[Shizdan]

As of today i currently own the Hd 650 and D2000. I LOVE both of them

Sen Hd 650
- Has More soundstage and IMO ALOT more sturdier
- The "Dark" Feeling is there.
- BEAUTIFUL design
- These Scream Quality
- takes ALOT of power as my D2000's take very little

D2000
- More noticable Bass
- Bass Has ALOT more noticable impact
- Very Flimsey (As i have already broke a pair)
-Seem to be ALOT brighter and Sound Clearer

Notes
- Had to turn up treble on my control panel to lighten up the 650's
- Bought 8620 Op Amps to get a "brighter" feeling for 650's
- 650's Put D2000 To shame in looks
- Knob on Little Dot is at 80% as the D2000 would Most Likely be at 50-60%

HD 650

D2000

UPDATE 10/24/08
So I have been going back and forth between them for about an hour. I def. like the D2000's better ....seems like their bass has more of an impact and the D2000s seem to be ALOT brighter as well as more clear. Who Knows Maybe the 8610 Op Amps will brighten them up and i will like them more....?

 

[chzplz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shizdan /img/forum/go_quote.gif As of today i currently own the Hd 650 and D2000. I LOVE both of them

Congrats on the new addition to the family! Variety is the spice of bankruptcy.

I'm not sure I'd call the Denons "flimsy" per se- IMO, they're well engineered, very comfortable, and have a relatively high quality feel to them. As I'm learning as we speak, though, a 4mm nut driver and a little loc-tite are necessities. Denon should include them in the box.

Did your op amp switch accomplish your goal with the Senns of brightening them up?

Anyway, glad you're loving both of them -- I'll look forward to hearing your updates as you burn the Senns in.

 

[thatwunguy]

i'd love to own either, especially the d2000.

chzplz, wut do you mean with the 4mm nut driver and loctite? DO the nuts come loose easily?

I'm considering the d2000 for my next purchase.

 

[MatthewK]

Thanks for the pics and mini-review Shizdan.

I've owned the D2000 for a while now, but I just received my HD650 in the mail a couple of days ago. I'm using a Little Dot MKV as you can see in my sig.

Before I ordered the HD650 I ordered the K701. I've already sold the K701, the bass was just completely non-existent to me, even with the Aphex 204's bass boost. I also felt it sounded "plastic-like" and artificial.

So now I've got to decide between the D2000 and HD650. I don't want to keep both, there can be only one. I'm really liking the HD650, but I still enjoy the D2000. This is going to be a very difficult decision for me. It would be much easier if the HD650 had the D2000's bass. That's not to say the HD650 doesn't have a lot of bass though, it's just not quite as much as the D2000.

I imagine the D2000's get some of their bass from being a closed design versus the HD650's open design. My gut feeling is that a closed version of the HD650 would be closer to the D2000 in terms of bass.

I've still got a lot of burn-in to do with the HD650, so I'm waiting on that to make any final decision.

 

[fraseyboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shizdan /img/forum/go_quote.gif - Knob on Little Dot is at 80% as the D2000 would Most Likely be at 50-60%

Wow... Even with my 250 ohm DT880's it rarely goes over 20%.

I guess the iPod doesn't output as much as the TC-7510.

 

[Shizdan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fraseyboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wow... Even with my 250 ohm DT880's it rarely goes over 20%. I guess the iPod doesn't output as much as the TC-7510.

Ipod..?.....I was exaggerating but i just checked and its at 60%...still seems kinda high though

 

[chzplz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thatwunguy /img/forum/go_quote.gif i'd love to own either, especially the d2000. chzplz, wut do you mean with the 4mm nut driver and loctite? DO the nuts come loose easily? I'm considering the d2000 for my next purchase.

TWG-

There are some notoriously crappy build issues with Denons, all of which can be fixed relatively easily, and IMO don't come close to outweighing their A++ SQ (my D5000's w/Markl mods and Blue Dragon recable are my all-time favorite cans, at least at the moment

) There are a bunch of threads about these issues - like this one:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/den...61/index2.html

That thread includes how to fix the problem, as does this one:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/den...-issue-344869/

As stated, I'll live with a screw loose if that's what I've got to do. (OK, fire away, team)

Some have suggested that you can avoid any screw loose problems with dens just by handling them properly. I think I do that; I didn't have a problem until I had them recabled -- maybe one of the screws just wasn't tightened enough on reassembly. Whatever.

 

[Wilashort]

Agreed, the version that i get is fixed in that aspect..... No nut driver or loc-tite are necessary for my pair hehehe.
Quote:

Originally Posted by chzplz /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm not sure I'd call the Denons "flimsy" per se- IMO, they're well engineered, very comfortable, and have a relatively high quality feel to them. As I'm learning as we speak, though, a 4mm nut driver and a little loc-tite are necessities. Denon should include them in the box.

...The nuts (in the interior of the cups) in the mine are insured by a black resin, that prevent that these come out....
Quote:

Originally Posted by thatwunguy /img/forum/go_quote.gif wut do you mean with the 4mm nut driver and loctite? DO the nuts come loose easily? I'm considering the d2000 for my next purchase.

Sold your HD650, they are very slow and dark; are very expensive to "maintain" (to make them sound excellent (to deveil) with recables/balances/amp upgrades, etc), the Denons not. The Denons have excellent bass, more present Highs, very good mids (a very easy mod (and 0 expensive) make they sound more present and much more detailed), excellent image and are much faster. you known the another qualities...
But if you have lots of money to squander/burst* (as a lot of people here *(not very smart IMO)), then keep the Sennheisers and say to the Denons: Hasta la vista baby.
Quote:

Originally Posted by MatthewK /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the pics and mini-review Shizdan. I've owned the D2000 for a while now, but I just received my HD650 in the mail a couple of days ago. I'm using a Little Dot MKV as you can see in my sig. Before I ordered the HD650 I ordered the K701. I've already sold the K701, the bass was just completely non-existent to me, even with the Aphex 204's bass boost. I also felt it sounded "plastic-like" and artificial. So now I've got to decide between the D2000 and HD650. I don't want to keep both, there can be only one. I'm really liking the HD650, but I still enjoy the D2000. This is going to be a very difficult decision for me. It would be much easier if the HD650 had the D2000's bass. That's not to say the HD650 doesn't have a lot of bass though, it's just not quite as much as the D2000. I imagine the D2000's get some of their bass from being a closed design versus the HD650's open design. My gut feeling is that a closed version of the HD650 would be closer to the D2000 in terms of bass. I've still got a lot of burn-in to do with the HD650, so I'm waiting on that to make any final decision.

Fortunarelly, i don't have these issues....
Quote:

Originally Posted by chzplz /img/forum/go_quote.gif TWG- There are some notoriously crappy build issues with Denons, all of which can be fixed relatively easily, and IMO don't come close to outweighing their A++ SQ (my D5000's w/Markl mods and Blue Dragon recable are my all-time favorite cans, at least at the moment ) There are a bunch of threads about these issues - like this one: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/den...61/index2.html That thread includes how to fix the problem, as does this one: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/den...-issue-344869/ As stated, I'll live with a screw loose if that's what I've got to do. (OK, fire away, team) Some have suggested that you can avoid any screw loose problems with dens just by handling them properly. I think I do that; I didn't have a problem until I had them recabled -- maybe one of the screws just wasn't tightened enough on reassembly. Whatever.

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shizdan /img/forum/go_quote.gif As of today i currently own the Hd 650 and D2000. I LOVE both of them Sen Hd 650 - Has More soundsatge and IMO ALOT more sturdier - The "Dark" Feeling is there. - BEAUTIFUL design - These Scream Quality - takes ALOT of power as my D2000's take very little D2000 - More noticable Bass - bass Has ALOT more noticable impact - Very Flimsey (As i have already broke a pair Notes - Had to turn up treble on my control panel to lighten up the 650's - Bought 8620 Op Amps to get a "brighter" feeling for 650's - 650's Put D2000 To shame in looks - Knob on Little Dot is at 80% as the D2000 would Most Likely be at 50-60% HD 650

You should note...

... that your HD650s are the "old" version of these phones (with the black silk material covering the driver/element frame baffles).

They do not sound as fast, bright and clear as the "new" version of these phones (with the white/silver metalic material covering the driver/element frame baffles) - even with custom cables, and the best amps.

The "new" version of the HD580/600/650s sound much brighter, faster, and clearer, much like the D2000/D5000s. Though they're bass is somewhat tighter, faster, and more controlled than the "old" version - not quite as "boomy," as either the Denons, or the "old" version of the HD650s.

The "new" version of the HD580/600/650s certainly rival, or exceed, the sound quality of the Denons when driven by a good source and amp. They sound much better than the "old" version of the Senns - unless you prefer a dark, slow sound with "boomy" bass.

 

[Golden Monkey]

What makes you think they are the old version? It may just be the lighting...they look like the new ones to me...

I owned both, loved both, but in the end went solely with the HD650...congrats, they are both fantastic phones. They are similar in a lot of ways, SQ-wise, but have such different requirements...I went with a tube amp and sold my SS amp, and the Denons just didn't sound as good, whle the Senns went to a whole new level, so they were the keepers for me.

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Golden Monkey /img/forum/go_quote.gif What makes you think they are the old version? It may just be the lighting...they look like the new ones to me... I owned both, loved both, but in the end went solely with the HD650...congrats, they are both fantastic phones. They are similar in a lot of ways, SQ-wise, but have such different requirements...I went with a tube amp and sold my SS amp, and the Denons just didn't sound as good, whle the Senns went to a whole new level, so they were the keepers for me.

They have black silk fabric covering the driver housing baffles. You can see it through the screens - its very evident, if its white/silver color, rather than black.

If they were the "new" version, they would have white/silver metalic fabric covering the baffles in the driver housing.

At least that's how it appears from the pictures.

But... there's an even better way to tell the difference. If they actually bounce (move) on your head, when they hit high impact bass and mid-bass notes, and they seem to temper the upper mids and highs a bit (sound just a hair muffled and dark) - they're the "old" version.

 

[Golden Monkey]

It's hard to tell either way from the pics, that's a given, but that one pic where they are in his hands, you can sorta see "lightness" through the holes...

...Shizdan, can you find any date of manufacture info on the labels on the corrugated box?...uh oh...wait...you only have one sticker on there (the UPC code one...). There should be another white sticker with a long number...can you tell us where you got these? The other label I'm talking about is the number Senn uses to track a phone's history. Common practice amongst online sellers is to buy refurbs and sell them as new, and remove this sticker so that Senn can't tell where they got them from. Happened to me with a set of 650's I bought from Sarjo Distributions on Amazon (also DBA as Glicco). Turned out to be defective, and they lied about being authorized dealers in the first place. Ripoff artists...

 

[krmathis]

Congratulations!

Nice pair of headphones you got there. Not my favorites, but we all have different preferences...

 

[Golden Monkey]

We can't all have K1000's! Lol...not that I wouldn't mind a set of those bad boys...that might just convert me to an AKG lover...

 

[jantze]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shizdan /img/forum/go_quote.gif As of today i currently own the Hd 650 and D2000. I LOVE both of them Sen Hd 650 - Has More soundsatge and IMO ALOT more sturdier - The "Dark" Feeling is there. - BEAUTIFUL design - These Scream Quality - takes ALOT of power as my D2000's take very little D2000 - More noticable Bass - bass Has ALOT more noticable impact - Very Flimsey (As i have already broke a pair Notes - Had to turn up treble on my control panel to lighten up the 650's - Bought 8620 Op Amps to get a "brighter" feeling for 650's - 650's Put D2000 To shame in looks - Knob on Little Dot is at 80% as the D2000 would Most Likely be at 50-60%

Excellent choices! Now go and mod those headphones