[Marleybob217]

Hello fellow head-fiers,
 
I want to buy an upgrade for my dt770 pro 80ohm's since it's pretty sibilant and not tight enough for my taste.
I will be using my dt770 purely for drumming.
 
What I seek in a headphone:
-Big soundstage(the one on the dt770 is perfect)
-Has to be capable of delivering powerful bass without being to boomy and without distortion(for dubstep and drum&bass)
-Full and tight mids(what I am missing on the dt770)
-Clear highs without being sibilant!
 
The only thing that keeps me from buying the he-300 right now(apart from it not being available yet in my country)
is the spl of 93 db, where the hd650 has a little higher spl if I am correct.
 
Apart from that I have read that the he-300 is basically a tighter more engaging less veiled
hd650 that is much easier driven, thus much much cheaper since I already have a good dac.
 
To sum up in two questions:
-Will the he-300 deliver enough decibels without distorting?
-Will the he-300 be a big improvement over the beyerdynamic dt770 pro 80 ohm's?
 
Thanks!

 

[TexasBuck]

I came really close to getting the HE-300's but the reviews were mixed.  I could never get comfortable that I'd be happy with them.  The HD650 seemed too dark and the bass seemed like it might be too much for me, so I went HD600.  You might want to read up on the HD600's as it sounds like they might work for you too.

 

[Aaron1006]

I'm having the same dilemma of choosing between the two also, I have different wants out of them obviously, but I have narrowed it down to these two as well. So free bump!

 

[idletime1213]

FWIW, I didn't find the HE300 as good as the HD650. It was a bit sibilant and lacked midrange presence. I'd describe its sound as Grado-ish except the midrange focus is replaced by a bigger soundstage.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

get the hd 650s, highs are smooth and never sibilant, also the bass is good enough for drum and bass, goes deep enough to have that good sub-bass and tight enough for the beats. also, the mids shouldn't be recessed with good amping. definitely alot better than the dt 770s which i liked but also found them not to be better than the hd 650s due to the bloatier bass and the sibilant highs + recessed mids. they're good phones, but i just didn't think the extra bass was worth the trade off for the highs/mids.

 

[Marleybob217]

First of all thanks everyone for helping out!
 
So the HD600 might be a bit better than the he-300? I also have mackie mr8 mk2 studio monitors and I really like the 'reliable' neutral and powerfull sound these give.
 
Now let's talk about price, the he-300 will cost about 280 euro, while the hd600 will cost 255 + 115(fiio e9 amp) = 370 euro.
So is the hd600 + the fiio e9 amp worth the extra money (about 125 usd)?
 
 
Extra information: I will be using a traktor audio pro dac.
 

 

[EddieE]

[size=10pt]Not very many people have heard the HE300 but its measurements look pretty shocking on Inner Fidelity. [/size]
 
[size=10pt]The HD650 has its haters but it’s a classic headphone with a broad genre bandwidth. It's also exceptionally well made and finished and (once you've bent out the METAL parts of the headband) extremely comfortable too. [/size]
 
[size=10pt]I used to own it and I still rate it as one of the best value for money headphones on the market. I’ve moved on from it now but when I get a chance to hear it, it still stands up as a great set.[/size]

 

[brobilly]

read some impressions from the canjam review thread, you will find some he300 reviews. Actually the he300 in canjam is the newer version

 

[Marleybob217]

@ brobilly, where can I find the canjam reviews?

 

[Marleybob217]

First of all, awesome name!
Guess you like dubstep? So do you know if the hd650 works well with dubstep? When I listen to dubstep
I like it when the sound is really tight, with a lot of bass obviously.
 
What kind of amp do you use with the hd650?
 
I absolutely agree with you on the dt770's.

 

[Zafonic]

I've not heard the HD 650 but personally I found the HE-300 no way near as good as my HD 600, which was better in every way to my ears.  You shouldn't discount the HD 600 in your shortlist.

 

[Marleybob217]

@ Dubstep Girl, First of all, awesome name!
Guess you like dubstep? So do you know if the hd650 works well with dubstep? When I listen to dubstep
I like it when the sound is really tight, with a lot of bass obviously.
 
What kind of amp do you use with the hd650?
 
I absolutely agree with you on the dt770's.

 

[TexasBuck]

Quote:

So the HD600 might be a bit better than the he-300? I also have mackie mr8 mk2 studio monitors and I really like the 'reliable' neutral and powerfull sound these give.  
Now let's talk about price, the he-300 will cost about 280 euro, while the hd600 will cost 255 + 115(fiio e9 amp) = 370 euro.
So is the hd600 + the fiio e9 amp worth the extra money (about 125 usd)?
 

 

The HD600, from what I've read, is more neutral than the HD650 and HE300.  The frequency graphs I've seen bear this out.  I'd hesitate to say any of the 3 are "better" than the others, as people have different preferences.  I felt the HD600 was a safer choice than the HE300.  I read complaints about the vocals not sounding right with the HE300's.  Another concern was this thread:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/566929/headphone-csd-waterfall-plots/240#post_7791360
 
The only complaint I've read about the HD600's is "the veil" stuff.  From the info I read, the HD600 "veil" is less of an issue than the HD650 "veil". 
 
I'd guess the majority of people would argue the HD650 > HD600.  Personally, I wanted more treble then the HD650's offer.  Also, I felt the HD650's "boomier" bass might bog down during some of the faster/heavier music I listen to.  Again, all personal preference.
 
As far as the extra cost, I already had an amp that I think would work fine with all three.  The cost was about the same for me.  I doubt I would have made the same choice if the HD600's had been $125 more than the HE300's.  However, the amp should make everything sound better, not just the Senn's. 
 
 
 
 

 

[Marleybob217]

Quote:

The HD600, from what I've read, is more neutral than the HD650 and HE300.  The frequency graphs I've seen bear this out.  I'd hesitate to say any of the 3 are "better" than the others, as people have different preferences.  I felt the HD600 was a safer choice than the HE300.  I read complaints about the vocals not sounding right with the HE300's.  Another concern was this thread:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/566929/headphone-csd-waterfall-plots/240#post_7791360
 
The only complaint I've read about the HD600's is "the veil" stuff.  From the info I read, the HD600 "veil" is less of an issue than the HD650 "veil". 
 
I'd guess the majority of people would argue the HD650 > HD600.  Personally, I wanted more treble then the HD650's offer.  Also, I felt the HD650's "boomier" bass might bog down during some of the faster/heavier music I listen to.  Again, all personal preference.
 
As far as the extra cost, I already had an amp that I think would work fine with all three.  The cost was about the same for me.  I doubt I would have made the same choice if the HD600's had been $125 more than the HE300's.  However, the amp should make everything sound better, not just the Senn's. 
 
 
 
 

 
Thanks for your advice.
Your argument that an amp will make everything sound better sounds pretty valid.
I am now checking out ebay for some cheap hd650 or hd600.
Any advice for a good cheap amp <$200?
Unfortunately I have never had the chance to hear the hd650 or the hd600 but they both seem like a safe bet. However the less veiled sound on the hd600 is a plus, but the less extended bass is a con.

 
 

 

[Dubstep Girl]

Quote:

@ Dubstep Girl, First of all, awesome name!
Guess you like dubstep? So do you know if the hd650 works well with dubstep? When I listen to dubstep
I like it when the sound is really tight, with a lot of bass obviously.
 
What kind of amp do you use with the hd650?
 
I absolutely agree with you on the dt770's.

aww thanks, yeah hd 650s work well with dubstep. if you like a clean presentation with a slight emphasis on bass, they're the way to go.
 
the hd 600s are more neutral and might not be the best for dubstep