new HD650 trounces old HD650?
Oct 24, 2008 at 3:36 PM Post #46 of 64
All of you who are wondering what kind of differences there are between the new and old model, please check out those two threads I linked earlier in this thread. Everything is explained there. It's useless to repeat the same discussion in this thread.
 
Oct 24, 2008 at 4:36 PM Post #48 of 64
Yes... I agree... I doubt the "new" version of the HD580/600s that I have, sounded identical to the "new" version of the HD650s I had... just solely as the result of both units having the newer "white/silver fabric" covering the driver baffles.

I suspect the units I have/had had identical drivers - whether both were HD580/600 drivers, or both were HD650s drivers - I have no idea.

But, I suspect both had the "new" version HD580/600 drivers, because the bass did not cause the phone housing to actually bounce on my head, as the "old" version of the HD650 drivers did. Though, I suppose Senn could have updated the HD650 drivers to eliminate the "veil" and just put "new" version HD650 drivers in both my phones.

Who knows... but... it makes no difference to me - they just sound so much better than the "old" version HD650s (unless you like the darker, slower, more viceral sound of the "old" version).
 
Oct 24, 2008 at 5:52 PM Post #49 of 64
Count me in on this, there's a totally obvious difference between "old" and "new" HD650. No imagination, no voodoo, not a chance, a friend of mine agreed with me on this. I used to own the 2004 version of the HD650 and compared to my friend's newer HD650 (I guess '06) version. In comparison, my old one sounded really dull and slow, the newer one obviously clearer and more lively. If I hadn't known better, I could have mistaken the new HD650 for totally different model.
I agree in that the new HD650 version isn't really veiled, it's in fact more forward than the L3000!
Altough I can't find any reason to prefer the HD650 over the L3000, the L3000's bass is just a few notches better and it's more coherent and believable sounding, especially soundstage-wise. But that's another story. Bottom line: yes, Sennheiser must have changed something in the HD650 production and as far as I recall, it could even be as far back as 2006.
 
Oct 25, 2008 at 3:22 PM Post #51 of 64
Quote:

Originally Posted by big-ban /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Count me in on this, there's a totally obvious difference between "old" and "new" HD650. No imagination, no voodoo, not a chance, a friend of mine agreed with me on this. I used to own the 2004 version of the HD650 and compared to my friend's newer HD650 (I guess '06) version. In comparison, my old one sounded really dull and slow, the newer one obviously clearer and more lively. If I hadn't known better, I could have mistaken the new HD650 for totally different model.
Sennheiser must have changed something in the HD650 production and as far as I recall, it could even be as far back as 2006.



Hello Ben.
Yes, that's a fact. Your HD650 was easily distinguishable from mine as it sounded a lot more veiled.
I just looked up when I bought my HD650 and it was in late 2005 (Dec 27th).
One notable thing though is that my HD650 does NOT have this bright metallic mesh that the presumably revised version is supposed to have.
Mine contains this almost black and silk like material.
That leaves me a little confused.
Either the kind of mesh used is not a reliable indicator of the old 'veiled' and the new 'brighter' version or there are at least three different versions out there.
 
Oct 25, 2008 at 4:18 PM Post #52 of 64
Three version ?What can be the third version >>
mystery to be solved
biggrin.gif
 
Oct 25, 2008 at 4:21 PM Post #53 of 64
OK, so the new HD650 sounds like the old HD600, I assume. Then, what does the new HD600 sound like? I didn't like the old HD650's at all, and prefered the old HD600's to them, while I prefered the DT880 Pro's to both. Just wanna know - does it make sense to buy any new Sennheiser and which one?
 
Oct 25, 2008 at 4:49 PM Post #55 of 64
Well, I don't know how many different kinds of HD 650s exist. And I never tried the HD 600 so I cannot comment on this one.
But all I know is that some headphone geeks claim that there is an old and a new version of the HD 650 and that the old sounds darker, duller and in some way veiled compared to its successor. Following the threads on this topic it seems that the only apparent difference between the two is the kind of mesh that has been used around the driver: the old version is supposed to have the dark silk like stuff while the new one has this bright metallic thingy.
Ok, but now my HD 650 has the dark mesh and sounds brighter than another HD 650 nevertheless. So now what kind of HD 650 is this?
But maybe all the differences people recognize are simply due to manufacturing tolerance - though this would be way too much tolerance in my opinion.
 
Oct 25, 2008 at 4:50 PM Post #56 of 64
Quote:

Originally Posted by Audio-Omega /img/forum/go_quote.gif
big-ban / Sisyphos, what cable did you use to compare the new and the old ? Stock cable ?


Stock cable on both.
 
Oct 25, 2008 at 5:07 PM Post #57 of 64
Quote:

Originally Posted by Sisyphos /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Well, I don't know how many different kinds of HD 650s exist. And I never tried the HD 600 so I cannot comment on this one.
But all I know is that some headphone geeks claim that there is an old and a new version of the HD 650 and that the old sounds darker, duller and in some way veiled compared to its successor. Following the threads on this topic it seems that the only apparent difference between the two is the kind of mesh that has been used around the driver: the old version is supposed to have the dark silk like stuff while the new one has this bright metallic thingy.
Ok, but now my HD 650 has the dark mesh and sounds brighter than another HD 650 nevertheless. So now what kind of HD 650 is this?
But maybe all the differences people recognize are simply due to manufacturing tolerance.


You are not alone with that observation. A while ago, sacd lover commented on 3 old (black screen, same year) versions he had, one of which was noticeably darker and veiled comparing to others. Quite a few people who had a chance audition both could not hear any difference between theirs old HD650 and white screened ones.
Does it mean production variations or lousy QC, I have no idea. But the fact that some find new HD650 sound identically to HD600 bothers me.
Guess suspicions raised in this thread might have some foundation
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/hd6...rivers-253519/
 
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