[olorosooso]

Hello all,
 
Well, I stayed away from this site since getting my Bifrost/Lyr combo and Mad Dogs and have been very happy.  Came back to check things out at Head-fi and lo and behold I'm looking to spend another ~$500...   I don't blame anyone but myself.

 
I have recently been listening to my Q701's quite a bit which I have become a big fan of.  They are quite different from my Mad Dogs and offer a nice change of sound sig for certain music.  I do tend to get fatigued fairly quickly with them however, and also sometimes hear a bit of ringing in my ears after a long session.   Although I will definitely keep my Q701's I am looking for another set of open cans that will be smoother (slow roll off) on the high end and possibly a bit more fullness in the lower frequencies.   After reading tons of threads I have narrowed it down to the HD650.  (I will probably also snag a set of the AKG 65th Annie pads at some point to have options with the Q701's)
 
I'd like to know if anyone has any other recommendations or some votes in agreement towards the HD650 purchase.  As far as I can tell the 650's will work well in tandem with the Lyr?  My only concern is a good chunk of my music leans on the electronic side, mostly electropop with synths and female vocals and I keep reading things like the 650 is not fast enough or too laid back.  I know the Mad Dogs have been described similarly though, and I enjoy the hell out of them.  
 
Any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks!

 

[tdockweiler]

I would suggest getting some Anniversary pads before doing anything else. They've come down in price a little I think.
 
Actually I would also suggest trying the Q701 with another DAC or amp if you can. Just to know for sure if it's not caused by your setup. I've had a few DACs that made the Q701 sound a bit harsh in the upper mids and was surprised how much smoother the Q701 was on the ODAC and Schiit Modi. The Q701 is really smooth to me even with the worst garbage tracks. Not as much as the HD-650 but close.
 
Obviously I wouldn't say go out and buy a new amp but maybe you have another amp you can borrow.
I remember in another post someone said the Q701 was harsh on the Lyr with a specific set of tubes. Can't remember which ones.
 
If you do get a new headphone I think the HD-650 is a good choice. I love mine but I usually end up listening to the Q701 instead. My HD-650 makes everything sound good.

 

[olorosooso]

Thanks,
 
I am definitely going to grab a pair of those pads.  I really do enjoy the Q701's.  I don't think they are shrill or sibilant at all.  I just think that I am fairly sensitive to the higher frequencies and I also tend to have longlistening sessions at night, 2-3 hours, which leads to my ear fatigue. (I don't listen too loudly either, as my job requires good hearing.)
 
I guess I may be looking for something more similar to the Mad Dogs sound but with a bit more detail and the soundstage of an open can.  Doesn't help that I've always wanted to try a Sennheiser HD6XX series too.

 

[NA Blur]

The Q701, HD650, and K701 are simply bass light headphones seen in their frequency response curves and 30Hz square wave responses.  They all roll of down towards 0dB in the low bass making them sound thin at times.  They are also open making the bass more realistic instead of boomy like a closed headphone.
 
If you want more bass go with something like the AKG K550 or Denon AH-D2000.
 
See these charts for a comparison:
http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=3571&graphID[]=2931&graphID[]=2881&scale=30
 
Notice how the AKG K550 rises above the other headphones from 40 Hz on down?  This is a sign of more bass.

 

[olorosooso]

Quote:

The Q701, HD650, and K701 are simply bass light headphones seen in their frequency response curves and 30Hz square wave responses.  They all roll of down towards 0dB in the low bass making them sound thin at times.  They are also open making the bass more realistic instead of boomy like a closed headphone.
 
If you want more bass go with something like the AKG K550 or Denon AH-D2000.
 
See these charts for a comparison:
http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=3571&graphID[]=2931&graphID[]=2881&scale=30
 
Notice how the AKG K550 rises above the other headphones from 40 Hz on down?  This is a sign of more bass.

Bass actually isn't an issue for me on the Q701's.  Yes, they are lighter on the low end than what I've listened to in the past but they do enough (for me) to get the job done, even on electronic music with low 808 kicks.  My issue is more with the highs fatiguing my ears after a while.   However, if I get another set of phones, I wouldn't mind a bit more fullness in the lower frequencies.  My plan is to keep my Mad Dogs and Q701's and add something in between the two.  In this case, I'm trying to find something with fuller low end and smoother high end for longer listening sessions.  Looking at the graphs the HD650 looked like it would work.  Just a bit hesitant since it's expensive and some of the reviews here saying it is "way too laid back" or "slow".  
 
Btw, I do have a pair of K550's

 

[Seamless Sounds]

AKG K701/K702/Q701 and Senn HD6xx lack sub-bass, around 60hz and lower. I actually found the LCD-2 and HD650 quite similar except the sub-bass. I've always wondered if you can approach a LCD-2 with HD650 with an amp that has bass boost. HD650 are considered "laid-back" due to less treble. Less treble means less harshness.

 

[NA Blur]

The HD-650 is very smooth sounding in the treble, but I still find it fatiguing because I tend to turn the volume up on the HD-650 to get the fidelity I want.  The added volume leads to ultimately listening at levels my ears are not comfortable with.  Hopefully if you go with the HD-650 you will not have this problem.

 

[DaemonSire]

Have you considered the DT880 600 Ohm?
 
I've never heard these phones or the HD600/HD650, but have done a lot of reading and research and they seem very well regarded as an alternative.  And they would be cheaper than the HD600/HD650 too.  I just saw a posting of a used pair for $210.
 
Again, I have never heard these and am not necessarily 'recommending' them (I hate when people recommend stuff that they have never heard).  But just wanted to bring your attention to another set of phones that you may not have noticed yet and may want to do your own research into.  From what I've gathered, they are pretty neutral but have nice highs and bass.
 
Might be worth asking about at least.
 
Good luck!

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

Hello all,
 
Well, I stayed away from this site since getting my Bifrost/Lyr combo and Mad Dogs and have been very happy.  Came back to check things out at Head-fi and lo and behold I'm looking to spend another ~$500...   I don't blame anyone but myself.

 
I have recently been listening to my Q701's quite a bit which I have become a big fan of.  They are quite different from my Mad Dogs and offer a nice change of sound sig for certain music.  I do tend to get fatigued fairly quickly with them however, and also sometimes hear a bit of ringing in my ears after a long session.   Although I will definitely keep my Q701's I am looking for another set of open cans that will be smoother (slow roll off) on the high end and possibly a bit more fullness in the lower frequencies.   After reading tons of threads I have narrowed it down to the HD650.  (I will probably also snag a set of the AKG 65th Annie pads at some point to have options with the Q701's)
 
I'd like to know if anyone has any other recommendations or some votes in agreement towards the HD650 purchase.  As far as I can tell the 650's will work well in tandem with the Lyr?  My only concern is a good chunk of my music leans on the electronic side, mostly electropop with synths and female vocals and I keep reading things like the 650 is not fast enough or too laid back.  I know the Mad Dogs have been described similarly though, and I enjoy the hell out of them.  
 
Any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks!

 
Heya,
 
You can equalize the Q701 for free. Keep the signature and sound stage. Simply gently drop the treble frequencies by 2~3db tops, and the fatigue may vanish. If you want more low end, drop all frequencies equally except the bass frequencies (I would start at 60hz on the Q701, leaving those at the zero line). From 60hz up, drop everything by -3~5 db equally. Then to reduce treble, further drop 7khz, 10khz and 12khz by another -2~3 db.
 
Very best,

 

[olorosooso]

Thanks for the info guys,
 
MalVeaux - For some reason I didn't like attenuating the highs on the Q701 with Foobar's eq.  I do have a little bump on the low end which I like though.
 
I am ordering a pair of anniversary pads for the Q701's for the time being.  Also demoing a pair of HE-500's at the moment, which I've only been able to listen to for 2 hours, but so far I am pretty impressed. Not as laid back in the high's as I was originally looking for but they are pretty darn silky.  Going to try to let the new toy feelings fade and compare them with my other phones.  I can snag them for a good price but it's still more than I was trying to spend.
 
Damn you head-fi...

 

[kcdecker]

Olorosooso, how did your story conclude?  Did you make a purchase?
 
I'm in the exact same boat--I have the Q701s and Mad Dogs, and I'm wondering if the HD650s (or perhaps even the HE-400) would be too much overlap with the Mad Dog...

 

[olorosooso]

  Olorosooso, how did your story conclude?  Did you make a purchase?
 
I'm in the exact same boat--I have the Q701s and Mad Dogs, and I'm wondering if the HD650s (or perhaps even the HE-400) would be too much overlap with the Mad Dog...

 
Hey Kcdecker,
 
I ended up really liking the HE-500's and bought a pair used from Amazon at a nice price. Been using them almost exclusively since I've had them for home listening.  They have that really open airy quality that I liked about the 701's but can pack a punch on the low end.  Like I mentioned before, they aren't as laid back in the high end as I was looking for, sometimes a track will sound a bit harsh to my ears.  Doesn't happen enough to bother me though.  The only other knock against them would be they aren't as comfy as other headphones I've had.  Kind of heavy and the pads aren't very squishy, but for me, I can still listen for 2-3 hours with glasses on without much problems.  Just some re-adjusting every once in a while.
 
Still want to try the 650's at some point, have just read too much about them to never give 'em a try!