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New member - Just got Sen HD650 and dissapointed

post #1 of 49
12/23/08 at 5:12pm
Thread Starter 
Hi all,

I have just joined this forum so welcolme all!

Finally replaced my ageing Beyer DT511's with new Sennheiser HD650's and I am rather dissapointed as the Sens sound really muted in comparison?

Using high end Naim Olive gear (CDS2/XPS CD player, 52 pre amp / Supercap and 250 power amp)

I am plugging directly in to the Supercap power supply. Do I need a seperate "Headline" headphone amp? Still get reasonable volume through Supercap and cant believe the old DT511's sound clearer

Maybe the senns just need "running in" ?

CDS2
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post #2 of 49
12/23/08 at 5:30pm
Burn that in. Mine opened up after 100 hours from my recollection.

Check out the APS mod. Tried on mine, changed the signature so I reverted back. But it did take out some of the darkness. I suggest you only do this after burn in so you have a bench point.
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post #3 of 49
12/23/08 at 5:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CDS2 View Post
Hi all,

I have just joined this forum so welcolme all!

Finally replaced my ageing Beyer DT511's with new Sennheiser HD650's and I am rather dissapointed as the Sens sound really muted in comparison?

Using high end Naim Olive gear (CDS2/XPS CD player, 52 pre amp / Supercap and 250 power amp)

I am plugging directly in to the Supercap power supply. Do I need a seperate "Headline" headphone amp? Still get reasonable volume through Supercap and cant believe the old DT511's sound clearer

Maybe the senns just need "running in" ?

CDS2
Upper frequencies on most Sennheisers are muted quite a bit. Some find it natural, others find it "veiled."
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post #4 of 49
12/23/08 at 5:58pm
I'd suggest getting a dedicated headphone amp.
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post #5 of 49
12/23/08 at 7:31pm
Dedicated headphone amp a must, recable a probably yes too.
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post #6 of 49
12/23/08 at 7:57pm
burn in, dedicated headphone amp and recable... the 650s need more "juice" than you'd expect.

they upscale very well....
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post #7 of 49
12/23/08 at 8:19pm
...and you will need a really good headphone amp to make them sing their best as well.
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post #8 of 49
12/23/08 at 8:35pm
get grado rs-1 instead, and yes on the headline!
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post #9 of 49
12/23/08 at 9:06pm
Agree with the rest.

1. Dedicated headphone amp. Balanced is the way to go with these headphones if you want to get them to perform their best. However, all else being equal in regards to quality of the headphone amp and cables, you will not lose much by staying single ended. The Naim may be good (in general their products have a great reputation) but I have not heard it so I really cannot comment.

2. Recable. Moon Audio Silver Dragon, Zu Mobius, Stefan Audio Art Equinox, and APureSound V3 are all good.
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post #10 of 49
12/23/08 at 9:36pm
Go balanced FTW...
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post #11 of 49
12/24/08 at 4:32am
Getting a new amp is a good start. My HD650 doesn't sound like it did three years ago because I have upgraded every component. Bass is tighter, treble is brighter and vocal is a bit warmer.
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post #12 of 49
12/24/08 at 5:19am
How are you hooking your HD-650 to the Supercap? From what I found, the Supercap is a power supply and doesn't appear to carry any signal. If you're committed to Naim, the Headline or Headline 2 would be what you need.

However, the Headline 2 with power supply is $1,100. Ouch. If you're willing to look at other manufacturers, there are a lot of terrific amps in that price range or less. Check around the For Sale Forum - there are bargains to be had in there.
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post #13 of 49
12/24/08 at 6:06am
Early in my headphone history, I listened to the naim headline... whilst it has the naim characteristics of PRaT etc I found it rather lean sounding. But then again, I've fallen for the sound of tubes, so what do i know!

I agree with uncle erik, many amps as good if not better for $1k or less... and really obligatory with the 650s if you want them to "sing"
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post #14 of 49
12/24/08 at 7:20am
I'm going to go against the grain here to suggest that the 650 do not necessarily need a dedicated external amp, recable or 'burn in' to sound brilliant. If you don't like the sound out of the box, uncross your fingers and let your ears do the shopping.

I love my 650s, and have never really been a big fan of Grado sound - so maybe listen to some Grados
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post #15 of 49
12/24/08 at 7:38am
^This is the High End forum. The HD650s definitely need a balanced amp, a top notch source and some fine cabling to shine at maximum.
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