[CanadianMaestro]

Jazz to chill to:  Marcin Wasilewski trio, Steve Kuhn trio, Harlaa Quintet.
Amazing sounds on floor system and HPs.

 

[zsejk]

Cool, glad you like it. The only other jazz album I have is Kind of Blue by Miles Davis on vinyl which also sounds great. I'm mostly a classic rock with some prog kind of guy. If you want to check out something different that sounds awesome, try Buena Vista Social Club. It's Ry Cooder playing with old Cuban musicians. Very 3 dimensional sounding. For rock/prog, check out anything by Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree.

I've been doing the same thing with the 45 rpm anniversary edition of The Yes Album. Since I got it last week, I must have spun it like 20 times lol. Can't believe how good it sounds. If you're a Yes fan with a decent turntable, just get it, it's that good...

 
I have that Miles Davis album on vinyl as well (probably everyone has that album... haha), sounds pretty good. Wasn't smacked around the brain with it the way the "Jazz at the Pawnshop" album did yesterday, but impressive nonetheless (through some JBL 4312 speakers I managed to find, so good with pretty much all music coming from my record player).
 

 
I actually got the Buena Vista Social Club CD when it came out, maybe I should track it down and dust it off.
 

 
Any special edition of it which you would recommend, or just the standard CD is already fine?
 
 

  Jazz to chill to:  Marcin Wasilewski trio, Steve Kuhn trio, Harlaa Quintet.
Amazing sounds on floor system and HPs.

 
Thanks @CanadianMaestro! I will track these down and try them out as well.
 
The HD650's are like the gift that keep on giving...
 

 

[SirMarc]

I have that Miles Davis album on vinyl as well (probably everyone has that album... haha), sounds pretty good. Wasn't smacked around the brain with it the way the "Jazz at the Pawnshop" album did yesterday, but impressive nonetheless (through some JBL 4312 speakers I managed to find, so good with pretty much all music coming from my record player).



I actually got the Buena Vista Social Club CD when it came out, maybe I should track it down and dust it off.



Any special edition of it which you would recommend, or just the standard CD is already fine?



Thanks @CanadianMaestro
! I will track these down and try them out as well.

The HD650's are like the gift that keep on giving...

I have it on vinyl, and it sounds really, really good. It should smack you around a little lol

 

[bronzboy]

Hey Bonobo Loco:
 
I'm using my HD650 with a Schiit Bifrost multi-bit DAC (USB connection to my computer) and Schiit an Asgard 2 amp.  The amp is solid state but is warm and sounds way above it's price.  Check out their website.  They definitely focus on bang-for-your-buck products; Schiit also has a 15-day return policy.

 

[CanadianMaestro]

  Hey Bonobo Loco:
 
The amp is solid state but is warm.... 

So, SS amps are generally bright? Which ones have you heard? 
Just curious. Saturday morning entertainment.
 

 

[disastermouse]

 
You'll regret selling it,  down the line.
 
Poll: I haven't sold mine -- yet.

I have multipule resistance settings for the output on my Polaris. Do you think it'd benefit from a higher resistance setting? The BiMBy and Polaris have transformed my HE-500 but they're not doing the same thing for my HD650.

 

[CanadianMaestro]

 
I have multipule resistance settings for the output on my Polaris. Do you think it'd benefit from a higher resistance setting? The BiMBy and Polaris have transformed my HE-500 but they're not doing the same thing for my HD650.

Toy with settings. That's the fun of it.  I use output-R on middle or low setting.

 

[disastermouse]

 
Toy with settings. That's the fun of it.  I use output-R on middle or low setting.

I was using low. I think the attenuator was set to off too, because the HD650 don't need to be darkened at all (I have a pre-2010 version).

 

[CanadianMaestro]

 
I was using low. I think the attenuator was set to off too, because the HD650 don't need to be darkened at all (I have a pre-2010 version).

so what's wrong with the 650's sound on your settings? Maybe it's the music file (not good?) or the source (player)?
Bandwidth should be on wide.
 
What were you hoping to "transform" the 650 into? An HE500?  No way. Just sayin'.
 
cheers

 

[disastermouse]

 
so what's wrong with the 650's sound on your settings? Maybe it's the music file (not good?) or the source (player)?
Bandwidth should be on wide.
 
What were you hoping to "transform" the 650 into? An HE500?  No way. Just sayin'.
 
cheers

Naw, stuff that sounds awesome on the HE-500 just don't sound much different on the new DAC and amp with the HD650.

 

[bronzboy]

  So, SS amps are generally bright? Which ones have you heard? 
Just curious. Saturday morning entertainment.
 

As far as solid state goes, every integrated amp, stereo and audio/receiver I've ever owned has been SS.  As far as headphone amps, in addition to the Asgard 2, I have a Musical Fidelity X-Can and a Little Dot Mk III (tube).

 

[hoodoovoodoo]

Just got mine a few weeks ago and I couldn't be happier!

 

[raybone0566]

Naw, stuff that sounds awesome on the HE-500 just don't sound much different on the new DAC and amp with the HD650.

When I received my bimby improvements were more noticable on my planar's than dynamic phones. They still all sound fantastic.

 

[knorris908]

Hey Bonobo Loco:

I'm using my HD650 with a Schiit Bifrost multi-bit DAC (USB connection to my computer) and Schiit an Asgard 2 amp.  The amp is solid state but is warm and sounds way above it's price.  Check out their website.  They definitely focus on bang-for-your-buck products; Schiit also has a 15-day return policy.

Seconding the recommendations for the ASGARD2. Love it with my HD-650, HD-800, & Beyerdynamics T1ver2 via Foobar Into either iFi iDSD Micro, or sometimes just using my FIIO e17 as DAC. I've also direct-connected my iBASSO DX90 to my ASGARD2, and don't feel like I lose much I terms of detail. Especially with the HD-650s. They smooth everything juuuust enough to sound musical, but not muddy when you toss enough voltage their way. I guess detail-fanatics could call that "veil", but to me, the veil is when they don't receive enough voltage. HI-gain on the ASGARD 2 may not allow for a silent noise floor, but tightens and clears up the bass & highs respectively enough that I'm happy with the compromise. In LOW-gain, my ASGARD2 isn't any better than my iFi iDSD, which is still great. The iFi iCAN is slightly better as well. But the ASGARD2 in HI-gain is what I consider the cusp of encroaching on thousand, or even multi-thousand dollar amp sound quality.

Solid state wise, anyway. Still looking for a good, pre-assembled Bottlehead Crack. (I have ZERO patience for DIY, or I would have picked up a kit straight-away.). I'm curious to hear the difference of a highly-endorsed tube setup that doesn't break the bank. I'm more concerned about getting as much enjoyment listening in my scarce leisure time than playing with combos of tubes, basses, and Teflon tape wrapping....

 

[DougD]

  I hate to ask redundant questions (but I will)... Let's say someone wants to get the most out of the music they're streaming from their computer (which I do)... What kind of equipment would you guys recommend? I don't know a lot about this stuff so I do really appreciate the help. I guess you need a good amp and dac, and for the 650 it should be a tube amp. Anyway if I could get a recommendation for something to buy at various price points that would help me out a lot, thanks in advance. I would go through this whole thread but 2k+ pages is too much. Anyway I do really appreciate the help.

 
 
Over in The DIY'r Cookbook thread, JohnJen and atomicbob have a lot of posts discussing their critical listening and tests of some gear with the HD-650. I found their writing to be very persuasive ... although that was not their intent ... and have acquired most of the same gear they were using as their platform, which I like a LOT. (I have not yet acquired a suitable linear power supply, but I am close to pulling the trigger.)
 
In one post responding to somebody's question, atomicbob wrote this, which is a nice summary: 
 

Garage1217 amps, though they have a tube in the path, delivery nearly DC thanks to their topologies. That said, the Asgard2 is a very nice amp with a substantial linear power supply built in. I am evaluating one of those as I write this. Asgard2, Bifrost MB, HD650 and Sonarworks Ref3 compensation played through JRiver MC. I still have a slight preference for the Project Sunrise III (12BH7) and LPS. But I would listen to the Asgard without hesitation, and probably will do so all evening (and more.) I could be listening with the Ygg or GiMB and Liquid Crimson, Liquid Carbon or ZDSE and HD800 or any of a dozen other lab cans.

 
He has more expensive DACs, amps and headphones readily at hand, but this is a combo he likes to listen to. That's a strong endorsement. 
 
The Bifrost Multibit DAC, Project Sunrise III amp with 12BH7 tube, a linear power supply for the amp (approx $140, although you can certainly spend get more to get better), plus the Sonarworks Ref3 std s/w compensation for the HD-650 will collectively run a bit under $1000 USD I think. With the Asgard2, it'd be a little cheaper due to not having to buy a separate power supply. (Not that you HAVE to buy a linear power supply for the Project Sunrise. But that is a sound upgrade according to atomicbob, who really knows his stuff.) 
 
There is no one best solution of course, and nobody has heard all the possible pieces of gear and tried all the combos. But this seems excellent to me, is a very good value, and is a good base for later swapping in better gear if you catch the HeadFi disease. 
 
You can try the Sonarworks "average" compensation s/w for the HD-650 (or approx 25 other kinds of common headphones) as a free trial. For less common kinds of cans, or to get a EQ curve precisely tailored to YOUR actual h/p (any kind, not just HD-650), you have to send your headphones to Sonarworks for measurement. (Sonarworks is in Latvia.) Note if you don't use JRiverMC, you'd want to make sure that whatever s/w you do use works with the Sonarworks plugin, before buying it. 
 
If $1000 is too much, could start with a Schiit Fulla or AudioEngine Dragonfly or similar USB mini-DAC, and upgrade to the Bimby later.