[sanadsaad]

So my first ever purchases were:
Sennheiser HD 650
Bottlehead Crack with Speedball upgrade
Epiphany O2DAC/Amp combo
 
Since the headphones arrived earliest, I plugged me straight into my macbook pro and fired up my lossless tracks. I must say im not very overwhelmed and understandably so. The senns are a tight fit but i already knew that from the reviews. It felt like I was listening to the same music but a bit louder. Not much difference. Very low bass, not much difference in detail when compared to my skullcandy earbuds but I guess that is to be expected as Ive heard HD 650s are VERY different when amped and need to be paired with the right one at that to shine. Here's hoping i get my amps here soon!

 

[sanadsaad]

Anyone think if I dont find the sound awesome un-amped, there wont be much difference to me when amped? After a lot of listening to music downloaded from hdtracks, I find the unamped quality good but not quite upto the hd-650 hype which I believe is when paired with the right amp. I cant really find many articles about hd-650 unamped sound with which to compare my listening experience to.

 

[Subsequence]

Other then you getting used to the sound signature i think that yes an amp will make a difference. You seem to have sorted together a nice starter kit, hell most of us started lower then that. Just wait till you get it all together but there is ofcourse the chance that the HD650 is not for you i mean it's all subjective... tastes differ. But what you can get from these cans is a reference point which you can use to find something that suites your tastes if you decide in the end they are not for you. Most of us have been at it for years trying to find the sound we like, there are no shortcuts.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

the amp will make a huge difference. it really is night and day, at least that's how it was for me when i first purchased the HD-650, they where also my first real audiophile headphone.

 

[MattTCG]

Quote:

the amp will make a huge difference. it really is night and day, at least that's how it was for me when i first purchased the HD-650, they where also my first real audiophile headphone.

 
^^What she said.^^ The hd650 is historically know to make possibly the biggest transformation ever on the right amp. It unquestionably scales up with the best in the business.

 

[sanadsaad]

Thats great to know I can't wait for epiphany and Bottlehead to ship my stuff to me! Im loving my headphones and the overall jump in sound quality and comfort(I don't know if its a psychological thing but i think the sound is getting better with every listening session). I never really liked earphones as they hurt my ears after 30 minutes of listening. Now I'm wondering why I didn't buy these sooner!! Thanks for the input guys. 

 

[Focker]

Definitely agree with those who say the amp will make a difference...

 

[TMRaven]

It all depends on how old your macbookpro is. Newer apple products are good sources, and even they won't provide as much power as dedicated amps, they will still sound good. For me, the hd650 sounded reasonable off an iPod touch.

Amping really is one of those grossly overhyped topics on head fi. It's more like subtle refinements unless you're coming from a horrific source.

I think the issue here might be two-fold. One, you mentioned a lack of bass so I assume you're looking for bass quantity among other things, and two you might be listening to songs that don't really scale well-- bitrate doesn't matter if the original recording isn't good.

 

[Sil3nce]

If you're not hearing the normally colored sound signature, it means you've made an improvement.
Don't expect to be wowed by the presentation.
It takes time to enjoy a good wine, for most it'll taste like sour grapes at first.

 

[mikeaj]

Quote:

Amping really is one of those grossly overhyped topics on head fi. It's more like subtle refinements unless you're coming from a horrific source.

I think the issue here might be two-fold. One, you mentioned a lack of bass so I assume you're looking for bass quantity among other things, and two you might be listening to songs that don't really scale well-- bitrate doesn't matter if the original recording isn't good.

 
I'm agreed that amping is overhyped; also, it's a good point that to make a statement about improvement, you need to know what the original point of reference is.  How's the MacBook Pro output?  I'd guess it's not that bad.
 
HD 650 shouldn't really be lacking bass, except for the deepest sub-bass.  It just doesn't have hugely artificially-boosted bass.

 

[h4mm3r 0f th0r]

well hd 650 have bass if you amp them... but as i listen to sony xb series quite often... i also find the bass not existent although it is still thumping in my ear and shaking my head but the impact is so low compared to the xb series that i consider it non existent...

 

[sanadsaad]

There is bass but it's impact is very very low. My macbook pro is the 2009 version. Anyway, im still waiting on the amps. I'll put in a good amount of hours listening to various tracks till the amps arrive. Then I should be able to hear the difference an amp makes with my headphone. The Crack and the O2 amps are known to pair really well with the HD-650s. Should be interesting. I get why the hi-fi hobby is addictive. The quest for the perfect sound(for oneself) is exhilarating.

 

[GL1TCH3D]

I've never heard the hd650 unamped but I did really enjoy them with an amp.
To give you an example, I own the beyer t5p which is meant to be a high end portable headphone but throw in an amp and it makes a world of difference.

 

[ZorgDK]

Quote:

There is bass but it's impact is very very low. My macbook pro is the 2009 version. Anyway, im still waiting on the amps. I'll put in a good amount of hours listening to various tracks till the amps arrive. Then I should be able to hear the difference an amp makes with my headphone. The Crack and the O2 amps are known to pair really well with the HD-650s. Should be interesting. I get why the hi-fi hobby is addictive. The quest for the perfect sound(for oneself) is exhilarating.

 
I'd say it's good you got the HD650's first, as you can then better appreciate the hopefully better sound with your upcoming amp.

 

[madbull]

Just for the sake of curiosity, OP, what's the kind of music you listen to on the HD650?