[Sonnycz]

I am not typical headphone user. I listen music from speakers but I am forced to use headphones after 10 pm.
 
My build: PC -> Asus Xonar DX -> audio receiver Yamaha RX-V473 -> speakers/headphones
 
So in the night time I've been listening through HD650 but there's something I don't like about them and I am sure there are headphones within the same price range that can perform more according to my audio preferences. Here are points of my impressions of them in general:
 
Overall the sound is too 'warm', 'laid-back', 'dark'
They almost make me fall asleep
Bass is good and strong but i think not too dynamic and little ''lazy'' maybe
Mids are good but too laid-back
Highs are there but they don't have too much space left thanks to mids and bass taking the most for themselves
I need some more 'energetic' headphones
 
So I am asking for help with buying some headphones at the same level of quality but more fitting for me. Please !

 

[donunus]

get some orthos like some he400is. They may suit you better based on your complaints about the hd650 sound

 

[theworstguy]

I'd give the Alpha Dogs a try

 

[monkeysixtysix]

How much are you looking to spend?

 

[inthere]

You need a headphone amp or DAC or both. HD 650's don't shine without a nice amp. 
 
The Aune T1 MK2 is both for about $165. 
 
I also don't like the sound of the HD650's though. But be aware that the only headphones that will sound better than the HD 650's will also need a separate amp/DAC combo.

 

[Sonnycz]

Thanks! They both cost more than what I got hd650 for. But if I get rid of them, I can lift the price limit up. I've owned them for about 2 years. The total time used is about 500 hours I estimate. They're in perfect state with original boxing. How much do I have a chance to sell them for ?
 
monkey: 250$ - 500$ depending on how much I get for the previous headphones .
 
inthere: I was afraid of that answer . So far I didn't even bother to look what DAC/amp is. I just thought that plugging the headphones into my AV receiver is sufficient. So if I get what you suggested to me, it will become a new link in the chain between the receiver and headphones ?

 

[inthere]

No, the Aune T1 mk2 will connect directly to your PC via a USB cable that comes with it. It replaces both your receiver and your Xonar DX and you can plug your headphones directly into it. 

 

[Sonnycz]

So you think that my current setup is not good enough for such headphones ?

 

[inthere]

not that it's not good enough but they don't really drive 650's to their potential, I had the same problem years ago before i bought my 1st headphone amp.

 

[LNCPapa]

I think the headphone out on your receiver is not doing the 650s any justice.  None of my cans sound great out of my Onkyo or Pioneer Elite receivers and it's night and day when running out of my headphone amp/dac.

 

[cel4145]

I think the headphone out on your receiver is not doing the 650s any justice.  None of my cans sound great out of my Onkyo or Pioneer Elite receivers and it's night and day when running out of my headphone amp/dac.

Could be. The headphone output on some receivers is not very good. Since the Yamaha RX-V473 is Yamahas budget/entry level line, I wouldn't have high expectations for it's headphone output.

 

[Me x3]

Could be. The headphone output on some receivers is not very good. Since the Yamaha RX-V473 is Yamahas budget/entry level line, I wouldn't have high expectations for it's headphone output.

Spot on!
 
The headphone out on many entry level receivers have a really high output impedance (even 500 Ohm in some cases)
 
The impedance of the HD650 is far from flat, it goes up to 510 Ohm around 90Hz. Here you can see a plot:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/SennheiserHD650.pdf
 
When you plug a headphone like the HD650 into an amp with really high output impedance (let's say 500 Ohm) the result is a noticeable boost in the frequency response in that part of the spectrum where the impedance of the headphone is higher.
 
So, for HD650 you get a big boost centered close to 90Hz.
Being a really warm and darkish headphone, the last thing HD650 needs is a boost in the mid bass, and it's easy to understand why you don't like the sound you're getting.
 
If you want to keep the headphone, a neutral amp with relatively low output impedance (less than 30 Ohm) would be a very nice addition to your rig. Even a tiny Fiio E10K (DAC/Amp) should work much better than the receiver.
 
If you want a radically different sound and want to keep plugging the headphone into the receiver, then you might consider the the Beyerdynamic DT880.
DT880s have less bass than HD650, so a boost in the bass won't be as troubling, and it's a much brighter headphone.
 
Haven't got a chance to try a planar headphone plugged into my Yamaha A-S500 (high output impedance), high output impedance and low impedance headphones is not a good idea. Planar magnetic headphones have a flat impedance across the spectrum, so you won't have boosted frequencies using a planar headphone but there are other technical cons of having a poor damping factor.
 
Hope this helps!
 
Me x3

 

[Sonnycz]

Yes , keeping the sound card + receiver setup would be nice since I use it majority of time and I don't find necessary buying extra equipment just for some couple hours of night listening. I understand that for good headphones a special amp is ideal but right at this moment I am only looking for different sound of headphones itself. I'll be concidering the extra parts later.
 
So DT880 you say. Sounds like a good option. Do you mean the Pro version with 250 ohm ?

 

[Music Alchemist]

The DT 880 sounded far more boring than the HD 650 to me, though it was significantly brighter. I like the HE-400i a little more than the HD 650, and the Focal Spirit Professional more than all of them. However, even the FSP is still too dark for me, because I want a headphone as close to neutral as possible. The HE-400i and FSP definitely sound more energetic than the other two. Honorable mention: Sony MDR-7506. I paid $85 for it and like it more than the HD 700. lol. But both of those are a little bright.

 

[Me x3]

  Yes , keeping the sound card + receiver setup would be nice since I use it majority of time and I don't find necessary buying extra equipment just for some couple hours of night listening. I understand that for good headphones a special amp is ideal but right at this moment I am only looking for different sound of headphones itself. I'll be concidering the extra parts later.
 
So DT880 you say. Sounds like a good option. Do you mean the Pro version with 250 ohm ?

 
I've tried the DT880 250 Ohm version. If you don't listen to music at really high levels, the DT880 600 Ohm version would be an even better pick.
 
The 250 Ohm Pro version is normally better value for the money. If you can live with the coiled cable, then you are in for a treat.
 
The Beyer is also more sturdy than the Senn.