[Shevlock]

I have a pair of HD650s, and am looking to upgrade my sound further. I've been looking at the govibe5, how exactly will they improve the sound I get? Is there anything else that I should be looking at, in terms of other amps?

Is there anything else that I need to round out my system?

I'm usually running my headphones out of my laptop or ipod, if that changes anything.

Appreciate any help.

 

[jlingo]

EarMax Pro, great synergy with Sennheiser.

 

[FallenAngel]

I thought the EarMax was for Grado that like more current

Sennheisers - PPA, Dynalo

 

[tuknahr]

I just connected my Micro Stack with my HD650.

My God

Didn't test any other amp and dac but it make a huge difference. Didn't think it would be this big.

Simply awesome.

 

[vcoheda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shevlock /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have a pair of HD650s, and am looking to upgrade my sound further. . . .I'm usually running my headphones out of my laptop or ipod, if that changes anything.

With those phones, I think pretty much any amp will be an improvement.

 

[ken36]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlingo /img/forum/go_quote.gif EarMax Pro, great synergy with Sennheiser.

There are a ton of opinions out there. I used the EMP with the Senn and thought the sound was slow, heavy and boring, but that's me. You are on to the secret of head-fi. We are all searching for that always elusive "synergy".

 

[xeres]

Try Graham Slee Solo amp. Also, some quality sound source with good interconnection cables is more then welcome.

 

[Balisarda]

I think cables--whether power cords, interconnects, or headphone cables--should be absolutely your last resort, because I think they make by far the least difference.

If you think the HD 650 sounds a little dark, try removing the foam that covers the drivers. (Gently pull on the earpads (don't jerk) until they pop out. Then lift the foam out and pop the earpads back on.) The sound will be brighter and more immediate, a little more Grado-like, and you won't have spent $200 on an aftermarket cable to achieve the brightening.

The HD 650 sounds warm and rich even with my solid-state amp, a Meier-Audio Corda HA-2 MkII SE, so you may not absolutely need a tube amp for a warm sound. If you like REALLY warm sound, or warmer than any solid state you've heard, then a tube amp can be good. The best tube amps can sound either warm and mushy or fast and detailed depending entirely on the tubes you use. But I'm EXTREMELY happy with my HA-2 MkII SE! (By the way, Jan is selling those on clearance right now, so the prices are fantastic. And he's REALLY happy with his new amp, the Opera. EDIT: AND he's a wonderful guy to deal with.)

Enjoy your music,
Eric.

 

[drew8mc]

You're getting recommendations way out of the go-vibe's price range. The reason being that the 650's are a top notch headphone that deserves to be paired with quality amplification. My advice would be to wait until you can afford one of the upper level amps.

I do not know what kind of improvement you would get out of the govibe. I've never heard it. It seems curious that you would want a portable amp with such a pair of un-portable phones. Any reason?

 

[Shevlock]

Well, I'm trying to slowly get into the whole audiophile thing, and wanted to start out easy. The reason I picked the govibe was because I wanted my first amp to be versatile and inexpensive, which it seemed to be from what I read from other posts.

You're right on the HD650s, only I got a very good deal on them, which sort of jump started my interest in audiophile equipment. I also have a pair of e4cs. While I don't have a plan to amp those, having a govibe would certainly give me the option. The other amps being reccommended right now are way out of my price range at the moment, although I do appreciate the help so far. I'd also like a portable amp because I have limited desk space at the moment, and it is likely that it will be ferried from the dorm back home relatively often if it proves a necessary item for my listening enjoyment

.

I appreciate the help given thus far.

edit: By the way, I wouldn't mind my hd650s being more portable either. I inquired a few weeks ago about chopping the cable, but I now know that the process involved is far beyond my technical capacity. Can anyone reccommend a place or person that I can go to in order to accomplish this? Even if I'm not carrying it around, the cable is so long that I had to invest in a cable management "system" just to keep it in a drawer neatly.

 

[`Black]

What about the Gilmore Lite? I think it's very good with the Sennheiser HD650... but when hear music very often with your notebook, you might look at the Corda Aria because it has a build in DAC and the sound would be much better as with an amp which is connected to the headphone out of the notebook... most notebook soundcards have very bad sound imo... at least my Samsung Q35 has awfull sound.

regards

 

[MaloS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by `Black /img/forum/go_quote.gif What about the Gilmore Lite? I think it's very good with the Sennheiser HD650... but when hear music very often with your notebook, you might look at the Corda Aria because it has a build in DAC and the sound would be much better as with an amp which is connected to the headphone out of the notebook... most notebook soundcards have very bad sound imo... at least my Samsung Q35 has awfull sound. regards

Current Intel laptop chipset is not too bad but it sounds bit harsh and has some noise issues that the older one did not.

 

[xeres]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shevlock /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, I'm trying to slowly get into the whole audiophile thing, and wanted to start out easy. The reason I picked the govibe was because I wanted my first amp to be versatile and inexpensive, which it seemed to be from what I read from other posts.

What's the point of getting "any kind" of amp? If you have HD650, and can't afford a good amp at the moment, don't waste your money. Wait for a while and buy a deceant one. At least I don't see why should first amp be any amp, especially if you are not rich enough to buy anything.