I agree with the positive comments from other listeners. With the HD600 hooked up to a good headphone amp, you will indeed be able to discern and appreciate differences in not only components, but interconnect and digital cables. Unlike the supersensitive Grados, the HD600 is not too loud at the lowest setting of your volume knob.
My only criticism is that the connection of the wire to the headset is flimsy. If you lie down or yank on the cord, you will often lose sound in one or both channels.

I compared these with the Sennheiser 580s. The difference is mainly the treble and upper midrange. It is quite pricey, $100 more than the 580's.
Bass: Bass is natural, not very deep like subwoofers. It rolls off smoothly from about 80 hz.

Midrange: The most neutral and satisfiying midrange I have ever heard.

Treble: Very accurate treble without being irritating or harsh.

They are really great sounding headphones. However the impedence is 300 ohms, so don't even think about hooking them up to a portable player. They deserve good electronics and a headphone amp. They reveal the limitations of cheap CD players.

For value I would give them 4 stars because of the price ($350). They should sell these for no more than $300.

Sound quality is spectacular, I give it 5 stars.

Large well spaced soundstage,extended detailed treble,solid precise bass

NONE

In addition to the strengths listed above,the 600`s are very comfortable.Like any other top performer,the better the source and amplifier, the better the sound.

Similar Products Used:

540.560.580

Incredibly smooth, liquid, detailed sound; very comfortable

nothing significant

To sum it up from the very start: highly recommended if 1. you can afford them and 2. if you have a source/amp adequete to drive these 300+ohm headphones (musical fidelity's X-cans is a good match [per experierence]; creek and grado headphone amps can't do the trick). They sound absolutely magical. Detailed without being unmusically analytical. The sound is extremely smooth and engaging, and coupled with its very comfortable design (snugs the ear like no other earphones I've owned), the HD600s can easily provide hours upon hours of nonfatigueing, musical bliss. Compared to Grado's more expensive reference sets (RS1/2), these are a bargain, and in my opinion, competitive in every facet! Anyone who is captivated by headphone reproduction should at the very least audition the HD600s. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Similar Products Used:

Senn HD580, Grado SR-80s

Quick, precise and open soundstage.

It requires high-quality audio source.

This headphones really represents sounds as it should be. The stereo soundstage is perfect, sound clearity is excellent. It offers open, soft sound and requires high-quality sound reproductor, because of it's precission (bad records sounds really bad). Dynamics is great, frequency respond is suitable for new digital medias. I really recommend it to all who wants to hear great music. Perhaps connection cables could be better...

too many to write here

bass not full enough (in absolute terms)

I just want to add some information that might help to potential buyers.
Some say there is no difference in sound between Sennheiser HD 580 and HD 600. When I bought mine, I made comparison and heard that HD 600´s bass is slightly faster, tighter, tauter and generally more focused (but not more damped).
I also own Musical Fidelity X-CANS headphone amplifier and Sony CDP XB-930 CD player. Sometimes I listen to my headphones plugged into X-CANS and sometimes plugged into headphone jack on my cd player. I can honestly say I hear no difference between the two no matter how hard I try to hear it (even when playing some audiophile-quality CDs with classical music). And my hearing is not damaged in any way.

Similar Products Used:

HD 580, AKG K-501, some Koss headphones

Detail, Comfort, Smooth bass, Articulate Midrange

None

An excellent product. The sound is full of authority and detail. Music comes to life with these headphones. Bass is smooth. Midrange is punchy and detailed. Highs are crystalline. I have been using these plugged directly into the phones jack of my pre-amp with great results. I imagine that a dedicated headphone amp will take the sound another step forward. I am currently in the process of assessing headphone amps. In the meantime, my pre-amp drives these headphones with ease.

No hesitation in recommending these for serious, personal listening without keeping the rest of the family awake at night.

Similar Products Used:

Grado RS-325, Ergo Model 2, Amber Pro

comfort, value, neutral sound

Miniplug (requiring use of included adaptor) is not reasonable

I have to admit, when I first got these headphones, I was less than impressed.

First, I was uncomfortable with the way the headphones completely surrounded and covered my ears. Having previously used the Grados (which rest on, rather than surround, the ears), I was left feeling somewhat claustrophobic with the Sennheisers.

Second, the Sennheisers seemed to be very detailed, revealing, etc. on well-recorded source material, but disappointing with less sonically blessed recordings. I thought the 600s sounded very good, for example, on Bill Frisell's "gone, just like a train," (jazz) Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now," (grand orchestrations + female vocals) and KMFDM's "Adios" (electronica / industrial).

Then, I listened to the "Virgin Suicides" soundtrack, which includes a number of '70s pop songs. I had been listening to this CD with the Grado SR60s, and found it rather enjoyable. With the 600s, the album seemed to lose something. It just didn't have the same emotional impact that it did before. I went back and listened to some better quality source material, and I noticed the same thing: though the 600s sounded more sonically correct, they made my enjoyment of the music less than what it was before.

After about two weeks, I ordered a pair of Grado SR125s, thinking that those might give me more musicality than the SR60s and more emotion than the Sennheisers--the best of both worlds, so to speak. Then, after about three weeks of using the Sennheisers, I noticed something. The ineffable, but emotional, part of the music that the 600s had seemed to obscure had somehow become present. I was listening to my CDs (both good and bad) more than I had in the past, and I was enjoying many of them more than I ever had. Even on rock (a style that many say the 600s aren't great for), the Sennheisers do not disappoint.

The Grado SR125s arrived, and I drove them overnight for about a week. Though the Grados are great headphones for the money, they just don't get me into the music the way the Sennheisers do. I can really only explain it in one way. When I listen with the 600s, I don't feel like I'm listening to headphones at all. The Grados, on the other hand, never really disappear; they remind you that you are listening to artificially reproduced music.

As for the comfort of the 600s, that too has improved. I've either gotten used to them, or the headband isn't as tight as it was when I first got them.

I'm not sure if the Sennheisers needed three weeks to break in, or if I just needed three weeks to cleanse my hearing of the unique sonic character of the Grados. In any event, I am now completely comfortable with the Sennheiser 600s, and feel that they are well worth their price.

Associated Equipment:

-- Sonic Frontiers Line 1 (with headphone amp and HeadRoom processing)
-- Cambridge Audio CD4SE
-- QED Qnect 2 interconnects

Similar Products Used:

Senn HD580, Grado SR60, Grado SR125

Clear, detailed, great base defination

Little pricing

Great headphone. If I can't listen to my speakers B&W 602s2, this is the way to go late at night. Very detailed. Base is there without the heavyness others seem to show. Used with a Creek headphone amp between my CD (Arcam 7se) and my amp (NAD C340).

Similar Products Used:

Grado 60's

I just got my HD-600's and unfortunatly they were dead in the water..no sound at all from the right phone and weak distorted sound from the left. There was absolutly NO shipping damage evident so I can only assume they left the factory this way...not a good indication of their quality control or build quality.
Hank