Sennheiser HD600 upgrade

S

shadowj

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 7, 2016
Messages
414
Hello,
I'm using the Sennheiser HD600 + Creative Zx, i love the sound ( gaming, most of the time ) but because of the leaked sound, i want to replace them with some closed headphones
What would you recommend ? Do i have a chance to find some closed headphones with the same sound quality as the HD600 ?
Thank you
 
Hmm ... you might want to check out Tyll Hertsen's Wall of Fame for closed headphones here (they come with mini reviews + a link to a more detailed review): http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/innerfidelitys-wall-fame-over-ear-sealed#Oulouq6AG1GuzzxX.97

If you like lots of detail at low volume levels, the Shure SRH1540 seems to be good, while the Oppo PM-3 is very solid all-around.

I sold my last "beginner-fi" set of closed headphones recently, so I can't really speak from experience anymore (I have a couple of pretty good open back headphones and that's about it).
 
I went with OPPO PM 3, seems to be okay so far, they are a bit too tight, i hope i can find a way for this
 
shadowj said:
I went with OPPO PM 3, seems to be okay so far, they are a bit too tight, i hope i can find a way for this
Click to expand...

Put them around some books bigger than your head and leave them for a day or two, might stretch the fit out a bit. That's if they have a metal band inside.
 
rezerekted said:
Put them around some books bigger than your head and leave them for a day or two, might stretch the fit out a bit. That's if they have a metal band inside.
Click to expand...

Did that a while back with a Beyerdynamic Custom Studio that was a bit tight -- 2 days later, they were perfectly comfortable.
 
Nothing closed is going to sound like the HD600's for anywhere near the same cost...

(of course, you'll get a lot 'more' bass with even the cheapest quality closed cans...)
 
rezerekted said:
Put them around some books bigger than your head and leave them for a day or two, might stretch the fit out a bit. That's if they have a metal band inside.
Click to expand...
I found this, somewhere :

" Adjusting the PM-3’s side-pressure isn’t an option, so if the fit is too tight, there’s little you can do in the way of on-location modifications to reduce the pressure "
I wish i could find a solution for this.
 
shadowj said:
I found this, somewhere :

" Adjusting the PM-3’s side-pressure isn’t an option, so if the fit is too tight, there’s little you can do in the way of on-location modifications to reduce the pressure "
I wish i could find a solution for this.
Click to expand...

You could return them.
 
I will.
Would you recommend Mr. Speakers Ether C Flow ? I could save some money and get them.
Which closed back headphones sound best, for about 1400 - 1600 euro ?
Thank you
 
shadowj said:
I will.
Would you recommend Mr. Speakers Ether C Flow ? I could save some money and get them.
Which closed back headphones sound best, for about 1400 - 1600 euro ?
Thank you
Click to expand...

I've never tried Ether C or the Ether C Flow models, but they are both really good options for closed-back headphones.
Personally, I'd give the Ether C a try.
 
shadowj said:
are they better than OPPO PM 3 ?
Click to expand...


It seems you have some money to burn, I would go for it. I have heard nothing but good things about their headphones.

But from my experience, I don't really think it's worth it to use such expensive headphones just for gaming. I don't really miss the higher sound quality while gaming and most of the time I throw on my cheap Plantronics headset vs. my high-end cans.

Quick plug: I have had great experiences with RazorDog Audio when purchasing my various headphones from them. They always have a $100 off coupon listed on their site... and possibly even a lower price if you shoot them an email.
 
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shadowj said:
I will.
Would you recommend Mr. Speakers Ether C Flow ? I could save some money and get them.
Which closed back headphones sound best, for about 1400 - 1600 euro ?
Thank you
Click to expand...

Best to ask that in the forums at headfi.

http://www.head-fi.org/

I've never spent that kind of money on headphones. I keep them around 200 - 300 CAD.

Look into Fostex though.

https://www.amazon.com/Fostex-VERSI...1489378934&sr=8-13&keywords=fostex+headphones

Then there is Denon too.

https://www.amazon.com/Denon-AH-D70...=1489379073&sr=8-12&keywords=denon+headphones

But I know those Fostex are some of the highest rated headphones you can buy.
 
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rezerekted said:
Best to ask that in the forums at headfi.

http://www.head-fi.org/

I've never spent that kind of money on headphones. I keep them around 200 - 300 CAD.

Look into Fostex though.

https://www.amazon.com/Fostex-VERSI...1489378934&sr=8-13&keywords=fostex+headphones

Then there is Denon too.

https://www.amazon.com/Denon-AH-D70...=1489379073&sr=8-12&keywords=denon+headphones

But I know those Fostex are some of the highest rated headphones you can buy.
Click to expand...


The Fostex / Denon are semi-closed so they will leak sound also (I own the TH-900).

shadowj, how was the sound quality for you using the PM3? I would take rezerekted advice and head over to head-fi and ask for something with similar quality to the PM3 with a better fit instead of chunking down a ton of money for gaming headphone. But really, you can't go wrong though with the Ether if you also like listening to music =)
 
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I do listen music as well, not only gaming.
How is the TH-900 soundstage / isolation / ?
TH 900 and TH 900 mk2 is the same one ??
OPPO PM - 3 sq is pretty well, i'd say, but the soundstage ...not really
 
At this point, how about considering a pair of IEMs or buds?

Yuin PK2 or PK1 (if you're feeling more loaded) are great buds:
https://www.amazon.com/YUIN-PK2-Yuin-Pk2-Earphones/dp/B001B484D4
https://www.amazon.com/YUIN-1-Yuin-Pk1-Earphones/dp/B001B41X7I
Not necessarily an upgrade, but worth a shot even though they're not tooootally closed, and you won't have to worry about clamping force ever again. My ear gets used to earbuds very quickly.

Otherwise, maybe just some of the more expensive IEMs. Generally higher end IEMs come with higher quality tips that you can keep in your ear for hours and hours. Maybe give em a shot.
 
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IEMs can have astounding bass, but only when they're well sealed. FWIW, I really like Comply's memory-foam tips for seal & comfort.
 
I tried IEMs and hated them. Too isolating and don't like things stuck in my ears. They are bad for your hearing too because the speaker is so close to the eardrum.

mk2 is just updated version. They look like fully closed headphones to me. Where are the openings if they are just semi closed?
 
How are the7y open then? The back is completely closed so of course they are closed headphones. Maybe they leak some sound but they are a closed design.

It says right in this review that they are a closed headphone.

http://www.headfonia.com/fostex-th900-and-th600/

"Closed back, after all, should have an easy advantage in bass (though Audio Technica’s W-series tend to be more polite), and the TH900 simply outclassed the HD650 in this area. Yes, with the closed back TH900, you do get reverbs on the bass frequencies, something that almost never happens with the HD650. But give me the lower lows and I would gladly forget about the reverbs as long as it doesn’t approach Beyer’s Custom One Pro level."


Question:
Besides the detachable cable, which other differences, if any, exist between the original th900 and the th900 mkii?
Answer:
No difference. The detachable cable is the only change.
 
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I think i go with Beyerdynamic T5P, hopefully it's a good decision, anyway i could send them back if i dont like them
Thanks, i will be back when i have them
 
I'm not that knowledgeable when it come to high end headphone (I'm more of a vintage receiver/speakers guy) but the only thing I will say is that if you spend that much on cans, you should really get a dedicated headphone dac/amp to get the best of whatever you end up buying.
I have a pair of hd 598 se that I like and use when I need a mic for voice chat (with a modmic) and they sound so much better when when hooked up to my sansui 2000x receiver via a DIY Chinese semi-highend dac compared to my sound blaster Z. It really is a night and day difference.
Maybe the Zx has a better headphone amp then the Z but I'm sure you still have a lot to gain!

Schiit makes some great dac/headphone amp for with a wide price range.
 
I purchased Shure SRH 1540, and i love them, the sound quality is awesome.
Yes, xmadror, you're right, i should get some dac/amp for a better sq, but i wouldn't get rid of Zx because i do game a lot, and i guess, no amp / dac can compare to SBX
Maybe an upgrade from Zx to ZxR, but i'm not sure if it's worth
 
You could use the Zx with a dac/amp. I use the optical out from my Z to my dac then rca to my receiver with either headphone or speaker. With the mic plugged into my Z when I need it.
I bet you'd be amazed at the improvement you'd get with a dac/amp.
You could always try a Schiit like I suggested, they have a money back warranty if you dont like it, you dont have much to loose.
You could get a Modi 2 dac along with a Magni 2 amp for 200$ to get a feel for it. Or any combo of their higher end Stuff since you seem to have a taste for high end audio ;)
 
So, if i get some AMP / DAC, could i use it, together with the Zx or not ?
For gaming, the Zx Soundcore3D audio processor it's great, imo
Thank you
 
Well I'm not entirely sure that you have access to all the feature of the soundcore3d while using optical out.
That being said it is what I'm doing and every feature from the soundblaster control panel works.
So I assume the answer is yes.
Regardless of if I'm right I still think you would not be going back if you decide to try a nice dac/amp combo.
I did a lot of A/B listening between the analog out and my dac via optical out (from the Z) and I would not go back.
 
If I'd use only the AMP, there is no button for bas, treble, no EQ
That's why I don't understand how the Amp / dac works
 
You can use the everything from the Zx's control panel while using the optical out. That I'm 100% sure since I can do it.
 
Okay, I'll give it a try
Which AMP would you recommend?
For about 200 euro
Thank you
 
I dont have any experience personally with them but I have only heard good thing about Schiit and I would buy from them if I had to do it again.
Keep in mind that you'll need something with a spdif in to connect it with your Zx.
With that in mind I'd go with the modi 2 uber for a dac (non-uber doenst have the spdif, only usb). The multibit version looks very interesting to me and I may eventually try one but its getting more expensive.
For the amp the magni 2 would be enough imo or the uber if you want a litle more power. Since I'm intov vintage audio the Vali 2 is also interesting to me with its tube design. It may not be for you if you dont want a warm sound though.

edit: you can also sometime find them on ebay
 
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I've been looking for the same as you. All I can say is that Sennheiser doesn't offer a closed version that sounds close the the 600 yet
 
sweets3450 said:
I've been looking for the same as you. All I can say is that Sennheiser doesn't offer a closed version that sounds close the the 600 yet
Click to expand...

How about these? Just noticed them yesterday.

https://en-us.sennheiser.com/high-quality-stereo-headphones-around-ear-hd-630vb

Enter the closed, circumaural Sennheiser HD 630VB. Audiophile in every aural and technical aspect but tough enough to go wherever you take it. Featuring cutting edge transducers with a frequency response of 10 to 42,000 Hz and the legendary Sennheiser passion for truth in sound.

$500 USD msrp
 
rezerekted said:
How about these? Just noticed them yesterday.

https://en-us.sennheiser.com/high-quality-stereo-headphones-around-ear-hd-630vb

Enter the closed, circumaural Sennheiser HD 630VB. Audiophile in every aural and technical aspect but tough enough to go wherever you take it. Featuring cutting edge transducers with a frequency response of 10 to 42,000 Hz and the legendary Sennheiser passion for truth in sound.

$500 USD msrp
Click to expand...

Totally forgot that have the HD 630VB (I use it with my gaming laptop), here's a breakdown:

  • Durability: This is, by far, the most rugged and durable headphone I've ever seen or tried on. Nothing seemingly even comes close, including Beyerdynamic's already very sturdy offerings. Cord is small, but surprisingly pretty durable, as well.
  • Comfort: Pretty comfortable, but keep in mind that this is a very heavy headphone, easily the heaviest I've ever used (heavier than my HiFiMan HE-400i). There is less pressure on the sides of my head than the HE-400i, but it is considerably less comfortable than the Beyerdynamic Amiron or the Philips SHP9500, and slightly less comfortable than the Sony MDR-1A. The weight of the headphone is noticeable on the top of my head.
  • Portability: The weight really puts it out of contention in terms of portability, but the earcups turn in, and the headphone itself is foldable. This is really a desktop headphone (I'm surprised that Sennheiser considers it a a mobile one). Attached cable is not detachable (unfortunately), but contains a solid microphone.
  • Sound: Has a very useful variable bass dial on the right earcup, allowing for a good range in smooth, precise bass (don't expect a JVC-type boomer). Soundstage is decent, although less than that of a good open headset. More impact than either the HE-400i or the Beyerdynamic Amiron, but less than the Sony MDR-1A. Mixed in clarity compared to the HE-400i (and considerably better clarity than the MDR-1A), but not as clear or as balanced as the Beyerdynamic Amiron. Overall, the sound is roughly around the 600/650 ballpark. Would recommend some burn-in (if possible).
  • Overall: The Sennheiser HD 630VB is a extremely rugged/durable headphone that is a bit pricy at it's $500 MSRP range (admittedly you are probably paying for the quality of the materials right there), but offers pretty good sound and comfort at its price range. I'd suggest buying it refurbished if possible from Sennheiser: I did that last year, and was able to pick up a practically-new model (no signs of wear/tear whatsoever) for $249 (they are also going for around $300 in almost-new condition on Ebay). You can also get it for $356 new at Best Buy. It's definitely a HD 6xx class headphone, but exactly where it fits in, is really up to the user.
 
I haven't heard the Sennheiser HD 630VB but I would assume they're in a difference price bracket than "equivalent closed hd600" since they're double the price
 
sweets3450 said:
I haven't heard the Sennheiser HD 630VB but I would assume they're in a difference price bracket than "equivalent closed hd600" since they're double the price
Click to expand...

Well, in terms of MSRP, they match the HD 650 (on Sennheiser's website). Price wise (on Amazon), they slide in right between the HD 650 ($316) and HD 600 ($390) at $356.
 
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