[ngyu]

  ^^ same as above. This way you can use one nice cable with all your hp's with the adapters. 

ah thats what i figured. I've always toyed with the idea... but wouldn't it be rather heavy and get in the way?

 

[MattTCG]

^^ heavy? No, they pair of adapters weight about 8 grams total. I'm sensitive to weight and things getting in the way. I never notice them. 

 

[MattTCG]

  Can't go past the Q for ergonomics and quality. I used this with my LCD-2 but these "earrings" can be ordered from Q to convert it for use with the HD650. Steve is a good guy who looks after his customers.
 
 

 
One of the best people that I've dealt with period even outside audio and gear. True craftsman also. 

 

[olor1n]

 

  ^^ same as above. This way you can use one nice cable with all your hp's with the adapters. 

ah thats what i figured. I've always toyed with the idea... but wouldn't it be rather heavy and get in the way?

 
Maybe if you attempted this configuration with a garden hose type cable. The Q cable is feather weight and the mini xlr adapters are quite light. You won't notice the bulk. The DHC Molecule cable I once owned was more cumbersome in comparison.

 

[ngyu]

   
Maybe if you attempted this configuration with a garden hose type cable. The Q cable is feather weight and the mini xlr adapters are quite light. You won't notice the bulk. The DHC Molecule cable I once owned was more cumbersome in comparison.

 
hmm, gotta see the weight of these mini-xlrs. but in the end, one cable won't be good for my setup. I have two amps, and two headphones... might be better to just stick with one cable each for me. 
 
good setup though for those with one amp and multiple headphones. i've always considered doing that, but always thought the mini-xlrs are heavy. 

 

[Copperears]

I'm astonished anyone would claim the HD650 is "bad for classical."

I spent much of my life close to live performances of classical music, and the HD650s come closer to what you're going to hear in a live performance than anything out there.

Listen particularly to a good, modern recording of chamber music to prove this.

Again, everyone's hearing and expectations are different, and different instruments and recording techniques and concert halls and ensembles vary significantly in the sonic result, so there is no "universal" claim possible.

However, I can attest to the HD650 sounding extremely natural to me. I actually reserve them for when I'm going to engage in sustained, uninterrupted, focused listening. And to almost anything, not just the benchmark example of a top-notch chamber music recording of classical music. They bring out the best in any recording you can find, and are highly musical.

One simple test is you'll find yourself listening to them, even at higher volume levels to represent more natural dynamic range, for extended periods without experiencing any listener fatigue. Which is a very rare thing.

 

[joebobbilly]

I'm astonished anyone would claim the HD650 is "bad for classical."

I spent much of my life close to live performances of classical music, and the HD650s come closer to what you're going to hear in a live performance than anything out there.

Listen particularly to a good, modern recording of chamber music to prove this.

Again, everyone's hearing and expectations are different, and different instruments and recording techniques and concert halls and ensembles vary significantly in the sonic result, so there is no "universal" claim possible.

However, I can attest to the HD650 sounding extremely natural to me. I actually reserve them for when I'm going to engage in sustained, uninterrupted, focused listening. And to almost anything, not just the benchmark example of a top-notch chamber music recording of classical music. They bring out the best in any recording you can find, and are highly musical.

One simple test is you'll find yourself listening to them, even at higher volume levels to represent more natural dynamic range, for extended periods without experiencing any listener fatigue. Which is a very rare thing.

+1 I like them cause on Mojo/Gun... the soundstage just makes me feel like i'm @ the concert hall in the audience.  The K702s seem to place/space oddly even tho it presents better "bite" and "crisp" detailing to the strings... but then the orchestra loses out it's weight, grandeur and ooomph. At least on my rig that's how it is... perhaps when I can get the Annies modded down the road to run on Mojo/Gungnir it might change my opinion?

 

[marshallmole]

I'm astonished anyone would claim the HD650 is "bad for classical."

I spent much of my life close to live performances of classical music, and the HD650s come closer to what you're going to hear in a live performance than anything out there.

Listen particularly to a good, modern recording of chamber music to prove this.
 

That's so true for me. I think in a typical concert hall the strings would not have so much treble as some people are accustomed to. Also the bass decay is a bit slower than usual headphones. These traits are well captured by the HD650.
 
But I do understand why someone might prefer another way to present orchestral music, such as the sound of DT880 and K702. Sometimes I find my DT990 bring out more energy for Beethoven's late quartets. So it could depend on how people want to enjoy the music.
I guess it's also recording-dependent to a degree. For example, Walter's Brahms symphonies tend to over-emphasize the treble hence only with HD650 can I enjoy it, while some of Celibidache's recordings are quite dark.

 

[pdrm360]

The HD650 isn't bad for classical but IMO the HD800, HD700 and HD600 are better for classical music. 

 

[Copperears]

Yes and I think it also points towards one of many phenomena relevant to sound engineering for recording and live performance that invariably creep their way into the consumer reproduction chain as new marketingspeak: lots of stuff that makes sense in the studio or on stage (balanced connections to avoid noise on long cable runs; and, in this case, more "analytical" headphones that are not "natural" but are excellent for detecting minutiae in the recording process that a recording engineer is going to want to notice and, hopefully deal with; etc.) is really not relevant to playback, in fact simply doubles (if it does anything) the intentions already captured by the recording process.

This is why no headphone will ever be perfect for everything; different eras of recording, different mic techniques, for different kinds of music, all lead to a massive variation in what is considered "excellent sound." Referring back to my recent (re-) acquisition of Szigeti's Bach's Partitas and Sonatas for Solo Violin, the sound is quite "thin" by modern standards, maybe even screechy; but it highlights the liveliness of Szigeti's energetic performance technique in ways that current recording practices might completely muffle.

There was a time way back when, when you looked to different record labels because you knew their sound engineers had distinctive tendencies, and you'd know they all went for different results. Not everyone has to be Bob Ludwig. And for instance the ECM label in Europe developed a distinctive profile for awhile precisely because of the recording engineer's style (I've forgotten his name, sorry!) and recording technique.

I look to sound recording engineers for sonic differences far more than I do to the equipment those differences are being played back through. They are a significant silent partner in the success or failure of a recording.

 

[MattTCG]

FYI. I weighed the mini xlr adapters. The pair of them weight 20 grams. And the entire cable weights 120 grams with 1/4 plug at 9 foot length. 

 

[Copperears]

The HD650 isn't bad for classical but IMO the HD800, HD700 and HD600 are better for classical music. 

Sheer speculation on my part, but perhaps the 650 is one of the early steps Sennheiser has taken to move from their efforts to achieve accuracy towards what some of their more recent, and also less expensive headphones and IEMs pursue: a sound that is perhaps a bit less "accurate" but more mellifluous in a consumer listening environment. The HD800, 700, 600 sustain the tradition of providing the kind of absolute accuracy that musicians and sound engineers are looking for, to the point where they prefer that accuracy over any "sweetening" of the sound appropriate for a pure listening environment.

Not saying the 650 is "worse" than the 600, say (I have both); but I find it far pleasanter to listen to for extended, concentrated periods of listening, actually.

All angels dancing on the head of a pin, though, the differences are quite minute.

 

[pdrm360]

Sheer speculation on my part, but perhaps the 650 is one of the early steps Sennheiser has taken to move from their efforts to achieve accuracy towards what some of their more recent, and also less expensive headphones and IEMs pursue: a sound that is perhaps a bit less "accurate" but more mellifluous in a consumer listening environment. The HD800, 700, 600 sustain the tradition of providing the kind of absolute accuracy that musicians and sound engineers are looking for, to the point where they prefer that accuracy over any "sweetening" of the sound appropriate for a pure listening environment.

Not saying the 650 is "worse" than the 600, say (I have both); but I find it far pleasanter to listen to for extended, concentrated periods of listening, actually.

All angels dancing on the head of a pin, though, the differences are quite minute.

 
The HD650 sounds fantastic with most genres but they are not airy enough for (classical) orchestra music, IMO.  

 

[olor1n]

Sheer speculation on my part, but perhaps the 650 is one of the early steps Sennheiser has taken to move from their efforts to achieve accuracy towards what some of their more recent, and also less expensive headphones and IEMs pursue: a sound that is perhaps a bit less "accurate" but more mellifluous in a consumer listening environment. The HD800, 700, 600 sustain the tradition of providing the kind of absolute accuracy that musicians and sound engineers are looking for, to the point where they prefer that accuracy over any "sweetening" of the sound appropriate for a pure listening environment.


Not saying the 650 is "worse" than the 600, say (I have both); but I find it far pleasanter to listen to for extended, concentrated periods of listening, actually.


All angels dancing on the head of a pin, though, the differences are quite minute.

The HD650 sounds fantastic with most genres but they are not airy enough for (classical) orchestra music, IMO.  

The Lyr with Orange Globes is all midrange goodness. It's dense and textured and plays to the HD650's strengths. The presentation is far from congested but I understand the lack of air or distinct separation of instruments view if the Globes are all you have to listen to. Try some 60's Amperex Bugle Boys to elevate the upper registers. You lose a bit of the crunch and punch of the Globes in return for smooth crystalline treble. Clarity and space between instruments.

 

[SoulSyde]

 

 
I dig this.  It's nice to have one cable for multiple headphones.