[OldDude04]

Hey just curious since you seem to love the 1060 as much as I do, what if any mods do you use? I don't use any but since getting them my other headphones(though not as high end as yours) have been just gathering dust.

Thanks

Nick

Before I bought them, I'd read this thread and was fully prepared to do several mods when they arrived. But after I heard them, I refused to mod them, they just sounded so right to me. Maybe one day I'll buy a used pair and mod those, but my current ones are off limits, lol. I'm glad to hear you are enjoying yours without mods as well.

 

[Nickapalooza86]

Before I bought them, I'd read this thread and was fully prepared to do several mods when they arrived. But after I heard them, I refused to mod them, they just sounded so right to me. Maybe one day I'll buy a used pair and mod those, but my current ones are off limits, lol. I'm glad to hear you are enjoying yours without mods as well.

That is the same thing that I did. Started thinking "well they are decent planars that I can turn into awesome planars through mods" after going through every page of this thread. People saying there is a ringing, which I don't hear or any number of other problems. I got them and basically didn't take them off my head for a week. When I put them on I thought "this is the sound I have been searching for." I don't want to do anything that will change the sound. Like you I may get a second pair so I will always have my perfect to me unmodded pair.

 

[Pharron]

What about those who don't enjoy the M1060 and have experience with the HD650?

The M1060 sounds great, but I think there's still something special about the HD650. It doesn't dig near as deep with the bass, but it has incredible vocal rendering abilities. That, and it's warm sound make it more special than the M1060. You can hear the difference all those years of experience Sennheiser has poured into the 650. The 1060 feels rough, and grainy by comparison. The 650 has a smooth sound, and I think, a better sound stage. Neither of these is particularly wide, but the 650 does extend a little further. The 650 also produces better imaging. The imaging is not amazing like it is on the HD800 and HD700, but it's still much better than the M1060. If I was just watching movies and playing games, the M1060 is a fine choice. For music, I would definitely own the Sennheiser.

 

[ses1984]

The 650 and 1060 seem complementary to me.

Some people feel they only need one, and one makes the other obsolete.

I own both and feel like they both offer something different.

Personally I found the 650 more analytical, and the 1060 more natural. I mean I could hear more details through the 650 than the 1060, but the 650 seemed to have a distinct "headphone" sound. The 650 is more like being able to view a painting up close but it's kind of desaturated. The 1060 is like seeing the true colors but from father away.

It could be your end game but it's not for me. I still want a single headphone that does both. I hear a lot of people praise fostex but I'm not ready to spend the money. I feel like I can still learn from both the 1060 and 650 but I'll sell one or both within a couple years.

I think you just need to try them yourself.

 

[DavidA]

So interesting how different persons impressions of the M1060 are in relation to the HD650 and other headphones. I'm thinking that is it possible the QC of the M1060 that bad that there is this much variance between units to cause these very different impressions? or is it our past experience with headphones owned?, genres that one prefers?, support gear (DACs & amps) and one hearing?, a combination of all of these?. The M1060 have been described as a cheap LCD-2, an upgrade to the HD650, boring and lifeless (IMO), a modders dream, and a few others. As much as I enjoy modding it usually starts with a headphone that is good stock and modding takes it to another level, I've seen some that say the mods are need for the M1060 to sound good and then lately there are few that say it sounds great stock. The 2 that I've heard were pretty much the same sounding, boring and lifeless and to me better fit the definition of a "veiled" sound where the HD650 is not "veiled" but rolled off in the treble.

@Pharron, lately I've been using my HD650 a lot for watching movies and even listening to music programs on TV since the HD650 seems to pair better with my HT receiver than my old favorite HE400i. I think its due to my HT receiver having a higher output impedance that works better with the HD650 than the HE400i.

@ses1984, interesting that you find the M1060 the more natural sounding than the HD650 but since you don't have any other info on the type of music you listen to, DACs or amps used its hard for me to get an idea as to why. I give you a lot of credit to in wanting to find a single headphone that can do it all but for me its all about the differences.

Both of you might want to fill in your profiles with gear you have currently have or have owned, preferences in genres, and any other audio related info since many like my self look at a person's profile to get an idea where the person is coming from.

 

[DrunkSaru]

Since everyone is offering their opinions on the two headphones, I'll join this bandwagon. I'll just describe it more from a feeling stand point rather than trying to get into the details of the sound while making some kinda analogy that I just thought of so it probably won't make too much sense and if I am correct in assuming that many on this forum are likely younger than I am, the analogy may not work well.

I personally really enjoy my m1060, especially for the price point it sells at but I don't consider this as great as others here claim nor do I look at it as superior to the HD650, but I can't say it's inferior. To me, the m1060 is like watching Saturday morning cartoons (may it rest in peace) on a 32inch CRT TV while sitting on ikea quality fake leather couch. As a kid, you were happy watching cartoons even if it was a somewhat crappy cartoon but it was a cartoon so it was good. The quality and detail of a CRT sucked but still good enough to know when the content being streamed was good or bad. If you watched TV on a CRT for long periods, it would start to irritate your eyes, bringing some fatigue, but it would be okay since the activity was fun. The flickering of the TV sometimes became annoying but you ignored it. If you sat for very long time on this described fake leather ikea quality couch, you either got uncomfortable or hot because the leather wouldn't breath but you just took a quick break or changed positions and you were good to go again.

Now moving on to the HD650. It's like you just upgraded to a cheap 32inch FHD LCDTV from 15ish years ago (i think.... around the time LCD were getting more common). The LCD at 1080 has a noticeable resolution upgrade. The details are fantastic. But because you bought a cheap TV, the quality isn't as good. It maybe able to produce the same colors, maybe more than the CRT but the vibrancy or contrast isn't there. if quality was an issue, you could have gone for a plasma but those are bulkier and generally still more expensive. LCD TV's were great because it was lighter and more versatile. But then you try watching some 'Saturday Morning Cartoons' on it and you start to notice the quality of the stream kinda sucked even though you didn't notice on the CRT. It just becomes not as exciting to watch anymore - maybe it's the color? Maybe it's new details you're seeing? but whatever the case, It helps you realize and appreciate the smaller details. It helps open the path understanding the smaller details = understanding the details - the difference between TN, IPS, OLED, AMOLED, etc. as well as getting into the 4K 8K territory, refresh rates, response rates, and all the other details may look for on paper but 90% of those people have no clue or can't tell the difference. Your preference may not be the same as the person next to you but you understand the difference while the average person still looks at it and thinks it's a screen.

Damn it, now I'm craving a bowl of Lucky Charms.
Cheers

 

[AnotherN00b]

Love the analogy -- but what about the couch? Did you get a new couch too? don't leave us hanging

Since everyone is offering their opinions on the two headphones, I'll join this bandwagon. I'll just describe it more from a feeling stand point rather than trying to get into the details of the sound while making some kinda analogy that I just thought of so it probably won't make too much sense and if I am correct in assuming that many on this forum are likely younger than I am, the analogy may not work well.

I personally really enjoy my m1060, especially for the price point it sells at but I don't consider this as great as others here claim nor do I look at it as superior to the HD650, but I can't say it's inferior. To me, the m1060 is like watching Saturday morning cartoons (may it rest in peace) on a 32inch CRT TV while sitting on ikea quality fake leather couch. As a kid, you were happy watching cartoons even if it was a somewhat crappy cartoon but it was a cartoon so it was good. The quality and detail of a CRT sucked but still good enough to know when the content being streamed was good or bad. If you watched TV on a CRT for long periods, it would start to irritate your eyes, bringing some fatigue, but it would be okay since the activity was fun. The flickering of the TV sometimes became annoying but you ignored it. If you sat for very long time on this described fake leather ikea quality couch, you either got uncomfortable or hot because the leather wouldn't breath but you just took a quick break or changed positions and you were good to go again.

Now moving on to the HD650. It's like you just upgraded to a cheap 32inch FHD LCDTV from 15ish years ago (i think.... around the time LCD were getting more common). The LCD at 1080 has a noticeable resolution upgrade. The details are fantastic. But because you bought a cheap TV, the quality isn't as good. It maybe able to produce the same colors, maybe more than the CRT but the vibrancy or contrast isn't there. if quality was an issue, you could have gone for a plasma but those are bulkier and generally still more expensive. LCD TV's were great because it was lighter and more versatile. But then you try watching some 'Saturday Morning Cartoons' on it and you start to notice the quality of the stream kinda sucked even though you didn't notice on the CRT. It just becomes not as exciting to watch anymore - maybe it's the color? Maybe it's new details you're seeing? but whatever the case, It helps you realize and appreciate the smaller details. It helps open the path understanding the smaller details = understanding the details - the difference between TN, IPS, OLED, AMOLED, etc. as well as getting into the 4K 8K territory, refresh rates, response rates, and all the other details may look for on paper but 90% of those people have no clue or can't tell the difference. Your preference may not be the same as the person next to you but you understand the difference while the average person still looks at it and thinks it's a screen.

Damn it, now I'm craving a bowl of Lucky Charms.
Cheers

 

[DrunkSaru]

Love the analogy -- but what about the couch? Did you get a new couch too? don't leave us hanging

The couch goes flat after about a year but it's now contoured to your body so still comfortable.

 

[Barryabko]

Hi All, this is my first post. I’ve been watching this thread for some time and have decided to take the plunge so I ordered a set of M1060 headphones which should arrive tomorrow. I am a long time audiophile and have owned many headphones over the years. My first were Koss Pro 4AA, then Koss ESP9B electrostatics, many by AKG, many by Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Ultrasone, Shure IEMs when I play music (I’m a drummer/percussionist) and lately a set of Sennheiser Momentum.

For the time being I will be using an NAD 3020 integrated amp to run the M1060s. I know the 3020 uses a simple resistor in parallel off of the output to feed the headphone jack so there may be some sonic issues with the 50 Ohm M1060s. It does sound quite good with the Momentums which are only 18 Ohms, though. People have mentioned various headphone amps or DAC/amp combos that seem to run the M1060s adequately. Being well versed in speaker and amp matching I know that the “current capability” of the amp combined with the impedance/phase characteristics of the speaker is critical for best performance. I assume the same holds true for headphones. I will be listening at moderate to upper volumes but not blasting.

I don’t have a DAC so I’m thinking of either purchasing a separate DAC or DAC/amp combo next. I’ve seen some inexpensive combo units that claim to be balanced but that seems to be true only when using the digital input. Are these inexpensive products worth buying? Are the DAC portions good enough or should I buy a stand-alone DAC for now (such as the Schitt or ??) and live with that and the NAD for a while?

Also, is there a DAC and/or headphone amp primer somewhere that can bring me up to speed on sampling rates, circuit design, specs, etc?

I have been modifying and tweaking products forever and may do that to the M1060s but will first break them in and then decide how to proceed.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and opinions!

 

[OldDude04]

Hi All, this is my first post. I’ve been watching this thread for some time and have decided to take the plunge so I ordered a set of M1060 headphones which should arrive tomorrow. I am a long time audiophile and have owned many headphones over the years. My first were Koss Pro 4AA, then Koss ESP9B electrostatics, many by AKG, many by Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Ultrasone, Shure IEMs when I play music (I’m a drummer/percussionist) and lately a set of Sennheiser Momentum.

For the time being I will be using an NAD 3020 integrated amp to run the M1060s. I know the 3020 uses a simple resistor in parallel off of the output to feed the headphone jack so there may be some sonic issues with the 50 Ohm M1060s. It does sound quite good with the Momentums which are only 18 Ohms, though. People have mentioned various headphone amps or DAC/amp combos that seem to run the M1060s adequately. Being well versed in speaker and amp matching I know that the “current capability” of the amp combined with the impedance characteristics of the speaker is critical for best performance. I assume the same holds true for headphones. I will be listening at moderate to upper volumes but not blasting.

I don’t have a DAC so I’m thinking of either purchasing a separate DAC or DAC/amp combo next. I’ve seen some inexpensive combo units that claim to be balanced but that seems to be true only when using the digital input. Are these inexpensive products worth buying? Are the DAC portions good enough or should I buy a stand-alone DAC for now (such as the Schitt or??) and live with that and the NAD for a while?

Also, is there a DAC and/or headphone amp primer somewhere that can bring me up to speed on sampling rates, circuit design, specs, etc?

I have been modifying and tweaking products forever and may do that to the M1060s but will first break them in and then decide how to proceed.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and opinions!

HERE is an informative write up about DACs that might help. Welcome to the site and I hope you enjoy your M1060.

 

[Barryabko]

Thanks, OldDude04!

 

[fpantalone]

HERE is an informative write up about DACs that might help. Welcome to the site and I hope you enjoy your M1060.

I think you're going to really enjoy these. I say this because I'm a drummer as well and these things just do drums and bass in a fantastic way (read ... they do 'funk' REALLY well ). I have used a number of different combos ... from my MacBook Pro and Fiio X5 as sources alone, and with Mojo, Asgard 2, tubes, and basically everything in my stable. I don't find them very picky really. That said, they are pretty damn good with the Mojo, which is my 'go to' amp/DAC combo with them. Looking forward to your own thoughts !!

 

[OldDude04]

Did you quote the wrong post @fpantalone?

 

[fpantalone]

Did you quote the wrong post @fpantalone?

oooops ... I did

 

[fpantalone]

Hi All, this is my first post. I’ve been watching this thread for some time and have decided to take the plunge so I ordered a set of M1060 headphones which should arrive tomorrow. I am a long time audiophile and have owned many headphones over the years. My first were Koss Pro 4AA, then Koss ESP9B electrostatics, many by AKG, many by Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Ultrasone, Shure IEMs when I play music (I’m a drummer/percussionist) and lately a set of Sennheiser Momentum.

For the time being I will be using an NAD 3020 integrated amp to run the M1060s. I know the 3020 uses a simple resistor in parallel off of the output to feed the headphone jack so there may be some sonic issues with the 50 Ohm M1060s. It does sound quite good with the Momentums which are only 18 Ohms, though. People have mentioned various headphone amps or DAC/amp combos that seem to run the M1060s adequately. Being well versed in speaker and amp matching I know that the “current capability” of the amp combined with the impedance/phase characteristics of the speaker is critical for best performance. I assume the same holds true for headphones. I will be listening at moderate to upper volumes but not blasting.

I don’t have a DAC so I’m thinking of either purchasing a separate DAC or DAC/amp combo next. I’ve seen some inexpensive combo units that claim to be balanced but that seems to be true only when using the digital input. Are these inexpensive products worth buying? Are the DAC portions good enough or should I buy a stand-alone DAC for now (such as the Schitt or??) and live with that and the NAD for a while?

Also, is there a DAC and/or headphone amp primer somewhere that can bring me up to speed on sampling rates, circuit design, specs, etc?

I have been modifying and tweaking products forever and may do that to the M1060s but will first break them in and then decide how to proceed.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and opinions!