[jtaylor991]

 
Quote:

So I picked up a pair of almost mint, two minor nicks I can find, HD650s from a reputable individual for $150 shipped and they arrived today. After thorough inspection I'm very impressed with my purchase but this part gave me pause.
 
[pic]
 
Printed on the driver is 06.09.07 and then HD580 on the next line with Sennheiser stamped into the cone. Is this really the 650 driver or is it a 580 in a 650 shell?
 
I'm not without recourse, I can do a paypal dispute or a cc chargeback but I'd prefer it if I could verify first.

 
I've read before in this thread that they're supposed to be like that, I think they actually are 580 drivers in a 650 but I never understood the difference, that being said I haven't given it much thought anyway. Can someone else confirm this please? I hate to see someone confused like this, I hate it when I'm like that. Vinyl is a b*tch like that! I always have a feeling something is wrong and I'm tearing up my records...

 

[gtrslngrchris]

 
Quote:

 
 
I've read before in this thread that they're supposed to be like that, I think they actually are 580 drivers in a 650 but I never understood the difference, that being said I haven't given it much thought anyway. Can someone else confirm this please? I hate to see someone confused like this, I hate it when I'm like that. Vinyl is a b*tch like that! I always have a feeling something is wrong and I'm tearing up my records...

 
I really would love it if someone could confirm, preferably with pictures. I had understood as well that the 650 was the evolution of the 600 and that from the 580. With that in mind it wouldn't surprise me to know they're similar but I'd still assume a new driver from the 580/600 to the 650.

 

[John Willett]

 
Quote:

So I picked up a pair of almost mint, two minor nicks I can find, HD650s from a reputable individual for $150 shipped and they arrived today. After thorough inspection I'm very impressed with my purchase but this part gave me pause.
 

 
Printed on the driver is 06.09.07 and then HD580 on the next line with Sennheiser stamped into the cone. Is this really the 650 driver or is it a 580 in a 650 shell?
 
I'm not without recourse, I can do a paypal dispute or a cc chargeback but I'd prefer it if I could verify first.

 

The HD 580 and 600 are virtually the same headphones.
 
In 1995, on the occasion of Sennheiser's 50th anniversary, they made two special headphones:- The HD 414 Signature and a Limited Edition (only 4,000 worldwide) HD 580 Jubilee.  The HD 580 Jubilee had open mesh backs, a high quality finish and, as far as I am aware, selected capsules for much better channel matching.
 
This special edition sold out very fast, so Sennheiser changed the paint job and renamed it the HD 600.
 
So I would say it's correct that the capsule is stamped HD 580 on a 600.
 
It's the open mesh back that makes it so much better than the original plastic backed HD 580 (which is why many HD 580 owners swap the plastic back for an open mesh back for a 600/650 - I did this with my old original HD 580s).
 
Regarding the 650, I have seen that the same capsule is used for the 650 as well.  The difference is in how the capsule is damped, rather than the raw diaphragm and magnet assembly itself.  I think that the Sennheiser man from Sennheiser USA on this forum would be able to confirm this.  Send him a PM if you want the definitive reply.
 
 

 

[MrScary]

Well guys Im going to give someone the deal of a life time I have a 3 year old set of HD650's I have used them for maybe total of 50 hours they are perfect.. With my LCD-2's and all my monitoring headphones that I use for my Digital work station (I do sound engineering) the HD650's are just sitting on their nice wooden headphone stand gathering dust...
 
 
So the First person that messages me 180.00 takes them but I will only ship in the US sorry guys. I figured I would give you guys a chance at these before I put them on Ebay... Im gong to sleep as its 3:45am CST
so I wont get to your messages until probably hahah 2PM cause the Doc put me on sleeping pills cause as you can see I can't sleep I'm up all the damned time.. I will go in order of the messages received give a 3 hour window to contact me back
then move to the next person...
 
 
So heave ho guys
 
 
 
Scary out ôô
 

 

[matti620]

I'm a new owner of a used HD650. I tried to use the Foobar equalizer to compensate for the hump in the frequency response:
 

 
The HD650 frequency response according to HeadRoom:

 
While it adds noise it also uncovers the dark nature of the headphones.  Are HD800 or Hifiman 6 the only flat headphones out there?

 

[Tilpo]

Flat frequency response in a headphone might not always feel natural.
Normally with speakers the HRTF influences the sound, as well as the treble absorption of air. Additionally, the fact that we physically feel (deep) bass with our entire body makes bass sound louder with speakers.

As a result a flat sounding headphone is not flat. Often bass needs to be elevated a bit, and treble reduced in order for it too sound natural. On top of that, headphones also have the problem of creating a sort of sealed chamber with it's own resonant frequency, which needs to be taken into account as well.

All in all, I find the HD650's one of the most natural sounding cans I have heard. But that might just be me.

 

[matti620]

1. [img]http://cdn.head-fi.org/6/69/100x100px-LS-692ff7ff_Untitled.png[/img]

Tilpo,
It seems yet there are people criticizing the HD650 as "veiled". When compensating for the lower response in the higher range there's more airy feel to it.
 

 

[TMRaven]

It's a fairly flat headphone to me and doens't really need much EQ.  If its bass extended perfectly flat to 20hz, its upper midrange maybe 1-2db down and 10-13khz treble about 3-4db up, I'd consider it perfectly flat.

 

[roBernd]

 
Quote:

So I picked up a pair of almost mint, two minor nicks I can find, HD650s from a reputable individual for $150 shipped and they arrived today. After thorough inspection I'm very impressed with my purchase but this part gave me pause.
 

 
Printed on the driver is 06.09.07 and then HD580 on the next line with Sennheiser stamped into the cone. Is this really the 650 driver or is it a 580 in a 650 shell?
 
I'm not without recourse, I can do a paypal dispute or a cc chargeback but I'd prefer it if I could verify first.

 
feel at ease, all newer HD650 share the hd580 print.
NONE of the HD580 have it printed on their membrane at all.
 
This has been dealt with in several threads for years (and years to come)
 
if you hear a differance to another HD650 (your friends HD650 e.g) this is largely due to the changed screen in fron of the driver.
Yours is silver~ish, while the older ones have a black acoustic silk screen.
 
The older once are more bassy and veiled.
The newer ones are more neutral in mids and bass and have more treble.
 

 

[Gradofan2]

 
Quote:

feel at ease, all newer HD650 share the hd580 print.
NONE of the HD580 have it printed on their membrane at all.
 
This has been dealt with in several threads for years (and years to come)
 
if you hear a differance to another HD650 (your friends HD650 e.g) this is largely due to the changed screen in fron of the driver.
Yours is silver~ish, while the older ones have a black acoustic silk screen.
 
The older once are more bassy and veiled.
The newer ones are more neutral in mids and bass and have more treble.
 

 
All true... and... "its all good!"
 
I found my "new version" HD580's and "new version" HD650's sounded.... IDENTICAL... when I had both.  Both sounded superb... and... much better than the "old versions" (with the black silk screens) - very "Gradolike."  So... they must have identical drivers, since they sound identical.  
 
But... it really makes no difference... so long as they sound great to you - as they do to me!
 

 

[gtrslngrchris]

 
Quote:

 
 
feel at ease, all newer HD650 share the hd580 print.
NONE of the HD580 have it printed on their membrane at all.
 
This has been dealt with in several threads for years (and years to come)
 
if you hear a differance to another HD650 (your friends HD650 e.g) this is largely due to the changed screen in fron of the driver.
Yours is silver~ish, while the older ones have a black acoustic silk screen.
 
The older once are more bassy and veiled.
The newer ones are more neutral in mids and bass and have more treble.
 

 
Thank you very much for the response, I appreciate it.

 

[GoldiLocks]

 
Quote:

While it adds noise it also uncovers the dark nature of the headphones.  Are HD800 or Hifiman 6 the only flat headphones out there?

 
Keep in mind that to our ears a "flat response" isn't when the amplitude vs frequency graph shows a flat line.  Due to the shapes of our ears etc we hear different frequencies louder or softer. What more is that a "flat response" for each person will be slightly different.  The only way to properly equalize a headphone to your ears is by trial and error with a sin wave generator and a more accurate equalizer than the stock foobar equalizer.  I've been able to get a very neutral sound out of my 650s, and I've been impressed by the brightness I can get out of them.
 
For a better explanation of equalizing see this thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/413900/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-a-tutorial
 
EDIT: Grammar

 

[matti620]

Quote:

 
 
Keep in mind that to our ears a "flat response" isn't when the amplitude vs frequency graph shows a flat line.  Due to the shapes of our ears etc we hear different frequencies louder or softer. What more is that a "flat response" for each person will be slightly different.  The only way to properly equalize a headphone to your ears is by trial and error with a sin wave generator and a more accurate equalizer than the stock foobar equalizer.  I've been able to get a very neutral sound out of my 650s, and I've been impressed by the brightness I can get out of them.
 
For a better explanation of equalizing see this thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/413900/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-a-tutorial
 
EDIT: Grammar

 
Thank you for the link!
I've been trying to attempt a "scientific" approach based on frequency response of the can plus ears graphs (pic. below), but it seems to be alluding as every change seems to bring focus to one instrument but take away from another in the same time... (Godspeed You Black Emperor seems to be a great album for the balancing task due to its richness in white noise).

 
This is the current equalizer values for whatever it's worth:

 

[doco]

oh, man! my 650 and schiit asgard came in and i just jizzed after listening to some songs i usually listen to! and i don't know how people can say it clamps kind of hard onto the head... i have ZERO problems wearing it after i opened it. i find it really comfortable and even better than the wing system the audio-technica has. then again, after wearing the m50 and a900, this clamping aint nothing!

 

[davidgotsa]

Glad you're liking them! 
 
Mine clamped a lot the first few days but then it got better, but I still had to take them off for a minute or two every two hours or so. 
 
I seriously regret having given mine away sometimes though, they are wonderful headphones!
Quote:

oh, man! my 650 and schiit asgard came in and i just jizzed after listening to some songs i usually listen to! and i don't know how people can say it clamps kind of hard onto the head... i have ZERO problems wearing it after i opened it. i find it really comfortable and even better than the wing system the audio-technica has. then again, after wearing the m50 and a900, this clamping aint nothing!