[el_matt0]

what you just showed there is a sign of headphone abuse, not bad build quality. honestly man. ive owned 2 different pairs of hd600s, and 2 pairs of hd650s, and im about to re-purchase another pair of hd650s. the WORST ive ever run into with them with respect to lacking build quality is that the finish sometimes cracks off on the edge of the headband from over-flexing. its minor, but its a persistent problem on both the hd600 and 650s that many other people also run into. thats IT though - none of this split headband bogus, seriously now! and having tried and compared Hd600/650 vs K701 vs dt990 (not 880 sorry) I felt that the HD650 was in a league above the other two cans. the k701 just gives an impersonal and analytical feel to the music i found, and not to mention werent the greatest comfort wise. the dt990s were extremely comfortable, almost moreso than the senns, but i found they just werent as refined sounding as the well amped hd650s. not to mention if you decide to go balanced, the sennheisers can go for MILES, you would be shocked at what other cans the hd650s can take down when recabled and balanced with a nice cable....trust me, i know from personal experience, which is why i find myself going back to the hd650 time and time again!

 

[upstateguy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by el_matt0 /img/forum/go_quote.gif what you just showed there is a sign of headphone abuse, not bad build quality.

First week having them, went to put them on and snap.... the replacement head band has been fine ever since.

USG

 

[PFKMan23]

I don't know that I'd necessarily call it abuse, but I wouldn't say they have bad build quality either. I have owned HD650s in the past and own HD580s currently (and also PX100), I have never had the headband break, crack or chip

 

[upstateguy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PFKMan23 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't know that I'd necessarily call it abuse, but I wouldn't say they have bad build quality either. I have owned HD650s in the past and own HD580s currently (and also PX100), I have never had the headband break, crack or chip

Hey PFK....

Neither did I.... apparently sh-t happens.... go figure... the HD424s I bought in the 80s are still flexible, just need pads again......

USG

d-_-b

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steely /img/forum/go_quote.gif K701 If not for their slightly superior sound characteristics, then for their unquestionably higher build quality. HD650's break easily, and look horrible after a short while, unless you baby them.

Give me a break.. The 650's have better build quality then the 701's IMO.. & only break if you abuse them.. Mine have fallen 5FT on the floor & there was barley a scratch on them..

 

[manaox2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by crappyjones123 /img/forum/go_quote.gif hd 650 (320) + little dot mk vi (750) + saa equinox (300) + dac (various options).

I would vote the upcoming Little Dot balanced tube amp (http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f5/bal...le-dot-284561/) @ approximately $750, HD650 and Equinox balanced XLR ($340), and Dual Mono Twisted Tree OPUS DAC with metronome ($400 with enclosure, BJC XLR interconnects, etc.).

Thats a little slice of heaven right there for about $1500 I figure.

 

[captainbrendo]

hmm.... I listened to all three and picked the dt880. I liked it the best because it was really clear and open sounding while still having some bass impact. I didn't like the 650 since it didn't have enough clarity and sounded distant great bass though. I didn't want the 701 cuz it didn't have enough bass and was a bit too airy for me; it just didn't rock hard enough; great separation though.

The 880 was just right for me. It rocks, and it a bit more grado-ey than the others while still having a big soundstage.

 

[zipdisk]

They are all excellent headphones. I think the determining factor is going to be your individual aural preferences. I have the akg501, hd580, and the dt880 headphones, and listen to music with each set regularly.

 

[skeptic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by voyaging /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you could choose between these three pairs of headphones, completely disregarding cost, which would you pick? On a side note, I've been considering maybe buying a set of speakers instead of headphones. I know they are quite a bit more expensive, but I listen to mostly classical music (but not only), and I'm afraid I'll lose the richness of the music without speakers. Any comments? I have about a $1,500 budget, with either headphones (and everything else I'd need, such as an amp, balanced cable, maybe shaker?) or speakers (with receiver, subwoofer, etc.). Thanks in advance!

Question: do you know what you want to use as your source/media? This decision may really shape the rest of your purchases.

Regardless of your source, a headamp that is also designated as a stereo preamp might be a good buy for you if your goal is to eventually fill out a full speaker system.

As for headphones, I am really enjoying my DT 880s

 

[riceboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by skeptic /img/forum/go_quote.gif Question: do you know what you want to use as your source/media? This decision may really shape the rest of your purchases.

This is what I was going to ask as well. I would go cans - source - amp. For classical I would go with the K701s as the soundstage is unbeatable from the 3 and works great for that type of music. I also liked the K701s for jazz as well. I have a friend that loves his K701s right out of his Ipod. The HD650s are harder to drive and need an amp to really shine. The HD600s are easier to drive than the HD650 if you are looking at a Senn can. Best of luck on your search

 

[sschmeichel]

Just to pitch in my 2 cents, k701s really need an amp to shine, using it directly out of an ipod will work.. but about 60% of its potential is locked away... I would say all headphones sound better with an amp, but the k701 with a proper amp becomes hi-fi.

 

[Steely]

Regarding the HD650's build quality:

I'll admit, i'm a bit rough with my 'phones, i don't have a proper stand for them, so when my desk is cluttered, i leave them on a non-cushioned chair.

-After a few weeks of use, the grille on the cups showed signs of use. Paint was wearing off.
-After about half a year, the plastic on the top of the headband started chipping off.
-About the same time, sound started cutting out in one channel.
-The metal grille became dented after accidentally hitting the side of one cup against the edge of the chair. It was not done with force, they just sort of swung into the edge of the chair which left a dent i could not flatten out.
-After about a year, sound was gone completely, unless i wiggled the connector. I understand this is a common weakness for Senn's, been reading about it on this forum. Also happened to my (really) old Senn's, which was why i replaced them with new ones.
-Shortly after, i fell asleep with my headphones on, when i woke, one of the "arms" holding the cups had snapped.

I contacted both the dealer and Sennheiser directly about it. They did not want to replace either on the warranty. I was offered replacements at a price that was about half of a new set.
So i put that money into buying K701's instead, and i'm happy i did.
They just sound a bit better to me.

After a year of (ab?)use, the K701's look brand new, not even the slightest scratch on them.

Now THAT'S proper build quality.

 

[AudioDwebe]

For "richness of the music" I'd definitely go with the 650's.

For a budget of 1500 bucks, your much better off going the headphone route. You'll get quality of sound unobtainable at that price point when you're talking about getting a receiver, speakers, wires, etcetera.

Plus, for a speaker system to sound right, you have to have the space for proper placement. You can spend thousands on a pair of speakers, but if you don't have the space for them, they'll end up sounding pretty crappy.

I'm assuming you've already got a source. So my recommendation's gonna be a Singlepower amp (MPX3, possibly) and the HD650's. A very nice combination, in my opinion.

But you know what they say about opinions...

 

[riceboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AudioDwebe /img/forum/go_quote.gif For "richness of the music" I'd definitely go with the 650's. For a budget of 1500 bucks, your much better off going the headphone route. You'll get quality of sound unobtainable at that price point when you're talking about getting a receiver, speakers, wires, etcetera. Plus, for a speaker system to sound right, you have to have the space for proper placement. You can spend thousands on a pair of speakers, but if you don't have the space for them, they'll end up sounding pretty crappy. I'm assuming you've already got a source. So my recommendation's gonna be a Singlepower amp (MPX3, possibly) and the HD650's. A very nice combination, in my opinion.

I agree that a MPX3 and HD650s are a great combination as well. Even the AKG701 and DT880 powered through them sound good as well

 

[voyaging]

Thanks so much for the help! Thanks to you guys I've pretty much decided 100% on headphones.

I'm definitely going to get an amp with the headphones, no matter what pair I choose. I'll almost definitely get the phones recabled prior to purchase with balanced cables.

As for a source, I'll probably just use a direct CD rip (not sure the best software for this) and run it through a media player on my PC (foobar2000 maybe?). Run that to an amp with DAC and that to my phones? I think that'd be good. Any more input, as always, is greatly appreciated! This is a big purchase and I definitely don't want to rush it!