catscratch
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2004
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If the HD600 sounded thick, slow, and overly bassy, then it's not driven well. It should sound forward, not necessarily quick but not very slow either (for a dynamic), and very lively with excellent dynamic range. A well-driven HD600 is one of the best dynamic headphones you can get your hands on, IMO, regardless of price. Its greatest asset is its nearly completely accurate and life-like tone. Instruments just sound right, giving it a lot more transparency than its speed and resolution would have you believe. Ultimately, you want to drive it balanced, but it can work quite well with single-ended amplification too - which, in my experience, is not the case with the HD650. That beast not only needs more power than the HD600 but also really does need balanced drive in order to shine. But, oh man, does it ever shine when you drive it right!
Neither is very forgiving. The HD650 will give more body to thinly-recorded music, and sibilance will be heard but won't hurt your ears. Still, bad-sounding records will always sound bad with either one.
I would suggest looking into the Stax SR-003, which comes as a part of the Stax SR-001 MkII system, or the SR-005a system. Don't let the diminutive size fool you, this is a killer headphone. It's not forgiving in terms of source, but it's a very smooth-sounding headphone that still packs insane speed and excellent detail. You will hear flaws when they're there, but badly recorded music will still be listenable and fun. Oh, and the bass is something else. Don't think that because it is electrostatic it is lacking in bass, because it will satisfy all but the most die-hard bassheads (and even them in the right system).
Neither is very forgiving. The HD650 will give more body to thinly-recorded music, and sibilance will be heard but won't hurt your ears. Still, bad-sounding records will always sound bad with either one.
I would suggest looking into the Stax SR-003, which comes as a part of the Stax SR-001 MkII system, or the SR-005a system. Don't let the diminutive size fool you, this is a killer headphone. It's not forgiving in terms of source, but it's a very smooth-sounding headphone that still packs insane speed and excellent detail. You will hear flaws when they're there, but badly recorded music will still be listenable and fun. Oh, and the bass is something else. Don't think that because it is electrostatic it is lacking in bass, because it will satisfy all but the most die-hard bassheads (and even them in the right system).