[niotio910]

Hi,
 
I own one Senn IE8 and one HD650 for some time. Today, I played the same song to compare them. I feel that the IE8 sounds better than the HD650. Not to mention about the bass, but the IE8's sound stage is wider.
I don't know if there is some thing wrong with my audio system for the HD650? or in reality the IEM should sound better because it's inside the ears?
 
Any idea?

 

[Anaxilus]

Depends what you mean by 'better'.  There can be a difference between being engaging, musical or technical and what a listener prefers or 'likes' 'better'.  Perhaps you need a better amp on the 650?  Some IEM's sound better than headphones.  Some headphones sound better than IEM's.  It all comes down to manufacturer design and listener preference.  Headphones have a larger physical advantage since they aren't restricted to a size that must fit inside the ear canal.  Speakers have an advantage in that they don't have to fit on your head.  Whether those advantages are used is another question all together.  If that makes sense.

 

[KnightK]

I would imagine that at the highest levels of money, it would be loudspeakers > headphone setup > IEM setup. But, at various price points under them, this reasoning fails to hold true. There are different tiers where IEMs dominate, headphones compete well, and loudspeakers set new standards. Also, I agree with Anaxilus that it depends on what you prefer: try some out in your price range and you decide what's best for you.
 
BTW: What is your setup with the HD 650s? They really scale well with better equipment, so at a certain point with higher-end DAC/amp/source, they will be far better than your IE8s.

 

[Young Spade]

You might like one's sound signature over the other; granted what are you using to power the 650s? They need to be properly amped to sound good.
 
But to answer your other questions, it depends on the quality of the headphone. There are positives of each over the other but if you are in a quiet environment and have the right equipment, full sized headphones are going to sound  better. 
 
High end customs have made the gap between portable and full-sized pretty damn close though. 

 

[TobaccoRoad]

IE8 and HD650 are very different sounding headphones. Assuming you had a decent source for HD650, I bet you'll prefer Denons over them too.
 
And I agree with KnightK. Loudspeakers > full-size cans > IEMs

 

[MacedonianHero]

The IE8s sounds great straight out of an iPhone and the HD650s can sound average UNLESS they are properly amped with a reasonable source. Then the difference tips to a H-U-G-E favour for the HD650s. (FWIW, I've owned both). The HD650s scale very well with better amping and sources. They can be quite insidious that way.

 
I love my IEMs, but no they cannot compete with a properly amped full sized headphone.

 

[maruzen]

the first time i listened to the hd650, right when i got them, was that they sounded like a better ie8 in terms of midrange and highs, although the ie8 bass is more in quantity (much more with the tip mods) and that the sound stage is very good
 
so yes i would second your thoughts regarding these points
 
although the better one for me would be the hd650 out of the little dot mkII  if only for the sweeter way  i could hear the vocals and the stringed instruments...
 

 
 
 

 

[niotio910]

This is my setup: Laptop/Iphone + Onkyo ND-S1 -> Dacmagic -> Doge 6210 (Tung-Sol + Sovtek tubes) + HD650
I used the same setup with the IE8 to test as well.