[espire]

So I went to Bay-Bloor Radio for the first time today, to listen to headphones. Until today, the best headphones that I had heard were my own HD 555, and nothing from any of the other popular manufacturers here, such as Grado and AKG. I was able to audition the entire Grado line, the entire Sennheiser line, and some AKGs. Here are some things that I noticed:

All of the Grados, even the cheapest, sounded great. They were exactly as they are described here, and they made music a lot of fun. Of course, it was all fast Jazz, which seems to suit the house sound. Still, I was very impressed, and have a mind to pick up a used SR60 at some point in the far future.

I didn't listen to the K701 for long, but I didn't get that feeling of distance, and the bass was sufficient for me. Of course, I use an HD 555, so I guess that when you mention the lack of bass on the K701, you're comparing it to such headphones as the HD650 and the RS 2.

I listened to both the HD 555 in-store and the HD 595; I could discern very little difference between the two. Sure, slight improvements between the two, but not worth twice as much money. I'd take an HD 555 and an SR80 over just the HD 595 any day.

Now, it's the HD650 that made me very confused. I was totally unimpressed by it, to the point that I found the HD 555/595 to sound better, and the K701 to be superior in every respect. There must be something going on here, because Sennheiser's flagship headphones had better sound much better than this! Does anybody know how BBR amplifies their headphones, and if this could be the reason why I didn't like the sound?

I did have to stand, there was ambient noise, and I wasn't a fan of the music that they were playing. Still, there must be more of a reason than that for why I didn't like the HD650. Does amplification really matter that much when it comes to Sennheiser's high end?

 

[Cankin]

I tried their HD650 too, it sounded extremely muddy and the HD650 I owned sounded way better, their Grados sound a bit bass heavy compare to a few I have/had. There must be something wrong with their source or amp.

 

[DemonicLemming]

I think a lot of people say the 600s and 650s require a lot of burn-in to really sound proper. Could be why you were unimpressed with them. I do think the 650s need to be amped, and they're also supposed to scale equally with the amp you hook them to - be it a $15 cmoy or an RSA.

 

[espire]

Well, the headphones sit there with music played through them at all times, so I doubt it was a burn-in issue.

 

[Shahrose]

listening to open headphones at home in a quiet environment is a lot different that listening to them in a noisy store. also, i've noticed that speakers/headphones that impress the most in the store through quick auditions are usually the most fatiguing and coloured ones...and vice versa...so the most bland sounding ones in the store are usually the ones that sound best at home when you really get to listen to them.

give the hd650 another try. they're great headphones, and far superior to the hd555 imo.

btw another big factor is what sound you prefer. you just might not like the warm bassy sound that the hd650s impart. i have a feeling your preference is on the cold/neutral side. as such, i think you'd enjoy headphones like the k701 and dt880 a lot, perhaps more than the hd650s.

 

[espire]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shahrose /img/forum/go_quote.gif give the hd650 another try. they're great headphones, and far superior to the hd555 imo.

I have no doubt of that, which is why I was so confused. I certainly will try the HD 650 again, but I'll wait until I can do so in a proper environment with proper amplification, I guess.

Quote:

btw another big factor is what sound you prefer. you just might not like the warm bassy sound that the hd650s impart. i have a feeling your preference is on the cold/neutral side. as such, i think you'd enjoy headphones like the k701 and dt880 a lot, perhaps more than the hd650s.

Is the HD555 not considered to be a warm headphone?

I really like the HD555. Still, you may be right. I'll also try to audition those two when the time comes.

 

[M0T0XGUY]

There's no cause for confusion, really. The HD650 has a unique sound signature; one with accentuated bass, mild highs and perhaps a slightly recessed mid range. Without a proper amp, the 3 ranges can overlap each other in an unpleasant fashion, and I doubt your local audio store was feeding several different phones through an RSA B-52.

With that said, you'll know from first impressions whether a pair of headphones are to your liking; and clearly, the HD 650's just don't impress you.

 

[Nocturnal310]

When i went to Sennheiser showroom ..i tried almost all Senns..

HD595 were certainly way better than HD555..i could easily distinguish..

in HD595 the guitar strums were coming out too good.


U didnt like HD650..because their sound is not so upfront ...as they say ..its the Sennheiser Veil

 

[espire]

The veil was present, but that's not what was wrong. The bass impact was weaker than the 500 series, and the detail was poorer as well.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Quote:

Originally Posted by espire /img/forum/go_quote.gif The veil was present, but that's not what was wrong. The bass impact was weaker than the 500 series, and the detail was poorer as well.

Yeah, they definitely weren't properly amplified then. Go to a Head-Fi meet, then I'm sure you can draw real conclusions about them!

 

[FallenAngel]

HD650 needs a much better amp than the one I saw at Bay Bloor last year. You also have to consider that the single amp is driving all of those headphones at the same time, likely in series so it's not likely all of them sound as good as they should.

 

[Uncle Erik]

You should hear the HD-650 properly amplified - it is one of the best on the market. The "veil" disappears and it becomes very resolving.

 

[Nocturnal310]

HD595 are only 50 Ohm...can be driven by an iPod too..

and they dont benefit as much from Amps as HD650 do.

 

[Audio-Omega]

HD650 needs good amplification. My portable amp doesn't do much to it but RSA HR-2 does a great job.

 

[malldian]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nocturnal310 /img/forum/go_quote.gif When i went to Sennheiser showroom ..i tried almost all Senns.. HD595 were certainly way better than HD555..i could easily distinguish.. in HD595 the guitar strums were coming out too good. U didnt like HD650..because their sound is not so upfront ...as they say ..its the Sennheiser Veil

While I haven't heard the 555, as I believe I said before, it doesn't surprise me at all that the OP didn't really like the 595's - they were very boring to me and it isn't because I don't like "natural" sound.

At the recent NJ meet I got to hear a bunch of combo's with both the 600 and 650 and while I don't think I will own another Senn for a long while, they certainly have a very interesting presentation. I have never really heard the veil in Sennheiser but as I said before a different presentation. Given the fact that your conditions weren't very good and with all else equal you preferred the Grado sound, consider following that route for a while and coming back to the Sennheiser sound later on and reassess.