Shanling HW600 review: wired over-ear headphones that pack a sonic punch, if you’ve got a big head…
Shanling HW600: Two-minute review
Rather than jumping into the “premium wired over-ear headphones” market with the HW600, Shanling is diving headfirst into the market. Large, well-appointed, hard-wired planar magnetic headphones aren’t uncommon, but they’re also not that mainstream—the best ones tend to come from brands that have built up credibility over the years. The one that most easily comes to mind is Meze Audio.
However, the Shanling HW600 at least has what it takes in terms of specs and finish. Carefully designed drivers are concealed within aluminum-backed, lambskin-fronted earcups, each of which is hardwired to the source using 4.4mm balanced-terminated braided monocrystalline copper cables.
The quality of the construction and finishes is undisputed and fully up to the standard required for the asking price. The best wired headphones Money can buy it.
Shanling HW600 review: Price and release date
- Release date: October 15, 2024
- Price: US$1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,699
You almost certainly don’t need me to tell you that Shanling isn’t making life easy for itself by pricing the HW600 this way. TechRadar Favorites focus, Umezawa Audio and Sennheiser (To name just three) You can buy them for the same money – so if the Shanling HW600 wants to make a positive impression, they have a tough job…
Shanling HW600 review: Specs
| type | Wired over-ear |
| driver | 110 x 86mm planar magnetic |
| weight | 480g |
| Cable length | 1.5m |
| cable termination | 4.4mm balanced |
| frequency response | 12Hz-40kHz |
Shanling HW600 review: Features
- 110mm x 86mm planar magnetic driver
- 12Hz – 40kHz frequency response (claimed)
- 1.5m four-core cable with 4.4mm terminations
Passive wired headphones tend not to have a plethora of features, and that’s certainly the case with the Shanling HW600. But it’s fair to say that the features these headphones pack come with no compromises on their specs and are perfectly fit for purpose.
Of course, these are planar magnetic headphones, which explains their size. Inside each earcup is a 110 x 86mm planar magnetic driver that’s just 8 microns thick, with printed silver-coated aluminum “fold-back” coils located between 14 neodymium/iron/boron magnets arranged in a seven-sided assembly.
Shanling claims a frequency response of 12Hz – 40Khz, and says it’s a responsive, easy-to-drive arrangement – a sensitivity rating of 104dB at 1kHz seems to back this up. The single-unit driver architecture features a pair of acoustic chambers, which Shanling says minimizes distortion and delivers the desired sonic performance.
Each earcup is wired using a standard 3.5mm connector – meaning you can easily swap out the cables if you wish. Before you rush into anything, though, it’s worth giving Shanling’s cable a closer listen – it’s a 1.5m long loosely braided single-shell copper wire with balanced 4.4mm terminations. There is also a 6.3mm adapter included in the package.
Shanling HW600 review: Sound quality
- Spacious, clear sound layout
- Impact and drive, energy and detail.
- Can sound a bit flat at the very bottom of the frequency range
Some headsets prioritize excitement and entertainment at the expense of analysis and insight in the process. Some headphones prefer a kind of aural audit of the recording, examining every nook and cranny, and the result can be a rather dull and reserved listening. And some, like the Shanling HW600, try to do a little bit of everything.
The good news is that the HW600 can do it all, with considerable success. Their balance of “entertaining,” “musical” and “analytical” is professionally judged, so no matter what kind of listening you’re interested in doing or what kind of content you want to listen to, they’re great partner when you do this.
24bit/88.2kHz FLAC file lucky By Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams has become something of a hi-fi cliche these days, but for good reason. When the HW600 is served via the iFi iDSD Diablo 2 headphone amplifier, its universality is entirely understandable. It allows the headphone to demonstrate its ability to describe an open, well-defined and carefully controlled soundstage, giving appropriate weighting to the space and instruments above it. It has fast low-frequency presence, allowing the HW600 to demonstrate control over attack and decay for rhythmic certainty. Its blend of textures and tones, as well as the close-miked nature of its vocals, allow Shanling to exhibit an impressively neutral tone and impressively even frequency response.
Detail levels are high throughout, and there’s enough substance at the top of the frequency range to balance out the brightness the HW600 imparts to the treble. The mid-range insights are done straight away – there are no secrets to Williams’ technique, no involvement from the Foresters, who are more than happy to put everything into a convincing context.
There is plenty of headroom available for intensity changes during Eartheater how to fight Absolutely obvious, and their attention to harmonic changes in Arvo Pärt’s compositions Songs in memory of Benjamin Britten It’s approaching a frenzy. The HW600 fully expresses the textures and overlaps of the final recording, so the sound is multi-faceted, whereas in less capable hands it might appear repetitive and monochromatic.
In fact, the only area where the Shanling doesn’t perform with complete confidence is at the very bottom of the frequency range. There’s no doubt that the HW600s dig deep, and their hits are packed with solid assurance – there’s nothing puffy about the low-frequency punch these headphones deliver. To the extent that it’s possible to offer both massive variety and exquisite detail. After that, however, at the deepest reaches of their reach, the Mountain Spirits lost some insight and just rumbled.
The deepest bass notes here have no light or shade, no hint of texture or detail. If it became an issue, it would affect people who listen to a lot of EDM or other content that relies on low-port talent. The rest of us might just notice it in passing and go on to enjoy the reproduction of the remaining 99% of that frequency range.
- Sound quality rating: 4.5/5
Shanling HW600 review: Design
- Friction bar headband adjustment
- Making the most of lambskin
- 480g
Planar magnetic headphones tend to be larger due to the technology they use. But in addition to being “big”, there is also the Shanling HW600. I’m 6 feet tall and I thought my head was the right size, but the HW600 About Adjust it to the smallest possible size that suits me. So, if you’re lucky enough to be petite, you can forget about it.
However, we assume that your head is large enough to fit comfortably inside the Shanling. You’ll find yourself wearing a pair of comfortable, well-made headphones that do a good job of concealing the 480-gram weight thanks to a well-thought-out rack placement. The earpads are angled memory foam covered in lambskin, and there’s more of this rather divisive material forming the thin contact area of the headband. Between the two-tier headband arrangement and the fairly basic friction bar headband adjustment mechanism, the HW600 is reminiscent of some of Meze Audio’s pricier over-the-ear designs. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
The exterior of the ear cups, as well as the yoke and outer portion of the headband, are made from aircraft-grade “7xxx” aluminum – which feels almost as good as it looks. Shanling says the exterior design of the earcups was inspired by traditional bamboo-making methods. It’s very elegant and understated, and it prevents the HW600 from looking as confidently open as it might otherwise.
Shanling HW600 review: Value
- Quality materials, perfect deployment…
- …and many more
- Success in nearly every area of audio performance
Expensive headphones are always tricky in this regard. They need to be fairly light to be comfortable, and an expensive pair of shoes can look very much like an affordable pair unless you get close.
But Shanling has tried its hand at perceived value, the fit and finish are unarguable, and the sound quality is more than up to par for the asking price. If you can handle the heavy use of lambskin, there’s definitely value here.
Should I buy Shanling HW600?
| part | notes | Fraction |
|---|---|---|
| feature | 110 x 86mm planar magnetic driver; 12Hz – 40kHz frequency response | 5/5 |
| sound quality | An open, powerful and informative voice | 4.5/5 |
| design | Maybe too “oversized”; lambskin would put off some | 4/5 |
| value | Should make your shortlist of oversized, hardwired, open-back headphones a little longer | 4.5/5 |
Buy them if…
Don’t buy them if…
Shanling HW600 review: You can also consider it
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Shanling HW600 | Metz Audio Lyrics | I am FT5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| price | US$1099/£1099/AU$1699 | US$1,999 / £1,799 / AU$3,399 | US$449/£429/AU$799 |
| driver | 110 x 86mm planar magnetic | 92 x 63mm planar magnetic | 90mm planar magnet |
| weight | 480g | 391 grams | 456 grams |
| Cable length | 1.5m | 1.5m, 3m | 1.5m |
| Connectivity | 4.4mm balanced | 3.5mm (6.3mm adapter) | 3.5mm; 4.4mm; 6.3mm; 4-pin XLR |
| frequency response | 12Hz-40kHz | 20Hz-20kHz | 7Hz-40kHz |
How I tested the Shanling HW600
- Connecting iFi Diablo 2 and FiiO M15S
- Many different styles and resolutions of music
- After more than a week of testing
Since full-size devices other than a 3.5mm headphone jack are temporarily unavailable, I used the HW600, which connects directly to headphones. FiiO M15S HD digital audio player via its 4.4mm output. I also insert them iFi iDSD Demon Headphone amplifier, also via 4.4mm connection, in turn connected to apple MacBook Pro running Kerui Software.
I then listened to a lot of different styles of music, in a variety of file types and sizes, on a fairly strict “10am to 5pm” basis throughout the work week, while taking the time to compare Shanling’s sound to a few . I have the right choice for this place…
