Originally Posted by Apocalypse_HD650 OK I will be upgrading my sound card in the future and when I do I will make sure it would do a HD650 some justice (that is if I still have it by then). But for now, if you guys think that with an amp (for now a Cmoy, but later a gilmore lite) the 650's will vastly improve and dwarf the 497's as they should; then should I keep it and not return it?
Yes.
But bear in mind that a decent amp - as well as being able to drive your 650s properly - will also expose any deficiencies in the source.
The 650s are smoooooth sounding - but also very revealing.
Keep 'em and work on your source/amp setup - then worry about burn-in issues.
Don't look back!
Originally Posted by allenf Yes.
But bear in mind that a decent amp - as well as being able to drive your 650s properly - will also expose any deficiencies in the source.
The 650s are smoooooth sounding - but also very revealing.
Keep 'em and work on your source/amp setup - then worry about burn-in issues.
Don't look back!
I don't find the 650s very revealing. I think they are quite forgiving which is one thing I like about them.
Originally Posted by Andrea At 60 hours, the HD650 may be going through that temporary phase of 'sound involution'.
You may want to pay attention to the improvements every, say, 10 more hours of burn in progress. You'd witness the metamorphosis...
I have owned my 650s (brand new) for 8 days but only had the opportunity to listen to them for about 3 hours...and I would rather be present during the burn-in - so at this rate they should be ready by Xmas
i feel the burn-in factor is not being emphasized enough. my hd650s sounded amazing out of the box, but after a few hours of use, the bass was less impactful and the phones didn't sparkle in the same way it did out of box. i was kinda disappointed. i left my phones playing while away on a week-long vacation. when i came back, they sounded amazing.
i might suggest giving it a little more time to burn-in.
Originally Posted by allenf How much (if any) of this "Sound Involution" phenomenon could be explained as psychological?
I'd say nothing at all.
Quote:
Originally Posted by allenf And could this explain why there are so many different shades of opinion on the 650s?
Well, yes, some people have a bit over-impulsive reactions.
But the more 'experienced' and informed will likely think twice before criticising a headphone (of HD650's class, moreover) that's not burned in appropriately. [all concerns about amplification aside]
I meant that: if the sound of an HD650 varies so much (up and down) during the (extended) burn-in process then there is the chance that different people would experience them at different parts of the burn-in process, hence the differences in opinion...let alone as you say the "more impulsive" over-reactions.
Originally Posted by Apocalypse_HD650 Please any advice in my frustrating position would be much appreciated.
Drop me a PM - I can give you an amp to try with your HD650 for a week, perhaps you'll change your mind. You'll need to pay the return postage, thought
Which dealer did you get them from? I'd love to get hold of a pair for £150, especially as I'm on the verge of dropping £140 on the 600s; alternatively, you can sell me yours at no loss!
I'd consider checking the for-sale forums here for one of the amps recommended above.
I dont know anything about amps for the hd650, but someone recommended xin supermicro for 300, and there's a second hand one for sale for $105. That's an example of why the for sale forums may be a good place to get your gear up to spec for within budget (you mentioned cmoy. unless you're building it yourself, they're supprisingly expensive, so i figure you may as well buy a proper amp second hand rather than buying a new cmoy)
fix the amp, fix the source, wait for metamorphasis (probably sometime between now and 100 hours from what i read). and enjoy
otherwise take them back and buy some alessandros or something similiarly easy to drive
I've decided what I'm going to do about my current predicament. I am going to return the HD650's, not because I don't like them, but because I think there overkill for my system. I will now spend my time and money on getting a good sound card source and small amp. I will use both, in time with my 497's; and then in the future get the HD650's. Although I got a good deal on these headphones, in a year or so the price will be the same I guess. I think I went slightly ahead of myself getting the 650's; I should have ensured that I had a good source and amp, and then got them.
I'm pretty sad that I'm going to return something which I have looked forward to receiving for so long, but ultimately I think this is best option for me in the long term.
By the way after returning the 650's I'm going to be on the look out for a good computer sound card for gaming and music/movies. Also I'm looking to purchase the Gilmore Lite/Rega Ear and a cheap Cmoy from evilfire.
Thanks for all the feedback in my hour of need! Any reccomendations for a good soundcard which will be much better than my Audigy 2 would be much appreciated.
Originally Posted by Apocalypse_HD650 I've decided what I'm going to do about my current predicament. I am going to return the HD650's, not because I don't like them, but because I think there overkill for my system. I will now spend my time and money on getting a good sound card source and small amp. I will use both, in time with my 497's; and then in the future get the HD650's. Although I got a good deal on these headphones, in a year or so the price will be the same I guess. I think I went slightly ahead of myself getting the 650's; I should have ensured that I had a good source and amp, and then got them.
I'm pretty sad that I'm going to return something which I have looked forward to receiving for so long, but ultimately I think this is best option for me in the long term.
By the way after returning the 650's I'm going to be on the look out for a good computer sound card for gaming and music/movies. Also I'm looking to purchase the Gilmore Lite/Rega Ear and a cheap Cmoy from evilfire.
Thanks for all the feedback in my hour of need! Any reccomendations for a good soundcard which will be much better than my Audigy 2 would be much appreciated.
Sorry to hear that HD650 didn't work out. As others have mentioned, HD650 requires lots of current to sound good. It needs at least go-vibe/home-vibe to sound half decent.
Anyways, if you are planning on upgrading your source, you can check out Chaintech av710 (internal) or Yamaha Cavit series (external USB soundcard). They should be under $30 and $100, respectively, and they do sound much better than Audigy to my ears. If you have $$$-$$$$, try EMU, Grace 902 or DAC1.
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