I just got a March 2023 shipment of the HD 6xx and it did not come with anything other than an attached cable and was shipped in a box as shown above.

The sound is amazing for what I paid for them. Do I have to order a storage case for them? Yep. But I can get one on Amazon for 20.00 which is fine.

I also picked up the 660s over the holidays and it did come in a hard shell box. Those headphones are simply stunning. I love them.

Being a bit of a headphone "junkie", most of the headphones I get come with a cloth bag at best. My Audeze came in a bulletproof case (well, it feels like it) but those were on the expensive side and I would expect that.

I'm okay with the way most of the headphones come. If I have to pick-up a case, so be it.

Really a loaded question. I have both and I have to say I am not giving up either.

The HD600 is such a good headphone either on tubes or one of the many DACs/AMPs out there.

The 109 is easier to drive and has a fantastic soundstage. I find myself just listening to them like I'm not wearing headphones at all.

If I had to choose, I would take the 109 ONLY because it's easier to drive and I can use it across more devices.

One last thing, remember you are talking about a headphone that is two to about three times the price (depending on the deals). It's a great headphone but the 600s on a good tube amp is magic in my humble opinion.

If you have a low impedence headphone or IEM and used high gain you would probably get distortion.

However, if you used high gain and an EQ and reduced the gain output on the EQ side you might get better results.

When I get anything new I start at a low gain setting and adjust from there. Once I find the sweet spot, I just leave it.

Almost all my IEMs use low gain. High Gain I only use for headphones that require extra power.

Waiting for Black Friday. Hoping to snag a pair at a discount. Great Req!

All of us get so caught up in the sound of this and the sound of that, we forget just a chair, a decent pair of headphones, and some good tunes can make a crappy day better and a good day great.

Thanks for the reminder. I forget that sometimes in this hobby.