[davehg]

I am thoroughly enjoying the LCD 3's on a nice Woo Audio 6SE...at home.
 
I want something for the office, and picked up a used SR71A amp for use with my Ipod. Now trying to locate a decent set of under $300 phones (used might be ok) that will give me some of the magic qualities of the Audeze.
 
Thinking a used pair of HD650s, or what else?

 

[Claritas]

You might like ZMF x Vibro, not that it sounds anything like an Audeze but it has its own goodness.

Review: http://www.head-fi.org/products/zmf-x-vibro

 

[canuckaudioguy]

If it were me I'd pick one of the lower cost Hifiman headphones. I think the only way you are going to get a similar sound is by going with a similar headphone, such as the HE-400 (or, whatever happens to be the latest model from Hifiman in that price range).

 

[SunshineReggae]

  If it were me I'd pick one of the lower cost Hifiman headphones. I think the only way you are going to get a similar sound is by going with a similar headphone, such as the HE-400 (or, whatever happens to be the latest model from Hifiman in that price range).

 
How is HE400 similar headphone? Sure it's also planar but that doesn't mean a lot. HD650 is dynamic and so is K701 and they both worlds apart.

 

[Rhamnetin]

I was going to say HD 650 but I see you thought of it already.  

 

[canuckaudioguy]

 If it were me I'd pick one of the lower cost Hifiman headphones. I think the only way you are going to get a similar sound is by going with a similar headphone, such as the HE-400 (or, whatever happens to be the latest model from Hifiman in that price range).

 
How is HE400 similar headphone? Sure it's also planar but that doesn't mean a lot. HD650 is dynamic and so is K701 and they both worlds apart.

Similar in technology (both being planar) and also sound. When I was buying my LCD-2s the HE-400 was one I listened to alongside. Although not as good it had similar characteristics to the LCD-2. It was a poor mans LCD-2 to my ears, and of course the LCD-2 being similar to the LCD-3 it's not much of a stretch to say it would be a poor mans LCD-3 as well (although more so).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Claritas]

Similar in technology (both being planar) and also sound. When I was buying my LCD-2s the HE-400 was one I listened to alongside. Although not as good it had similar characteristics to the LCD-2. It was a poor mans LCD-2 to my ears, and of course the LCD-2 being similar to the LCD-3 it's not much of a stretch to say it would be a poor mans LCD-3 as well (although more so).

 
I didn't hear them as sounding at all alike. HE400i is closer and worth OP's looking into, but still not particularly similar.

 

[davehg]

Tonight, I hooked up an older pair of AT ATH-ANC7 noise cancelling phones to the SR71A and they sounded better than they had the right to. No comparison to the LCD-3's, but easily more enjoyable that the in-ear buds I also had lying around, and they showed off the differences between the iPod direct and via the SR71a. I went back and forth, and the AT's struck with how musical they could sound with not too much cost. The LCD3's, on the Woo 6SE sounded glorious as it should, but the SR71a and AT combo got the music basics and emotion right, if less so.
 
Nice.
 
Nicer was finding a decent set of HD650's locally for $300. If they sound as nice as folks claim, I'll have a nice office and travel system for under $600.

 

[davehg]

Got the HD650's today from a co-worker. Price was right, and they were in as-new shape.
 
I won't go into a long discussion of their sound as the HD650 thread covers this well. Observations vs the LCD3:
 
- musical, if drier and more reticent sound than the LCD3. Top end was relaxed but drier, darker and not as detailed. Lacked the special magic of the LCD3 w/r/t presence, tone, and emotion. Nice if inoffensive treble.
 
- a very smooth midrange, and nice imaging
 
- paired well with theSR71a, especially good bass definition
 
All in all, for the price I paid, a used set of HD650's fits the bill nicely. At 1/6th the cost of the Audeze, I can use them without worry at the office and still enjoy the heck out of them for travel.
 
I'm anxious to see how the HD650's do with the Woo amps, just for kicks.
 
The real surprise, and the bargain winner, is the AT ATH-ANC7's. Was not expecting them to sound as great as they did on the SR71a. I sure love the warmth and tone of this amp. 

 

[linglingjr]

I thought you'd say that about the 650s coming from LCD-3s.  TBH I would recommend HD600s over the 650s for what you're looking for.  They're more detailed, still great bass extension but a little less presence.  Tonality I think they're a lot closer to what Audeze has going for them than the 650s do.  They're also cheaper.  

 

[davehg]

I brought the HD650's home tonight to A/B against the LCD3 on the Woo Audio and SR71a amps.
 
The Woo heavily favored the LCD3, no two ways about it. They had more body, better tone, and cleaner resolution than the Sennheisers. At first listen, the HDs were very enjoyable, but a switch to the LCD3 showed an immediate and noticeable improvement. Was it a 5-6x improvement (the cost difference in what I paid for each headphone)? No, but I always preferred the LCD3 on the Woo. Really nice pairing.
 
Switching to the SR71a, similar differences, but the HD650's seem to shine on the Ray Samuels portable amp in a way they didn't with the Woo. More dynamic, more presence, and just more musical. I noticed the difference much less on the SR71a, and right now, have been quite happily listening to this combo without feeling slightly cheated as I did listening on the Woo.
 
My respect for the SR71a has really increased. For a portable amp, it really offers so much of the musicality of tubes and nice class A desktop amps (the Burson conductor comes to mind). Never bright, never dry, just really sweet and always musical, with every headphone, but a real nice pairing with the HD650.
 
So...glad I invested a little bit in the work system, and happy about pairings and choices in the home system. 
 
I used Shawn Colvin (Something about Jimmy), Bob Dylan (House of the Rising Sun, Oxford Town), Sheryl Crow (misc), Alan Toussaint, and always some JJ Cale, Harry Nilsson, and John Hiatt (Crossing Muddy Waters) for the comparisons, if that helps.