How close are the HD650 to the K1000?

Both headphones are excellent and each has proponents and detractors.

I have listened to the to the K-1000's on many different occasions and would make the following comments:

Plus Side - Great sound and soundstage. One of the best headphones out there from a sound standpoint. Adjustable angle for speakers so you can tailor the sound to suit you.

Down Side - You must have a quiet room. Outside noise will disturb your listening. Anyone near you will hear what you hear, could be annoying. I did not find them comfortable but they were not mine so I did not do any radical adjustments such as bending the headband to loosen the fit.

HD-600 I own have heard 650's

Plus Side - With a good cable and a good amp they really reproduce the music faithfully. I find that the "veil" yo so often read about is lifted with a cable change and a good amp to drive them. I have a few headphones and find myself drifting around from time to time but I always come back to the 600's. To me they faithfully reproduce the music.

Down Side - You really need to buy a cable and have a good amp for them to perform. Outside noise will disturb you but not to the extent of the K-1000.

There may be some plus and minus attributes of each that I for got but what I would recommend is to decide what is important to you and make a report card, grade them then see which one comes out on top.

Also Welcome to Head-Fi

I agree with John_JCB. I own both the HD-600 and the K1000. Both sound better with cable upgrades.

The K1000's are different and give a clarity of sound that is IMHO astounding. I'm not even driving them with a tube amp. which many seem to prefer. Others even pair it with a sub-woofer as they think they are bass shy.

What amp do you have?
Does your amp have a headphone jack in front.

I have the K1000,the HD600, and the HD650. The K1000 is a very different experience. They have incredible detail and dynamics. The Sens are a more mellow warm and fuzzy sound. Not that they lack detail, they are just more distant. This is due to a stepped off high frequency range in the Sens, vs a relentlessly flat response in the K1000. I can (and do) correct the Sen response to something similar to the K1000. They still don't quite get the detail and dynamics of the kilo-k.

All three cans are shy in the low bass region. The K1000 is the weakest, with a rolloff at 50 hz. The HD600 are next best, and hang on a bit deeper. The HD650 have the most bass energy, but they have a broad peak around 80 hz which gives them an obtrusive and overly punchy bass that I personally find a bit obnoxious. Easy to iron out, though.

With the eq on, either Sen can produce bass that is flat right to 20, with amazing speed and damping (if the amp is up to the task). They also have the edge in comfort. They stay put when I move around. I have to sit still with the Ks.

With the eq, my HD600 are my most listened to cans, followed closely by the HD650. Pre-eq I was getting ready to unload the HD600 because of the shallow bass and the lackluster highs.

The K1000 I still dig out on occasion when I really want to connect to the music. They have an added complication as well. I can't listen to them long without a subwoofer. Missing octaves bother me.

gerG

How does k1000 compare to cd3000?

All three headphones (HD650, K1000, CD3000) are quite different. I like both the K1000 and CD3000, but the CD3000 seems to me to have some reverb to it, while the K1000 has an impressive soundstage (and some weak bass).

If you don't have a headphone jack, your options are limited. May I suggest that you may want to find a meet or a high quality store nearby and try out different 'phones? Our impressions may help, but the final test is hearing it for yourself.

Re: How close are the HD650 to the K1000?

Well, my zu-ed HD650s are about three and a half feet from my K1000s upstairs right now . . .

Actually, you are going to need both of them eventually and a pair of CD3Ks to listen to while you are saving up for your OmegaII/KGSS rig. Then it's time for a good SACD source and all new software . . . .

Talk about detail of the K1000's! Last night I played The Pretenders "Tequila" from Last of the Independents. The sound of the liquor being poured at the very beginning of the song made me thirsty Seriously, the K1000's are so detailed it is kind of scary.

On the same album, I forget which song, there is a small electronic background sound that runs from the right to left, and then again left to right (headphones have made me a big fan of background sounds). On the K1000's this sound just does not just appear in the right and then left. In my mind's eye it actually seems to travel in front of me or behind me as it localizes in either the left or right channel. It is very subtle and it sent a shiver up my spine. No, I was not drinking Tequila and singing along with Chrissie Hynde when this interesting event happened. I guess I have to chalk that musical treat to the natural crosstalk that the K1000's have. I'm also not saying that the K1000's are some kind of stealth surround sound headphones.

It would be interesting to see how this same effect from the same song plays on my ProAc Studio 150's. This ProAc throws a great soundstage.

I don't have my Senn. 600's or my Perreaux headphone amp. on my modest "big rig". But I'll have to try and see if I get the same effect when I have the time.

I'm not detecting the same detail on the 600's while they are being used off of my computer that uses ACC compressed music. So I'd have to say it is not a fair comparison. For all I know the Senn. 600's could pick up the same detail and/or the "traveling" sound that the K1000's did.

I have the K1000 and the HD600s. Haven't heard the HD650.

I like the HD600s but to me they are a refined example of conventional headphone design. The Akg k1000 is simply astonishing. I have never owned a hifi component that brought me so convincingly close to the source. Sure, all the caveats about upstream equipment hold true...DON'T expect the K1000 to sound the same regardless of the amp you throw in front of it. These things are revealing with a capitol R. That said, they convince me I closer to the performer than any transducer I've ever heard.

They are stunning.