[subguy812]

Having said that the hd650 are most definitely the price/ performance king and a great place to start

This

 

[ranfan]

HD600, 650, 700, 800 are all great, but they're more difficult to drive sadly. For portable, what easy-to-drive headphone would anyone recommend that'd compete with 650 SQ?

 

[ranfan]

@Wyville so, which ciems are you eyeing atm ? let us know , so we can calculate how many puppies you will need as a way of absolution

also - not that i am thinking of buying something new - but are there any ciems which would/could be considered a definite upgrade over the Zeus XR ?

a18/fourte are out of the question , due to their humongous (is there such a word) price

UvuvwevweVE6XC! Not really an upgrade though, more like a similar option. Also Gemini, and Flamenco. Although I haven't heard them yet.

 

[doctorjazz]

The 650 used to sell for about $500, and now has much competition at that price. (the Hifiman HE-560, which is being discontinued, can be had for $3-400 now, though it was about $900 originally). The Senn now $200 from Massdrop; I sold mine, but am tempted to rebuy it at that price. But, hey, only so many things I can put on/in my ears at a time. I also found the 650 very amp dependent, has a "haze" with the wrong gear..

 

[Deezel177]

HD600, 650, 700, 800 are all great, but they're more difficult to drive sadly. For portable, what easy-to-drive headphone would anyone recommend that'd compete with 650 SQ?

The MrSpeakers Aeon is a great shout. The closed version is more neutral and bright/crisp compared to the HD650, but I’ll try the open version on Tuesday - which is supposed to have a warmer, HD650-ish sound - and give you my impressions.

UvuvwevweVE6XC! Not really an upgrade though, more like a similar option. Also Gemini, and Flamenco. But I haven't heard them yet.

The Flamenco and Gemini are both great if you’re looking for a less mid-focused/thick presentation than the Zeus. But, you are correct in that they’re both sidegrades rather than upgrades.

 

[tim0chan]

The 650 used to sell for about $500, and now has much competition at that price. (the Hifiman HE-560, which is being discontinued, can be had for $3-400 now, though it was about $900 originally). The Senn now $200 from Massdrop; I sold mine, but am tempted to rebuy it at that price. But, hey, only so many things I can put on/in my ears at a time. I also found the 650 very amp dependent, has a "haze" with the wrong gear..

what abt earbuds? I hear good things about the Zen 2.0

 

[ranfan]

what abt earbuds? I hear good things about the Zen 2.0

If you could find one, try the Yuin OK1. It sounds much clearer than Zen 2, and with a more spacious soundstage.

 

[tim0chan]

If you could find one, try the Yuin OK1. It sounds much clearer than Zen 2, and with a more spacious soundstage.

penon audio has it

 

[Kerouac]

This thread is sometimes like bouncing balls....moving in all directions at the same time

But hey...I like it that way

Oh...and I auditioned (took a dap and my Hugo with me) the HD650, HD700 and HD800 extensively on the same day.
Ended up with the HD700, as that one had the best price/performance ratio imo

 

[Wyville]

This thread is sometimes like bouncing balls....moving in all directions at the same time

But hey...I like it that way

Oh...and I auditioned (took a dap and my Hugo with me) the HD650, HD700 and HD800 extensively on the same day.
Ended up with the HD700, as that one had the best price/performance ratio imo

Yeah, it goes in all sorts of directions, but in the end it comes down to the same thing. You see someone else enjoy something and then you just want to get a bite of that yourself.

 

[Kerouac]

Yeah, it goes in all sorts of directions, but in the end it comes down to the same thing. You see someone else enjoy something and then you just want to get a bite of that yourself.

Yep...I guess we're all driven by curiosity

 

[Wyville]

In other news - if it isn’t a case of misinformed translation - does this signal the imminent release of an A10Tzar?

Hmmm... Saw yesterday that on the 64 Audio website the A10 is gone, as well as the entire U-line except for the U12t, Trio, U18t and Fourté.

Yep...I guess we're all driven by curiosity

 

[Deezel177]

Hmmm... Saw yesterday that on the 64 Audio website the A10 is gone, as well as the entire U-line except for the U12t, Trio, U18t and Fourté.

Let the refresh... begin!

 

[PinkyPowers]

HD600, 650, 700, 800 are all great, but they're more difficult to drive sadly. For portable, what easy-to-drive headphone would anyone recommend that'd compete with 650 SQ?

My favorite portable closed headphone is the Meze 99 Classics. It's kind of a mix between the HD650 and HD800.

 

[knopi]

HD600, 650, 700, 800 are all great, but they're more difficult to drive sadly. For portable, what easy-to-drive headphone would anyone recommend that'd compete with 650 SQ?

I would recomend try LCDX, Edition Xv2, HE4xx..., these specific type of planars are definitely not that hard drive. But depends what you mean by portable, system smaller usb dac/amp or DAP? Still I would recomend usb dac/amp over DAP for full size hp.