MassDrop HD6XX - not the same quality feel as the HD600 or HD650 headphones?

First let me start by saying 15 years ago (maybe 2002?) I bought a Sennheiser HD600 used on ebay for a bit over $200 as a I recall. I sold them off for a cheaper pair of $70 Sennheisers (HD535) because I was in college and needed money more than I needed high end headphones. I've had the HD595 for the last five years or so as my go to headphones.

I've always sort of regretted selling the HD600 and in the back of my mind figured I'd buy a high end set of Sennheisers again some day. I finally took part in the latest Massdrop HD6XX headphone group buy and they just came in. They sound great, and without an A/B I have no complaints on sound quality, but man -- these aren't even close to the same build quality that I remember on my HD600. The weight is different, the plastic feels different, they look different, the pivot points feel different, the grills feel different, the cushions feel different (as I recall, the HD600 cushion material felt like the softest of velvets, these feel like a towel/terry cloth and make my ears hot), the headphone feels different on my head, And by different --- in every case I mean cheaper. Also the darn cord is so short I can't use it from my desktop computer to my office chair.

The HD600 I had I remember absolutely OOOZED quality in every regard - down to the fine, textured, greenish eggshell granite finish. You picked them up, touched them, and you said to yourself - these truly feel like a $500 pair of headphones with the pride of a craftsman behind the design and finish. I remember opening the HD600 and feeling like I had a treasure. It was so nice I showed the box they came in off to my friends and family. The foam insert was perfectly laser cut, the headphones fit snug and protected. It was almost a work of art. I opened my HD6xx box upside down by accident (it's not labeled which way is up) and the headphones fell out on my lap, a paper manual half fell out, and the 1/8 to 1/4" adapter fell out on the floor, and a rectangular block of foam fell out on the floor too.



So yeah presentation = lacking...The HD6XX look and feel more like a cheap $100 pair of Chinese headphones by comparison.

The sound is great, but the touch and feel leaves me wanting. Ultimately I guess I was after the sound...but...


Anyone else notice this?

Haven't experienced them myself, but they are Chinese made I believe? Something to be said for their Germany or Ireland made sets. Couple of neat factory tours out there.

So $300 headphones are better quality than $200 headphones? No offense, but "c'mon man".

theplaidfad said:

So $300 headphones are better quality than $200 headphones? No offense, but "c'mon man".

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The price break was supposed to be because of the volume of units and direct sale model, not because they significantly cheapened production quality.

I read a handfull of reviews before I bought the hd6xx and everybody said it was essentially the same thing as the HD650 rebranded for massdrop. The main difference was a shorter cord with a 1/8” jack instead of a 1/4” jack and a dark blue color instead of black. Nobody mentioned what I’ve mentioned regarding the cheapy feel and look factor in any of the half dozen reviews I read. The HD6xx has the look and feel of a cheap imitation of what I remember. Like Voit shoes vs a pair of Nike shoes when I was in junior high. That should be known and communicated to potential buyer. I’m established enough now I would have preferred to have the full high end experience I thought I was getting (the experience I remembered).

I’ve seen the HD600 and HD650 for less than $300 new at retail often (as low as $260)— so the loss of physical quality I’m seeing as compared to what I remember is disappointing. I’m simply stating full disclosure would be nice.

This was my first and likely last purchase from massdrop.

Archaea said:

The price break was supposed to be because of the volume of units and direct sale model, not because they significantly cheapened production quality.

I read a handfull of reviews before I bought the hd6xx and everybody said it was essentially the same thing as the HD650 rebranded for massdrop. The main difference was a shorter cord with a 1/8” jack instead of a 1/4” jack and a dark blue color instead of black. Nobody mentioned what I’ve mentioned regarding the cheapy feel and look factor in any of the half dozen reviews I read. The HD6xx has the look and feel of a cheap imitation of what I remember. Like Voit shoes vs a pair of Nike shoes when I was in junior high. That should be known and communicated to potential buyer. I’m established enough now I would have preferred to have the full high end experience I thought I was getting (the experience I remembered).

I’ve seen the HD600 and HD650 for less than $300 new at retail often (as low as $260)— so the loss of physical quality I’m seeing as compared to what I remember is disappointing. I’m simply stating full disclosure would be nice.

This was my first and likely last purchase from massdrop.

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One more time for you... a $300 set of headphones are of a better quality than a $200 set of headphones? Welcome to late stage capitalism.

Oh well, like you said, you won't purchasing from massdrop again... likely (lol)

To be honest, senn's quality has always been pretty shit when it comes to build. All pairs of HD5XXX I have owned have cracked or fallen apart after a year of moderate use. Audio great, construction, not so much.

I have a set of HD650s and the HD 6XXs. Honestly maybe it's just been a while for you but apart from the color changes they feel identical to me. I mean, they're supposed to be as they're the same thing.

Maybe the 600s we're different?

1990's HD600
https://www.whathifi.com/features/what-hi-fi-hall-fame-1990s




Massdrop HD6XX (HD650 equivalent.....?)


The HD6xx feel about like my $60 Philips SHP 9500 in terms of build quality. (which are great headphones by the way). So I'm not saying the HD6xx are junk, I'm just saying they weren't quite what I remembered/expected.

15 years is a long time. The real question isn't comparing the new hd6xx vs the 15 year old hd600, but the new hd6xx vs the latest hd600/650. Could be the build quality overall has changed or perhaps the build on the hd6xx is a bit cheaper than the latest hd600/650 models. Couldn't say, as I don't own any Sennheiser products at the moment.

I've owned a bunch of HD580's, HD600's, HD650's, and a pair of HD6xx's. They are fine as far as build quality is concerned. They are made to be modular and lighter weight which is why the majority of it is plastic. The pieces can be switched out / repaired without much hassle and are completely backwards compatible (You could buy the HD650 drivers and put them on an HD580 body, switch out HD650 cord and put on HD600, etc.). After owning 15+ of these headphones, I've never personally had an issue with the build quality.

The paint quality "looks" nicer on the HD650, as far as gloss is concerned, but the 650's tend to paint crack because of it. I've also had paint wear off on HD580 / HD600's due to placing them on their sides over a long period of time, however those didn't crack. The only way to really avoid any of that is to get a headphone stand or always place them on something soft. I don't really see it as a build quality issue but rather preventative care.

It's my personal opinion but I always felt that the sennheiser HD600 / HD650 were the perfect headphone to get into the hobby. Now since the creation of the massdrop HD6xx, that certainly takes the crown for best bang for the buck sennheiser. You honestly can't go wrong with the HD6xx for the price.

NickJames said:

To be honest, senn's quality has always been pretty shit when it comes to build. All pairs of HD5XXX I have owned have cracked or fallen apart after a year of moderate use. Audio great, construction, not so much.

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^^^^^^^^^^This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I bought my Senn 650's maybe 10 years ago. Never thought they felt well made, cheap plastic feel. Didn't care for the sound either. They didn't hang around long.

Sorry, that your memory didn't pan out.

Open cans for cheap, look at the Beyer 880 or 990's they are on Massdrop
Closed, get the Massdrop Fostex's, I have the original Denon 5000's and they are real nice.

Massdrop is killa, don't blame Massdrop because Senn is not like you mis-remember it

MassDrop can be good - you have to be careful though, sometimes the prices are not actually that great, and you generally have to pay for shipping and wait a month plus for your stuff.

I often browse board game stuff there, usually the deals are not that great, considering.

I have bought a few things from them and they've always delivered, but it takes forever.

les_garten said:

^^^^^^^^^^This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I bought my Senn 650's maybe 10 years ago. Never thought they felt well made, cheap plastic feel. Didn't care for the sound either. They didn't hang around long.

Sorry, that your memory didn't pan out.

Open cans for cheap, look at the Beyer 880 or 990's they are on Massdrop
Closed, get the Massdrop Fostex's, I have the original Denon 5000's and they are real nice.

Massdrop is killa, don't blame Massdrop because Senn is not like you mis-remember it

Click to expand...

Bought myself a Beyer 880 250ohm used here about 5 years back. Best headphones I ever owned, those things are built like a tank, I have dropped them a few times and not so much as a dent, awesome pair of cans.

I spent up for Massdrop's Focal collaboration with the Elex- I haven't really considered any other cans, except the closed MDR-Z7 I picked up (for much less).

I like the Elex. More than anything; the HD600 I have only have one thing going for them, and that is that they are extremely light. The DT880-250Ω... I have no use for them. Worse in every way than the HD600. Whatever extra bass that is there is lost in the reduced fidelity, and they're definitely not as comfortable, though not bad in their own right.

The Elex just happen to have the 'full - detailed - expansive' sound that I was looking for, without being harsh or muddy. Works for music as well as games. Only downside is that they're pretty heavy.