I wouldn't really pay attention to Rtings Soundstage scores as they come up with their own methodology, but yes the HD600 is known for not having the largest Soundstage as an open back

Wow that's a really quick response! Thanks!

don't pay attention to rtings scores. they are known to be pretty weird. it is true though that the soundstage in the HD600 is lacking compared to other open backs

In my experience yes, but I still vastly prefer anything from the 600 series to the sr850.

The moment I saw their claim about M50X being better than Focal Elegia, I started being a bit sceptical about their comparisons..

To be fair, quite a few closed backs have better soundstage than the HD600

HD 600 doesn't have a particularly big soundstage to begin with, so most open backs should be better than that

All these people saying that rtings isn’t good for ratings. Is there anything that rtings does well? I know they can be a source for frequency response graphs.

I would personally look at rtings for things not related to sound performance. Things like mic quality, comfort, durability are factors that I think they present well and accurately.

Their raw fr graphs are good to, but the reason I would use squig or crinacle over them is because, unlike rtings, you can change the target response.

RTings are absolute geniuses when it comes to TV and monitor reviews. Headphones, though... not so much.

I still don't have a pair of 6x0 headphones but I do have DT770s to know they have great soundstage in a closed back.

Tbh you're better off buying one expensive set of headphones than several mid tier cans

If I remember correctly I think Rtings is using the HD800S's frequency response (a headphone known for it's huge soundstage) as a reference for the soundstage "measurements" of other headphones. And while I think that you definitely can get an idea on the stage of a headphone with their measurements, it is not an accurate thing and you should use your own ears for that in the end. But yes, the HD600 is not that good of a choice if you are looking for an expansive stage and the SR850 might very well be "better" than the HD600 for that, just like Rtings suggests.

Sure hd600 will sound more closed in when listening to regular stereo music. Play back binaural or use spatial audio, and then there frequency response curve is almost perfect allowing for spherical soundstage reproduction

Their frequency response measurements, product dimensions, and sound isolation and leakage data is amazing abs can be used to accurately compare headphones. But things like soundstage can't easily be measured and it's better to look at what people say about it instead of just the number listed. Some people have argued about their comfort scale as well, saying they reduce the score a lot for a very small detail which isn't even an issue for most people.