Hi all, I'm thinking of getting an upgrade over my current Audio-Technica ATH-M50 headphones. I do like my ATH-M50s, but I am just getting quite tired of the sound, and also the looks. I usually listen to old-ish music such as The Beatles, Queen, Bread, The Eagles etc. For some reason I just can't seem to enjoy modern music, sounds like rubbish to me. I only like a few modern songs such as What Are Words.

Question my taste in music or not, can someone please tell me if the B&O headphones are a good upgrade over the M50s or is the sound improvement minimal,or not even at all? Are there any headphones that sound just as good and are more worth the price? Looks aren't that important to me, but after seeing the H6 compared to my current M50, I would prefer it if any headphones recommended look nice like the H6 compared to the tank-ish design of the M50. durability is also important. I also know when buying Bang and Olusen products you're paying more for the design and the brand, but if the sound quality is good then it's still worth it to me.

So can someone please tell me if the H6 are worth getting, according to the sound quality and how it plays the music which I like? I was looking at the Sennheiser Momentum as people say the sound quality is better and it is quite a lot cheaper in my country but there are complaints that they are uncomfortable and can't be worn for long. Oh also I need comfortable headphones as I usually listen to music and wear headphones for many hours at a time. So comfort is important too.

Thanks for your help, suggestions and recommendations.

Anyone?

I'm an X owner of the H6 and I have about 20 hours of experience with my friend's M50. They're very different HPs; H6 are very neutral with a slight recessed midrange while the M50 have elavated bass and a more pronounced midrange. Unlike the M50, the H6 scales a lot with a good source but still sounded pretty good out of my Xperia Z1. If you liked the M50 sound I wouldn't go toward the H6. If your budget allowed I would recommand taking the B&W P7, I think they're stunning with Rock,Oop and even pretty good with Jazz (Sound signature is very samiliar to the M50 but smoother and less darker).
P.S. sorry for bad English

Thanks for your suggestion, but I do not think the B&W p7 is suited for me. Unfortunately in my country I can't try them out. But by reading reviews, the B&W P7 is darker than the M50, you said so too. However I am looking for a pair of headphones which is more accurate and less daek than the M50. I also do not like the design of the P7s.

Well I'll still go and try out the H6s at a shop and see if I like it. I was very eager to give the P7 a shot and try it out but there's no where in my country to do that.

The H6 is known for being overpriced, though. Just keep that in mind when you take a look at some of the other choices. From the looks of it, you're looking for a reference headphone. Since you're looking at the H6, we could say your budget is about $400.

With $400...well, that's a lot of money to spend on. I've tried the H6 at a store before and was amazed, but I know a lot of other folks would say, "Pick a better one; B&O only makes overpriced schiit." The NAD Viso HP50 is something to take a look at. Also consider the AKG K550 (or the 551 or 545), which should have the sound you're looking for.

If you're just going to use them at home, there are world-class headphones you could choose from with that much money. Are you looking for open or closed cans? Are you using them at home or on the go?

Well I'm intending to use them both at home and for outside use. I was intending to use the M50 outside too but after I bought it it was quite bulky to bring out with me so I just use it for home.
 
I'm not really looking for reference headphones. I'm looking for headphones which are accurate and clear yet are warm and rich enough to enjoy. For it being overpriced, I find that is subjective. I have never really tried it out before, but people say it is comfortable and has good sound quality too. Other headphones around this price tag may have slightly better sound quality and more worth the price in terms of sound but if you factor in comfort and aesthetics then the H6 is not overpriced. Also, people may tend to simply mark the B&O brand as being overpriced, similar to how Beats is seen as overpriced. If Beats releases a very good set of headphones which are very worth the money, people would still say it is overpriced even if they have not tried it before. 
 
So when you say the H6 are overpriced, is it because of the sound quality of people's perception of the brand name?
 
Also, you said there are world-class headphones for that kind of money, can you please tell me some of these headphones? 
 
Sorry for so many paragraphs, but one last thing is that they need to be comfortable that can be worn for hours. So although the sound quality of a pair of headphones may be superb for the 400 price tag, if it is uncomfortable I still would not get it. 
 
Thanks

noeltoh98 said:

Well I'm intending to use them both at home and for outside use. I was intending to use the M50 outside too but after I bought it it was quite bulky to bring out with me so I just use it for home.

I'm not really looking for reference headphones. I'm looking for headphones which are accurate and clear yet are warm and rich enough to enjoy. For it being overpriced, I find that is subjective. I have never really tried it out before, but people say it is comfortable and has good sound quality too. Other headphones around this price tag may have slightly better sound quality and more worth the price in terms of sound but if you factor in comfort and aesthetics then the H6 is not overpriced. Also, people may tend to simply mark the B&O brand as being overpriced, similar to how Beats is seen as overpriced. If Beats releases a very good set of headphones which are very worth the money, people would still say it is overpriced even if they have not tried it before. 

1. So when you say the H6 are overpriced, is it because of the sound quality of people's perception of the brand name?

2. Also, you said there are world-class headphones for that kind of money, can you please tell me some of these headphones? 

3. Sorry for so many paragraphs, but one last thing is that they need to be comfortable that can be worn for hours. So although the sound quality of a pair of headphones may be superb for the 400 price tag, if it is uncomfortable I still would not get it. 

Thanks

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1. Actually, in my opinion, I think the H6s are worth every penny; just be mindful of other people who might say otherwise. I know a lot of them. The reason a lot of people say they're overpriced is actually both of the reasons you stated above. Detractors say the H6s sound "boring" and lacks anything that makes you go "wow." On the other hand, those who love it love it. And as Jude said with the T5p, "I'm one of the ones who love it." It's a pretty polarizing can, really.

2. World-class rigs can be had for about $400. Say, an HD600, AKG Q701, or a Philips Fidelio X1, all priced at about $250. All three choices are open-back, though, and will probably not suit your needs. The first two choices also require an amp, and a good one will set you back about another $200 (which means you might have to stretch your budget a tad if you want one of these). But all three cans are amazing choices, and are practically the Three Kings of Mid-Fi.

3. The H6s, honestly, are very comfortable, and I would probably wear them for a whole day. The leather earpads might make your ears sweat after a while, but it's an inherent characteristic with all leather / pleather earpads. Another similar can to the H6 would probably be the AKG K550, which has a neutral, reference-type signature. I hear they have amazing comfort.

It may be too late to be of any help here, but I think the H6 are worth the money. I bought them while traveling, and found them great for planes, and even better at home, since they don't isolate much on the planes.
The build quality is extreme (great!) and the comfort is first rate. Sound is amazing, neutral and plenty of mids and bass, with no apparent flaws. I have not burned them in fully, but still love what I hear. My music includes a lot of jazz, with piano and sax, both of which come through amazingly well.  
Are there phones of equal quality for this price point?  Sure, but put on a pair of these in that light tan sheepskin, and tell me they aren't fantastic. The bag they came with is kind of an embarrassment, but I use mine mostly at home, so it doesn't matter much to me. Also, my electronics get carried on under the seat, so protection isn't of utmost importance.
I recently listened to the new Bose 25 and must say they isolate amazingly well, but sound quality does not compare to the B&O for me.
Just my 25 cents worth.

Dear noeltoh98,
 
please accept my apologize for asking some question on your thread
 
I'm using ath-w5000 and looking for lighter phones. Does mid and high of h6 has the same sound characteristic with ath?
 
I work at home and using w5000 all day is uncomfortable. Does h6 has a good mid for female vocal and good high for piano and violin instrument?

Mikroski, sorry to jump in here. The only way to be sure is to try them for an extended period of time. If you buy them be sure you may return them and exchange for another brand.

I guess I'm late to this party, but I am very fond of my H6's.  As they break in, the seem to get much better with age.  They are comfortable and transparent.  I compared them to the B&Ws and felt they are much better at reproducing the music that I listen to.  I'd say... go for it.

I have had the h6 now for a month and they are very light, comfortable and well made but the sound quality is not anywhere near as good as I thought it would be. Bass is lacking and mids and highs are tame. I have alternated between my dx90 and Ak jnr to compare but there isn't much in it and can honestly say that my beyerdynamic dt770 walk all over these for less than half the price.

ReRe89- You must be talking about the earlier version of the H6. The new 2nd Gen H6 ($299) is the opposite of what you described. It's EXTREMELY strong in lows and highs. That's not to say it's the tops in sound quality now. I think the sonic balance is fun to listen to, but not quite realistic.