[EraserXIV]

Quote:

the HD650 can sound "good" straight of their source. It just doesn't get into "very good" or "excellent" territory without amping. 
 

 
This should be stickied, would save a lot of hot air from being blown around 

 

[calipilot227]

Before I order the Bottlehead Crack, has anyone tried the Little Dot MK VII balanced with the HD650? It's a pretty attractive price for a balanced amp.

 

[alv4426]

Im interested in this as well, balanced preamp tube amp is awesome
Quote:

Before I order the Bottlehead Crack, has anyone tried the Little Dot MK VII balanced with the HD650? It's a pretty attractive price for a balanced amp.

 

[Flisker]

If they get significantly more bass. After going back to the 650s from my JVCs it literally sounded like there was no bass at all. Maybe someday but I think different cans might be for me.

I have now HD650 hooked up to Schiit Lyr and with Valvo E88CC rolled in and little 20-100Hz bass EQ ... there is so much bass that headphones are jumping on my head and impact is better than on my Grados SR225i.

HD650 are serious headphones imo after hearing them from Lyr and trying some tubes.

 

[yokken]

I agree, with some bass EQ and the Lyr, the HD650s have a surprisingly satisfying amount of sub bass. I wouldn't say they "jump on your head" though. 

 

[Flisker]

I agree, with some bass EQ and the Lyr, the HD650s have a surprisingly satisfying amount of sub bass. I wouldn't say they "jump on your head" though. 

Well I'am not low volume listener

+1 on the lyr and bass slam with the 650's

+1 more

Hmmm, interesting question. For what it's worth, I'd say that if I rated the Crack + Speedball a perfect 10 with the HD 650 then I'd have to put the Lyr at about a 7, with both amps running the best tubes I've heard in each.

But what do I know...

Some say Crack is better some say Lyr is better, I am getting confused here. Guess it's matter of preferences. As for me I love Lyr, didn't have chance to hear Crack yet.

It's a common, widespread myth that the HD-650 is hard to drive. Unfortunately, it will be repeated continuously.

I'am not sure what is by "hard to drive" ment exactly but there is definitely noticable difference between amps that even audio ignorant has to hear

I got HD650 early when I started with this hobby and as for their sound it went like this :

1. Straight out of motherboard integrated audio -> Ewwww, this is bad (tried to like them for like 2 days and than gave up) ... dust collecting started.
2. FiiO E11 -> Somehow it's better but not much, liked some songs... and that was it. (Didn't listen much to them, like once a week +- for hour)
3. Schiit Magni -> Big leap forward, first impressions was like "Is this the same headphone ? It sounds much more dynamic, less veiled, bass got better ...", since this I was listening mainly to HD650 , sold HE-400 which ended for me at this point
4. Schiit Lyr and 6 pairs of tubes -> Rolled tubes, found ones I like best so far and ... damn there is no way of selling these cans. Bass got excellent kick, whole sound has even more dynamics, overall clarity, better detail and guess bigger soundstage or something it feels like I'am more surrounded by music ... I just love it. Had to take 2 days "Lyr" vacation actually :basshead: Definitely worth money.
5. Coming More tubes, maybe better DAC.

Audio newbie impressions/experience

Edit : some pics







Would love to see your HD650 setup pics too :tongue_smile:

 

[bracko]

HD650 is a great headphone and sounds beautiful from a variety of pretty cheap headphone amplifiers. Buying exotic amplifiers with loads of power, is more about masculinity, testosterone and showing off and in many cases even consumist dissatisfaction, than about sound quality. Pretty usual for human males. 

 

[AzN1337c0d3r]

Quote:

Nonsense. The E9 and Magni does just fine with them. Same with the Asgard 1 or 2.
IMO the DAC has made the most improvement. Strangely the cheapest one I've had sounds the best to my ears.

Also..my Total Airhead drives them just fine. The clipping light never goes on ever and sounds amazing.
It seems a lot of people even love the HD-600/650 off a simple CMOY amp.

+1
 
Sometimes I like to annoy the hell out of my lab members and take my HD650s. 

I drive them from the Total Bithead USB DAC/AMP or straight out of the Macbook Pro output. Both sound equally good and I don't even use up 3/4 of the bars on my Macbook Pro which means there is still plenty of reserve power available from the tiny integrated amp (remember, the controls of amplifiers are usually logarithmic).

 

[eltocliousus]

I've been using the HD650 as my daily driver for a couple months now and I've found the o2/Magni to power them just fine, you shouldn't need anything more powerful or refined for the HD650s, I couldn't hear a difference between the o2 or Schiit Lyr for example. There are few headphones I feel actually need anything more than something like a magni or o2, and 90% of them are orthodynamic.

 

[Lorspeaker]

i am going nuts reading this thread....
 
tot this 650 used to be a v difficult beast to tame,
has gone on to become a can that sounds good with anything,
n now it comes with sub-bass...
 
so i guess i made the right decision. ..
just sold my holy grail hd600 for the 650
 

 

[bracko]

Quote:

I've been using the HD650 as my daily driver for a couple months now and I've found the o2/Magni to power them just fine, you shouldn't need anything more powerful or refined for the HD650s, I couldn't hear a difference between the o2 or Schiit Lyr for example. There are few headphones I feel actually need anything more than something like a magni or o2, and 90% of them are orthodynamic.

 
Enjoy your headphones and your music! 

 

[BruinAnteater]

Wanted to share: listening to Rolling Stones Hot Rocks SACD through my HD650s right now...wow, dunno what it is about tonight, but they are sounding so freaking good right now!!!!

 

[Flisker]

Quote:

I've been using the HD650 as my daily driver for a couple months now and I've found the o2/Magni to power them just fine, you shouldn't need anything more powerful or refined for the HD650s, I couldn't hear a difference between the o2 or Schiit Lyr for example. There are few headphones I feel actually need anything more than something like a magni or o2, and 90% of them are orthodynamic.

 
I don't think I have any special hearing, but I can definitely hear difference between Magni (haven't heard o2) and Lyr. Not saying that Magni is bad, it's great with HD650, but it's not Lyr like experience for me.
 
If I would talk bike language I would say Magni and Lyr is like Yamaha R6 a R1 .. R6 is definitely great has quite some hps and it's fun to ride, but it's no R1. Once you ride R1 for some time you don't wanna go back to R6 

 
ps: I'am no zealot, if something doesn't make my music sound better I will just sell it. Won't keep it just for ego thing.

 

[ClintonL]

anyone know a decent cheap 4pin xlr cable for the 650s? can't really diy.

Cheers

 

[kookoo]

Friday night, had dinner out.
At home now chilling to some nice trumpet jazz....with ma HD650. It does not get better than this.
(it's been a long week)