[Flickster]

Hi Lads,

Im looking at getting a new set of headphones to replace my HD595's. I currently have a set of UE11 -pro's coming over for portable listening to match with my Hornet portable amp.

I also have a new Little Dot MK IV SE on it's way and I wanted to replace my HD595's.

Could anyone give me some good recommendations ?

I have been told the HD600's are better then the 650's with most valve amps, then I was also recommended the AKG 701's and I see mixed reports on them, someone also mentioned the Beyer DT880.

How do the Sen 600 and 650's compare to the AKG 701's ?

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Rednamalas1]

what's your amp and music preference?

 

[jgonino]

The 650 has an overall dark presentation with a larger (read: more than average) bass response. The k701 is very neutral with a lot of airiness and tight accurate bass.

What kind of music do you like?

Your little-dot MKIV SE will drive all three quite well.

 

[classic_rock_69]

I've tried all of the above with the LD mk4 and liked the hd600's the best due to their neutrality and clarity. 650's I wouldn't bother with unless it's balanced and k701's weren't that great with it, they need more power.

 

[jh4db536]

i own all 3 right at the moment

with my current setup, i prefer the 650. If my setup changed, my preference could too. I didnt start preferring the 650 until all the tonality issues were taken care of. As of this post, the 701 and 650 are on my desk and the 600 is boxed in the closet.

For single ended, i would prefer the 600 or 701. The 600 is nice because it has a attributes from both worlds. It has more aggressive highs than the 650, average mids, and just the right amount of bass to satisfy most people.

the 701 has the deepest and widest soundstage of the 3 by far. The 650 and 600 sound 2d compared to the 701 IMO (at a high level). The 701 has clarity w/ a average setup that the 6x0 wont be able to touch until they are driven with a >$1000 amp/source.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Depends on the kind of music you like. I own all three and mix them up based on what I'm listening to. The DT880 is worth considering, as well.

Your amp puts 500mW into a Senn, which should be enough for good performance. I couldn't find the slew rate or damping, though.

But let us know what music you listen to.

 

[Flickster]

Thanks for all the info everyone.

I mainly listen to soft rock and some pop.

For example:

The Eagles
Simply Red
George Michaels
UB40

and much more.

What do people think between the HD600's and the newer HD650's on the valve amps?

I see heaps of mixed reports on the K701's

 

[Uncle Erik]

I would probably pick the HD-600 for your music. They're more balanced and neutral overall, and lend themselves to plenty of other genres, too. The HD-650 is a little darker and richer; if you prefer that, you might like it. The DT880 is similar to the HD-600, but it is faster, more detailed and has some sparkle up top.

The K-701 is a tricky beast, as it seems all AKG headphones are. The secret is to amp them well. I have not heard your amp, but I spent months generally disliking the K-701 until I jacked it into the Zana. It changed into a different can. What was once flat and plasticky came to life and won me over. I don't quite know why. I've plugged them into more powerful amps, solid state, and so on, but I never loved them. Now I do, and I think others would, too, but I can't recommend them without knowing your amp. For the record, the K-501 and K-1000 are really, really fussy about amps, too. I do think they're worth the trouble; AKGs are amazing with the right synergy.

 

[Flickster]

How about the Alessandro MS-Pro ?

How do they compare to all the other cans above?


Thanks

 

[classic_rock_69]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flickster /img/forum/go_quote.gif How about the Alessandro MS-Pro ? How do they compare to all the other cans above? Thanks

Sounds like you need to do a lot more reading my friend. Ms-pro is considerably different from those that you mentioned.

 

[Flickster]

Yes I understand they are different and I have been reading the reviews thanks. In the end the place I will buy them from will let me listen to them but I wanted to get other peoples opinions on what they think.

They are from left field because I was just talking to a mate and he mentioned them so I thought I would put the question out to the pros on this forum

 

[number1sixerfan]

I would wait until you rececive the UE-11 to determine if you still want them. I find the UE-11 more enjoyable than the k701 or hd650, but they are both really good phones. The k701 would definitely be a better compliment because the UE-11 is rather warm like the hd650.

Other than that, you really need to hear the k701 and hd650 instead of listening to all of us. They are very, very different. Congrats on the UEs and good luck.

 

[rincewind]

*blows own brain out with a shotgun*

Can we make a magic Search button that actually finds the people that need it? Cos they don't seem able to find it themselves.

 

[Flickster]

I have used the search function thanks but I often find it takes longer to search through 20+ threads one by one then just ask exactly what it is you want to know and get a direct answer.

The reason im looking for another set of cans ontop of my UE-11's is because the valve amp im also getting for home won't really work with the UE-11's (got a hornet for that), the impedance is too low so I was going to buy a second pair of phones I could use with the valve amp.

 

[classic_rock_69]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flickster /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have used the search function thanks but I often find it takes longer to search through 20+ threads one by one then just ask exactly what it is you want to know and get a direct answer.

Don't let laziness get in the way of finding a lot of valuable information and lots of people's opinions on headphones. The few people that actually post in your thread may not be an accurate representation of what the general public feal about a certain headphone.

All these headphones you mentioned have been talked about to death on this site and there is lots to be read if you use the search button.