India, May 24 -- There's something humbling about stumbling onto greatness way after the hype train has left the station. Like binge-watching The Wire in 2024 (I did this!) and cracking open Dune with everyone else already quoting it (I'm on it!), my late discovery of the Sennheiser HD 600 headphones feels like I've unearthed a gem that's been chilling in plain sight for nearly 30 years.

For years, I have been a bit of an audio wanderer. I've vibed with budget-friendly Chi-fi (or Chinese hi-fi) earbuds, grappled with the surgical precision of Audio-Technica's ATH series, geeked out over AKG's studio-grade clarity, admired Shure's obsessive craftsmanship, and even dabbled in HiFiMan's planar magnetic magic. I've scrolled through endless R...