[RolexAlpha]

Hello I would post this in headphones but it will not let me so it is here as i need help. I used to use a pair of M50x for music until I got a pair of HD 650. I have a small amp/dac which is not the best but can easily power the HD 650 at volume 30 out of 100 it is too loud for me. One thing I have noticed is the HD 650 sound really good with synths and pianos but the vocals seem poor. The lower frequency vocals and build up are strong and sound very good but as soon as the melody kicks in and it drops the vocals go weak. When the singer is singing the highest most powerful notes there is no energy in them and they are washed out ruining the music for me. Here is a graph http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=853&graphID[]=1473 showing M50x and HD650. At 1000-2000 Hz the output drops on the HD650 especially compared to the boost of the M50x this is where the powerful vocals are and it is annoying me. Has anyone else noticed this or is it just me? Can I EQ this out fairly easily without distorting the music to much. The HD650 sounds clearer and is much better in the build ups, however i dislike the drops and vocal power in the main melody, to the extent where the less clear M50x sounds better because the vocals actually kick in. Perhaps I just need to adjust to the sound curve of the HD650s. The weaker bass does not bother me but the vocals really do, thoughts? It's most noticeable with female vocals, people told me the HD650s are good for female vocals like Adele so I decided to listen to her and I still think the M50x sound better for that as her voice has power with them, on the HD650s it sounds more like a mouse is singing. Could it be that my amp is not the best, i am getting a new one soon with a better dac?    

 

[GREQ]

  Hello I would post this in headphones but it will not let me so it is here as i need help.

Since this is the 'Introductions, Help and Recommendations' thread, you're in the right place. 
 
Definitely start out with a few dB of EQ. Since it's only a question of about 5dB it should be fairly quick to see if it helps or not.
Foobar player has a pretty basic EQ, but it also has better EQ plugins if you want to spend some time fine-tweaking it. 
 
Normally amps and DACs don't change the overall sound characteristics and tonality, so definitely start out with EQ.

 

[Me x3]

Well, yeah you can EQ a bit or get K702 or K712 instead.

 

[RolexAlpha]

  Since this is the 'Introductions, Help and Recommendations' thread, you're in the right place. 
 
Definitely start out with a few dB of EQ. Since it's only a question of about 5dB it should be fairly quick to see if it helps or not.
Foobar player has a pretty basic EQ, but it also has better EQ plugins if you want to spend some time fine-tweaking it. 
 
Normally amps and DACs don't change the overall sound characteristics and tonality, so definitely start out with EQ.

Thanks I think I need to fine tune it, i'm using foobar2000 so I will get a better EQ. If they are not being powered enough could that distort the sound?

 

[Music Alchemist]

I never had a major problem with the HD 650, but the M50x was very problematic for me due to the overwhelming bass.
 
You should be able to easily tweak the sound with a parametric equalizer. Experimenting with amps and DACs may or may not change the sound to your liking.
 
Here are some more graphs that can give you a better idea of things and potentially assist with EQ.
 
http://cdn.head-fi.org/2/2b/2bec6adf_Audio_Technica_ATH-M50X.png
http://cdn.head-fi.org/5/5a/5ac3a0cc_Sennheiser_HD_650.png
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/AudioTechnicaATHM50x.pdf
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/SennheiserHD650.pdf
 
Here are some EQ guides:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/796791/the-most-reliable-easiest-way-to-eq-headphones-properly-to-achieve-the-most-ideal-sound-for-non-professionals
http://www.head-fi.org/t/794467/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-2016-update
http://www.head-fi.org/t/615417/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-advanced-tutorial-in-progress
http://www.head-fi.org/t/587703/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-a-tutorial-part-2
http://www.head-fi.org/t/413900/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-a-tutorial
 
And here is a free trial of a program that can instantly equalize your headphones to a certain curve:
 
http://sonarworks.com/try-now/

 

[Ventace]

From you mentioning how you have a small amp/DAC, I'm already thinking that's the issue.
Certain headphones, for example, Sennheiser's HD6xx and AKG's K7xx lineups, have extremely good scaling, and (more so with the AKGs) they are rather amp-dependent. 
For example, if you bought Phillips Fidelio X2's, anything above an ODAC for it would be giving minimal returns.
With the HD650s, the amps you can use to power it can be as lowly as a FiiO E10K (I do not recommend that), while the amps that can bring the best out of it can go as high as $1k (though at the higher end people mostly go for a Schiit Valhalla or a Bottlehead Crack with the Speedball upgrade).
If you're using an all-in-one (that's not the JDS Labs Element or Schiit's Jotunheim) then I'm going to assume the amp is the problem.

 

[RolexAlpha]

  From you mentioning how you have a small amp/DAC, I'm already thinking that's the issue.
Certain headphones, for example, Sennheiser's HD6xx and AKG's K7xx lineups, have extremely good scaling, and (more so with the AKGs) they are rather amp-dependent. 
For example, if you bought Phillips Fidelio X2's, anything above an ODAC for it would be giving minimal returns.
With the HD650s, the amps you can use to power it can be as lowly as a FiiO E10K (I do not recommend that), while the amps that can bring the best out of it can go as high as $1k (though at the higher end people mostly go for a Schiit Valhalla or a Bottlehead Crack with the Speedball upgrade).
If you're using an all-in-one (that's not the JDS Labs Element or Schiit's Jotunheim) then I'm going to assume the amp is the problem.

I was using the fiio K1 so yeah not a great Idea. Got a new amp/dac which is is the fostex HP A3, Z review here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrAPLodcF1s) it's a nice little combo that should be able to power HD 650s well but will start to struggle at 600 ohm. Retail price is $250+ now it's been replaced by the A4 you can get it for under $200 if you haggle like I do . It's Japanese built and popular there. Things have improved now and i'm getting used to the sound compared to ATH M50x. Sorry if this is a noob question but I am new to this. My question is that there are two volume settings my PC settings and the potentiometer on the AMP/DAC how should I set these and will it make a difference? EG PC Volume at 100/100 and Pot at between 0-1 out of 10 or PC Volume at 2/100 at Pot at like 8-9 out of 10. Or is the ideal in the middle somewhere?

 

[Music Alchemist]

  My question is that there are two volume settings my PC settings and the potentiometer on the AMP/DAC how should I set these and will it make a difference? EG PC Volume at 100/100 and Pot at between 0-1 out of 10 or PC Volume at 2/100 at Pot at like 8-9 out of 10. Or is the ideal in the middle somewhere?

 
Normally you should set your source (computer, player, etc.) volume at maximum then control the volume with the amp.

 

[RolexAlpha]

I heard that at low amp settings like between 0-1 there may be channel imbalance, should I set it to like 1 or 2 on the AMP and then PC volume 70-90/100 (100 too loud at 2). Will this improve sound quality?

 

[Music Alchemist]

  I heard that at low amp settings like between 0-1 there may be channel imbalance, should I set it to like 1 or 2 on the AMP and then PC volume 70-90/100 (100 too loud at 2). Will this improve sound quality?

 
If you don't have a gain switch and experience channel imbalance, then that may be beneficial. Try and see first.

 

[Ventace]

So to me, I think it's always best to turn your computer volume to 80% (or even 50%) and then control the rest from your amp.
There's this harsh sibilance that can occur when at maximum volume. As an example (though maybe not a great one), try playing music from your phone's speakers and turning it up.
The jump from the second last bar to the last bar of volume, apart from making it louder, adds a harsh distorted sibilance to it. It happens on a whole bunch of music players and audio products.
Setting music at 80% avoids that nicely.

 

[Ventace]

P.S. I personally set mine at 50%.
The reason is because, I've read up (and heard for myself) that the AKG K7-hundred series benefits greatly from turning up the gain and having more 'power' flowing through the headphones.
The high gain option on my ODAC+O2 would be too loud to control normally, but setting it at 50% allows me to still adjust the volume well.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  So to me, I think it's always best to turn your computer volume to 80% (or even 50%) and then control the rest from your amp.
There's this harsh sibilance that can occur when at maximum volume. As an example (though maybe not a great one), try playing music from your phone's speakers and turning it up.
The jump from the second last bar to the last bar of volume, apart from making it louder, adds a harsh distorted sibilance to it. It happens on a whole bunch of music players and audio products.
Setting music at 80% avoids that nicely.

 
Those types of problems should never occur when you're using a computer as source and connecting to a DAC and amp.