Sennheiser HD650 Appreciation Thread!! - Page 740

Sounds perfect for busdriver.  I kid, but yeah.  But yeah, but no, but yeah, but...

I got a little dilema, Amazon had the 650 for $399 about two weeks ago for a couple hours then it was gone.  My 2nd choice headphones Beyer 990 Premium 600 OHMS just dropped to $315.  Now that the 650 are at $499, are they nearly $200 better than the 990?  I will soon have a woo audio wa6, I listen to hip hop, rap, rock, a little classical. Mainly hip hop.

 

thx

I listen to my HD 650 out of a WA6 and I can tell you that the pairing is absolutely sublime. As far as rock goes, absolutely top notch. Classical is also brilliant although I wish the soundstage could just be a little bit wider. However, if you've read the posts above, you'll find that the HD 650 is very polite when it comes to Hip Hop or Rap. Personally, I like that sound, but if you want something a bit more punchy then maybe not the HD 650.

Having said all of that, I borrowed my friends Beyer 990 and it just doesn't make the cut. Firstly, it requires a lot more power. the WA6 with stock tubes is not gonna be able to drive it well. You'd be looking at a 6GL7 tube upgrade to get more gain and power which is another $100+ anyway. As far as sound goes, I'd easily invest an extra $300 for the HD 650s. 

I really like the sound of the instruments on the hd650 but I felt like they overshadowed the singer too much especially for rock. Anyone have any suggestions for what headphone I should get next?

 

The he-4 and hd650 are engaged in a bitter battle. When it's over only one will remain.

 

I won't have an amp till this afternoon but I've written down some thoughts comparing the 650 and he-4. Please remember that currently I am using my ancient receiver as my only amp. 

 

 

Hifiman he-4 vs Sennheiser (using a vintage receiver/headphone output)

 

Initial impressions. The he4 sounded a little “farther away.” Particularly the vocals. The 650 presents vocals, especially female vocals, in a special way. They are rendered rich, smooth and lifelike. For mids and vocals the 650 is my favorite can of all time. The mids that were coming from the he4 were good…very good, but not as good as the 650.

 

Bass-the sub bass is better on the 4. It has more texture, detail and punch. It’s never bloomy or loose. And honestly not very far off from the he400 bass. The 650 can reproduce sub bass that is in the same class as the 4 but just can’t match it for impact. 

 

I’m not a huge classical fan. There are certain composers that I enjoy and listen to on occasion. Recently I’ve found a recording by Rachel Podger called AntonioVivaldi: La Stravaganza. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to buy a hi-res version of the recording. Because it was sitting in a playlist I decided to give it a listen on the 4 because I have been playing it often on the 650 and it was still fresh in my mind.  I have really enjoyed this recording on the 650, but…I am still picking my jam up off the floor after listening with the 4. This classical piece is rendered in a way that is simply breathtaking on the he4. I have no words to accurately describe the experience. The 650 is at least two levels beneath the 4 with this recording. With the he-4, there was distinctive attack and decay of the notes that the 650 could not match. It made the recording more realistic and lifelike.

 

Power. The amping/power requirements between these two are huge. To get a comfortable listening level that is full and dynamic, the he4 needs about 4-5 times the juice of the hd650. (remember this is with the old receiver and not a dedicated hp amp)

 

Comfort. The hd650 is hands down supremely more comfortable than the he4 even despite the he4 being the lightest of the HFM offerings.

 

The he4 has a very nice “luxury car” paint job…think Lexus. I don’t know what HFM calls it but I’ll call it black pearl. Very refined, elegant and serious. This is much different than the fun blue that is on the he400. After a few hours, I feel like I’ve pretty much got my mind around the differences here. They are this:

 

He-4:

 

*incredible sound stage, beautifully balanced across the spectrum, good extension and texture from the bass although not quite matching the he400, amping requirements are high, classical and jazz recording are standouts

 

Hd650

 

*rich lifelike mids, unparalleled comfort, melt in to the music sound, scales incredibly well with better gear

 

The he4 at first listens shows that it is a talented ortho across the spectrum. It sounds pleasing and expensive. There is unquestionably a wow factor here when you put them on and cue up your music, especially if you are new to orthos. The mids are slightly recessed…if only a bit. The mids on the 650 are perfectly positioned.

 

The hd650 does not have same kind of wow factor. The sound is pleasing and impressive nonetheless. The first thing that I noticed and still notice about the 650 is the mids. They bring me back over and over. The best complement that I can pay to the 650 is that there is such a wonderful cohesion to the presentation that it allows you to effortlessly slip into the music and you stop listening to the headphones and just listen to the music. 

Matt, is there a law* that says you must only keep one pair of headphones? I have both the HE500 and HD650 and IMO they compliment each other nicely.

 

*By law, I mean...."wife"? 

Having only recently bought some 650s I went back today to the shop specially to hear the Akg Q701. I was impressed with the level of detail on offer and extremely clean neutral sound despite them sounding thin at times. Switching back to the 650 brought much liked body and warmth to the sound, not as carefully etched like the Q701 but it sounded more right to my ears. Despite my preference for the 650 I could live with either of them. I'd rather have the Q701 for monitoring and 650 for just enjoying music.

I also heard the HD600 again and was impressed with the more cooler tone than the HD650 but value the 650 richness more.

I also was glad to have heard the HD800-what a great phone! Betters the Q701 in every area but also brings a touch of warmth as per the 650. Hard to fault. Lovely fit on the head/face.

At the end of it I'm happy with my 650 which has a great organic sound that pulls you in. After hearing many other phones now I'm happy to stay with these and put money towards an upgraded lead.

 

I'm allowed only two...by the law (wife). I want only one open and one closed pair. Since I now have two open pair, one must go. 

what dac and amp are good on price and performance for HD650?

I'm torn as well :/ 

 

I really love the mids of the HD650, but after hearing an ortho's bass I just can't go back :( 

 

People say the upgrade would be a LCD-2, but its just so much money!

 

first world problems lol 

 

Understood, my friend.

 

I have a unique understanding with the law/wife.  I don't try to count the number of shoe boxes in her side of our closet and she doesn't try to count my cans, amps, or tubes.

 

However, it has taken 25 years of marriage to come to that understanding.
 

I am absolutely loving my 650's. The level of detail, the quality of sound, the clarity, the instrument separation... The 650 is a breathtaking aural experience for its price range. 

 

They are currently being driven by CLAS > Mk3-B (transportable) and an AudioQuest DragonFly > NuForce Icon HDP (desktop). I am happy with the current setup while perfectly aware that there is a lot of room for improvement - hopefully I can fit in a real desktop DAC and amp in there someday; eyes on either the Lyr or the WA6.

This is the current law* in my house as well.  We have been living under this law* for only 10 years now, but it is not so much that we are quicker studies than you ..... rather, this is the second Constitution for both of us ...........

 

The HD-650 and Q701 are two of my favorites and go well together. The HD-650 is better for when I don't want to be bothered by flaws in my recordings and harsh/garbage tracks. I mean you can still hear them as being bad, but they don't sound as bad on the HD-650. It feels like it takes off all the rough edges on some music. I do however think the HD-650 is more revealing than it usually is with my ODAC+Magni.

 

My Q701 only sounds thin if a recording sounds that way. It adds only a ultra tiny amount of warmth to some thin recordings, but barely audible. I can take a very warm recording and it sounds pretty close to my HD-650. The variation between recordings with my Q701 and Micro(or Magni)+ODAC is very impressive. Reminds me of my old DT-880. HD-650 is a bit warmer and fuller sounding to my ears of course, but not by much. This variation between tracks isn't as noticeable on the HD-650, but not like I care. It's not meant to be some studio monitor! My HD-650 makes almost everything quite listenable. I can have my Q701 goes from sounding like an AD700 to an HD-650 depending on the track

 

I never would have imagined the HD-800 as having a touch of warmth. Somehow I always pictured it as kind of sounding like a more advanced K701 with less peaks and better bass. Weird right?

 

I still wish I knew if the HD-800 is capable of having a soundstage larger than the K501. It doesn't seem possible!

At times I did wonder if the Q701 was more of a neutral canvas... But for a recording I've known to be good through my speakers(MA RX6) and other headphones inc the 650, they just sounded too thin and flat, lacking expression and then moving back to the 650 brought it back to life. Despite this I still highly rate the Q701.

I've not heard the K501 but the HD800 is truly something special, doing everything better than the others and so it should do at that price. Fine okay they don't have the midrange warmth of the HD650 but are much better in every other respect.
Edited by dmudan - 3/3/13 at 12:38am