Massdrop Sennheiser HD6XX Are Back

[aasza]

Massdrop Have The Sennheiser HD6XX Back Again

 

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-sennheiser-hd6xx

 

[Lightstream]

I have mine ordered! Looking forward to hearing them with both the Schiit Magni 3 and the Valhalla 2 with it's NOS Amperex Orange Globe 6DJ8 valves, be nice to have a couple of decent amps to drive them after my experiences with a pair of HD650s a few years ago. 

[scuzzii]

looks a good deal.  I have a set of 650's and 700's already, 650's have been my favourite for many years.  I prefer the darker sound.

 

Good buying if the 6XX are indeed a few improvements on the 650 (as stated on the site).  And presumably, at that price, re-sale concerns aren't really a factor.

[Lightstream]

Apparently there are already folks buying better pads and finding that they not only have a slightly 'better' bass, whatever that means to them, they are also more comfortable. I'll find them and post here if you're interested. 

[Tarzan]

I've got a pair ordered as well, you see the darkvoice is up again as well?

 

[Lightstream]

On 28/12/2017 at 7:47 AM, Tarzan said:

I've got a pair ordered as well, you see the darkvoice is up again as well?

 

Yes I have. Probably not my cuppa though, I have the valve-upgraded Valhalla 2 and that is every bit as smooth as I could wish for. My shipment time for the HD6XX is a couple of months away yet, not something I'm used to, paying so long ahead of time, but I get what they're doing so my pair will just turn up when they do  I don't even know if I've made a good decision yet! No doubt I can always sell them here if I don't like them. 

[Frameperfect]

I received mine earlier in the month from the June drop. 

 

Coming from T90's the treble is just perfect. The bass extension and punch is quite detailed. For music with less dynamic range such as electronic and pop I prefer these to my T90s which are three times the price. However, for acoustic, classical and vocals the T90s have more resolution. My T90s have soft earpads and the build is just heaven to wear. In comparison the HD650s are a bit tight and distracting. The chord is also too short. 

 

In conclusion the 6XX from massdrop is one the best deals going, for one of the best headphones I've heard under $800! Makes me wonder how good the 800s or focal elear are.

 

Can anyone reading this recommend a replacement 3m HD650 chord and replacement earpads? Thanks.

 

 

[Lightstream]

Pads yes, Massdrop do (or did, I've put in a request for another drop) the Dekoni pads for the HD5XX and HD6XX models, including 3 levels of quality from Elite Velour up to the Fenestrated Sheepskin top models. I've heard they're really good but won't get my own HD6XX until late March and into April to find out. The Dekoni pads are also available from eBay stores. 

 I think the HD800 cables can be used for the HD6XX/650s, I'm sure I've seen it somewhere and others here will no doubt offer further options. All the best and happy listening. 

BTW, which amp are you using with your HD6XX?

[Guest Benjet]

Love my 650’s. Got them running off a modified Bottlehead crack running a Westinghouse 12au7 Black plate and a Tung-Sol 5998. These phones have moved up the pecking order while my LCD-3’s are off getting fixed. Not a bad setup to get me though, and amazing value. Thanks Massdrop

[Lightstream]

I've actually sold off my Valhalla 2, despite having great Amperex Orange Globe valves in the front end. I loved it for a while once I'd upgrade the pads and cable on my wonderful old Senn HD540 Ref1s .... that was until I really sat and listened to them on the Magni 3. It became no contest! I was stunned how much more transparent across the range, tighter focus with much more fine detail and sheer life the M3 had. I sold the V2 as I was no longer enjoying it to anywhere near the degree of the M3 and bought a Mimby instead, with change! Wow! The SQ all round has not looked back and all the fine qualities of the M3 I enjoyed became even more enhanced with such a natural and life-like effortless joie de vivre that I can't stop listening to it. Heaven knows how the HD6XX is going to compete with that Ref1s, nothing else has. Even the 28 years younger HifiMAN HE400S hardly get used now, they almost bore me in comparison, though still sound great with the QP1R DAP. I have seen a more recent YouTube review of the Darkvoice 336SE though and I'm somewhat intrigued by this long popular amp. Looks well made too. It appears the HD650/HD6XX is a good match for that amp. Anyone here heard that combo yet?

Edited February 7, 2018 by Lightstream

[Suopermanni]

HD6xx drop is back!

[Tarzan]

On 06/02/2018 at 10:11 PM, Lightstream said:

I've actually sold off my Valhalla 2, despite having great Amperex Orange Globe valves in the front end. I loved it for a while once I'd upgrade the pads and cable on my wonderful old Senn HD540 Ref1s .... that was until I really sat and listened to them on the Magni 3. It became no contest! I was stunned how much more transparent across the range, tighter focus with much more fine detail and sheer life the M3 had. I sold the V2 as I was no longer enjoying it to anywhere near the degree of the M3 and bought a Mimby instead, with change! Wow! The SQ all round has not looked back and all the fine qualities of the M3 I enjoyed became even more enhanced with such a natural and life-like effortless joie de vivre that I can't stop listening to it. Heaven knows how the HD6XX is going to compete with that Ref1s, nothing else has. Even the 28 years younger HifiMAN HE400S hardly get used now, they almost bore me in comparison, though still sound great with the QP1R DAP. I have seen a more recent YouTube review of the Darkvoice 336SE though and I'm somewhat intrigued by this long popular amp. Looks well made too. It appears the HD650/HD6XX is a good match for that amp. Anyone here heard that combo yet?

What cable did you change to?

[Lightstream]

24 minutes ago, Tarzan said:

What cable did you change to?

I followed an idea called the Merkel mods that had been done on Head-Fi for the Denon AH-D series of headphones (I did those mods to the capsules and cable with my own AH-D1000) and created a 10' (original length) cable for my Senn HD540 Ref1s, using Mogami No 2893 Mini Quad cable. Bought the ear cup jacks off eBay. Results have turned out to be excellent, much smoother all round than the original steel cable for the Ref1s, while allowing very fine detail within a black silence. 

Edited February 8, 2018 by Lightstream

[Lightstream]

After a long listening session late one evening very recently, I discovered that it wasn't so much that the Valhalla 2 was doing anything wrong as such, just that it was too much of a good thing. The V2 with it's lovely Amperex 6DJ8s now had a similar tonal balance to the upgraded Ref1s, hence a much better balance (though still superior SQ!) of the Magni 3/Mimby combo.  A tad off topic, I know  

 Also, I remember my original HD650s taking a long time to really run in and loosen up. Folks at the time were talking like 300 hours! Well, I think mine loosened up a bit before that, from my memory of notes taken at the time something like 150-200 hours, weeks of listening time and slowly, almost imperceptibly incremental after that, though noticeable in retrospect. I have noted with many folks on line that buy new gear, they listen for a couple of days, get a surprise that it's a bit different than the expected and just sell it on with almost no run in time at all, expecting things to be perfectly fine instantly. It just very rarely ever happens like that! Like so much else these days, attention span and instant gratification can limit (!) the appreciation of growing awareness and coming to know and understand either a product or a person. 

 The most stunning experience I had with my HD650s was with an all valve TRI TRV4SE preamp mated with my very highly upgraded Silicon Chip (their top model) headphone amplifier, that had Black Gate  and Nichicon Muse caps throughout, Dale resistors and a stonking Audio gd class A fully adjustable power supply, with an Audio gd "Earth" HDAM in place of the op-amp slot - I still have this amp and three other versions of it, from stock to a slightly less upgraded version of the 'top dog'  The quality and power of the bass and sheer detailed smoothness that came through this kit has stuck with me in memory ever since ... somewhere around 2005/6. 

 I've just this moment realised that I'm getting a great deal of that experience right now with my current set-up! And with even more "joie de vivre". Wowza   There's hope for the HD6XX in this set-up yet! 

 

Edited February 9, 2018 by Lightstream

[Lightstream]

Just re-watched the review of the HD6XX on Head-Fi TV with Jude, I'm excited again now   Maybe they will be a keeper this time as I eventually scale up my gear. At that price, I just can't lose. Best I order some of those nice Dekoni pads soon! 

[laistrogian]

How much is it gonna cost with the shipping to AU? I just bought a DT880 and i would feel absolutely stupid if HD6xx ends up being cheaper shipped

[Guest Hensa]

18 minutes ago, laistrogian said:

How much is it gonna cost with the shipping to AU? I just bought a DT880 and i would feel absolutely stupid if HD6xx ends up being cheaper shipped

Mine cost just under AUD $270 (USD $215) delivered back in September last year.

[Lightstream]

Yes, mine are in flight as we speak, a couple of weeks early, $215US, I think $279AU in December.

 I'm also curious as to how they will stack up against my upgraded HD540 Reference 1s, from memory of the HD650s when I owned them several years ago (as well as the Ref1s-unmodded) they will have their work cut out to top them for sheer communication and midrange clarity. They might come up for sale fairly soon if they can't cut it  

There's something about the 1990s and early 2000 series of Senns, the HD540s and HD250 Linear series that has been lost in the process of 'improvements' since then ... unless there are the words Focal and Utopia in the title .. plus a few others at great cost. 

Of all the cans I've owned over the years, nothing has topped the joy, pace and communication skills of the Ref1s. The HD6XX will need plenty of running in time too, if my HD650s were anything to go by. 

Edited March 15, 2018 by Lightstream

[Jventer]

Drop is inactive at the moment - guess I will have to wait and see.

[Guest Hensa]

12 hours ago, Jventer said:

Drop is inactive at the moment - guess I will have to wait and see.

Some 6XX's just listed:

 

 

[laistrogian]

16 hours ago, Lightstream said:

Yes, mine are in flight as we speak, a couple of weeks early, $220US, I think $279AU in December.

 I'm also curious as to how they will stack up against my upgraded HD540 Reference 1s, from memory of the HD650s when I owned them several years ago (as well as the Ref1s-unmodded) they will have their work cut out to top them for sheer communication and midrange clarity. They might come up for sale fairly soon if they can't cut it  

There's something about the 1990s and early 2000 series of Senns, the HD540s and HD250 Linear series that has been lost in the process of 'improvements' since then ... unless there are the words Focal and Utopia in the title .. plus a few others at great cost. 

Of all the cans I've owned over the years, nothing has topped the joy, pace and communication skills of the Ref1s. The HD6XX will need plenty of running in time too, if my HD650s were anything to go by. 

18 hours ago, Hensa said:

Mine cost just under AUD $270 (USD $215) delivered back in September last year.

Okay, I don't need to cry over my DT880 purchase then. I like the DT880 sound signature better but HD6xx is just gonna be somewhat more comfortable to use with super large noggin

 

[Lightstream]

My new HD6XX arrived on my doorstep at lunchtime today. The Schiit stack of Magni 3/Mimby was already well warmed up beforehand, so it was just a matter of firing up the Questyle QP1R as a source (optical out) to the Mimby and we were up and running. 

Even brand new, they have surprised me with the Magni 3! What an excellent combo! That slightly over-warm bass and laid back mids from what I recall of my old HD650s has gone, the bass is remarkably open, taut and even and vocals are explicit, especially after several hours of warm up time this afternoon while I was out doing other things. Even better with the addition my Mogami 2893 cable, from the much loved Senn HD540 Ref1s. The stock cables - admittedly not run in at all - were a bit lean and lacking in bass weight and somewhat dry in communication. As soon as the Mogami cable was jacked in, the whole soundstage expanded not only in size but also frequency extension, the bass filling out beautifully. Even better, was a whole new level of instant communication, from just listening to the sound with the stock cable, to being instantly involved, my body immediately picking up the beat. The difference from listening as an observer to being lost in the music. It's what the Ref1s do so deliciously well! 

 I'm already enjoying these HD6XX more than I expected, now they really are a bargain! 

[Mike13]

3 hours ago, Lightstream said:

My new HD6XX arrived on my doorstep at lunchtime today. The Schiit stack of Magni 3/Mimby was already well warmed up beforehand, so it was just a matter of firing up the Questyle QP1R as a source (optical out) to the Mimby and we were up and running. 

Even brand new, they have surprised me with the Magni 3! What an excellent combo! That slightly over-warm bass and laid back mids from what I recall of my old HD650s has gone, the bass is remarkably open, taut and even and vocals are explicit, especially after several hours of warm up time this afternoon while I was out doing other things. Even better with the addition my Mogami 2893 cable, from the much loved Senn HD540 Ref1s. The stock cables - admittedly not run in at all - were a bit lean and lacking in bass weight and somewhat dry in communication. As soon as the Mogami cable was jacked in, the whole soundstage expanded not only in size but also frequency extension, the bass filling out beautifully. Even better, was a whole new level of instant communication, from just listening to the sound with the stock cable, to being instantly involved, my body immediately picking up the beat. The difference from listening as an observer to being lost in the music. It's what the Ref1s do so deliciously well! 

 I'm already enjoying these HD6XX more than I expected, now they really are a bargain! 

I have the HD6XXs. Can you post a link to your headphone cable please? I found the brand but not the cable.

[Lightstream]

I made my own, Mike13. Bought several meters of Mogami 2893 from Sydney - I think - though there is a Mogami dealer in Melbourne, who has not yet answered my emails. Bit slack, actually, might have to ring him again, because I want some more cable. There is also an eBay dealer who makes very good quality Senn cables using Mogami. This one here, feedback from the HD540 Ref thread on Head-Fi is excellent! One person has had communication slowness, but other than that ... 

 I'm loving the Mogami with the HD6XX tonight! Even though they are just 9 hours young, they really sound very good. 

 

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/6-SENNHEISER-HEADPHONE-CABLE-HD600-HD650-HD6XX-HD660S-MOGAMI-CARDAS-1-4/122113609321

[Mike13]

Thanks @Lightstream. My HD800S is a fair way away so I may try upgrade the 6XX. I’m surprised a cable can make that much difference for a headphone.