I have been a Sennheiser fanboy since my high school HD424’s…
I listened to a bunch a few years ago including the 600’s, 650’s, and 800’s…and ended up with the HD58x Massdrops…a slightly older sound, but great - nonfatiguing as they say. Listen to them a ton at work. Cheap, too.
My sense is that the Sennheisers do a bit better with sound leakage as well - I don’t worry about bothering others around me…
@b-lilja i see you have the Rega RS3 speakers. How would you characterize their tonal balance? We used to have them until they got destroyed in a home renovation. Now I don’t remember what they sounded like. We replace them with Spendor A4.
I have a very soft spot for the RS3s…truly lovely speakers. I recently auditioned SLBs at home, as well as A4s, A7s, SCM40s at the dealer…and wasn’t moved to change. They aren’t the last word in detail, but are very musical, natural, surprisingly full range, and just comfortable. Sort of an old running shoe sort of speaker, they just work. That said, I feel like the system justifies a step up…I’m intrigued by the new Aya, and am keeping an eagle eye for some local Devore Gibbons…
As far as tonal balance…they seem pretty balanced to me. I am always surprised by the musical bass they deliver. Perhaps the one lack is at the very top end…cymbals seem a bit truncated in the high shimmer. But that’s probably part of why they, like the 58x’s, are “nonfatiguing”.