I'm looking to update my trusty old Sennheiser HD600 headphones which have lived a good life, so what's hot these days?

 

Last edited: Jun 5, 2024

Truthear Hexa

 

I do not think I have ever had such a pair of headphones, which I stopped using only because they just got old and died after many years of use. I'd probably get the exact same thing again. If they are the same construction and everything the same still.

 

I will keep them as I know them so well, I'm just looking for something a bit more technical.

 

If budget's not a concern than have a look at MM-500:

https://www.audeze.com/products/mm-500

 

I'd have to sell a kidney for that

 

Does it help with production, offer any pleasing analog warmth. I'd consult plugin doctor before getting rid of stuff like that.

 

Big purchase? No problem.
With Affirm, you can buy now and pay monthly. Checking your loan eligibility won’t affect your credit score.

You should drop a budget/range so the recommendations are more reasonable. BTW, I recently got the HD490 Pro and while there's always gonna be a (purely subjective) debate on whether it's better than the 600s, there's no denying it's so, so, so comfortable (their producer/velour pads). So if you're looking for something close to your 600 you should try them out at the store.

 

I tried them and they are better IMO. They have more sub-bass, faster dynamics, good soundstage, and they EQ well. I don't really have a budget as I am more concerned about quality, so I am just surveying the scene to see what's out there, and it's always good to get the opinions of others

 

I had an eye on Beyer's DT1990's, but as they are not easy to drive, pretty much set on Austrian Audio Hi-X65, just need to find my way to audio store these days and have proper listen and little shootout between some other models, but have feeling I'm gonna go home with them.

 

My go to are the Audio Technica ATH-M50X (closed back set for producing, recording instruments, and media consumption), Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250 Ohm (open back for mixing and mastering to get better sense of space), and Aiaiai TMA-2 DJ Profile for DJing.

Used this set up for a number of years now without even thinking of changing as been super happy with everything.

 

Last edited: Jun 5, 2024

I have ATH-M50X for tracking anything that involves a microphone. Everything else is done on open-back headphones

 

I have Beyer's DT 770s. Hexas have complete replaced them. The timbre feels metallic and even after oratory1990's eq they sound far inferior to Hexas. The comfort of iems is just another thing that makes one not return to headphones. Now, I just like IEMs & Speakers.

They are not the most technical, but worth a try as they are pretty cheap if you've never tried IEMs before. I'm currently saving for Tanchjim Origin. I use Topping DX1 as AMP+DAC for Hexas & they complement each other great.

 

Last edited: Jun 5, 2024

My best ones, my treasure is the original - expensive, be warned - Sennheiser HD800. (Too) Quickly replaced by HD800S and HD820 models, that I tried of course, but they cannot achieve the bass clarity, extension and warmness my HD800 haves.

The reason for replacement is a 6khz resonance the original model is supposed to have, but honestly I can't hear it at all, so I don't care. They constitutes my only monitoring system, as where I live I can't have any source of db. Love my pair!

 

AKG K702 remain most comfortable to wear imo

 

Detail: DT880 (155€) -> LCD-X (1298€) -> Abyss Diana? (2845€) -> ¿¿?? [Go to Susvara, Do not Pass Go, Do not Collect 200$]

Soundstage: K702/K712 (139€/269€) -> HD800s (1395€) //or rather// Arya (849€) -> Susvara? (6499€)

One possibility..

 

Last edited: Jun 6, 2024

Same here, ATH-M50X (been using these and the non-x version for 15 years or so) for tracking and now the Shure open back SRH1840 for mixing combined with my monitors and enjoying the music of others. I've got velour earpads for the Audio Technica cans as the stock suck.

 

I use my Slate VSX day in, day out. They're not the most pleasing or the most comfy, but they get the job done. I get mixes done way faster than ever.

 

Yep, everything you've listed here I agree with, just some people online are gonna have their own biases which is pretty normal. HD490 Pro is my favourite headphone and best purchase of 2024 (so far).

 

For detail/space/soundstage I still love my AKG K712s, they're great for airy stuff, but since the bass is a bit understated it's easy to underestimate low-end levels. But after you get used to them, they're still great allrounders. However, you will want a quiet environment since they're open back.

For general usage I use a lot of AKG K240 (what variation is it anyway, HD, Studio? One of those, all the same to me really). A bit rough and lacking in detail and depth (like careful reverb tail wanking), but they convey the whole picture quite efficiently and are handy for recording spaces/tracking. And since I have several, I got a set everywhere I go.

On location or on the go it's either those or Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7's, noise cancelling, sturdy, come in a hard case yadda yadda. Brutal, but still surprisingly detailed. Or just Apple Earpods, simple and effective though not good for anything more than just listening or recording.

In short, my number ones are the K712s for sound quality, but as far as use frequency goes it's K240s then others.

Other good suggestions here as well, but I'd always recommend not to trust a single source before committing to a mix (or whatever you're doing). Always cross-reference the bass levels with actual speakers, even if they're not too low heavy.