Is The 580/600/650 $ Difference worth it

[ERNEST T]

Just a quick question, for those of you who have climbed the HD580/600/650 ladder. Was it worth it or for the money difference would you have kelp the 580's. I have got the 580's and really like the sound but wondered if it would be worth moving up.

 

[Audiofiler]

It will be a preference consideration I imagine.. I started with the HD-600, went to the 580, then the 650...well you better be ready to drive the 600/650 with a great amp else they will not scale up in terms of general operability and performance in dynamics. I personally prefer the 580's signature in sound to the 600/650 and any other non-electrostatic Senn phone..but that is me..

I used to own them all then sold them, the only one bought again was the HD-580..replaced the grilles, contacts/sprins, cable to Cardas, and perf'd caprings and I love them. They pair easily with my vintage receivers and do well from tubes too.. They are not as amp reliant as the 600/650-something to consider.

The 580/600/650 all scale up with an improved source too, fyi,

hope this helps

 

[kramer5150]

Ive seen HD580s sell for around $135 new, ~$100 used. Add HD600 grilles from Senn USA for $35 and you have an HD600, add an HD650 cable from Senn for $18 and you have surpassed the HD600.

IMHO of course.

So, you can have a better can than the HD600 for around $160 total if you start with the HD580 and mod up. Surf the 580 appreciation thread, I dont think I'm alone in this assessment.

At one point I owned both a stock HD580 and a modded version. I went into it as neutrally as I could. In fact if anything I was hoping / trying to enjoy the stock 580 and sell the modded one for a nice little proffit. But, to my ears the modded version was a MUCH more dynamic, energetic, alive sounding phone.

The 650 is a different signature all-together. I don't have the sources or amps necessary to do the 650 justice... so I'm content with a modded 580.

 

[LeChuck]

It's important to point out that the 580/600 use the EXACT same drivers, the only difference is that in the 600 the drivers are more accurately matched, and the casing is better (which may effect the sound).

The 650 uses a different set of drivers. Most people here consider the HD 600 and 650 equivalent, but different; most people have a preference between which they prefer. I personally prefer the sound of the HD 650 all around to the 580/600, but all three are exceptional headphones.

All three headphones are remarkably scalable, many members plug them into systems costing thousands upon thousands of dollars. Along with Grado, they are considered a "standard" or "benchmark" for a certain type of sound.

If money is an issue, I would say go with the HD 580, which is probably 95% of the performance of the HD 650 at less than half the price.

 

[PeeeMeS]

My experiences lead me to say no

The HD580 is on par with the HD650 and a lot cheaper(especially if you buy used)

 

[LeChuck]

I would be more inclined to say it's on par with the 600, since electronically speaking, it's the same headphone. The 650 is different electronically, and sounds different (whether it sounds better, is a matter of personal opinion).

 

[Audiofiler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kramer5150 But, to my ears the modded version was a MUCH more dynamic, energetic, alive sounding phone..

I recently AB'd the stock VS modded 580 and echo Kramers comments..and am shortly going to perform Kramers Darth Sennheiser mod to mine

 

[DevilDog]

When I got the 580s I thought they were great, but they didn't really have that "wow" factor. Then I got the 650s and the "wow" was there. The 580s are a great headphone, but they're not 650s.
I like the 600s as well. With the right equipment they can really shine and rival the 650s, it's a matter of personal preference.
Going from the 580s to the 650s was well worth it to me. Well worth it.

 

[ERNEST T]

Thanks everybody. I will keep the 580's. You saved me some money. I already have the 650 cables coming now if I can just find some 600 grills. Sennheiser don't show them on there website.

 

[milkpowder]

What about a HD600 with Equinox, Zu Mobius, Cardas, etc? Is that not better than a modded HD580?

 

[J-Pak]

The HD580 is a very good value new or used. The HD600 is too similar to be worth $110 more over a new HD580, I've tried comparing both HD580 and HD600 on a Gilmore Lite switching back and forth and I wasn't able to tell them apart.

The HD650 is different from the other 2 so you'd have to hear it in order to decide if you like it more or less.

 

[Scotty757]

Im going to agree with the law of diminishing returns on the senns. i hear so very little difference in the 580 and the 600 that I cant tell which ones on my head. Plus, the marble headband on the 600 is so ugly I cant put it into words.

The 650s are a completely different beast, but I personally like the 580 better than them.

The 580s are a rare sweet spot in headphone value. Get a pair.

 

[fureshi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scotty757 Im going to agree with the law of diminishing returns on the senns. i hear so very little difference in the 580 and the 600 that I cant tell which ones on my head. Plus, the marble headband on the 600 is so ugly I cant put it into words. The 650s are a completely different beast, but I personally like the 580 better than them. The 580s are a rare sweet spot in headphone value. Get a pair.

this pretty much sums up what i feel about these three cans. i had the 580 and 600 at the same time and i too had an extremely difficult time telling the difference between them. maybe the 600 is smoother but certainly not worth the huge price difference. in the end i kept the 580.

again, i agree with scotty's view on the 650. totally different than the 580/600. they require just as much power as the 580/600 but i wouldn't say that they are necessarily more amp/source dependent to sound good. based on my limited amp experience of course. if i were you, i'd just stick to the 580 to save money and in the long run get the 650.

 

[milkpowder]

So is it worth getting the 580/600 if I already have the 701 and 650 (stock cable)? I'll prob be using an aftermaket Senn cable with 580/600...

 

[3lusiv3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder So is it worth getting the 580/600 if I already have the 701 and 650 (stock cable)? I'll prob be using an aftermaket Senn cable with 580/600...

That's a true head-fier right there.