Review: Mixcder HD601 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones
Firstly I would like to thank Mixcder for selecting me to
review their HD601 bluetooth headphones. These have had over 100hrs of burn-in,
no differences were noted.
Gear Used: Audio Opus #2 > HD601 in wired and wireless
mode
Tech Specs:
Packaging, Build quality and Accessories:
The Mixcder HD601 come in a simple card box, the box has a
picture of the headphones on the front, and info with specs on the back. Once
you open this box you can slide out a plastic insert which has the headphones
in. It is a simple box that looks fine for the price.
Build quality is actually quite good, they are mainly made
out of plastic but they feel well put together. The extender arms are
reinforced with metal, and all the buttons feel of good quality. The jack input
to the headphones wiggles a little, but I have not had any connection issues.
The earpads are fairly plush and are easily replaceable.
Accessory wise all you get is a USB charging cable, jack to
jack cable for wired use, that is it but also for the price you cannot really
complain. A small soft carry pouch would have been nice though.
Comfort, Isolation and Ease of use:
The HD601 are an over-ear headphone but the cups are
relatively small and compact, this means that some people will have slight
comfort issues. For me they fit quite snugly but are not uncomfortable, the
clamping force is fairly tight but this allows them to stay in place during
daily activities. I wouldn’t want to wear these for periods of more than a
couple of hours, but they are not uncomfortable, the headband is well padded
and distributes the weight quite well.
Isolation is good on these, they block out a lot of
background noise which is good for daily commutes. I would even think these
would be fine on the London underground.
I had no issues pairing the HD601 with my Opus #2, these
support pairing via NFC but unfortunately I have no devices that support this.
The HD601 are intuitive to use, standard volume up and down, however holding
them skips tracks instead of double or triple tapping the main button. The main
button is for powering them on/off, play/pause and if you tap it twice it
changes from balanced to bass heavy sound and vice versa. These modes are easy
to distinguish in use.
Sound:
First off let’s start with them being played over Bluetooth,
as this is their main use, these impressions are with them in balanced mode:
Lows: The lows are very full but slightly one-toned; they
really fill out the sound but do have a bit of boom to them. They are not the
most controlled or tight, so they work better with slightly bass heavy genres,
not being able to quite keep up with faster rock tracks. The extension is good
however digging fairly deep, but they do warm up the lower mids a little.
Mids: The midrange is slightly recessed compared to the
upfront lows, and as stated previously the lows do bleed into the midrange
slightly making them sound a little fuller than a fully neutral pair of
headphones. Saying this though the midrange does have fairly good detail and
linearity without harshness or sibilance.
Highs: The highs are lacking in presence and sparkle taking
a back seat in the mix, there is no real shimmer or sparkle up top. They really
lack energy in the treble and end up sounding like quite a dull and dark
sounding headphone. There is a bit of a peak somewhere that gives you a glimmer
of hope, hearing the initial tap of cymbal crashes, but ultimately they do not
have the air and openness needed to really excite.
Separation and soundstage are fairly average, nothing too
special here.
Bass boost mode: This is something I do not advise turning
on, the sub-bass becomes more present but muddies up the overall balanced
making them sound like a bloated mess.
Wired mode:
In wired mode they still retain a warmer sound, the lows are
slightly tighter and more controlled, the mids a little less warm and there is
some shimmer up top, they become a little better balanced overall. In wired
mode they actually come off as a fairly good budget over-ear headphone.
Conclusion: For their current price on Amazon of £45.99 they
are not actually bad value for money, yes you can get better wired only
headphones for the price, but as a whole package the HD601 actually offers
fairly good sound quality for non-critical on the go use. They offer a full and
fun sound, that is lacking in treble presence but ultimately is very easy to
listen to and non fatiguing.
Sound Perfection Rating: 6.5/10 (Fairly good value as a whole
package, but the sound is not for everyone)
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