[Austin Morrow]

Quote:

that sounds like an awesome combo.  i have the csp2 and waiting for the bifrost with the t1 and hd650. i hope its a good match but im scared it might be alittle dry. i like the "smoky jazz bar" kind of feel over the uber clarity 

It might be dry, it might not be. I have one coming soon, and I'll post a full in depth review after I have played around with it for a while.

 

[CanadianBacon]

Hey Gojo, I just got the 650 last week but had  spent weeks auditioning different amp/dac set ups at around $350 max. Then I heardit with the nuforce icon hdp and I fell in love. I really enjoy sennheisers sound signature and felt like the icon makes the highs and mids a lot brighter without messing with the neutral sound of the senns. It's actually very friendly with a wide variety of high impedance phones (except I thought was a bit bright for the akgs) and seems like a good entry point for a beginner audiophile like myself.
 
I would suggest taking a listen for yourself to different set ups because I haven't heard the 650s in the yulong or presonus rigs you were asking about. The thing I have quickly learned about hi-fi is that it's an art as much of a science, and personal choice preference plays into it. With all that being said I think the nuforce icon hdp is a fantastic bargain and pairs beautifully with the 650s. I for one am a very satisfied customer!!

 

[CanadianBacon]

On a tangential note I am flabbergasted at how well the 650 scales with a good rig, I mean the soundstage alone, completely opens up and adds a new dimension to the music! So I can imagine  how more experienced audiophiles can discern more appreciable differences with better rigs. What a ridiculously awesome hobby!

 

[Gwarmi]

Quote:

Hey Gojo, I just got the 650 last week but had  spent weeks auditioning different amp/dac set ups at around $350 max. Then I heardit with the nuforce icon hdp and I fell in love. I really enjoy sennheisers sound signature and felt like the icon makes the highs and mids a lot brighter without messing with the neutral sound of the senns. It's actually very friendly with a wide variety of high impedance phones (except I thought was a bit bright for the akgs) and seems like a good entry point for a beginner audiophile like myself.
 
I would suggest taking a listen for yourself to different set ups because I haven't heard the 650s in the yulong or presonus rigs you were asking about. The thing I have quickly learned about hi-fi is that it's an art as much of a science, and personal choice preference plays into it. With all that being said I think the nuforce icon hdp is a fantastic bargain and pairs beautifully with the 650s. I for one am a very satisfied customer!!

 Good little combo unit the Nuforce HDP, I was not a fan of the previous Icon but the HDP is a very musical Dac/amp
 combo ~ DAC is a keeper too, quite nice even for lining out to a much nicer amp.

 

[Hennyo]

HDP is amazing, no?! 
 
HDP is made for HD 6XX Glad you're enjoying the fruits of your hobby, CanadianBacon.

Yup, my HDP is going into a KGSSHV here sooner or later.... Sure, the DAC is not the "best", but it is quite good. It is a performer.
 
If HDP had a weakness or two it would be this; the DAC's soundstage: it could be a little nicer. the amp imparts excellent slam but it slightly colored, although crystal clear.
 
These are nitpicks, with over wow... I don't even want to think about how many hours with the HDP... It is a good product, and most importantly meshes well with HD 650/600 so wonderfully.
 
There is more money to spend, but HDP gets the job done and for those in school or saving money or just tight-to-it, it's a good choice.
 
(They can also be had cheaper than what they are online.

 

[Austin Morrow]

Quote:

HDP is amazing, no?! 
 
HDP is made for HD 6XX Glad you're enjoying the fruits of your hobby, CanadianBacon.

Yup, my HDP is going into a KGSSHV here sooner or later.... Sure, the DAC is not the "best", but it is quite good. It is a performer.
 
If HDP had a weakness or two it would be this; the DAC's soundstage: it could be a little nicer. the amp imparts excellent slam but it slightly colored, although crystal clear.
 
These are nitpicks, with over wow... I don't even want to think about how many hours with the HDP... It is a good product, and most importantly meshes well with HD 650/600 so wonderfully.
 
There is more money to spend, but HDP gets the job done and for those in school or saving money or just tight-to-it, it's a good choice.
 
(They can also be had cheaper than what they are online.

I've had a good time with Nuforce, I'd be interested to hear how that specific amp sounds....

 

[Flipsidiaz]

Well, I'm pretty set on getting the Hd650 (coming from just HFI-580) and have just one thing that is really holding me back. I could name quite a few dac/amp that I have found during my research but the Audiogd NFB-12 has grabbed my attention from the start.
 
I'm not looking for the setup that will be a utopia for the 650s but rather something that will tell me whether I yearn for a $500+ setup or a simple mid level dac/amp that is suitable for my needs. (60% music and 40% anime/movie/gaming)
 
So what I'm really asking for, knowing this is subjective, but is there anything that the NFB-12 does that "breaks" the sound signature of the 650s or is it rather that the NFB-12 does not bring the full potential of the hp's?

 

[Wapiti]

The NFB-12 is a solid choice, with decent sound all-around. 

 

[Austin Morrow]

Quote:

Well, I'm pretty set on getting the Hd650 (coming from just HFI-580) and have just one thing that is really holding me back. I could name quite a few dac/amp that I have found during my research but the Audiogd NFB-12 has grabbed my attention from the start.
 
I'm not looking for the setup that will be a utopia for the 650s but rather something that will tell me whether I yearn for a $500+ setup or a simple mid level dac/amp that is suitable for my needs. (60% music and 40% anime/movie/gaming)
 
So what I'm really asking for, knowing this is subjective, but is there anything that the NFB-12 does that "breaks" the sound signature of the 650s or is it rather that the NFB-12 does not bring the full potential of the hp's?

Hmm. Maybe you should read this first. Ouch.... http://www.headfonia.com/no-music-audio-gd-nfb-12/

 

[Flipsidiaz]

Yea I read that review a about a week after it came out.
 
Like I said before sound is very subjective and I cannot base the NFB-12 on one review. I will most likely buy it as a entry level dac/amp and see how it fairs with the 650s and to see where my interest goes with it. And as a side note, I do not know if it has been mentioned by the reviewer but the NFB-12 has different settings and it could be that that reviewer did not change the digital filters to what is suggested to be the best or he had a early run production which was revamped later on.
 
So in all ends, I'll post back when I receive the 650s and how it goes with the NFB-12!

 

[captouch]

 
Quote:

Yea I read that review a about a week after it came out.
 
Like I said before sound is very subjective and I cannot base the NFB-12 on one review. I will most likely buy it as a entry level dac/amp and see how it fairs with the 650s and to see where my interest goes with it. And as a side note, I do not know if it has been mentioned by the reviewer but the NFB-12 has different settings and it could be that that reviewer did not change the digital filters to what is suggested to be the best or he had a early run production which was revamped later on (which I am sure he has as his picture does not show a marking on the gain switch).
 
So in all ends, I'll post back when I receive the 650s and how it goes with the NFB-12!

 
Right, that review didn't use the better sounding filter options.  
 
I have both the HD650 and NFB-12.  I think it's a pretty good DAC.  The NFB-12 doesn't break the sound signature - it just doesn't do it justice.  If you're more interested in the DAC and are okay with a stopgap amp, it's pretty good and there's one for sale for $200 in FS section, so you can save $50 and get faster delivery.
 
If mostly interested in an amp, I would keep looking.  There are a couple of ~$100 OTL tube amps in the FS section (Phenix G3) that I believe would be better than the NFB-12 HP amp.

 

[Flipsidiaz]

Yea I guessed that and thanks for the info.
 
I'm still going to get the NFB-12 as a guinea pig and will later jump to a reputable amp then a DAC if the NFB-12 isn't cutting it for me. All for later as just this month I'm looking at around 1k spent...Custom iems, HD650s and the NFB-12......

 

[sphinxvc]

IME, the FUN (or in these times it's successor the NFB-5) might be a better option.  I think you can reach the full potential of these cans with something like the FUN/NFB-5, a used FUN is a big bargain.

 

[B-Dawk20]

Looks like I have a slight possibility of getting these for soon. My mom knows about my hobby and said she wants to get me a present for christmas this year

 

[olor1n]

Quote:

IME, the FUN (or in these times it's successor the NFB-5) might be a better option.  I think you can reach the full potential of these cans with something like the FUN/NFB-5, a used FUN is a big bargain.

Man, how great was the FUN? I really miss its synergy with the HD650.
 
The NFB-5 looks good if you don't need the versatility of analogue inputs and line (in addition to dac) output. HD650 endgame on a budget.