[traehekat]

What closed headphones have a similar sound to the HD650?

 

[greenkiwi]

Funny... I'd asked the exact quest a while ago.  And probably should have also done a search.
 
Here are a lot of good places to search
 
http://www.head-fi.org/newsearch/?opensearch=true&search=closed+hd650
 
I went with the Beyer T70s, but I should have gone with the Mr Speakers Alpha Dogs...  (and now I'm getting some LCD-XCs)

 

[traehekat]

Def considering the Alpha Dog. I didn't love the DT 880, is the T70 a deviation from what Beyers typically sound like? Why did you end up wanting the AD over the T70?

 

[greenkiwi]

My feeling about the T70 is that it is a very very good headphone and doesn't really do anything "wrong", but I never love listening to it.  It never makes me want to listen more.   
 
I'm really looking forward to hearing how the LCD-XC compares.
 
I'd also add that I love Magnepans, so I think that I am biased to think that orthodynamic headphones might sound better (to me).  (I'll know soon.)
 
Have you thought about IEMs and another closed alternative?  I actually find that I like listening to the Cardas EarSpeakers more than the T70.
 
Also, I haven't heard the other Beyers, so I can't comment on how the T70 compares to them.

 

[greenkiwi]

I'd also add, that I do like my Senn Momentum Over-Ears.  I don't know if I'd pay $300 for them, but I found them for $200 and that seems good.  Though they touch my ears all the way around.

 

[traehekat]

Yeah I actually have a pair of Momentums but I don't love how they sit on my ears so I will likely be returning them. I also tried IEMs (Shure SE215 and 535) but I don't think they are for me, just too uncomfortable.

So do you think the Alpha Dog is the best bet?

 

[greenkiwi]

Well, I haven't heard the AD or the LCD-XC yet... so I can't say.  
 
I was saying that they were the most attractive to me, in terms of hopefully providing what I wanted, and that the T70 didn't provide it to me.

 

[greenkiwi]

I def hear you with your comment about why they didn't make them just a bit bigger.

 

[greenkiwi]

I also tried the AKG 550 and some ATs, and didn't like them.  I have the noise cancelling Senns, but they are really only good when you need noise cancelling.

 

[Neighbour]

Take a Shure SRH 840, be happy.

 

[yoyowiggle]

I would also suggest the NAD HP 50 (Or PSB M4U1 /2). I have both the HD650 and the NADs and love them. 
 
-Mike

 

[Claritas]

Momentum (so-called over ear) sounds similar.

 

[greenkiwi]

I brought my momentums home from work to do a side by side test. I'll use the O2 for both.

 

[Kaaf]

I also had the same question. I have a Senn hd600.
But the MrSpeakers Alpha Dog mentioned earlier needs a powerfull amp. My amp was not powerful enough (starving student amp), resulting in a very thin bass response. 
I ended up with a Beyer Dynamic Custom One Pro. Cheaper and pretty similiar to the HD600. Although I don't like other open Beyer headphones, this closed one had been added to my inventory

 

[greenkiwi]

I did get some time to listen to the "over ear" Momentums. And if you can get over them touching your ears, which I find I don't notice after the first song, or until I take them off, the Momentums do have a similar sonic presentation. Sure they aren't in the same league as the 650s, but for a portable over ear, driven by smart phones at half the price... They are very enjoyable.

I'll try to listen to both more and provide more feedback.

The general things that I noticed were the sound stage was smaller and there was a lot less detail. But I thought, at least for the brief listens, that tonality wise they were certainly in the same camp.