Not long ago I was introduced to the new line of Sennheiser headphones. The line consists of the HD6 Mix, HD7 & HD8 Headphones. As I understand it the HD6’s are more suited for reference monitoring in a studio sort of setting, the HD7’s and HD8’s are heavier on the bass and are more suited for the DJ sort of application.

I had the opportunity to review the Sennheiser HD 6 Mix Headphones and I have to say that I am impressed. As one should expect from a company with a reputation for great quality products such as Sennheiser. Still I was rather surprised as my go to reference headphones, Audio Technica ATH-M50’s, got a bit of a vacation thanks to these fresh little snazzy but powerful HD6 MIX’s had me on lock for a while there.

My first impressions of the Sennheiser HD 6 Mix‘s were that they look good and the packaging is nice. They ship with what Sennheiser refers to as a “premium protective case”, one coiled cable, one straight cable, 1/4″ adapter that screws on securely and an additional set of velour earpads. Yes sir, I said an extra set of earpads made from fancy and soft velour.

The specs on the Sennheiser HD 6 Mix‘s go above and beyond what I expected as well. That sort of speaks to the level of quality you get in these HD6 Mix’s. Perhaps most impressive is the 150 ohm impedance which sort of dictates that they are best driven by studio grade gear such as high end audio interface or mix board. Also, take note to the frequency response weighing in at 8 – 30,000 Hz. Human hearing sits within the range of 20 – 20,000 Hz. That may account for the perceived boost in bass without loss of transparency.

  • Impedance 150 Ohm
  • Frequency response 8 – 30,000 Hz
  • Sound pressure level (SPL) 112 dB (1 kHz/1Vrms)
  • THD, total harmonic distortion <0.1%
  • Contact pressure 6.3 N
  • Ear coupling circumaural
  • Jack plug 3.5mm straight
  • Cable length coiled 1.5m-3.0m, straight 3.0m + Kevlar OFC
  • Transducer principle dynamic, closed
  • Load rating 500 mW
  • Weight w/o cable 264 g

So whats the sells pitch from Sennheiser? “Designed to cater to the needs of the professional sound technician, the HD6 MIX is constructed of rugged, lightweight parts and built to withstand years of work in the studio. Sound-wise, they deliver an accurate, balanced sound reproduction suitable for mixing and monitoring.

Do I agree? Yes, I do. The Sennheiser HD 6 Mix headphones certainly does deliver a “an accurate, balanced sound reproduction” of my beats. Not to mention, though not the targeted or recommended use, they make a great pair of travel and in flight headphones. Plus, they cause much less attention than those damned bass cranked, shiny and fancy red / black Beats by Dr Dre headphones that I’ve used (yes, I admit it I own a pair of Dr. Dre Beats but I am not a fan).

Style wise, the Sennheiser HD 6 Mix headphones are right in the pocket with their satin/matte grey finish and blue accents. They are nicely done without being pimped out. Love that. It seems that Sennheiser concentrated their efforts in places where it counts with the HD6 Mix headphones.

The long and short of it is this… If you want transparent sound, powerful drivers and pleasantly understated style, the Sennheiser HD 6 Mix headphones are what you need. At $279.95 they are no drop in the bucket compared to the price of Audio Technica’s ATH-M50 headphones but it would appear to me that you get more bang for the buck with the Sennheiser HD 6 Mix headphones if you are looking for something more in line with style of Beats but transparency of ATH-M50s. Indeed, they are much more suitable than Beats by Dr. Dre headphones for beat makers looking for an accurate representation of how the beats bang in the lab. For that reason,  $279.95 seems reasonable.

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