[pp312]

"the 600 slaps the 650 silly....."

"I had the HD650's, but couldn't get over the buried upper midrange."

This must be the thread for weird, unexplained statements.

 

[robocoop]

I'm considering giving my 595s to my friend and shooting for a 600. Will the Nuforce udac give at least as much sq with the hd600 as I have now with 595, until I can get an adequate amp for them?
Also, on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being no change from 595, and 10 being as good as the hd800, rank the 600 (and 650 if you feel like it).

 

[regal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pp312 /img/forum/go_quote.gif "the 600 slaps the 650 silly....." "I had the HD650's, but couldn't get over the buried upper midrange." This must be the thread for weird, unexplained statements.

Upper midrange=guitars. Buried as in six feet under the ground.

Understand?

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by robocoop /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm considering giving my 595s to my friend and shooting for a 600. Will the Nuforce udac give at least as much sq with the hd600 as I have now with 595, until I can get an adequate amp for them? Also, on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being no change from 595, and 10 being as good as the hd800, rank the 600 (and 650 if you feel like it).

I think it will adequately drive the HD600 till you can get a bigger amp to feed the uDAC into. I wont rate it on a scale except to say that the HD600 should be a very noticeable improvement over the HD595, despite only driving it with only the uDAC for now. I have no trouble enjoying the HD600 on the uDAC, although I am using an APS v3 cable with the HD600 (4-foot with 1/8"plug). The RCA to a better amp with be just as big of a step up, and then you will hear the soundstage open up and detail/impact improve more as well (RCA out are more detailed than HP out).

 

[pp312]

Quote:

Originally Posted by regal /img/forum/go_quote.gif Upper midrange=guitars. Buried as in six feet under the ground. Understand?

I understand the statement. I'm not sure I understand what you're hearing.

 

[pp312]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think it will adequately drive the HD600 till you can get a bigger amp to feed the uDAC into. I wont rate it on a scale except to say that the HD600 should be a very noticeable improvement over the HD595

This is entirely subjective. You may find the 600 an improvement over the 595, or you may not. It's not compulsory just because the 600 is more expensive. Feel free to prefer the 595 if you so desire.

 

[cwoo]

FWIW, I found immediate improvement over my hd595's with my 0404 USB as source when I first purchased the hd650. In fact, I listened to the 595 only once after that day.

Once I upgraded to the millet minimax hybrid amp, the hd650 really opened up. Every frequency sounds crisp, forward, and visceral without losing that lush Sennheiser sound.

On a side note, I own the new version of the hd650 which is supposed to be much less veiled than the previous. The mids on my headphones are "not buried 6 feet underground" but can actually sound a little bright at times (imagine that!).

As people have mentioned, the Sennheiser bigboys (hd580, hd600, hd650, hd800) really need to be amped properly and scale better with equipment upgrades than most headphones on the market.

I love my RS1i but they can't hold a candle to my setup with the hd650. I have yet to hear a headphone with such naturalness, airyness, and presentation through all frequencies while keeping that slightly warm and silky Senn house-sound.

Happy Listening!

 

[K_19]

I do find that the HD650 can seem a bit veiled in the upper midrange area with bad amp and source matching/underamping. But I've found that my WA6 with Sophia/RCA tubes (which helps to bring out that range out further) gets rid of it. So while their upper mids are never going to reach the RS1/K701 level or anything, you can match the rest of the equipment to bring it out more.

Also, do experiment with the cup positions over your ear with the HD650. I find that even one click movement in the headband adjustment up or down have a big effect on the sound (to my ears anyway; this may have to do with how ears are shaped)... for example, I find that when the cups are positioned higher up (a little tighter), they're much more warm and bassy, and when they're positioned more downwards, they become bit more brighter/less bass and lower mids. I prefer the latter personally, as it matches the 650 signature much better.

 

[Palpatine]

I think it really is subjective. Listen to both and hear which one sounds better to you. I had both and preferred the HD650.

 

[robocoop]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pp312 /img/forum/go_quote.gif This is entirely subjective. You may find the 600 an improvement over the 595, or you may not. It's not compulsory just because the 600 is more expensive. Feel free to prefer the 595 if you so desire.

A little bit off-topic: I would like to have a basis for comparison. Is there a way I could try the hd600 without buying them? Will there be any audiophile equipment (or products of this nature) at a local home audio store? Is it common for people to meet to try each other's phones? I live in Orlando Florida. I primarily listen to classical music.

 

[robocoop]

Does classical music benefit more from the 650's darkening, or the 600's accuracy? I want to avoid any frequency range overpowering another. Afaik, the 600's will be most balanced across the frequency spectrum, correct?

 

[mypasswordis]

Classical always benefits from accuracy. If you can get the HD650 to sound flat, more power to you. Otherwise go with the HD600.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pp312 /img/forum/go_quote.gif This is entirely subjective. You may find the 600 an improvement over the 595, or you may not. It's not compulsory just because the 600 is more expensive. Feel free to prefer the 595 if you so desire.

It's always subjective when comparing the sound and not specs, but sometimes the subjective impressions tell more than the specs.

 

[Tigerwoodkhorns]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think it will adequately drive the HD600 till you can get a bigger amp to feed the uDAC into. I wont rate it on a scale except to say that the HD600 should be a very noticeable improvement over the HD595, despite only driving it with only the uDAC for now. I have no trouble enjoying the HD600 on the uDAC, although I am using an APS v3 cable with the HD600 (4-foot with 1/8"plug). The RCA to a better amp with be just as big of a step up, and then you will hear the soundstage open up and detail/impact improve more as well (RCA out are more detailed than HP out).

OK Larry, you sold me on the HD600's and NuForce uDAC. I really like the combo with my laptop and the detail is great, but they break up when the music gets complex.

What amp do I need to get? Everyone seems to like the Woo Audio WA6. I'd rather avoid tubes because of the warmup time, but then again, SS needs some warmup time too. Anyway, how about some suggestions in a few price ranges, say $250 or $300, $400 and $650.

And am I going to have to get a different DAC? Remember, my source is MP3's from my server (of varying bitrates).

 

[regal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by K_19 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I do find that the HD650 can seem a bit veiled in the upper midrange area with bad amp and source matching/underamping. But I've found that my WA6 with Sophia/RCA tubes (which helps to bring out that range out further) gets rid of it. So while their upper mids are never going to reach the RS1/K701 level or anything, you can match the rest of the equipment to bring it out more. Also, do experiment with the cup positions over your ear with the HD650. I find that even one click movement in the headband adjustment up or down have a big effect on the sound (to my ears anyway; this may have to do with how ears are shaped)... for example, I find that when the cups are positioned higher up (a little tighter), they're much more warm and bassy, and when they're positioned more downwards, they become bit more brighter/less bass and lower mids. I prefer the latter personally, as it matches the 650 signature much better.

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately no amp could make the electric guitar sound right with my HD650's. I ended up selling them and became a Grado addict. Are the HD600 a significant improvement over the HD650's as far as guitars?