[A_Dying_Wren]

Hi guys.

Went headphone auditioning today in my first foray into headphone-fi after a few months at IEMs and figuring out that top universal IEMs weren't enough. I couldn't use a proper headphone amp for auditioning there so I had to resort to a ipod -silver lod-> Ibasso D10 --> headphone. I'll be picking up a Maverick Audio Amp/DAC 5670 (identical to XiangSheng DAC-01 and Grant Fidelity DAC-09) with whichever headphone I buy. My impressions were as followed:

K702: Quite bright. A little more open than the HD650 but not something I miss using the HD650s. Initially I was quite impressed, coming from the rather similar UM3X. The bass was extremely polite and singers were very forward and came through very clear. If I were to metaphor, you're sitting in a restaurant with the singer in front of you speaking softly but right in front of you with the band off at the side. Very intimate but lacks a certain emotional involvement after a while. Its a similar problem to that of the UM3X IMO. The positioning is also just as described with voices seeming coming from just beyond my forehead. Not that its a bad thing. The tone of the voices seems rather off. AFAIK, much music is composed of harmonics whatever the perceived note is and the harmonics from the K702 are very bright/high-frequency

HD650: Luscious and involving. Its like you're in a restaurant on a date and the singer and the band is right behind you serenading you. You get lost in the setting. Very bass-heavy but somehow I like it for that. Adds emphasis and emotion to the music as well as making the tone sound much more natural. Don't notice much of a veil which I very much did with the IE8s but I guess it was slightly less detailed than the K702, not that it really bothered me. I found myself listening to the HD650s more when I did my A/B comparisons.

HD600: Similar to the HD650 but there's fewer lower register harmonics so the bass is tighter. Similarly involving though although I'd probably echo comments by others on how the HD600 is a tad bit more balanced with the bass not being quite as smooth.

So... now the question is what to actually buy. I like the HD650 and HD600 much more than the K702 but I dunno which one I like better. The HD600 is US$343 and the HD650 is US$464 here. There's a used, no warranty, HD650 circulating for around $300 with new pads but some scratches. Amazon prices are US$300 and $350 respectively and I can get them w/o shipping in Jan but I doubt warranty would be upheld here.

So...
Should I get the HD650 because it gives me more scope to improve and play with?
Is warranty really needed with these Sennheisers?
How much can EQing on the laptop do if I later need to alter the sound sig?

Thanks and sorry for the lousy metaphor.

 

[DarKu]

it seems that you like HD650 the most, go for it then

It's indeed more musical than K701 and with the right cable can outperform K701

 

[feifan]

I agree with DarKu. You seem to have already made up your mind for the HD650 but looking for a push. Re new or used: I'd recommend getting the new cans. With the used, you really don't know what you're going to get. When it comes to head-fi equipment, you don't want to take the box of chocolates approach. If you get a used pair and its defective even slightly, you won't know it unless you have a comparison pair.

On another note -- if you like the HD650 for its darkness and bass and if you haven't tried the Grado GS1000, I'd suggest doing so.

 

[ksu06]

OP, your impressions very much mirror my own, the K701/2 beat the Sennheisers in detail but the Sennheiser sound signature is so much more involving. I chose the HD600 because it had a bit more treble sparkle than the HD650 which I would gladly trade a little bass for (in fact, there are days when I feel like the HD600 bass is still a bit much for certain pieces/songs). If you plan on keeping them for a long time, might as well go new, especially since I understand the newer versions of both the HD600 and HD650 are a bit improved over the older versions.

 

[120717]

Were you wearing the HD600/650 backwards?

 

[A_Dying_Wren]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarKu /img/forum/go_quote.gif it seems that you like HD650 the most, go for it then It's indeed more musical than K701 and with the right cable can outperform K701

Idk... Its not as clear cut as I make it seem in the impressions above. The extra bass is nice at times and not as great with other songs compared to the HD600. Also, female singers almost seem to have a masculine quality to their voice more with the HD650 than HD600. But then again, the lushness...

Quote:

Originally Posted by feifan /img/forum/go_quote.gif I agree with DarKu. You seem to have already made up your mind for the HD650 but looking for a push. Re new or used: I'd recommend getting the new cans. With the used, you really don't know what you're going to get. When it comes to head-fi equipment, you don't want to take the box of chocolates approach. If you get a used pair and its defective even slightly, you won't know it unless you have a comparison pair. On another note -- if you like the HD650 for its darkness and bass and if you haven't tried the Grado GS1000, I'd suggest doing so.

Wow... a thousand bucks for the Grado. Well out of any hypothetical budget I had. I would be able to go personally see the used HD650 before I purchase it though but I agree I probably would not be able to identify any problems on the spot.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ksu06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif OP, your impressions very much mirror my own, the K701/2 beat the Sennheisers in detail but the Sennheiser sound signature is so much more involving. I chose the HD600 because it had a bit more treble sparkle than the HD650 which I would gladly trade a little bass for (in fact, there are days when I feel like the HD600 bass is still a bit much for certain pieces/songs). If you plan on keeping them for a long time, might as well go new, especially since I understand the newer versions of both the HD600 and HD650 are a bit improved over the older versions.

True. I think I need to return to auditioning them with a wider variety of songs. And yea I guess I should go new. Without warranty means its at least 2 years old I believe.

Quote:

Originally Posted by P4Z /img/forum/go_quote.gif Were you wearing the HD600/650 backwards?

Quite sure I wasn't. I didn't note the colors of the connectors but I saw the L and R inscribed on the headphones. If I was, would that have been a huge problem?

Thanks for the replies guys.
Just one thing, is warranty needed? Have there been sob stories on the forums of HD6*0s failing?

 

[Ninkul]

I think i've only heard of a couple of "oh no" stories on the HD6XX.

But.. Nobody can really tell you your preferences. What do you think you'd find more comfortable to listen to in the long run?

 

[momomo6789]

idk how people like hd6x0 bass as far as i could figure out their is non and then sound stage they had no sound stage kinda like grados but without the fun.

 

[xkRoWx]

You should try a Grado.

 

[BigTony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by momomo6789 /img/forum/go_quote.gif idk how people like hd6x0 bass as far as i could figure out their is non and then sound stage they had no sound stage kinda like grados but without the fun.

Couldn't disagree more : - there is nothing in common between the Grado and Sehn sound. the HD650 is a great headphone, very hard to beat for the money, lots of bass, great soundstage, perhaps a little rolled off in the highs, but not too much - and with the right amp they really shine. Grado's on the other hand are pretty much the opposite ; bass light, zero soundstage (its basically jammed in your ears) lots of top end sparkle and zing, and will sound pretty good (and pretty much the same) with minimal amplification.

 

[momomo6789]

every model of grado i have ever heard has had more bass then hd650s. hd650s have zero sound stage as you put it , just like grados . they dont sound the same just saying.

 

[A_Dying_Wren]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ninkul /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think i've only heard of a couple of "oh no" stories on the HD6XX. But.. Nobody can really tell you your preferences. What do you think you'd find more comfortable to listen to in the long run?

The HD6*0 is quite tight but not uncomfortably so. I only wore them for 10 minutes at a time at most though. If its SQ, there's certainly no fatigue with either. Its reassuring to hear I probably won't have problems with these though. Thanks.

I can't say I've tried the Grados but I moved from IEMs to headphones not in the least to get a decent soundstage. As it is, I was sort expecting something bigger than the K702's and the HD650's. I doubt the Grado sound would suit me on that count. Plus the good grados seem to start at rather stratospheric prices. Not particularly looking for more bass than the HD650s.

Is it possible to buy the K702 and EQ in lots of bass without it sounding bad?

 

[loopfreak]

Toss a coin !!!!!!
akg k702 vs hd 650 you cant go wrong

 

[Acix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by loopfreak /img/forum/go_quote.gif Toss a coin !!!!!! akg k702 vs hd 650 you cant go wrong

Both will need a good amp and DAC.

I prefer the K702 more open sound with better resolution and bigger sound stage.

 

[Zai]

For the descriptions you are giving you should review a pair of grados. I own the Hd650, the K701 and RS1. The three are keepers for me but if someone would put a gun on me forcing me to choose i won't blink on getting the RS1s