[Elephas]

How does the HD650 driven by a balanced amp compare to a single-ended HD650 driven by a Raptor?

I use the HD650 with a Raptor regularly, and I like the sound. My Raptor has the Plitron power supply upgrade. Tubes are two Tung-Sol 5687 and one RCA 12BH7A. Source is a Chord DAC64.

The HD650+Raptor is smooth and flowing, with a good sense of liquidity. There's plenty of body and heft behind each note. Mid-bass is solid and punchy. No thinness, harshness or graininess.

Soundstage, air and imaging are matched or surpassed by some other headphones I use, though. And I sometimes wish for better notes separation and more textured attack and decay. And more details. And a bit sweeter-sounding midrange with female vocals.

From what I've read, the HD650 is one of the headphones that improve when balanced. What is improved, and how? Does soundstage become larger? More air and improved 3D imaging? Tighter and more detailed bass? Slightly more forward midrange? More treble energy?

I think there's some lack of treble and upper-midrange energy and details that contributes to the non-fatiguing, smooth sound I like so much. I sometimes wonder, if the HD650 improved in some areas, if it might become my favorite headphone.

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

You know what I would do? I would contact Ray, and ask him what phones he thinks match best with the Raptor.

 

[sacd lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elephas /img/forum/go_quote.gif How does the HD650 driven by a balanced amp compare to a single-ended HD650 driven by a Raptor? I use the HD650 with a Raptor regularly, and I like the sound. My Raptor has the Plitron power supply upgrade. Tubes are two Tung-Sol 5687 and one RCA 12BH7A. Source is a Chord DAC64. The HD650+Raptor is smooth and flowing, with a good sense of liquidity. There's plenty of body and heft behind each note. Mid-bass is solid and punchy. No thinness, harshness or graininess. Soundstage, air and imaging are matched or surpassed by some other headphones I use, though. And I sometimes wish for better notes separation and more textured attack and decay. And more details. And a bit sweeter-sounding midrange with female vocals. From what I've read, the HD650 is one of the headphones that improve when balanced. What is improved, and how? Does soundstage become larger? More air and improved 3D imaging? Tighter and more detailed bass? Slightly more forward midrange? More treble energy? I think there's some lack of treble and upper-midrange energy and details that contributes to the non-fatiguing, smooth sound I like so much. I sometimes wonder, if the HD650 improved in some areas, if it might become my favorite headphone.

I bet you would like the hd580/600.

 

[Ray Samuels]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elephas /img/forum/go_quote.gif How does the HD650 driven by a balanced amp compare to a single-ended HD650 driven by a Raptor? I use the HD650 with a Raptor regularly, and I like the sound. My Raptor has the Plitron power supply upgrade. Tubes are two Tung-Sol 5687 and one RCA 12BH7A. Source is a Chord DAC64. The HD650+Raptor is smooth and flowing, with a good sense of liquidity. There's plenty of body and heft behind each note. Mid-bass is solid and punchy. No thinness, harshness or graininess. Soundstage, air and imaging are matched or surpassed by some other headphones I use, though. And I sometimes wish for better notes separation and more textured attack and decay. And more details. And a bit sweeter-sounding midrange with female vocals. From what I've read, the HD650 is one of the headphones that improve when balanced. What is improved, and how? Does soundstage become larger? More air and improved 3D imaging? Tighter and more detailed bass? Slightly more forward midrange? More treble energy? I think there's some lack of treble and upper-midrange energy and details that contributes to the non-fatiguing, smooth sound I like so much. I sometimes wonder, if the HD650 improved in some areas, if it might become my favorite headphone.

You should try the HD600 with your system, you will get all the detail & sweetness you are looking for. HD650 is heavy on the bottom end & the lower mid thus makes the sound
loose it's sweetnes & the micro detail.
Ray Samuels

 

[granodemostasa]

it totally depends on the amp doing the balancing. From the dynamight, the bass is much tighter, the PRAT is about 200% better, the dynamics are dramatically increased, the soundstage goes outward and becomes alot more focused, and it feels like a far more solid and precise sound than from even the best single ended amps.

 

[tom hankins]

Most of what you are looking for can be added to the HD650 by adding the Zu Mobius after market cable. Speed, sparkle in the treble, cleaner more defined midrange, tighter bass. They have a money back trial period. This might be a quick and fairly cheap way to get what your after.
As far as balanced vs. SE amps go....Nothing compares to balanced when using the HD650.

 

[Mastergill]

My 0.02 €.

HD650 + 300B is what you should aim for if you want the very best headphone sound available today.

 

[vcoheda]

even on my apogee mini dac, balanced blows away single ended. this is one audio difference which is not subtle.

 

[Stoney]

I heard the Headroom Max Balanced Home at the Home Entertainment show in June 2006, with a Wadia front end, balanced cable (possibly Cardas?), and HD650s (my own preference). I was stunned! The detail, focus, clarity, and believability was way above what I'm used to with great front ends but only a Perreaux SXH-1 amp (economical and decent).

It seemed that balanced added a lot more than I expected could be available just from amp quality alone. I listed to the equivalent single-ended Max, and it was night and day.

{ My show report: http://sonolithics.com/files/he2006_sonolithics.pdf }

However, that Max Balanced amp is pricey, and probably not what I'd prefer long term. I found brief moments of hardness that hurt. This may mean that it was emphasizing transient and HF content (like high feedback used to reduce distortion to such astonishingly low levels, but causes more high-order distortion products that are perceived as textures such as "hard") such that it produced amusical transients now and then. I'm the kind of listener that prefers a very low-distortion tube amp, one that adds no electronic glare, detail emphasis, or sharpness (high order distortion products) but which if anything is slightly soft of reality (relatively larger low-order distortion is more palatable to me)... this allows longer listening sessions to my ears. A matter of personal reaction.

So, I too am left with the question of what to get. Balanced tubes, probably, with carefully selected often somewhat expensive tubes (as in my home system).

 

[Elephas]

I'll try the HD600. Since it uses the same cables as the HD650, it might be a good excuse to get another Senn cable to try.

I use the HD650 with Zu Mobius XLR with a Lavry DA10. It sounds very good, bassy and full-bodied, but I don't think it's better than the HD650+Raptor single-ended.

This is one reason why I've held off going balanced, but it seems a balanced amp is another level up from the HD650+DA10.