Drop + Sennheiser HD 6XX vs Sony WH-1000XM4

“quit the sub...clear the cache on your browser, click in everything else that's not audio related. Enjoy your set up. But you know what tho...HiFiMAN Planars do sound really nice with the K11 R2R....AND...the HD600 is a nice complement to the 6xx. Oh...and a closed back to complete your rotation.😉”

“There are three sides to the story, general consumers opinions, audiophiles opinions (a lot of this subreddit), and objective measurements/issues.  General consumers tend to not care as much about sound quality. They focus on ANC, connectivity, comfort, and usually brand recognition. For that, the XM4s, 5s, and 6s are good headphones that have long battery life and a wide range of users. Parts are plentiful and you don’t have to worry about long wait times if something goes wrong with them under warranty. Audiophiles, especially on r/headphones, say they sound horrid. I agree. However, our basis is on headphones that often are confined to our desks with dacs, preamps, amps, fancy cables, etc. We dislike them because they don’t fit our standard for a “good” headphone but these standards are wildly different than your average consumer. For objectivity I’m only gonna talk about build quality. The hinges on the XM5 are downright stupid and designed to fail. I would avoid them specifically for that reason. The XM4s I don’t believe have anything major outside of the headband creaking. Although the XM4 does have a laughably bad microphone. Keep in mind that Sony headphones use a synthetic leather for the earpads and headband that will crack and peel after a few years. I’m not sure about the XM6 because it hasn’t been out that long. TLDR: Don’t mix up consumer and audiophile reviews. Build quality with the XM4s is fine, avoid the XM5s because of its hinge issues (imo).”