[ButtUglyJeff]

  How does the HD650 fare with the WA6SE/WA2? Planning to add a tube amplifier to my setup soon to go with the HD800 that I'm buying later this year, but I'm (naturally) keeping the 650's as well.

 
For the HD650 I'd go right t0 the WA6 or WA6se over the the WA2.  The WA2 if far too warm/gooey for the laid back HD650.  Now if you were asking about the HD800, my answer would be reversed...

 

[cuiter23]

   

 
that's like comparing oranges to airplanes. I've owned all the Shures up to the SE535s. I've only kept the 215s and got them shelled so I can throw them around on stage.

 

[crafft]

HD650 and HDDAC1 are a great combo!

I guess all top Senns pair well with the HD DAC1
As I no longer have the 650's I'm now using the HD600 with this amp/dac.....enjoying my music

 

[donlin]

Updated List of phones I have owned or auditioned in my own system over the past 25 years that I eventually found musically inferior to the HD650's and now no longer own:
Grado: HP-2, RS-1, PS-1, PS-1000, PS-500e, GS-1000, GH-1
Denon 7000
Fostex TH-900
HiFiMan: HE-500, HE-560
Audeze: LCD2.2, LCD3(prefazor) LCD-X
Sennheiser: HD580, HD600, HD800 (twice)
Stax 007mk2
Some awful Ultrasone Edition model
Oppo HP-1
Sony current top model
AKG 701

 

[CanadianMaestro]

Updated List of phones I have owned or auditioned in my own system over the past 25 years that I eventually found musically inferior to the HD650's and now no longer own:
Grado: HP-2, RS-1, PS-1, PS-1000, PS-500e, GS-1000, GH-1
Denon 7000
Fostex TH-900
HiFiMan: HE-500, HE-560
Audeze: LCD2.2, LCD3(prefazor) LCD-X
 

The PS1000 and HE560 really inferior? That bad?

 

[donlin]

The PS1000 and HE560 really inferior? That bad?

They're not all "bad", just not good enough to keep. The PS1000 was an exciting but strange sounding phone. I didn't like HE-560 at all, thin, harsh and very uncomfortable for larger heads.

I'd say the worst of the bunch were the Ultrasone, Oppo and AKG.

 

[masterfuu]

They're not all "bad", just not good enough to keep. The PS1000 was an exciting but strange sounding phone. I didn't like HE-560 at all, thin, harsh and very uncomfortable for larger heads.

I'd say the worst of the bunch were the Ultrasone, Oppo and AKG.

What amp do you use for hd650?

 

[donlin]

What amp do you use for hd650?

Current favorite is the Oppo HA-1.

 

[pdferguson]

Current favorite is the Oppo HA-1.

Are you running balanced or unbalanced?
 
Also, given your list of headphones, what other amps/DACs have you tried the 650's with? 
 
Thanks

 

[donlin]

Are you running balanced or unbalanced?

 
Also, given your list of headphones, what other amps/DACs have you tried the 650's with? 

Thanks

Yes, balanced. I've owned three different HD650's since it first came out 11 or 12 years ago so there have been many different amps and CD players (don't use a dac). Some recent favorites were the Sennheiser HDVA 600, Bryston BHA-1, Schitt Mjolnir, Cary HH-1 and Musical Fidelity MX-HPA.

 

[donlin]

I'm pretty sure the amp I owned the day I bought my first HD650 was the Headroom Max.

 

[CanadianMaestro]

Yes, balanced. I've owned three different HD650's since it first came out 11 or 12 years ago so there have been many different amps and CD players (don't use a dac). Some recent favorites were the Sennheiser HDVA 600, Bryston BHA-1, ......

Love my BHA-1 with 650. A real synergy. Think Torvill and Dean, Virtue and Moir, Montana and Rice, Gretzky and Messier. 

 

[connieflyer]

Watched the performance with Torvill and Dean in the Olympics, fantastic routines, flawless!

 

[CanadianMaestro]

  Watched the performance with Torvill and Dean in the Olympics, fantastic routines, flawless!

Yes indeed, that is still my reference for dance. More recently, I really like Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, they remind me soooo much of T & D. They got Gold at Vancouver by skating to Mahler's beautiful Adagietto of Symph #5. Wow.
 
 

 

[connieflyer]

Watched that the other day, great routine, but T&D were so good, I find myself comparing to the competition, for me, it was the way they extended themselves into the music, and just became one performance.  So many skaters I have seen have great technical merit, but their choice of music is not even close to there routine.  That is where the "skate to the music" drives me away from some great performances.  If they are not in touch with the music it shows.  Watching Tessa Virtue, at the end of the performance she knew she nailed it, you could she her mouth the word "YES"!  Loved it.