is unmatched holy moly

[@timwong6818]

With the money of HD800S, you can get a comobo dac+amp, a second hand HD600, and a pair of monitor speakers works almost to any type of music and have much fuller soundstage than HD800s.

[@kahyyamdavis7783]

I want the best quality I can afford don’t matter if it’s a small percentage it all counts to me but that me, I need it I live for it

[@lattetown]

nice 20 seconds and I got the summary, thanks

[@rhodey2952]

So you'd buy the LCD-X over these? I have the LCD-X but I've always been curious about the 800S. I have the hd660s as well and I feel I can get the sennheiser/dynamic driver feel from those when I don't feel like listening to my LCD-Xs. But man do I wanna hear the hd800s lol. Buy them, listen and then return them haha. But then I'd probably want to keep them and sell my hd660s.😬

[@chuckolatte600]

I feel like the LCD-X would probably have the best balance between clarity, imaging, professionalism, and fun. For the price of $1200, they sound like a decent offer. BUT, HD800s are DEFINITELY more comfortable. Order those 800s at your own risk (your wallet may hate you afterwards lol)

[@rhodey2952]

chuckolatte yeah, I ordered the hd800s lol. Should be in about 2 days. I'll see how I feel and go from there. When I listen to music and play some games it's for a while, so the LCD-X gets heavy. They sound great but I still want comfort. I work a lot so when I have the time spend with them I want them to be enjoyable/comfortable. Thanks for the reply and great review. If I end up keeping the hd800s I'll probably send back the LCD-X and Hd660s.

[@chuckolatte600]

Might be a good move for you. Try them out and decide for yourself, that's the only way you'll know for sure @@rhodey2952

[@4bdull784]

Rhodey-III tell me your opinion about the 800s

[@brydon10]

I like my DT 990 600 ohm a lot better than my HD6XX. How is the sound signature compared to the HD6XX for the HD 800S?Btw, I love a big soundstage and that's one of the reasons why I really love the DT 990 Premium.

[@chuckolatte600]

800s have a really wide SS with excellent imaging. The 6XX are much darker in the treble area for sure.

[@chambeet]

HD 800s and 800S’s are renowned for their wide soundstage. They have some of the widest soundstages of any headphones by consensus (I’ve only listened to them briefly personally).

[@Harolddespui]

I hear/read a lot about the HD600's roll off in the lows, but actually, they don't do that. If you take the human's ear most sensitive part, 1000-5000hz, the HD600 frequency response in the low regions (under 100hz) is right on the level of 1000-5000hz. There is a small hump from 100-400hz, and looking at the graphs this might people think there is roll of under 100. But that roll of is also from 500 and up which levels it out.

[@tareqhaider6327]

Any opinion about DT 1990 Pro vs these?

[@chuckolatte600]

Never heard the 1990 pro. I've heard OF them, but sadly never tried them on.

[@branco108]

Hi thanks for video im a new subscriber :) I'm thinking about buying HD660s. Im a newbie in hifi world. Please can you recoomend FiiO Q5s with HD660s ? I wish to listen music mainly from a PC (Flac). Or do you can recomend another setup ? PS: If I want to climb higher in the future (with HD800s) probably required a different DAC / AMP right? PPS: Why are amps from Sennheiser so expensive is it really an adequate price for quality? Thank you!

[@chuckolatte600]

I'm personally not a fan of the HD660s, so I'd rather go with the HD600, or even the HD6XX/58X Jubilee. Some people say that Sennheiser amps are to die for with Sennheiser HPs, but they just might be overpriced lol

[@haganlife]

HD660s are my favorite daily listeners ( coding long hours without tiring or getting hot ). Running a Fulla 4 for amazing sound quality. My wife has to use noise canceling headphones ( AirPod Max ) to remove my loud music though, so something to think about.

[@TheHope12322]

HD800S cable connections break when switching to XLR.

[@TheFastDownload]

which beyerdynamic are you refering to?

[@attilio7]

I totally disagree with your mountain climbing strategy,get to the top as fast as possible if you have the money and enjoy the view.Apart from that a very well presented review.

[@chuckolatte600]

Financially speaking, your theory makes perfect sense and I agree with that. However, what we are discussing here is a hobby for fun. IMO, I believe the journey and the experience to the top adds to the fun.

[@attilio7]

@@chuckolatte600 we will have to agree to disagree, hi-fi is not my hobby.Music is.

[@teampyro911]

@@attilio7 word, I just got myself the hd800 last week :)

[@luisbremer9351]

I just bought a pair of hd 800s new in box for 700 was it worth it now in 2019?

[@chuckolatte600]

You're joking...? Where did you get your hands on them for so cheap???

[@luisbremer9351]

@@chuckolatte600 some guy on facebook , they where brand new too , he also has 650s in 200$ and 700s in 280

[@chuckolatte600]

@@luisbremer9351 And did you receive them yet? Do they work properly? If so, you just got yourself the deal of a lifetime!

[@luisbremer9351]

@@chuckolatte600 yea dude i met the guy in person , i tested them and they are perfect , brand new , im looking to sell them since i didnt know i needed a high end amp and i wanna keep using my stream mixer since i use it to stream

[@chuckolatte600]

@@luisbremer9351 Nice! If you put them up on eBay LMK so I can take a look at the post

[@mehrdadgog850]

very good review!!!! I have m50x + k1 and want to upgrade it , I just only listen to electronic music . I want to buy hd650 + apogee groove . Does it a good combo ? How much difference I can experience from my m50x ? thx

[@chuckolatte600]

I don't have a lot of experience with the apogee groove, but a better DAC/amp with the HD650 as a step up from the m50x will DEFINITELY be an upgrade lol. Just know, the sound of the 650 are quite less "in-your-face" than the sound of the m50x.

[@mehrdadgog850]

@@chuckolatte600 thank you very much !!! I bought that set up ( 650 + apogee ) from official sennheiser website for 360 pound ( I had 10% discount code ) , I think this price is very good . I cant wait for delivery :) .

[@mehrdadgog850]

@@rajujauhar Its good in any genre except in some trance . These can blow your mind when the instrument is playing , but its also good in electronic. my previous headphone was m50x + fiio k1 and apogee + hd650 is a really upgrade from that , especially the apogee .

[@munlive5130]

Good review. Thanks. Where can I buy the balanced XLR cable for HD600?

[@chuckolatte600]

There are a lot of mediums offering custom cables. From people on instagram, to people on Reddit, to people on eBay. Just dig around these places and you'll find something you like!

[@bharat90210]

Hi Chuck, great comparison Review. Do you think the Bifrost and Valhalla 2 combo of DAC & Preamp be a good combo with the HD800s?

[@chuckolatte600]

I've heard that those are warmer options. So probably, yeah. I think they would complement it well. But I've personally never heard them myself, so I can't say for sure.

[@bharat90210]

@@chuckolatte600 Thanks for the reply. A quick follow up - The Valhalla 2 tube amps use an unbalanced headphone setup. Do you think that will limit the 800s on the tube amps?

[@chuckolatte600]

@@bharat90210 Maybe regarding its maximum performance, but it does add a touch of character to it that some people may enjoy as well. They're still excellent through SE, but you have to choose to either get the most resolution at the cost of its sound characteristics, or a perhaps more enjoyable sound at the cost of like, 5-8% of its capabilities.

[@bharat90210]

Thanks mate

[@Canadian_Eh_I]

I like the way you present

[@chuckolatte600]

I like the way you comment :)

[@skyshade9106]

i love your channel im trying to decide on my next pair of heaphones and im watching all of your videos i currently have the hd 650 the 660 the audeze lcd-2c the sony wh1000xm4 hd 700 and the beats studio 3 im thinking about the 600 because the 660 doesnt have as good of the bass as the 600 and i like bass thats why i bought beats so the 600 so far look like they would work great for me

[@chuckolatte600]

Even though the HD650/660s have the "more profient bass response," the HD600s have a more satisfactory bass response to my ears.

[@NLfrey]

I admire your voice 😳

[@omaior20]

which headphones are an upgrade to hd600 that are worth the extra money?

[@chuckolatte600]

Good question lol. Only "direct upgrades" that I know of would probably be the ZMF Auteur since they share a similar sound signature. If they're WORTH the extra money though, is up to you lol. Another HP may be the Focal Elex (currently awaiting for review).

[@omaior20]

@@chuckolatte600 im from europe so no elex for me. i love my hd600 but i wonder if for more money i can find someting even more detailed but a bit warmer and relaxed that would be worth the extra money. or i will upgrade my sources, save up 100€ every month and in 3 years buy something like utopia 3 haha

[@chuckolatte600]

@@omaior20 You may like the Audeze LCD-X then. They're a bit heavy (lol) but if you can get past that you're golden.

[@janbeggebeen]

Did you compare the hd800s with the Stax L300 ?

[@chuckolatte600]

Vaguely, I can say that the HD800s are better, but they are pricier too, so...

[@janbeggebeen]

ok....beacause Zeos had L300 on sound demo and they sounded so crystal clear compared to the HD800s

[@chuckolatte600]

It could have been changes in his recording setup, different tracks being used, and the fact that sometimes HPs sound different in the recording than real life@@janbeggebeen

[@janbeggebeen]

chuckolatte now there are the Empyrean 😩😩😩😩😩what to do

[@chuckolatte600]

Buy all three, of course lol

[@marian.posaceanu]

Probably someone already asked this on your channel - but what AMP/DAC are you using to drive your HD600s? I just got mine weeks ago (started with a pair of Grado's 225i then Audeze LCD2f) and they are now my go to cans for listening. I actually find the LCD2s muddy and boring now compared to the HD600s (running them via a DragonFly Red + Burson Soloist will try them via Rega DAC soon too) which is weird comparing the price points ... and yes that slam you're talking about, oh wow.

[@JohnWell4131]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYnWZWCcZseInMk AMP is aune X7s

[@chuckolatte600]

Like @666 Chen said, I am using the Aune X7S as my amp, but I am using the Schiit Modi 2 Uber as my DAC. Although I've ordered the SMSL SU-8 balanced DAC from Massdrop and am waiting for it to arrive.

[@silence5232]

what is the best amp for the hd650

[@chuckolatte600]

Strongest and cleanest one you can find. Me personally, 650 BAL > SE. So any decent balanced amp.

[@silence5232]

@@chuckolatte600 sorry, but I didn't find this in Ebay or Amazon

[@chuckolatte600]

@@silence5232 You could do just fine running them BAL off of an Aune X7S

[@silence5232]

@@chuckolatte600 thanx a lot

[@albert3316]

Hey! I tried the 660 without an amp anf then the 800 with the 820 sennheiser amp. The difference felt absolutely massive. Is it because the 660 didn’t had an amp or is the 800 really that much better? Cheers!

[@chuckolatte600]

It is definitely both. Although the 660s are easier to drive than the 600 and 650, it still benefits from an amp. Also, the 660s sounded very mediocre to me so...

[@albert3316]

chuckolatte Would you advice the 650? I’m looking for a real step up in sound quality!

[@chuckolatte600]

I'd say go for the 600 on amazon or the 6xx on massdrop (650 but cheaper). Watch my comparison and decide which works best for you.@@albert3316

[@starg47]

My theory, buy the best, and save your money. That's more fun for me instead of just keep buying inferior products, doesn't make sense.

[@Terra101]

But what is the best, and is the "best" really the best, how much better is it than "good", what do i prefer etc.

[@Kamugin1]

0:45 "Ai, ai,ai!" This sounds familiar to me 😊

[@crisyorke1328]

Wow, you own both!

[@chuckolatte600]

Nah, the HD800s belong to Silent (his Gram is in the description) lol. I'm not rich

[@JohnWell4131]

You can try K812 pro :)

[@dnalekaw4699]

I like your kitchen

[@junzhang2087]

Get the Drop Sennheisr HD6xx for $199. You get 80/100, a HD800 is 90/100 but for $1500. No thanks. Either one, get a silver cable and listen through a tube amp.

[@junzhang2087]

@residentzero I agree. Did you try HD600?

[@mikeking7351]

Really.... in the kitchen man????

[@chuckolatte600]

Adds flavor to my reviews ;)

[@thebossnocompetition8757]

Get Momentum 3 instead then you got an bass boost and punch to the sound thats non of these open back joke headphones has.

[@coloradoing9172]

This is why you don't huff paint kids.