[Graphicism]

Get the beats, there awesome!

 

[nhancakes]

if you want these headphones to be portable, need noise cancelling(AA batteries required), hold style with fairly high regard(those white ones are cleannn), and mostly listen to hip hop you should get the beats over the senns. If these aren't that important, go for the Senns.

 

[logwed]

If you like the shaking sensation of artificial bass crushing your ears, then the Beats are for you! If you have taste, the HD650s are where it's at.

Find a pair of HD650s at $350, then import your music in lossless. Save the other $350 for a rainy day (or an amp!).

 

[Uncle Erik]

The Beats are awful. I've heard them at BestBuy, the Apple Store and at Monster's table at CanJam. I cannot find a single redeeming quality in the Beats. Scratch that. The people running the table at CanJam were nice, so I like the promoters. Other than that, I can't think of anything nice to say.

I owned the HD-650 for a bit over three years. They're not perfect and you'll find some well-reasoned critiques of them. However, the HD-650 is a terrific headphone with excellent performance top to bottom. I sold mine to finance the HD-800, not because I didn't love them.

The HD-650 will give you a wonderful introduction to audiophile sound. Once you get hooked on that, you'll wonder how you ever managed to listen to anything less.

The Beats, on the other hand, are simply a mass-market product with every bit the appeal of a generic can of beer. Or perhaps malt liquor is a better comparison. Like malt liquor, the Beats have a single-minded purpose: phenomenal amounts of bass. If you choose a beverage based on alcohol content and the ability to get drunk quickly, malt liquor is an excellent choice. If you prefer those attributes to things like taste and presentation, then malt liquor is an excellent choice. On the other hand, if you still want to get intoxicated, but maybe not as quickly, and want to savor the drink, a premium microbrew might be what you're looking for. The HD-650 will give you a flavorful experience - one you can enjoy rather than simply being hit over the head with one aspect.

 

[mudhole]

HD650s are good at SQ, but the beats are good at marketing.

 

[SengChangKo]

I visited the local Apple store during working day/hour in order to test the Beats in quieter environment. I even brought my ibasso D10 and ipod along. The result of the audition was a huge disappointment because I've waited a year and so for the Beats to landed at our shore so I could get one. I'm a designer by myself, Beats design simply captured my eye more than any headphones when it 1st released in the State.

I can't hear anything clearly but bass, everything was covered with bass. Diana Krall voice was covered with bass. It was all about bass. Concentration on bass was way beyond any instruments. It gave me a feeling of the sound effects from the fancy painted/modified cars in Tokyo Drift the movie. My ear canal was full of "Whong Whong" sound after I came out from the Apple store, it was awful, treble experience for me.

I'm sticking to my HD 650!

 

[mercurysquad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif The HD-650 will give you a wonderful introduction to audiophile sound.

 

[thechungster]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mercurysquad /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Wut?

His post makes sense to me?

 

[SengChangKo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mercurysquad /img/forum/go_quote.gif

He is simply asking you to try out the HD 650 if you were to become an Audiophile, prefer the sound of HD 650 or not, it's up to one to decide, we all have different ears.

 

[mercurysquad]

I thought HD 650 was the ultimate (at least from Sennheiser) barring HD 800. If it's an introduction, I might be in the wrong forum :-|

 

[pp312]

I don't think Uncle Erik meant "entry into" as you're reading it. The 650 is good enough to be the Alpha and Omega of audiophile sound for most people.

But of course, not all.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mercurysquad /img/forum/go_quote.gif

There's more to it than just the headphones. The amp and source also play a role - and a very big one - with the HD-650.

I also meant it in the context of the OP. He is still new to Head-Fi, and a HD-650 is a great way to get your feet wet. That's not to say that you can't enjoy it for years and end up building a system around it as a final rig. You also need to explore headphones and listen to others to determine whete your interests truly lie. I started this journey with the HD-650 and it is a terrific starting point. I did not mean to imply that the HD-650 is an entry-level headphone; it is excellent. What I meant to say is that it is a great starting point. If you end up sticking with them for the long term (I kept them for three years) you could make a far worse choice.

 

[mercurysquad]

Hmm. Makes sense.
I have started with HD555

 

[xirxes]

This post is directed towards Uncle Eric, as you seem to be the "old salty" amongst the posters here and from what i can tell you dispense with the smalltalk.

I use my headphones specifically for computer gaming, with computer based music listening as a close second, portable ipod a distant third (rarely). However i appreciate a high quality of sound to be able to distinguish "3D" spacial oriented sounds in game; these subtle sounds give me a competative edge.

I have owned a pair of Sennheiser 280PRO's for a few years and have worn the earpieces off of them. I have been looking for something just recently, and last night ran into the BEATS at Best buy. The setup they have there REALLY impressed me over my Sennheisers, but i hear that is due to their specific setup there at the store. I do have to admit that the noise cancellation is very impressive in my situation, compared to the 280PRO's, and i do find that i enjoy the sound better than the old cans as well.

Long story short, i actually am using the BEATS now, and from what i read they are not the best for the buck, but considering my specific needs, perhaps they are the best option.

My requirements are: Closed Ear setup with noise canceling (i live in small apt. with girl who ALWAYS watches television across room), Good bass and quality mixed high's mid's lows.

I have a high end gaming sound card (Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi), which i believe is still one of the better gaming based cards powering the unit.

What headsets for the same price range (250-300) would you recommend for my specific druthers over the BEATS if any?

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[Drag0n]

The Senn 600/650 are way better than the beats. The only reason why youd ever want the beats over the senns is because of noise cancelling, which is excellent on the beats, but for sound quality, go senn.