At least for the D5000, I and several others here found the bass to be spectacular BUT the midrange to be problematic. At moderate to low volumes, there's a dip in frequency around 500Hz, which makes low tenor to baritone voices sound pushed back and weak. Additionally, there's a subtle, strange...

They need to do more than actualizing the potential of the technology. They need to change their philosophy of remastering.

Case in point: I won't try to make any objective claims here, but speaking from experience....one of my favorite albums of all time is the incredibly densely-layered Remain in Light by Talking Heads. I have this album on vinyl, CD, and the remastered CD/DVD DualDisc. IMO the DVD DualDisc...

I love the midrange of the 650s with my x-can v3, but I find the bass is not as tight or prevalent as I'd like it to be. Both the Senns and the x-can are completely stock (I did remove the foam from the Senns). So should my first move be to... - mod the x-can? if so, which mod? - upgrade the...

Quote: Originally Posted by jimmy8269 Add more juice to HD 650 with the used X-can v3 (should fit your budget). Then spare some bucks or plan for replacement cables. x2 strings are luscious with tubes

Quote: Originally Posted by marvelusjd x3, 5 Pros FTW! x4 I probably wouldn't call any IEM "warm" when plugged into an iPod, but the UE's are balanced and detailed. I definitely would never add treble to them.

As a bazillion people have said in other forums, the X-Can V3 compliments the 650s very well. It basically strengthens what is already the strongest attribute of the phones - an open, vocal-centric midrange. Compared to your Hornet, you will notice that the bass is not as prominent or quite as...

RSA amps (Tomohawk and Hornet) work wonders for lowering the noise floor. If you get a decent mini-to-mini cable and go from the laptop headphone out to the Tomohawk/Hornet to your UE5's, you'll get a noticeable reduction in noise and a better window into the music. I'd say start there and, if...

It seems to me that you're not going to be totally happy with the 650s no matter what. You're basically looking to do every pairing and mod possible to get to them to not sound like Senns anymore. If you were really stoked about Grados, I would look into other fast, upfront, impactful...

To my ears, Denon D5000s have the most authentic bass I've heard. I love 650s, but find their bass to be lacking. Side note: I agree that there's something odd about the Sinatra recordings. I remember thinking at first that the Bob Norberg remasters sounded fantastic---horns, for example...

Quote: Originally Posted by outmatch Though they don't fare too well with male vocals, which sound a bit nosy, possibly a little bit recessed in lower mid. I hope they improve with burn-in. x2. I've had my D5000s for several months now and I find the midrange, especially for...

Totally agree that the D5000s could use a frequency bump in the mids. IMO the dip is most apparent around 500 Hz - 1kHz.

The super.fi's come with a lot of different tips, including foam. Whether or not you would consider any of them comfortable largely depends on you ear canals.

I have the D5000s, which I hear is virtually the same sound as the D2000s, and sometimes listen to them with a Hornet (using a line out cable). It's a tight, clean sound. The bass is PUNCHY.

Quote: Originally Posted by trickywombat How about spending that money on music (CDs, DVDs, SACDs) and concerts? Since the OP uses an iPod, DVD audio and SACDs are pretty pointless.

With IEMs, to me the biggest impact an amp makes is tightening up the sound (especially the bass) and dropping the noise floor, which is key with IEMs. I use an iPod with line out cable to a Hornet feeding IEMs, and I'd recommend it.

You won't have to change the tubes often in a hybrid, and IMO hybrids are a great match for the 650s. 650s + X-Can V3 produces some of the most enjoyable mids I've heard.

Have you tried the RA-1? I haven't, but it's the Grado amp and since every Grado I've tried has had a very similar signature, I assume it would do well with yours and also if you decide to upgrade at some point. No tubes, though. To my ears, the V3 places a little extra emphasis on the...

Quote: Originally Posted by warlock110 yeah, that's what i do lol, i figure i have to get something that people are used to listen to, i tried my mix with the HD201 and it sounded ok, i put it on ipod headphone and it sounded so bad with tons of high, so i had to went back and redo it...

$330 for new 650s is right. I have 650s for home use and have a Hornet [ALO Super Cotton dock on the way] and I think it's a good combo. Of course, it depends on what your tastes are and what you listen to. What do you want to get out of your Senns? Do you want them to be more lush, have...

The short answer is no, it's not improving the sound quality, it's just changing it. Losing the hiss is an advantage, but you are losing a bit of detail in the process.

I believe the attenuator basically adds impedance. So at least as far a noise goes, it makes your low-impedance (loud/easy to drive/conducts a lot of noise from the system) earbuds appear more like high-impedance (low noise, difficult to drive) headphones. Hence you have to crank it up but you...

I think the price did go up a while back. It's a pretty nice amp even at $500. Keep in mind, used ones pop up all the time and go for $350 or less. I see you're a Grado fan...I don't know if you've heard the X-can V3 but I listened to basically the entire Grado line through it and wasn't...

Right now I use a portable amp - the Hornet - with my 650s and it pushes them to a good place for rock. You definitely need an impactful, solid-state amp with a tight low-end.

I manhandled them kinda aggressively and the part where the cable meets the earpiece broke on one side. That was maybe 9 months into use. I returned it and they sent me a new pair. The same thing happened and the sent me a new pair again, stating that they had made improvements to the...