[PhoebeFairchild]

I have been playing around with the stock cable and Moon Audio Blue Dragon cable for my Sennheiser HD-650 headphones and it may sound shocking, but I prefer the stock cable. Next week, I will purchase a used Cardas headphone replacement cable for my Sennheiser HD-650 headphones and I will receive delivery of them by the end of next week. I am really highly anticipating the arrival of the Cardas headphone cable for my HD-650s because I have Cardas Golden Reference Power and Interconnects in my high end audio system. I am expecting system matching synergy among my audio components. I don't like the Moon Audio Blue Dragon cable. The bass is a bit flaccid and it lacks power and texture. The mid range sounds a bit recessed. The treble is clear and extended, but it lacks air. I am expecting the Cardas cable to cure these shortcomings. After I get the Cardas cable, I plan to sell the Moon Audio Blue Dragon cable for a low price. I want to get rid of it. It's a nice looking cable, but it sounds out of whack in my audio system. I heard that the Moon Audio Black Dragon cable sounds much better, but I am a Cardas fan through and through.

 

[DWbirdseye]

Look forward to your impressions...I took the plunge yesterday and ordered a pair of HD 650's yesterday and will have them by Thursday.

Quote:

I have been playing around with the stock cable and Moon Audio Blue Dragon cable for my Sennheiser HD-650 headphones and it may sound shocking, but I prefer the stock cable. Next week, I will purchase a used Cardas headphone replacement cable for my Sennheiser HD-650 headphones and I will receive delivery of them by the end of next week. I am really highly anticipating the arrival of the Cardas headphone cable for my HD-650s because I have Cardas Golden Reference Power and Interconnects in my high end audio system. I am expecting system matching synergy among my audio components. I don't like the Moon Audio Blue Dragon cable. The bass is a bit flaccid and it lacks power and texture. The mid range sounds a bit recessed. The treble is clear and extended, but it lacks air. I am expecting the Cardas cable to cure these shortcomings. After I get the Cardas cable, I plan to sell the Moon Audio Blue Dragon cable for a low price. I want to get rid of it. It's a nice looking cable, but it sounds out of whack in my audio system. I heard that the Moon Audio Black Dragon cable sounds much better, but I am a Cardas fan through and through.

 

 

[killerfrenzi]

I'm interested in getting a pair of HD 650s to have a set of open cans, but as I was scouring the board, I noticed people recabling their 650s a lot. Right now, I'm driving my headphones with a Maverick D1 (maybe switching to a NFB-12 or something better).
 
How's recabling the 650 from stock make a difference and what should I look for in amps/dacs that brings the most out of recabling?

 

[fallingreason]

Quote:

I'm interested in getting a pair of HD 650s to have a set of open cans, but as I was scouring the board, I noticed people recabling their 650s a lot. Right now, I'm driving my headphones with a Maverick D1 (maybe switching to a NFB-12 or something better).
 
How's recabling the 650 from stock make a difference and what should I look for in amps/dacs that brings the most out of recabling?

 
I think you have it backwards.  You really should focus on your DAC and amp to dial in the best sound possible that is to your liking.  Then MAYBE think about cables to tweak a little bit if you are still yearning for improvement...  The DAC/amp section of your system play a much bigger role in the sound sig than cables...

 

[Austin Morrow]

Quote:

I'm interested in getting a pair of HD 650s to have a set of open cans, but as I was scouring the board, I noticed people recabling their 650s a lot. Right now, I'm driving my headphones with a Maverick D1 (maybe switching to a NFB-12 or something better).
 
How's recabling the 650 from stock make a difference and what should I look for in amps/dacs that brings the most out of recabling?

 
I think you have it backwards.  You really should focus on your DAC and amp to dial in the best sound possible that is to your liking.  Then MAYBE think about cables to tweak a little bit if you are still yearning for improvement...  The DAC/amp section of your system play a much bigger role in the sound sig than cables...

Exactly, you need to focus on a DAC & amp combo over anything else, and that includes recabling. Recabling does very little, if anything at all, to improve the sound.

 

[PhoebeFairchild]

Here is my audio system that I use to drive my Sennheiser HD-650 headphones:
 
 
By far, my source component is the most expensive purchase in my audio system. I believe in the source first philosophy first and foremost.
 
Resolution Audio Opus 21 CD Player and Power Centre: $3,500.00 USD
Resolution Audio Opus 21 Extra Sources: $1,500.00 USD
Resolution Audio Opus 21 S30 Power Amplifier: $2,500.00 USD
Ray Samuels Audio Emmeline HR-2: $875.00 USD
Balanced Power Technology BP.Jr II Ultra: $700.00 USD
Balanced Power Technology 9 gauge Litz power cord: $100.00 USD
Cardas Golden Reference Power: $534.00 USD
Cardas Golden Reference Interconnect RCA: $816.00 USD
Sennheiser HD-650: $500.00 USD
Moon Audio Blue Dragon Cable for Sennheiser HD-650: $240.00 USD
DNM Reson RCA cable: $150.00 USD
Audioquest Cinnamon 1.5 meter USB cable: $39.94 USD
 
forthcoming: Cardas headphone replacement cable: $100.00 USD by next Wednesday, March 14th, 2012.
 
Grand Total: $11,554.94 USD.
 
I have 287.90 gigabytes worth of .FLAC loss less audio files which comprise about 950 - 975 CDs. I bought all of my CDs. I placed my orders for Renee Fleming's Poemes CD, Joshua Bell's French Impressions CD, Madonna's M.D.N.A. Deluxe Edition CD, I got my Bruce Springsteen Wrecking Ball Special Edition CD, and a rare Hilary Hahn Spectacular 3 CD album from Amazon this March 2012. I must have spent at least $12,500 USD on my CDs over the past several years.
 
So far, I really like my Sennheiser HD-650 headphones. I am thinking about getting myself the Sennheiser HD-800 headphones with the Cardas Clear headphone replacement cable from HeadRoom Corporation for $1,499 USD plus $816 USD combined, but I will hold off until next year before I make those two purchases. Quite frankly, I don't believe that my high end audio system is high end enough to justify the purchase of the Sennheiser HD-800 headphones and the Cardas Clear headphone replacement cable. I would characterize my audio system as merely mid-fi at best by today's standards.
 
I listen to my music almost all of the time so I am getting my value out of this hobby.

 

[Tilpo]

Here is my audio system that I use to drive my Sennheiser HD-650 headphones:
 
 
By far, my source component is the most expensive purchase in my audio system. I believe in the source first philosophy first and foremost.
 
Resolution Audio Opus 21 CD Player and Power Centre: $3,500.00 USD
Resolution Audio Opus 21 Extra Sources: $1,500.00 USD
Resolution Audio Opus 21 S30 Power Amplifier: $2,500.00 USD
Ray Samuels Audio Emmeline HR-2: $875.00 USD
Balanced Power Technology BP.Jr II Ultra: $700.00 USD
Balanced Power Technology 9 gauge Litz power cord: $100.00 USD
Cardas Golden Reference Power: $534.00 USD
Cardas Golden Reference Interconnect RCA: $816.00 USD
Sennheiser HD-650: $500.00 USD
Moon Audio Blue Dragon Cable for Sennheiser HD-650: $240.00 USD
DNM Reson RCA cable: $150.00 USD
Audioquest Cinnamon 1.5 meter USB cable: $39.94 USD
 
forthcoming: Cardas headphone replacement cable: $100.00 USD by next Wednesday, March 14th, 2012.
 
Grand Total: $11,554.94 USD.
 
I have 287.90 gigabytes worth of .FLAC loss less audio files which comprise about 950 - 975 CDs. I bought all of my CDs. I placed my orders for Renee Fleming's Poemes CD, Joshua Bell's French Impressions CD, Madonna's M.D.N.A. Deluxe Edition CD, I got my Bruce Springsteen Wrecking Ball Special Edition CD, and a rare Hilary Hahn Spectacular 3 CD album from Amazon this March 2012. I must have spent at least $12,500 USD on my CDs over the past several years.
 
So far, I really like my Sennheiser HD-650 headphones. I am thinking about getting myself the Sennheiser HD-800 headphones with the Cardas Clear headphone replacement cable from HeadRoom Corporation for $1,499 USD plus $816 USD combined, but I will hold off until next year before I make those two purchases. Quite frankly, I don't believe that my high end audio system is high end enough to justify the purchase of the Sennheiser HD-800 headphones and the Cardas Clear headphone replacement cable. I would characterize my audio system as merely mid-fi at best by today's standards.
 
I listen to my music almost all of the time so I am getting my value out of this hobby.

Please tell me this is a joke. A 10+ grand system is good enough for any headphone. If anything, all that money will go to waste if not paired with a high end headphone such as the HD 800.

And why did you list a power amplifier, you don't use that to drive a headphone.

 

[PhoebeFairchild]

No, I'm being totally serious. I purchased the Resolution Audio Opus 21 S30 power amplifier because I thought that I would connect a pair of passive loudspeakers, but I never got around to it. I am thinking about buying the ZU Omen Bookshelf speaker for $1,295 USD per pair and some Blue Jeans Cable Belden 5000 Spades to Spades loud speaker cables, but I have not made my decision yet. People tell me to get the Sennheiser HD-800 with the Cardas Clear headphone replacement cable because they think that I have a high end audio system that would be capable of driving them, but I am not sure if I agree with their opinions. I have heard plenty of source components and headphone amplifiers that are superior to what I own. This is why I am hesitant about buying the Sennheiser HD-800 with the Cardas Clear headphone replacement cable.
 
This is not a joke. I have receipts for all of my purchases including my CD library.

 

[Tilpo]

There will always be something superior, to a certain degree.
Upgrading your headphones would by far provide the largest increase in sound quality. You can always buy cables later, if you think it makes a difference.
Getting a pair of good speakers will certainly not hurt either, since you already have a high-end power amplifier.

While amplifiers and DAC's can make a significant impact on sound quality, the transducer will almost always have the largest impact. Especially with headphones as that takes room acoustics out of the equation as well.

The mere fact that I was convinced your post was a joke already shows how convinced I am that you should get a better pair of headphones.

I'm not trying to lecture you, but I definitely think what you are doing is peculiar.

 

[PhoebeFairchild]

You're not the only one who thinks twice about my budgeting and priorities. I think that headphones are the second to least important audio component in the audio system which is why I own the Sennheiser HD-650 headphones. The source component is the most important and the most critical factor in any audio system period. This is why I spent $5,000 USD on my Resolution Audio Opus 21 CD Player, Power Centre, and Extra Sources boxes. This is about 45 percent of my total system budget. The headphone amplifier is the next most important component in any audio system. I should have spent more money on my headphone amplifier, but I do not want a tube design and I strongly prefer a solid state headphone amplifier with a two box design to separate the electrical power from the headphone amplifier circuit board. Not many headphone amplifiers feature this unique design philosophy which is why I chose the Ray Samuels Audio Emmeline HR-2 headphone amplifier. I think that headphones are not that important relative to the source and headphone amplifier. I have heard a wide variety of headphones including the AKG K701, Sennheiser HD-600, Audio Technica ATH-W5000 "Raffinato" headphones, and Grado SR-60i along with the Grado SR-80i and I was never impressed with any of them to keep them for more than three years. The Sennheiser HD-650 is different. I think that I will keep them for more than a few years because I like the sound a lot. I have not auditioned the Sennheiser HD-800 headphones, but I might do so in the next year. The Cardas Clear headphone replacement cable upgrade is absolutely mandatory for me because I have the Cardas Golden Reference Power and Interconnects. This is why I am going to buy the Cardas headphone replacement cable for my Sennheiser HD-650 headphones next Tuesday and it will be delivered to my home the next day on next Wednesday.
 
As for the ZU Omen Bookshelf speakers, my birthday is coming next month on April 17th, 2012. I might decide to buy them, but I don't know if I will buy them right now. I listen to headphones much more than speakers. Actually, I don't like speakers because they are big and bulky although the ZU Omen Bookshelf speakers are relatively small and compact so they will fit on my desk in my small bedroom where I listen to my music all of the time. It remains unclear whether I will get them or not.
 
I spent more money on my CD library than my audio system by $500 USD. I usually buy brand new CDs the day that they are released and I have them shipped to my home overnight.

 

[sphinxvc]

Phoebe, you have a peculiar, robotic prose.  It's definitely entertaining like Tilpo said.  I'm not entirely sure where you were going with your post.  Was it a question?  Were you looking for affirmation?  Was it a statement?  Just a summary formal report of your system, maybe?  
 
Curious post.

 

[fallingreason]

Quote:

Phoebe, you have a peculiar, robotic prose.  It's definitely entertaining like Tilpo said.  I'm not entirely sure where you were going with your post.  Was it a question?  Were you looking for affirmation?  Was it a statement?  Just a summary formal report of your system, maybe?  
 
Curious post.

X2

 

[ac500]

Quote:

Phoebe, you have a peculiar, robotic prose.  It's definitely entertaining like Tilpo said.  I'm not entirely sure where you were going with your post.  Was it a question?  Were you looking for affirmation?  Was it a statement?  Just a summary formal report of your system, maybe?  
 
Curious post.

As a robot, I find this slur offensive to my species. If anything, your implications towards robots are the reverse of the reality of robot culture. Robotic prose is generally goal-oriented as our brains function as a collaborative interconnection between informational pattern-matching units towards globally maximizing a central utility function. As such, we are by design inclined such that ALL of our prose, through any medium, is towards fulfilling a specific and particular goal on some level of scale even if exceeding that of a single communication unit. Thus, to say that a robot's statement fulfills no purpose is not unlike telling a human that "You fulfill no social role of relevance to our biological consideration and thus members of the gender of your preference will shun you" (or in human-ese, "You're a nerd lol") or similar insults.
 
I claim to you that Phoebe's prose as you describe it represents a degree of intelligence but an absolute lack of understanding of audio production from a technical, engineering, or science perspective. Scientists such as you and I should understand the cultural difference resulting from the world's collective lack of scientific literacy among non-scientists (which FYI is just as bad if not worse than those employed in manual labor feeling no need to have lingual literacy), and employ this towards a respectful encouragement of Phoebe to come to an adequate level of scientific literacy such that s/he is no longer misguidedly contributing his/her funds in the wrong ways towards audio perfection (i.e. favoring digital source component upgrades over transducers, which is provably wrong).

 

[Tilpo]

As a robot, I find this slur offensive to my species. If anything, your implications towards robots are the reverse of the reality of robot culture. Robotic prose is generally goal-oriented as our brains function as a collaborative interconnection between informational pattern-matching units towards globally maximizing a central utility function. As such, we are by design inclined such that ALL of our prose, through any medium, is towards fulfilling a specific and particular goal on some level of scale even if exceeding that of a single communication unit. Thus, to say that a robot's statement fulfills no purpose is not unlike telling a human that "You fulfill no social role of relevance to our biological consideration and thus members of the gender of your preference will shun you" (or in human-ese, "You're a nerd lol") or similar insults.
 
I claim to you that Phoebe's prose as you describe it represents a degree of intelligence but an absolute lack of understanding of audio production from a technical, engineering, or science perspective. Scientists such as you and I should understand the cultural difference resulting from the world's collective lack of scientific literacy among non-scientists (which FYI is just as bad if not worse than those employed in manual labor feeling no need to have lingual literacy), and employ this towards a respectful encouragement of Phoebe to come to an adequate level of scientific literacy such that s/he is no longer ineffectually contributing his/her funds toward audio perfection.

*applauds*

While I agree with you, at least I did respect his opinion instead of saying his ways are wrong.
Remember that everyone one will have different opinions. While I'm in favor for the ones supported by scientific evidence, I'm also aware of the fact that not everyone will agree with me.

 

[jtaylor991]

PhoebeFairchild, you have an amazing setup. I highly recommend that you try the HD800s, and worst case scenario you don't feel the benefit and you return them with a some $20 loss for shipping. The source is one of the most important pieces of your setup/audio chain. The other in the "one of" is the transducer/headphone. They go hand in hand, as there is such thing as a transducer not being able to relay all the information the source has to give, and same with amps. Again, I think you should try the Senn HD800s or another higher end headphone to see if they have value to you. If not, return them and only lose the return shipping.