[ohcrapgorillas]

Hi all and thanks for reading, I'll try to make this short.
 
I'm bored by the HD650. I've had them for almost a year now, and while they're quite good in terms of resolution, I find them lacking soundstage and energy. The other night I was playing with EQing the treble up slightly and it made a huge difference. I could hear the soundstage and everything sounded so much more realistic! But because I can't EQ everywhere I use these cans, I have decided that they are going the way of the Craigslist and/or head-fi classifieds to move on to another pair of cans.
 
My preferred sound signature is natural and realistic, so neutral or slightly warm from neutral. My musical taste ranges from indie/prog/post-rock, anything "psych", americana/classic country, doom/black/death metal, hip-hop, an occasional classical or jazz recording... basically everything but electronic (although I do enjoy some like The Knife, Purity Ring, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Murcof, Boards of Canada...). I just like my music to sound realistic.
 
My two main contenders right now are the Sennheiser HD600 or the HiFiMan HE-400i. I only briefly listened to the HD600 once at a head-fi meet and have never heard the HE-400i, although I previously owned the HE-400 and was not a fan: they're unreasonably heavy, uncomfortable, and although the bass wasn't realistic it was orgasmic, plus the dip in the upper midrange totally ruined their ability to sound natural. I've heard that the HE-400i has addressed all of these issues and now sounds much closer to neutral. I also know that the HD600 is a neutrality king, but it's hard to find a direct one-to-one comparison.
 
Which one would sound more natural and realistic? Which one do y'all think would be best for me?
 
PS My main equipment is the AMB gamma2 DAC and the JDS O2 amp, both of which I am quite happy with and have no intention of upgrading. Occasionally I use Music Hall mmf 2.2 with Ortofon 2M Bronze > Pro-Ject Tube Box II (Telefunken 12AX7) > O2.

 

[Rhamnetin]

I think you would like the HE-500.  You can find used/refurbished ones for around $500 or so.  I haven't heard the HE-400i but it's supposed to be similar to the HE-500 but slightly more warm and less open.

 

[MrTechAgent]

The 600s are great but I would not recommend getting it if you already have the 650s.
To my ears the 650s being slightly coloured are more refined too.
 
I would recommend a 600Ohm DT880 which IMO is higher fidelity to most if not all sub $1000 cans but it needs some special tube treatment or a dark SS treatment like a Violectric Amp to get the best top end out of it,also potentially improve the impulse response which is a hit or miss with amps..once treated,its a different world.

 

[Za Warudo]

Tyl basically said that the Fidelio X2 has dethroned the HD600 in his X2 review, so maybe you can demo that to see if it's what you are looking for.

 

[ohcrapgorillas]

  The 600s are great but I would not recommend getting it if you already have the 650s.
To my ears the 650s being slightly coloured are more refined too.
 
I would recommend a 600Ohm DT880 which IMO is higher fidelity to most if not all sub $1000 cans but it needs some special tube treatment or a dark SS treatment like a Violectric Amp to get the best top end out of it,also potentially improve the impulse response which is a hit or miss with amps..once treated,its a different world.

Thanks for your input. I would prefer to keep my current gamma2/O2 stack and not have to purchase a tube amp. In most reviews, people tend to say the HD6x0 are much better than the DT880 (although they might have been talking about a different impedance version and/or with a different amp).

  Tyl basically said that the Fidelio X2 has dethroned the HD600 in his X2 review, so maybe you can demo that to see if it's what you are looking for.

I'll definitely look into this, thanks

 

[ohcrapgorillas]

  I think you would like the HE-500.  You can find used/refurbished ones for around $500 or so.  I haven't heard the HE-400i but it's supposed to be similar to the HE-500 but slightly more warm and less open.

The thing is, one of the deal-breakers for the HE-400 for me was their weight. To me they were way too uncomfortable and the HE-500 are the same. My girlfriend at the time remarked that they looked like something you would use to give shock therapy to someone's skull... but the fact that the HE-400i is slightly more warm is encouraging as I do enjoy a slight bit of warmth.

 

[OMGLadyGaga]

Have X1 and 650, I think the Phillips might be what you're looking for. New X2 look even better based on Tyll's review

 

[ohcrapgorillas]

Have X1 and 650, I think the Phillips might be what you're looking for. New X2 look even better based on Tyll's review

I thought the X1 were somewhat V-shaped? I really hate the V-shaped sound signatures, it's the worst to my ears

 

[flatmap]

The Beyerdynamic DT-880 (in my brief experience with them) will give you more energy up top compared to HD-650.
The HD-650 are warmer.  
 
In terms of boring versus exciting, do try to listen to one of the  planar magnetic designs.  Might just be your
cup of tea.

 

[codeQQ]

I think you'll like the HE-500. As someone said above, you can get them cheap used/refurb. I saw two go for $425 and $460 USD this week.

 

[Solrighal]

I know many say cables make no difference but it would be interesting if you could demo a silver cable with your HD 650's. You might be surprised

 

[volly]

I got a feeling the X2's are going to sell like hot cakes!

 

 

[ohcrapgorillas]

Yeah if anyone in the Austin, TX area has a silver cable for me to demo... or anyone wouldn't mind sending me a loaner... I'd be happy to see if it makes a difference. I'm extremely skeptical, but still open minded. I've thought about trying the ZY cable in the past when it's gone up on certain websites for cheaper than MSRP but they were never selling one with a 3.5mm termination and that's the main reason I'd want an aftermarket cable.

  I think you'll like the HE-500. As someone said above, you can get them cheap used/refurb. I saw two go for $425 and $460 USD this week.

 

  The thing is, one of the deal-breakers for the HE-400 for me was their weight. To me they were way too uncomfortable and the HE-500 are the same. 

 
It's the same thing with Audeze 'phones... I get that the sound quality is unsurpassed, but I can't get past the weight and discomfort of wearing the freakin' things... which is why I'd only really consider the newer line of HiFiMans for planars, being thinner and lighter.

 

[ohcrapgorillas]

duplicate

 

[Kozic]

You may want to look into Beyers T90. They are a step up from the DT800 600 ohm and not so particular to amp.(they do work best with a warm amp IMO) The comfort on them is very good too. You can find they on sale sub $500.