[ardilla]

I'm not offended - I just think there is generally so much discussion about the "HD650 CLAMPING" around here, and then there is this very easy fix. I suffered the clamping myself and considered returning the HD650 because of it... Your advice: "Bending them will permanently alter them and should you decide to sell them, it may affect their value" is IMO a bad advice, and I wanted to inform newcomers about the clamping-fix (which is not my fix, people have done this for a long time). Don't bend the plastic - bend the metal.
 
Quote:

Well, looks like I have offended you somehow.  Let me assure you, I was stating my opinion, nothing more.

 

[olor1n]

I find the HD650 to be a perfect fit (about 6 notches out) straight out of the box. No bending required here.
 
Edit:
 
One of my greatest concerns was whether my Audio-GD Fun was adequate to sufficiently drive the HD650. Reading these forums would have you believe that harnessing the power of the Universe was barely enough and anything less was a crime against humanity. I can happily report that the FUN not only has enough power but also seems to have great synergy with the HD650. Running the amp in high gain has comfortable listening position at around 9 o'clock on the volume dial.
 
I'm listening to It's Blitz! by Yeah Yeah Yeahs and it is wonderfully dynamic, with the Fun's amp section seemingly providing huge reserves of power for more congested passages. There's no hint of inadequacy here, nothing so far to indicate there isn't enough to get the HD650 over a particular crest. Moving the volume past 9 o'clock is magic. Audio-GD's renowned neutrality, black background noise, and the earth opamp's high definition is really shining through. It's clean, with no hint of distortion. Soundstage is pretty good too, with certain sounds seemingly originating from beyond my headspace. This is a quality I never noticed in any other headphone in my limited experience. It's clear I've gone the next tier and that there really is great synergy in my chain.
 
I also have the moon opamp which people describe as having a warmer, more tube like sound. Considering the widely stated notion the HD650 pairs well with tube amps, it'll be interesting to see how moon affects the overall presentation. For now though I'm really content with what I'm hearing.

 

[olor1n]

Man I love these headphones.

 

[Brittonal]

I really want to try these out!  Im about to purchase DT880s 600 ohm but heard I may like these as well.  I guess I can return the 880s or trade them if I dont like them after I receive them.

 

[korpijaakko]

I have the MS1i and AD700 with LD MKIII and tomorrow I should be wearing a like-new pair of HD 650. I'll try to post some impressions if I'm bothered.

 

[Blisse]

Did the bending. It feels so much more comfortable now. Had a scary moment for a second.
 
But these sound amazing!

 

[jasonb]

i guess i have a tiny head cause i never had to do any bending. they are snug but not overly tight on my head.
 
they do sound amazing though. i am still loving mine just as much as my first day with them.
 
Quote:

Did the bending. It feels so much more comfortable now. Had a scary moment for a second.
 
But these sound amazing!

 

[logwed]

Quote:

i guess i have a tiny head cause i never had to do any bending. they are snug but not overly tight on my head.
 
they do sound amazing though. i am still loving mine just as much as my first day with them.

They are perfectly tight for me. I hate how so many other headphones (K701, AD700, the list goes on) that have so little clamp that they can easily fall off your head if you lean back. 

 

[sphinxvc]

Hey orol1n, how much did the Fun end up costing you and how long did it take to deliver?  JR has the 650s new for $378 (in store including sales tax), that seems cheaper than anything else online...I may bite the bullet..
 
Then again the V-dac seems worth it too with a dedicated amp.  The Fun seems like a logical place to start but if the V-dac and an amp will end up costing me just $100-150 more, it seems like a no brainer to wait.  

 

[olor1n]

I got the Fun directly from Audio-GD. I opted to go for a pimped out B version (TE7022, DIR9001, WM8741) to save some pennies, as both versions are identical other than the Neutrik locking socket and "higher grade" components used in version A. I also opted to purchase the earth (a must) and moon modules while I was at it. All up it was around $320USD including shipping to Australia, which was pretty damn quick if I remember correctly.
 
Edit: If you don't need the Fun as a preamp and are happy to do away with the hdam tweaks I'd suggest you also look at the Sparrow, or the new NFB11/12 models which have introductory prices at the moment.

 

[disastermouse]

The HD 650 is the first set of headphones that's requiring me to re-examine my music collection.
 
"Did I hear everything in '69 Love Songs'?"  (Even though it's not perfectly produced, it turns out that I didn't.)  "Time to dive back into that one."
 
"I wonder how the xx sound in these cans.  Oh wow!"
 

 

[olor1n]

I'm loath to admit this, as usually I'm a musical snob, but Rihanna sounds amazing through my new setup. I think I've developed a new appreciation lol!
 
On another note, I can't get any work done and I feel like I'm spamming every HD650 related thread instead. Productivity out the window.

 

[sphinxvc]

I think it's a good place to start, especially because I'm not sure whether I'll like a neutral sound more or a warm and the swappable OPA modules provide that flexibility.  For some reason the TE7022's price isn't listed on the site so I just shot off an email to Kingwa for a price quote.  Thanks for the info.
 
Quote:

I got the Fun directly from Audio-GD. I opted to go for a pimped out B version (TE7022, DIR9001, WM8741) to save some pennies, as both versions are identical other than the Neutrik locking socket and "higher grade" components used in version A. I also opted to purchase the earth (a must) and moon modules while I was at it. All up it was around $320USD including shipping to Australia, which was pretty damn quick if I remember correctly.
 
Edit: If you don't need the Fun as a preamp and are happy to do away with the hdam tweaks I'd suggest you also look at the Sparrow, or the new NFB11/12 models which have introductory prices at the moment.

 

 

[olor1n]

FWIW, earth is where it's at. I tried moon last night and found it to be more forward, which was fantastic for guitars, but at the expense of earth's clarity, instrument separation and smoothness. It's worth getting both though for the versatility (when I had the ATH-M50 I preferred it with moon installed as it made it sound less sterile). I kinda wish I'd ordered sun while I was at it.

 

[tnili]

Quote:

I'm not offended - I just think there is generally so much discussion about the "HD650 CLAMPING" around here, and then there is this very easy fix. I suffered the clamping myself and considered returning the HD650 because of it... Your advice: "Bending them will permanently alter them and should you decide to sell them, it may affect their value" is IMO a bad advice, and I wanted to inform newcomers about the clamping-fix (which is not my fix, people have done this for a long time). Don't bend the plastic - bend the metal.
 
Quote:

Well, looks like I have offended you somehow.  Let me assure you, I was stating my opinion, nothing more.

I disagree.  Bending the metal may seem harmless to you but it makes a picky buyer take pause.  They may not believe that the metal will bend back to the original shape and give the same clamping force as a new pair of headphones.