After being announced earlier this year, Sennheiser released their follow up to their HD 25 headphones. While the HD 8 and HD 7 are geared more specifically for DJ’s, the Sennheiser HD 6 MIX headphones were more focused for music production. I finally managed to get my hands on a pair to test out with my humble home studio setup and had ample time to adjust to them and form an opinion. How did they hold up? I’m happy to say, very well indeed.
Style
To be straight forward, these are some good looking cans and they come in a real nice, hard shell carrying case that is ideal for travel and keeping them safe. A very nice combination of gun-metal grey, black, and royal blue accents create a very stylish appearance that fit both indoor and outdoor usage. The headband is a matte black color with the word Sennheiser inscribed on the top. Underneath, the headband is lined with an extremely soft leather padding for comfort. It looks good and allowed me to keep the headphones on very comfortably, even while wearing a hat. The metal ear adjustments are easy enough to use without feeling cheap.
Features
The HD 6’s are designed to prevent outside noise from creeping in during listening without any special noise canceling features. This is achieved through the curved design which provides a very comfortable listening experience. The headphone cable provided can connect to either speaker which allows for flexibility when connecting to equipment. However, the default cord is not ideal for outside usage so an alternative that is lighter is provided as well as a 1/4 inch adapter. Additionally, a second set of cushions are also provided in the event that you choose not to use the leather ones or perhaps in the unlikely event that they get damaged somehow. At 150 ohm, these bad boys may not work on every device you have if they are not receiving ample power. In my home studio setup, I had them connected to a Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 sound card that I run all of my equipment too, however I am please to say they they worked just fine when I connected them to my HTC One M8 as well.
Experience
In a small departure from some of the other headphones that we have reviewed, the Sennheiser HD6 MIX headphones are not intended for only listening to music casually or on the go. While they can certainly do that, the main intent of their design though is to be used to provide a flat, uncolored, or rather true depiction of the music you are listening to. This is so that when you are making music – producing, arranging, and then mixing – you can hear exactly what you are doing in order to make the necessary adjustments to get the best possible sound.
This is different than most commercial headphones designed to enhance the music you are hearing by boosting frequencies like bass or increasing loudness. The HD 6 is pretty brutal in this regard and for it’s intended purpose, that is a very good thing. There is no extra bass if your track is devoid of the frequencies. You need to put in the work to get a good sounding mix on these headphones. There was a learning curve for me at first as I had been acustom to working on the classic Sony MDR-V6’s or 7506’s and my ears were used to them. The HD 6’s were an adjustment at first but later on I became very comfortable with them and enjoyed using them as they let me really get a good feel of the highs and mids of songs I listened too. I think that for music production, these guys can bring out the best in a producer trying to achieve a really good mix as they serve as a pretty accurate mirror of what is coming through.
Wrap Up
I am happy to fully recommend these headphones especially to the budding generation of home studio music producers (such as myself) who are looking for quality headphones that are both durable and efficient at their job. The HD 6’s are solid in build and quality in material. They look great as well, but most importantly, they are flat and provide an ideal condition for mixing on for those who prefer to use headphones or may have a mobile setup need or do not have studio monitors with an acoustically treated room. Comfortable, stylish, and reasonably affordable, Sennheiser has delivered a product worthy of its reputation.
