Yes, thanks to your post for the motivation. I doubt that they will be my least favorite headphone now.
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Never underestimate the Sennheiser 600 family. They respond to every sort of chain modification possible. I wrote off my HD-600 as obsolete after various upgrades, but I still use it and it will not die. There’s truth in the humor that people use them with $5,000 or $50,000 amps.
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That’s awesome! A little EQ can go a long way. It can’t fix major flaws, but it’ll work wonders to wonky tonality/frequency response (within reason).
I’ve had the 6XX sitting around for a while now, and every time I muster the courage to sell it, I throw it on for one last listen and end up changing my tune. It’s a staple, and it’s not going anywhere.
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Fantastic comparison! It mimics my own experience with these two headphones. Ultimately the Sennheiser won for me, as it just rocked out better and took nicely to a little EQ in the treble region. With that said, this is why having multiple headphones can be so rewarding - something my wife still doesn’t grasp, but it is what it is.
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I am slowly developing a love for EQ. Andrew’s update video on the Audeze LCD-X got me to try EQ on my LCD-X when I was having such disappointment with the LCD-X. Equalizer APO and HeSuVi apps installed on my Windows PCs fixed that right up and the LCD-X sounds pretty good now. I will have to revisit all of my “bad” headphones to see if they too can shine.
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I’ve been using both headphones for over a year and tend to get more use from the Sundara.Both have some flaws but I find the Sundara takes to eq better.The biggest difference maker to me is the soundstage and treble are so much better on the Sundara out of the box.The Sundara can never match the vocal richness of the Hd6xx,they often sound recessed in comparison.I use the frequency graph on R*tings to eq both headphones closer to their target and the results are amazing on the Sundara.They do complement each other and I will always keep both.
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A shame they feel too heavy for you.I find them very comfortable.A lot of reviewers do find them light enough but usually in comparison to other planars which by their nature weigh more.
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thanks for the review , just picked up a pair of Sennheisers 6xx and enjoying them. so far i have mainly used them with my mackbook pro/Audioengine D1 dac/headphone amp.
i have noticed what i guess is bit of the veiled sound signature , but overall happy with the sound. i also use them with my two channel stereo , a cambridge audio AZUR 540A and a JDS labs atom headphone amp. i have a pair of OPPO PM 3’s as my planar magnetic option and really love them. will check out the video’s on dealing with clampforce on the sennheisers!
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Exceedingly well done comparison. The Sennheiser veil is exacerbated by the warm bass of the 6xx. Not nearly as obvious on my HD-580s. When powered adequately the veil is less, but as you point out, EQ is the only remedy. I don’t have Sundara’s, but I do have Hifiman HE-560s, and many of the points are valid (Except the 560 has some bass slam).
Regarding pads, Yaxi also makes a nice pad for the HD-580/600/650/6xx. I found they are slightly thicker than my old 580 pads (which lasted only 20 years) and they do improve separation.
I power my 6xx with a Schiit Lyr 3 and use a Bifrost 2 DAC. This is more than adequate, but they will never have the high end air of a higher end headphone (I don’t spend crazy dollars, so my current best headphone is the Hive Nectar E-Stat).
Again, great review.
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I’ve been consider ordering an LCD-X. How would you say it compares to your other headphones for EDM and rock music, both pre and post-EQ?
It’s pretty amazing how a little free EQ being applied can really achieve a sound one is after. I haven’t yet found a headphone that I didn’t at least slightly EQ, but I will probably foolishly continue searching for the holy grail. 
The Audeze LCD-X (I have discontinued version) $900 on clearance, is warm, bass oriented, with the rest of the sound recessed. With EQ I can fix it and it then it is a good headphone.
My favorite headphone right now is the Monoprice M1570 $450 on sale. However, that is not the final price as the headband is garbage compared to Audeze. I have purchased an Audeze headband for my Monoprice $125. Yoke rods were $20 and I made my own Yokes. If you buy Yokes and can modify them, add another $20. So $615 and time spend modifying them can bring a huge payoff that destroys the Audeze LCD-X. Modding is not a choice or option for everyone.
I am comparing the two right now listening to some EDM and rock. When I listen to the Audeze LCD-X with EQ, the Monoprice M1570 sounds better even though I am not EQing the M1570. However, if you are the type of person that enjoys the Bass-centric nature of the Audeze LCD-X, it might be better to you after the EQ. Because, at high volumes one can tolerate the loud volume of the recessed mids and highs more easily with the Audeze LCD-X. I on the other hand, most of the time prefer to listen to quality over quantity.
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How does the Monoprice headphone compare to the Sundara (if you’ve tried it)?
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The Monoprice M1570 after headband replacement is my end-game. I love it without EQ and I love it even slightly more after EQ. However, it is still heavy after modification and some might get a neck ache by the sheer weight of it. The Sundara on the other hand is lightweight and very comfortable. I enjoy the Sundara sound quality very much. However, to my ears, the Sundara is nowhere in the ballpark of sound quality of the Monoprice M1570. I have them on my ears right now paired with a Singxer SA-1. And, like I said earlier, I think this is endgame for me.
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Oh, and I forgot to mention that I also had to do a cable modification by cutting off the quarter inch plug and adding a 4-pin XLR. This is because Monoprice did not follow the Audeze wiring so you have to use custom cables. I also made a cable that can be used on Audeze and Monoprice by following some diagrams online. So this is more time and maybe $5 added to the total investment. I already own the tools and solder some will also have to invest in those.
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Not trying to say hottyson’s LCD X isn’t warm but I’ve owned 2 LCD Xs and I wouldn’t call it warm. The LCD 2 would be warm, the X, not so much. Others can chime in on their experience with the X but I’d figure out what his chain is or mods/pad swap/etc that made them warm. Just my 2 cents, but didn’t want you to purchase them expecting a warm signature.
Would “dark” be a better description?
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What I am trying to describe is the lack of mids and highs. There is just no detail until I EQ except for the refined bass. Even after EQ, the Audeze LCD-X (old version) does not perform the miracles that I expect from this price range. It is good after EQ, just not mind blowing like the Monoprice M1570.
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Yours may be darker or on the warmer side, I can’t speak for yours. The LCD Xs that I’ve owned definitely had mids and highs present. They could even have treble spikes in the higher frequencies. The first X I had was definitely more even and had better bass slam. The second was more rounded off in the bass and the treble could get a little more hot than than I wanted. And from speaking to others in the past about the X, it’s always been described as Audezes more neutral/brighter headphone. Your chain and pair may make them lean warm.
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I started my own thread and deleted these as I felt that I was derailing this one by going off topic.
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Mention me in it? 
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So if anyone is wondering where I ended up with this, Audio46 was selling a pair of Sennheiser HD660S for $320 b-stock and I bought them. And they’re basically perfect. I got back all the treble I was missing with HD6XX with extra clarity and detail and keeping the weight. It doesn’t have quite the soundstage of the Sundara but I’ll take the 660S’ better presence and punch; the more I listened to the 6XX and now the 660S the more I felt like the Sundara sounded washed out by comparison.
I know our man @Resolve did a comparison between the two and said he preferred the Sundara, but I’ll just respectfully disagree.
The only thing I don’t like about the 660S–and I recognize at this point that I’m clearly in the minority with these kind of comfort issues–is that the pads on the 6XX are flatter than the ones on the 660S, and I feel like the sharper edge of the newer headphones digs into my skull a bit. It’s really annoying. I’ve tried switching the pads and it’s perfect, but I want to sell the 6XX now and I’d feel weird selling them with the wrong pads (unless anyone’s interested!) In any case, the Sennheiser pads need to be changed once a year and they don’t seem to sell the older pad style on its own which is really annoying. I’ve ordered a pair of Dekoni pads just to see if they fix the problem, though I know people complain that they change the sound profile.
Anyway, I’ll be posting them for sale proper soon but if anyone wants to buy a 2020 Sundara or a HD6XX with HD660S pads let me know. I’ve found my endgame.
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