[Bootleg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jclinton46 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Never say never! If you hang around this forum I can almost guarantee upgradeitis will bite sooner or later.

Look at me...all I wanted to do was buy a pair of Grado SR325i's and be done!

HA!

 

[pp312]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bootleg /img/forum/go_quote.gif Even the Little Dot Micro+ will power the 650's until the calvary arrives.

Let's hope it never does. They say crucifixion's very painful.

 

[Bootleg]

LOL!

My bad.

See edit!

 

[mofonyx]

You may like this thread : http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...ighlight=HD580

 

[rb67]

You can get the HD600's for about $180 used. That's a pretty nice price IMO and allows room for an amp.

 

[nickchen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy43 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll look more into the HD580's.

Good. Main thing is to keep away from these trivial HD595s. That would have been like getting a 125ccm Daewoo softchopper instead of a real bike.

 

[tourmaline]

Get the hd600, preferably with an aftermarket cable. Beats hd650 in certain area's and some like it better this way then the hd650.

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy43 /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's the thing though, I told myself right from the beginning that I was never going to spend more than $400 on my setup. Any more money spent after that, then your just wasting your money (no offense, it's just my opinion). I would rather spend my money on more important things, but as you can see I'm willing to spend more than your average joe (maybe not your average head-fi joe, though ) on a pair of headphones. So there will likely never be an upgrade. I'll look more into the HD580's.

I see nothing wrong at all with sticking to a budget. It's an admirable goal to strive for a < $400 system that you can keep and continue to enjoy.

Based on what I've read and my experience with my HD650, the least expensive amp/DAC I would consider for it would be the E-MU 0404 USB at ~$150, but puts you over budget by ~$100. Even then I remain a little skeptical as to how well the 0404 would drive the HD650.

I know of no other cans that sound similar to the higher end Sennheisers. And there's no telling if you would prefer an HD595 based system over an HD580, but I recommend the HD580. At ~$150, the HD580 would leave you ~ $250 to spend on a good amp/DAC, whatever that might be. This isn't to say though you could prefer more expensive cans with a less expensive amp/DAC.

But what I can say for sure is you'll be best off planning out all of your purchases before committing to a single one. Post the combinations of components you're considering in a separate thread as many times as necessary to get plenty of opinions and recommendations. Without first listening to the system you will be buying, you may be best off duplicating someone else's successful system. A favorable synergy of components, it seems, can be quite tricky and expensive to accomplish, and you'll be relying on how other Head-Fi members relate their personal preferences, which may or may not reflect your own.

 

[Chu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rb67 /img/forum/go_quote.gif You can get the HD600's for about $180 used. That's a pretty nice price IMO and allows room for an amp.

Price is going up

I've been trying to snag on on eBay for this price unsuccessfully.

The HD650 and HD580/600 are different animals, but they are closer then they are seperate. You can get a set of refurb 580's for $125 and a budget amp for $125. That's well under the cost of the HD650's alone.

It's worth considering if you don't have the $500 that a budget amp and a HD650 will likely cost.

 

[andy43]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Time /img/forum/go_quote.gif I know of no other cans that sound similar to the higher end Sennheisers. And there's no telling if you would prefer an HD595 based system over an HD580, but I recommend the HD580. At ~$150, the HD580 would leave you ~ $250 to spend on a good amp/DAC, whatever that might be. This isn't to say though you could prefer more expensive cans with a less expensive amp/DAC.

I made a really long response to this but closed the response not until after I realized that I only clicked "Preview Post".

So I'll try to keep it short.

Basically, I'm trying to figure out the difference between a high impedance headphone powered good, and an even better, low impedance headphone powered only decently. Like this for example:

-Sennheiser HD580 > good amp
-Denon D2000 > OK amp

Though I realized while listening to a quiet CD tonight that I'm really not a "bass head". I like to be able to chill to my music whenever I'd like, so I'm really not sure the Denon D2000 would suit me because of the bass and impact. I like an all around headphone, which I think Sennheiser is good at, am I not correct? I'm also considering just going for the HD595 just to see what higher-end headphones are all about, as I really haven't experienced them yet.

 

[Rise To The Top]

another vote for the HD650 with a Little Dot ++. 650s can be found for under $300 now, and Little Dot's around $100 used.

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rise To The Top /img/forum/go_quote.gif another vote for the HD650 with a Little Dot ++. 650s can be found for under $300 now, and Little Dot's around $100 used.

I'm not suggesting this is not worth of consideration, but what DAC or source would be suggested for this HD650/LD++ combo that totals < $400?

 

[Rise To The Top]

Actually, scratch the HD650s, 600s would be nicer on tubes. HD600, LD II ++, cheap DAC.

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy43 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Basically, I'm trying to figure out the difference between a high impedance headphone powered good, and an even better, low impedance headphone powered only decently. Like this for example: -Sennheiser HD580 > good amp -Denon D2000 > OK amp

The answer to this has to do with synergy, personal preference, how well the cans scale with better equipment, and the likelihood of upgrading later. I suggest mostly relying on the experiences and preferences shared from Head-Fi members about their < $400 systems.

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy43 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Though I realized while listening to a quiet CD tonight that I'm really not a "bass head". I like to be able to chill to my music whenever I'd like, so I'm really not sure the Denon D2000 would suit me because of the bass and impact. I like an all around headphone, which I think Sennheiser is good at, am I not correct? I'm also considering just going for the HD595 just to see what higher-end headphones are all about, as I really haven't experienced them yet.

Then there definitely are bass prominent cans you would want to steer away from, and the HD650 is one of them. I don't know enough about the D2000 to comment on it. However, if you are considering cans other than Sennheiser and think you might like detailed and even sounding cans throughout all frequencies, my guess is the Ultrasone Proline 650 as modded in this thread would be an excellent choice. I forget what it costs, maybe around $175 from Northern Sound and Light's website. Pair it with a modest amp and decent source, perhaps the E-MU 0404 USB, and that may suit you very well. However, it definitely will not sound like a Sennheiser.

The HD595 is commonly referred to as an all-arounder, meaning good at many things but not great at anything, and generally it is not considered a high end Sennheiser. Some who have found good synergy with the HD595 and their equipment may disagree and prefer the HD595 to a similarly priced Sennheiser system. And, the higher tier of Sennheisers, HD580, HD600, and HD650, are not commonly referred to as all-arounder cans. The HD595 will have the least bass impact of these Senns and probably less than the D2000 as well. The HD600 would be a good choice and possibly better than the HD580 if buying it does not reduce your ability to buy an equally good amp and source. Tough call between the HD580 and HD600.

 

[headcheck]

Another vote for the 580. Look at it this way, a mod 580 look the same after a similar paint job, grill & cable

BABY 650