These are my first set of higher value headphones. I mainly listen to european folk music with instruments such as clarinet and sax, and hip hop.
The higher pitched sounds, even at low volume, feel very sharp and tiring.
I am listening on Windows 10 and have a Fioo e10k.
I was previously using the Koss Porta Pro which I enjoyed.
I would like to know if anyone else has had a similar experience or has any recommendations.
You need some good ole fashion ear burn-in.
Listen to them more. Forget you’re wearing them, jam out while working or play a video game or movie.
If you still don’t like the sound after 1-2 weeks then try playing with EQ.
If you still don’t like the sound after 1-2 weeks
Return them and get your money back. Buy something more tuned to your tastes.
I started with the HD660S which are darker. When I first got the HD600 I found them fatiguing and started to wonder if I made a mistake. I decided to use them exclusively for a week starting with songs that aren’t as high(only male vocal songs) then let my brain adjust to them. After the adjustment period, they sounded absolutely awesome and have been my daily pair since. They just sound so right. The 660S have gotten much less use since then, they sound muffled by comparison.
Yeah they are not as good as the hype since other companies have caught up and put out comparable headphones for cheaper.
Most people demanding hd6xx are some special status ultra special snowflake mega headphones that are completely unique and worth their RIDICULOUS asking price are just stuck in sunk cost fallacy.
It could be that you’re like me, and like a bit of bass. The HD600 doesn’t have much at all (fight me Senn fans) so you keep turning it up to get some impact until the upper midrange starts to hurt you.
Try a little bass shelf and see if your experience doesn’t improve.
(it won’t solve the soundstage issue with those headphones, however)
This post is an automated archive from a submission made on /r/headphones, powered by Fediverser software running on alien.top. Responses to this submission will not be seen by the original author until they claim ownership of their alien.top account. Please consider reaching out to them let them know about this post and help them migrate to Lemmy.
Lemmy users: you are still very much encouraged to participate in the discussion. There are still many other subscribers on !headphones@hi-fi.community that can benefit from your contribution and join in the conversation.
Reddit users: you can also join the fediverse right away by getting by visiting https://portal.alien.top. If you are looking for a Reddit alternative made for and by an independent community, check out Fediverser.
OP, also love the Porta Pro (but love the KSC75 more), and judging by your reaction, your preferred sound signature is a warmer U. Maybe even V-leaning.
You are better off with something like a Philips SHP9500, 9600 or X2HR. Or an AKG K72, or even Grado SR80x
During the height of the pandemic, i bought all kinds of recommended gear by good natured posters, but i ended up hating or gifting things like the DT770 and Sennheiser HD650 away.
The closest “neutral” or treble-centric headphones i can take are Stax L700/L500/L300
You would probably also enjoy Chi-Fi V-shape IEMs
No need to bend over for others, get what YOU like. Life’s too short
It’s a neutral reference headphone, an open back headphone that’s meant to play the audio with very little change to the sound as it was recorded. This is the trend of open back headphones and what makes up the majority of “audiophile” style headphones these days, they’re primarily judged on their neutral listening chops, how adherent to the Harman curve they are or can be, tuning and technicals. Rather than accentuated bass and highs like a V-shape or a Harman-tuned pair, it aims to represent bass, mids and highs accurately with their intended prevalence. For the purposes of a neutral listening reference audiophile headphone, the HD600 is among if not the best in the world.
The Porta Pros are a warm bass-rolled open supra-aural headphone. They’re doing two very different designs meant to do very different things. They are not known for being neutral and instead have a throwback sound you’re unlikely to find duplicated elsewhere as supra-aurals are few and far between. If you’re looking for something with less highs and more bass, you could look at headphones with a V or U shaped signature, or something balanced that isn’t as dedicated to neutrality.
You can try using EQ to adjust the 600 to taste but it will never have a bassy sound nor will it shy away from the sort of sterile and clinical reference vibe unless you really lean into changing it up and at that point, you’re better off getting a different pair of headphones. The 600 costs what it costs and has its reputation based on what you’re hearing, its ability to do that type of sound. You could likely sell or return them, research headphones that may have a signature and style more to your liking - AKA not an open back neutral listening headphone or a blind buy based on generalized reputation but from its measurements compared against your preferences - And get better results than trying to change the 600 beyond what some reasonable amounts of EQ can do for them.