18 out of 18 people found this review helpful.
The Best Headphone Value Available
Date of Review: Aug 16, 2000
The question is not "Are the HD-600's that good?" because they are, without a doubt. No, the question is "Am I ready for audiophile-grade sound reproduction?" because that's what the HD-600's provide at what is essentially a bargain price.
Bargain price? At nearly $400?
Yup. No question. If you want audiophile-grade sound reproduction, you'll be hard pressed to find it at a better price.
The question is, do you want audiophile-grade sound reproduction?
The reason it's a question is that some people are actually disappointed when they hear the HD-600's. This is a phenomenon I've read about in the high-end mags and confirmed through a rigorous program of independent testing which involved a scientific sampling of a few of my relatives. The HD-600's lack much of the "slam" that the uneducated ear might think of as a "high-end" sound. This "slam" will probably consist of exaggerated bass and overly defined highs. The effect of this coloration is a sound which might seem initially appealing but which will become fatiguing very quickly, and which is also a good bit distant from the recording artist's intention.
What the HD-600's are about is accurate sound reproduction of any source, at any volume. What you hear with the HD-600's is as close to the signal recorded as current technology allows.
It's a bit of rush to listen to Sgt. Pepper, The Goldberg Variations, or Sketches of Spain and realize that you're hearing it at greater resolution than the artists did when they recorded it, but that sort of thing is possible with the HD-600's.
And you'll do it in comfort, too. The velvet earpieces and solid, carbon-fiber construction of the HD-600's make them very comfortable to wear for extended periods.
A possible downside to the HD-600's is that you'll need a headphone amplifier to get their full value. I use a Supreme Headroom. Between the two, I have a mobile sound monitoring system which I feel safe in considering my reference. The only footnote to that recommendation is that the HD-600's have an open back, which might make them unreliable in a noisy environment.
As with any choice you make in the audio world, there are options which are more expensive, less expensive, or just plain different. But few choices will approach the value of the HD-600's. They deserve consideration whatever your application.
PCNation
