[CanadianMaestro]

  ^^^^
Could be the amp?  
 
I experienced horrid nasty muddy bloated distorted HD650 bass with the garbage HiFiman EF2A amp even at low volume.
 
Music came to life with the NuForce HA-200 and even better now with the balanced Bryston BHA-1.
 
Mike

You've got gumption, that's for sure, and cut to the chase quickly. That's more like it!
 
Prosit,

 

[SomeGuyDude]

It's gotta be the amp. Even if I turn mine up enough that I can use them as desktop speakers the bass isn't distorting. 

 

[whirlwind]

  Yeah I'm looking into amps. I only have an Xonar Essence STX at the moment. Wonder how that will be...

It is pretty good....give it a go and see what you think.

 

[castleofargh]

  It's gotta be the amp. Even if I turn mine up enough that I can use them as desktop speakers the bass isn't distorting. 

I was thinking of a really wrong gain setting, but I don't know the amp or if there is even a gain setting he can change.

 

[connieflyer]

  Yeah I'm looking into amps. I only have an Xonar Essence STX at the moment. Wonder how that will be...

I am currently using the stx as well, I tried swapping op amps several times to little improvement.  Now using the optical out put thru an Emotiva xdr-2 Dac and then through the Project Ember.  It is several magnitudes above the stx alone with the 650's.  I am on my second pair of 650's and they sound amazing with the dual 7193 single triode arrangement.  I am done with amping until I get a Zana Duex..http://www.eddiecurrent.com/ZD.html then maybe the hd 800's, but with the ZD I am pretty sure I will not need the 800's.

 

[magnum703]

 
I am currently using the stx as well, I tried swapping op amps several times to little improvement.  Now using the optical out put thru an Emotiva xdr-2 Dac and then through the Project Ember.  It is several magnitudes above the stx alone with the 650's.  I am on my second pair of 650's and they sound amazing with the dual 7193 single triode arrangement.  I am done with amping until I get a Zana Duex..http://www.eddiecurrent.com/ZD.html then maybe the hd 800's, but with the ZD I am pretty sure I will not need the 800's.

I'm thinking of getting the Marantz HD-DAC1 for my HD650 instead of separately buying dac/amp

 

[connieflyer]

Should be a good choice, reading this review on amazon,  I would be concerned about the rca line level input if it applies to you.....
Long Version: I bought the DAC1 to replace two boxes in my best stereo/TV system, an Arcam rDAC-kw (rDAC) and a simple stereo receiver which only provided headphone functionality. My integrated amplifier is analog-only and does not have a headphone jack. When the DAC1 arrived, however, I tried it with my secondary stereo/TV system. Playing the cable box thru HDMI to the Samsung plasma TV (model PN51F5300B, purchased this August) and thru optical cable into the DAC1, I noticed regular popping sounds very similar to the sound from an old vinyl record with a scratch on it. Testing ruled out bad cables, long signal paths, and TV or cable box settings (please use plain PCM stereo, uncompressed). The DAC1 worked fine with the Sony TV in my best system; no pops. Conclusion: The DAC1 is intolerant of something in this particular Samsung TV's signal. This was confirmed when I used the rDAC in its place. The sound is pop-free. Score one for Arcam! This Samsung model has factory fresh software, is totally "dumb", cannot be connected to the internet, and Samsung refused to send me a USB stick with a software update. Since the rDAC works fine with it, I'm OK. Time will tell if other users see this problem. (Try a software update of the TV if you do.) Since I hear similar pops when I pause or fast forward my DVR, my hunch is that the circuits for signal drop out and reacquisition are somehow in play when processing the Samsung's signals.
The second issue is that the DAC1's analog input expects a low level input (from a smartphone or portable player), and the headphone output is distorted when connected with my amp's "Line Out". I bought a "remote level control" from an auto stereo store, two male-to-male RCA couplers, and an RCA to 3.5mm adapter plug to get this connection working. Total extra cost, $40. Other headphone amplifiers out there have much better connectivity with amps. This is a design flaw in my opinion. Valuable real estate on the back panel that could have been used for RCA inputs rigged to accept amplifier level input was instead used for a Marantz external remote control hookup. This connection can only be of value for die-hard Marantz groupies or Marantz corporate executives showing off the DAC1 to big-money stockholders at a cocktail party. The Marantz design engineers missed on this issue, (or got overruled by their bosses).
The sound from the DAC1 is wonderful. I prefer it to the rDAC as the DAC1 has slightly stronger bass. I prefer my Primare CD player's sound to having it's digital output played through the DAC1, but there is no shame in that. Average quality CD players and probably 90% of blu-ray players playing CDs will see greatly improved sound with the DAC1 doing the conversion to analog. Ripping CD's to a computer and playing that through the DAC1 might perform even better, but I will leave the DAC1's performance with computers for others to evaluate.
Bottom line. The great sound of the HD-DAC1 outweighs the connectivity design flaws and hopefully rare source signal quality intolerance issues described above. I am happy with this machine.

 

[magnum703]

For me it's coming from my computer. I also have an Asus xonar stx. Seeing that I'm a newb, I wonder if it's a good idea to do this: Xonar stx>Marantz hd dac1>hd650.
 
It's funny that this started when I was trying to find a NC headset to cancel out my newborn's cries. Now it's all out lol

 

[DDDamian]

In da house.....
 

 

[Rdrcr]

^^^^
Congrats!  Love mine!  I run it with the HD650's fully balanced.  Great sound.
 
Quote:

  You've got gumption, that's for sure, and cut to the chase quickly. That's more like it!
 
Prosit,

 

 
Mike

 

[CanadianMaestro]

  In da house.....
 

 
 

   

 
Mike

 
 
The Earth is rumbling today.
 
The Club expands.
 

 

[DDDamian]

   

 
Mike

 
Thanks Mike! Can't wait for the cables to come in to go balanced with the 650!

   
 
 
 
The Earth is rumbling today.
 
The Club expands.
 

Boom boom
 
Starting off with: Foobar>ASIO>Teac UD-501>Solid silver RCA>BHA-1>Moon Audio BD balanced XLR>LCD2.2(pre-fazor). Told ya' I'd put that BD to use soon Maestro
 
Got two sets of balanced cables inbound for the HD-800, one for the HD-650, and a set of balanced XLR interconnects coming. Then it's fully balanced all the way....
 
Then there's one more purchase: a Bottlehead Mainline for a winter-build. Then that's IT. Done. No more!!!!!!!!

 

[CanadianMaestro]

More famous last words on Head-Fi.....

 
So how do your LCD-2.2's sound balanced from BHA-1?

 

[DDDamian]

  More famous last words on Head-Fi.....

 
So how do your LCD-2.2's sound balanced from BHA-1?

In an icon: 

!
 
The closest I can compare to is the BH Sex. Great dynamics, clearly controlled and powerful, seems as flat and neutral as can be with nothing masked or dulled. Compared to my other SS amp (Gustard H-10) it is much less warm, which with the LCD's or the 650's will be a huge plus. Haven't tried the HD-800's yet. It's very lively and all the PRaT shines through and as mentioned the FR is as close to neutral as anything else I've heard. Soundstage is wider than the Sex, although the Sex has just a little more dynamics in terms of the way certain sounds (I always zone in on guitar plucks) reverberate and decay just the way they should. Must be the tube effect.
 
Sorry for the scattered impressions - that's what just rolled off the tongue lol. And that is with SE RCA's between DAC and amp.
 
Next in is the 650, single-ended for now.....

 

[Music Path]

HD650 is the only headphone I know for sure I never will sell. If my HD650 ever breaks I will just buy a new one because I know Sennheiser will never stop producing them. They are not perfect but i have never heard perfect headphones and I doubt anyone else has.

+1 You can just replace the brooken parts like in a car.
This HP and the HD600 dont have planned oblescense like many electronic gear for consumerism.
They really made something to last, no advartisements needed.