I have the HD600 and it is without a doubt the best set of headphones I've ever listened to.
Here's my bullet list of things worthy of note.
Comfort - Unsurpassed
Build Quality - Outstanding
Bass extension - Good. Not boomy or bass heavy.
Mid - Hi Range Frequency - Where the HD600 truly shines. These headphones are made to bring out the best in music.
Amplification demand. - High. 300 ohms of impedance mean that you will not want to connect the HD600's to a portable or cheapy amplifier. If in doubt, pick up a headphone amplifer. I have a Creek OBH-11, and it does a fine job. The Denon line of receivers sound good too.
Types of music that the HD600 is best with.
Classical. Without a doubt if you're a fan of classical music these are the best that I've heard. The HD600 is like a precision instrument. When you hear that flute you are hearing it the way it was meant to sound.
Jazz. Same as classical. Both are very difficult musical types for dynamic drivers. The accuracy required for the decay of a piano note to a cymbal crash demand quality.
Guitar. I am a fan of guitar. Give a listen to some flamenco guitar with the HD600s and if your jaw doesn't drop there's something wrong. Ottmar Liebert's, Barcelona Nights is a particular favorite.
Pop or what I call top 40 music. Honestly, if all one wants to listen to is Britney Spears then the HD 600's are being wasted. The music has been digitally processed and altered to sound "ok" on a set of cheap components. This is why a 128 Kb/s MP3 sounds hardly any different. (Whereas, it is glaringly obvious on jazz or classical.) The bass has been exaggerated at a higher frequency and the high frequency sounds have been capped closer to mid range. What you end up with is a mish mash.
Music not so good. Anything with loads of bass. That's not to say that the bass sounds bad. It's just not the strength of the sennheiser line. If you're into bass look at the grado line of headphones. ** I feel I should qualify this a little better by saying that true "bass" of say a bassoon or licks off a bass guitar sound fantastic. It's the BOOM BOOM BOOM rap music that will not sound particularly good.
So would I recommend the HD600's? Yes and No. It depends on the music, and if cost is a factor.
If the cost isn't a factor then by all means, get the HD600 and make sure you have a quality amplifier with a good headphone jack. If you don't have a "quality" amplifier; I recommend picking up a headphone amplifier specifically for the HD600. The High Impedance of the HD600 REQUIRES good amplification. The HD600 WILL sound atrocious attached to a walkman or mini-disc player.
If cost is a factor and/or you want to use the headphones with a portable. Then No. Mainstream music will not sound significantly different with the HD600 from another much cheaper headphone, because the strength of the drivers is the broad musical range and exactness of the timbre and resonance.
, but I actually produce music and found very little difference between the $300 and $30 headphones (assuming the $30 ones are of any decent quality).
