[jdkJake]

Just got my HD650 in the mail today and paired with my Essence ST soundcard and listening to some Ozric Tentacles, I think I've come a step closer to audio heaven.

 


Ahh, try the last three cuts of "Waterfall Cities" in order.

If as an OT fan that does not do it for you, nothing will!

 

[jasonb]

i might have said this already in this thread a while back, but man i love the mid-range on the HD650, especially with the brightness switch flipped on my amp. i doubt anybody would call the HD650 boring when used with the higher end HeadRoom amps. the brightness filter of course also adds to the top end, but i just love what it does to the upper mid-range. it really adds a nice attack to percussion instruments. coupled with the crossfeed the mid-range sounds just a bit forward, which i really like. my new favorite instrument is the snare drum, i just love the crack of the snare drum on a well recorded album. Sieges Even's live CD sounds sooooo nice. the drums were recorded really well.
 
i was a bass junkie not to far back, and now i'm definitely a mid-range junkie. i guess i skipped the part where i was supposed to be a treble/top end junkie.

 

[disastermouse]

 
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It seems these cans have a lot more going on than I'd even realized before!  I just replaced the E7 with the HRT Music Streamer II+ and all of a sudden, I have bass that is rattling my head.  I'd heard that the HD 650s scale well - but I wasn't expecting this kind of improvement!  The HRT MSII+ is just a chain replacement for when I get the Schiit Lyr (Since the E7 has no line out).
 
Also, they have about the same crunchy guitar mids as my SR80i (with better clarity and separation) - turning what had been rather laid back cans (for rock and crunchy guitars) into a very fun rock can!  Pony Express Record by Shudder to Think used to sort of fizzle with these cans....I had actually thought about getting a set of high-end Grados eventually and switching them out....but right now, it certainly wouldn't be worth it.
 
I want to go further into the bass - it really hits harder (impact?).  Drums slam whereas before they would sort of 'slurr' - I wouldn't have been able to pick it out without A/Bing the two DACs.
 
This really demonstrates how these headphones really do work better with some chains than others.  I'd have thought they were quite excellent before, but now....bass!  Mids are farther forward!  Sibilance is decreased pretty remarkably.
 
*edited to finish a thought (also, why is my post white instead of 'normal'?)
​

[/size]

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

 

It seems these cans have a lot more going on than I'd even realized before!  I just replaced the E7 with the HRT Music Streamer II+ and all of a sudden, I have bass that is rattling my head.  I'd heard that the HD 650s scale well - but I wasn't expecting this kind of improvement!  The HRT MSII+ is just a chain replacement for when I get the Schiit Lyr (Since the E7 has no line out).
 
Also, they have about the same crunchy guitar mids as my SR80i (with better clarity and separation) - turning what had been rather laid back cans (for rock and crunchy guitars) into a very fun rock can!  Pony Express Record by Shudder to Think used to sort of 
 
I want to go further into the bass - it really hits harder (impact?).  Drums slam whereas before they would sort of 'slurr' - I wouldn't have been able to pick it out without A/Bing the two DACs.
 
This really demonstrates how these headphones really do work better with some chains than others.  I'd have thought they were quite excellent before, but now....bass!  Mids are farther forward!  Sibilance is decreased pretty remarkably.
​

They are very insidious headphones that way.

They just get better and better with what you feed them and really then begin to reveal what "issue" one may have upstream.
 

 

[sugarkang]

Just got mine in. 
I like that there's no sibilance on these things.

 

[olor1n]

I'm happy for you DM. This just reinforces my belief that the HD650 is a blank canvas. Any unpleasant blotches you perceive is likely due to issues up the chain. Like-wise pleasing aspects like a deep, full bodied bass, richer midrange, wider soundstage and greater transparency are also indicative of what's going on up the chain. In this sense the HD650 is an utterly revealing set of cans.
 
Quote:

 
Quote:

Quote:

 
HD 650s don't require much. My E7/E9 pairs with them quite well.

However, if you plan on moving beyond the HD 650s, you may want to buy a cheaper HRT Streamer and preorder the Schiit Lyr (amp). I can't think of anything the Lyr wouldn't drive appropriately. You can then later update the DAC if you want.

It'll put you about $100 over budget - the HRT Streamer is $130-$150 and the preorder for the Lyr is $449. Also, the Lyr won't ship till March. Lastly, no one but the Schiits at Schiit have heard the Lyr yet.

While your E7/E9 can drive the HD650s to adequate volumes, you are still leaving many cards on the table here. They scale very well and sound better and better with better gear.

Don't let the "lower" price tag (compared to the current crop of flagships) fool you...I still classify them as hifi.

I've not heard the E9 but I suspect the bottleneck in that setup is the E7's WM8740 DAC, which I initially thought was the second coming when upgrading from my MacBook's onboard sound. I eventually found it somewhat congested and unrefined compared to the transparency and resolution of it's WM8741 big brother.

 
Quote:

Quote:

 

It seems these cans have a lot more going on than I'd even realized before!  I just replaced the E7 with the HRT Music Streamer II+ and all of a sudden, I have bass that is rattling my head.  I'd heard that the HD 650s scale well - but I wasn't expecting this kind of improvement!  The HRT MSII+ is just a chain replacement for when I get the Schiit Lyr (Since the E7 has no line out).
 
Also, they have about the same crunchy guitar mids as my SR80i (with better clarity and separation) - turning what had been rather laid back cans (for rock and crunchy guitars) into a very fun rock can!  Pony Express Record by Shudder to Think used to sort of 
 
I want to go further into the bass - it really hits harder (impact?).  Drums slam whereas before they would sort of 'slurr' - I wouldn't have been able to pick it out without A/Bing the two DACs.
 
This really demonstrates how these headphones really do work better with some chains than others.  I'd have thought they were quite excellent before, but now....bass!  Mids are farther forward!  Sibilance is decreased pretty remarkably.
​

They are very insidious headphones that way.

They just get better and better with what you feed them and really then begin to reveal what "issue" one may have upstream.
 

 

[disastermouse]

I can't believe how much better the MSII+ has made these things for Metal/Rock music!  Like Grado crispness (*Caveat:  I've only heard the SR80i*) with an actual soundstage!  And bass!!  Holy mother of bass....
 
(Sorry to keep enthusing like this).

 

[jasonb]

told ya they were good for rock.

 
listening to the live Flower Kings album right now and lovin it!

 

[olor1n]

Yep. I was listening to some early nineties Smashing Pumpkins that I hadn't heard for some time the other night. The distorted guitar just sounds so crunchy and layered.

 

[sphinxvc]

Quote:

 
[size=medium]

It seems these cans have a lot more going on than I'd even realized before!  I just replaced the E7 with the HRT Music Streamer II+ and all of a sudden, I have bass that is rattling my head.  I'd heard that the HD 650s scale well - but I wasn't expecting this kind of improvement!  The HRT MSII+ is just a chain replacement for when I get the Schiit Lyr (Since the E7 has no line out).
 
Also, they have about the same crunchy guitar mids as my SR80i (with better clarity and separation) - turning what had been rather laid back cans (for rock and crunchy guitars) into a very fun rock can!  Pony Express Record by Shudder to Think used to sort of fizzle with these cans....I had actually thought about getting a set of high-end Grados eventually and switching them out....but right now, it certainly wouldn't be worth it.
 
I want to go further into the bass - it really hits harder (impact?).  Drums slam whereas before they would sort of 'slurr' - I wouldn't have been able to pick it out without A/Bing the two DACs.
 
This really demonstrates how these headphones really do work better with some chains than others.  I'd have thought they were quite excellent before, but now....bass!  Mids are farther forward!  Sibilance is decreased pretty remarkably.
 
*edited to finish a thought (also, why is my post white instead of 'normal'?)
​

[/size]

 
 

2nd time I'm hearing this about this kind of impression with a good dac.  Apparently the difference is quite noticeable.  I remember another member telling me when he added the V-dac between his Audio GD Compass & HD650/600s they went to another level.
 
I think if at any time during a post you copy and paste the text, it get's a white background.

 

[sphinxvc]

 
[size=medium]

Case and point...
​

[/size]

 

[disastermouse]

 
Case in point?

Wait, wha?

 

[jasonb]

he's talking about your text in white background.
 
Quote:

A  
Case in point? Wait, wha?

 

[disastermouse]

he's talking about your text in white background.
 

 
I knew what he was talking about - I meant that the phrase is 'case in point', not 'case and point'.

I was being a Schiit.

 

[jasonb]

gotcha.
 
Quote:

A
 


 
I knew what he was talking about - I meant that the phrase is 'case in point', not 'case and point'.I was being a Schiit.