How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want one headset that handles calls, music, and travel on a single charge — and you happen to wear a large hat size — choose Jabra Evolve2; if you need open-back, wired, audiophile-grade sound for a big head at a desk, choose HIFIMAN HE600. That's the short version. The long version matters because these two look like they belong in the same conversation and absolutely do not.
• Jabra Evolve2 85 — biggest strength: A complete wireless workhorse. Active noise cancellation that cuts 54% more surrounding noise, 10 microphones, up to 37 hours of battery, a charging stand, and a USB-C Bluetooth adapter in the box.
• Jabra Evolve2 85 — biggest trade-off: It's a closed-back Bluetooth headset first. Great for calls and commuting, but it will never deliver the open, airy soundstage an open-back planar headphone is built for, and it depends on a battery.
• HIFIMAN HE600 — biggest strength: A planar magnetic driver with an 8Hz–65kHz frequency range, a Neo Supernano Gen.2 diaphragm, and a design that deliberately trims weight for long listening sessions.
• HIFIMAN HE600 — biggest trade-off: Wired only, no noise cancellation, no microphone, and it needs a decent headphone amp to sound like itself. It's a listening tool, not a communication tool.
• For the buyer who wants one do-everything headset for work and travel → Jabra Evolve2 85 (very likely the better pick if you're hunting for the best headphones for big head comfort in a closed-back wireless design).
• For the buyer who wants serious wired sound quality and doesn't mind an amp → HIFIMAN HE600.
The Evolve2 85 is built around the idea that one device should cover your whole working day. The memory foam padding and over-the-head fit are designed to stay comfortable across long stretches, and Jabra's active noise cancellation cancels 54% more of the noise around you. For anyone who works in a shared office, a kitchen-table setup, or a coffee shop, that's the headline feature — it's what lets you hear a call without maxing the volume.
Call quality is where this thing earns its keep. Ten built-in microphones, a hidden foldable boom arm, and a design Jabra says reduces background conversation noise by 97% on calls. The 40mm dynamic drivers handle music well enough that you won't feel like you're wearing a call-center accessory, and the 20Hz–20kHz range is standard full-range territory. The busylight is more visible than before, which sounds like a small thing until you've been interrupted mid-presentation.
Then there's the practical stuff. Up to 37 hours of battery on a charge, a 2.5-hour charge time, a charging stand so it's always topped up on your desk, and the Jabra Link 380c USB-C Bluetooth adapter included for a plug-and-play Microsoft Teams experience. It works with all the major Unified Communications platforms, so it isn't locked to one ecosystem. Bluetooth 5, touch controls for media, and a carry case round it out.
Who should buy it: hybrid and remote workers, anyone who takes a lot of calls, frequent travelers, and people who want their headset to double as everyday music headphones. On the big-head question specifically, this is the safer of the two picks — the over-ear memory foam design and adjustable headband are made for all-day wear rather than a precise audiophile fit.
Who should skip it: if you mainly want to sit at a desk and disappear into music, or if you already own a dedicated amp and open-back headphones, the Evolve2 is the wrong tool. It's also a closed-back, battery-dependent design, so it's not the pick for someone chasing an open soundstage.
The HE600 is a very different animal. It's an open-back, over-ear, wired planar magnetic headphone, and everything about it points at one job: critical listening at a desk. HIFIMAN's pitch is that the HE600 replicates the sound signature of the classic HE6 — a headphone famous for demanding serious amplification — but with high enough sensitivity to work with standard headphone amps rather than a power amplifier. That's the whole story here, and if it doesn't describe how you listen, this isn't your headphone.
The driver tech is the interesting part. The Neo Supernano diaphragm Gen.2 is 60% of the thickness of the first generation, and the magnet assembly uses rare-earth-free permanent magnetic materials in an optimized structure to reach sensitivity comparable to rare-earth designs. The result: 28Ω impedance, 94dB sensitivity, and a very wide 8Hz–65kHz frequency range. Open-back planar headphones are known for fast transient response and a spacious presentation, and the spec sheet supports that expectation.
Comfort gets real attention too. The second-generation ergonomic headband with rotatable hinges cuts 20g of weight, bringing the HE600 to 389g. That's still a substantial headphone, so the rotatable hinges and the weight reduction matter more than they sound like they do — they're the difference between a two-hour session and a five-hour one. The enclosure is plastic in a silver finish, the cable is included, and the warranty is one year.
Who should buy it: desktop listeners with a dedicated amp or a decent DAC/amp, people who value open-back sound and don't need noise isolation, and anyone who wants a planar magnetic headphone that doesn't demand exotic amplification. If you're chasing the best headphones for big head comfort in an open-back design, the reduced weight and rotatable hinges are the features to weigh.
Who should skip it: commuters, anyone who takes calls, anyone who wants to use a headset wirelessly, and anyone who needs noise cancellation. There's no microphone, no Bluetooth, and no ANC. It's a 3.5mm wired headphone, full stop.
• Best for battery life and untethered use → Jabra Evolve2 85. Up to 37 hours on a charge, plus a charging stand and Bluetooth 5.
• Best for calls and meetings → Jabra Evolve2 85. Ten microphones, a foldable boom arm, and a busylight built for shared spaces.
• Best for noise reduction → Jabra Evolve2 85. Active noise cancellation that cuts 54% more surrounding noise, plus a noise-isolating closed-back design.
• Best for pure sound quality and soundstage → HIFIMAN HE600. Open-back planar magnetic drivers with an 8Hz–65kHz range and a thin, fast diaphragm.
• Best for long listening sessions at a desk → HIFIMAN HE600. The second-gen headband drops 20g and adds rotatable hinges.
• Best if you want zero setup friction → Jabra Evolve2 85. Plug in the USB-C adapter, install once, and you're on Teams or your UC platform of choice.
• Best if you already own a headphone amp → HIFIMAN HE600. That's the setup this headphone was designed around.
• Best for travel and commuting → Jabra Evolve2 85, no contest. The HIFIMAN is a wired, open-back, non-isolating headphone, which is the opposite of what a train carriage wants.
In my opinion, most people reading a comparison between these two should buy the Jabra Evolve2 85. It's the one device that covers calls, music, travel, and long workdays without asking you to build a system around it, and if you're specifically shopping for big-head comfort, its over-ear memory foam padding and adjustable headband make it the lower-risk fit of the two. I'd only steer you to the HIFIMAN HE600 if you already own a headphone amp, listen at a desk, and want open-back planar sound above everything else. Two different jobs. Pick the one that matches yours.
FAQ
You can, and open-back planar sound is genuinely enjoyable for games because of the wide presentation. But there's no microphone and no wireless, so you'd need a separate mic and a wired setup. If you're searching for gaming headphones for big head comfort with a built-in mic, the Jabra Evolve2 85 is the more practical answer.
Not necessarily a power amplifier — that's the point of the HE600's higher sensitivity. But it is a wired 28Ω, 94dB planar magnetic headphone, so a decent headphone amp or DAC/amp will get far more out of it than a laptop's headphone jack alone.
The Jabra Evolve2 85, without question. It has active noise cancellation that cuts 54% more surrounding noise, and it's a closed-back design. The HIFIMAN HE600 has no noise cancellation and is open-back, so it actually lets the room in. Before you decide, check the current price on Amazon for whichever one fits your use case.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: JVC Gumy vs Groovz Plus True comparison, LOBKIN 5.4 vs homicozy Noise Cancelling Headphones, ADOOPE Over-Ear Headphones vs TOZO HT3: Large Over Ear, Marnana Ear Hooks vs COMPLY Memory Foam Replacement