Denon 5000 vs Senn HD650 - Page 4

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerg 

... I guess the saying that goes something like "beginners seek bass, intermediates seek treble, audiophiles seek mids" is overly true.

With headphone origins in the mid to late 60's and more seriously in the early 70's, most of the cans my friends and I listened to (and could afford going to school) were very "n" shaped in their frequency response.  As I recall, all or virtually all we had were closed.  We used our headphones to listen to music--most critically from decent turntables and reel to reel tape @ 7 1/2 i.p.s..  Personal computers did not exist; the Walkman, beta and VHS had not yet hit the market, and TV was over the air and in mono.  What has not changed since then is that the source of the music and all the stuff that got it to your headphones (or AR 2a's) was important to how it sounded.  To determine if a can was better than the average we listened for two things--1) whether it had increased clarity, and 2) whether the high and/or low ends extended and/or was an improvement over what we already had.

Fast forward many decades to now--I'm looking not only for a full (and at least relatively symmetrical) frequency response 20 to 20 and clarity, but in addition a good sound stage, sub bass (but not to excess) and musicality (the most subjective of all criteria).

    Quote:

Originally Posted by jerg 

I guess the saying that goes something like "beginners seek bass, intermediates seek treble, audiophiles seek mids" is overly true.

What a ridiculous thing to say.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Lust Envy 

That is very silly. We all have different tastes. Music can be enjoyed any way we want. The whole 'only true audiophiles want mids' is ridiculous, and elitist if anything. I have been in the headphone game for a few years now, having heard all types of headphones that emphasize and don't emphasize. I still will always prefer some lower bass emphasis, and some treble sparkle, as long as mids aren't veiled to the point of non-existence. It really depends on the genres we listen to.
I mainly listen to EDM, so the extra emphasis on the lower end makes it a lot more enjoyable coming out of the D7000, than on the Q701. When I listen to vocal heavy non-EDM, I reach for the Q701. There's not one headphone that can master all forms of music, at least in terms of adding that extra amount of enjoyment. You can get a neutral headphone that doesn't emphasize anything, but it won't ever reach the enjoyment of headphones that emphasize certain ranges.

Of course, of course. Obviously the best headphones have good bass, mids, and treble, all of which are equally as enjoyable. Still, it is logical to assume that for the entirely non-audiophile youth, bass and to a lesser extent treble are of MUCH higher importance when they listen to new cans than mids (look at any youtube reviews of any headphone by nonaudiophiles, the two only descriptions would be "tight punchy bass, and crisp detailed highs" almost exclusively). Only after they get into the hobby a bit more does fidelity, which is mainly the work of good mids, become a clear concept to them.

Back to the HD650's though, obviously many people hold a very strong mids preference for loving these despite their obvious roll-offs at bass and treble relative to other competitive mid-fi cans, that's food for thought.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattTCG 

I hope that you used the "March12" code for another $25 on those. Works on open box also!!

That code did not work and it seems that they only allow 1 coupon to be used per order. When I put in a new valid code, it would replace the old one.

Well a lot of us aren't audiophiles at heart. I don't listen to my gear I listen to my music. The gear does play a roll in creating synergy and helping me to obtain the sound I want. But it ends their. I just care about getting musical enjoyment from my equipment. I could give a rats %$$ about the audiophile aspect. I do like quality though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerg 

Of course, of course. Obviously the best headphones have good bass, mids, and treble, all of which are equally as enjoyable. Still, it is logical to assume that for the entirely non-audiophile youth, bass and to a lesser extent treble are of MUCH higher importance when they listen to new cans than mids (look at any youtube reviews of any headphone by nonaudiophiles, the two only descriptions would be "tight punchy bass, and crisp detailed highs" almost exclusively). Only after they get into the hobby a bit more does fidelity, which is mainly the work of good mids, become a clear concept to them.

 

Back to the HD650's though, obviously many people hold a very strong mids preference for loving these despite their obvious roll-offs at bass and treble relative to other competitive mid-fi cans, that's food for thought.

A simple DIY markl mod and a mogami recable will out class the mighty hd650. The treble might be a little harsh though.