Quote:
Originally Posted by mshan
Do you guys think that a Benchmark DAC1 and the Sennheiser HD650 headphones are a particularly synergistic match?
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Well I think a lot of people do, because they produce fairly high-end sound, at a lower cost relative to many options, and without any glaring deficiencies.
That said, having owned DAC1/HD650 and DA10/SA5000, the latter is simply a better combination. A flaw of the HD650's (veil/muted treble/overly relaxed sound/whatever you want to call it) effectively covers up a flaw of the DAC1 (slight IMD-esque treble distortion which it adds where cleaner components do not). It's like fighting fire with fire, you burn down the rest of the building so that the fire doesn't rage out of control and burn up more buildings; whereas the DA10 puts out the fire in the kitchen with a fire extinguisher, i.e. it never becomes a problem.
Remember, I have both components here, and can compare them instantaneously via an amp with multiple switched inputs. The DAC1 doesn't have more treble (i.e. more sparkle, or whatever choice noun you prefer); it simply has a harsher treble, which attracts more attention to the treble, making one THINK it has more treble. But when you can switch back and forth instantly, it is clear there is no real difference in frequency response.
For this reason, I think people who like the HD650 for how it sounds will prefer it with the Lavry, since the treble presentation will be more like how the HD650 is in and of itself, smooth and inoffensive. The DAC1/HD650 is for people who really don't like the essence of the HD650 and are trying to fight it into sounding like something it isn't. Those people would be better off going to Sonys or Grados, or anything with a more aggressive treble presentation, rather than using what is in my opinion a lower performance source as a form of rudimentary and placebo EQ. As someone who owned the DAC1 and HD650 together at one time, but ultimately ended up falling for other components, I must warn against falling into that rut. A better route would be to find headphones whose sound you can fully embrace (HD650 for dark/relaxed, K1000 for huge soundstage, K501 for lean bass but detailed, etc.) and then fin accompanying gear that allows those cans to truly excel at and embrace their essence.
To me the DAC1/HD650 combo is a bit like saying "I like how nice the inside of this Lexus LX430 feels, but it's just too darn sluggish responding around the twists," then going out and putting a crazy aftermarket suspension kit on your 5,000LB luxury car. You end up with a compromise that doesn't perform as well as just going out and getting a proper GT car like a BMW M3 for about the same amount of money. You buy a Lexus to have a soft and quiet ride. You buy HD650's to have a soft and quiet treble. Why fight them? Let them be what they are, and if you don't like it, get something else that does what you want better.