[biggbenn74]

On a continuation note, I feel like I should add my input to a HD650/ Q701 comparison...
 
Having now owned the 650's for a little over 2 months now, I finally feel like I can accurately compare them. They are articulate and very detailed. They do show a lot of the flaws in the recordings. Listening to music with a distorting bassline such as EDM or House/Electro is near impossible. You just hear a lot of mis-information. Although, they do sound spectacular with things such as SACD or Binaural recordings.
 
The Q701's are great for the categories that the HD650's are not. That's how I view it. Classical? HD650 by a long shot. Dance or Dubstep? Q701 all the way. People say they are similar, and in a general sense, sure, I don't see why not. They are very open and have an airy feel to them. But when you really start counting the little minute details, they just don't stack up to one another.
 
In short, I love them both. I still use them both equally now because my taste in music seems to be different every day. I'm glad I have both of them and I would recommend BOTH of them to anyone that listens to a wide variety of music.
 
.... But maybe my ears are just wrong for liking the Q701's, right, everyone?

 

[DavidA]

  On a continuation note, I feel like I should add my input to a HD650/ Q701 comparison...
 
Having now owned the 650's for a little over 2 months now, I finally feel like I can accurately compare them. They are articulate and very detailed. They do show a lot of the flaws in the recordings. Listening to music with a distorting bassline such as EDM or House/Electro is near impossible. You just hear a lot of mis-information. Although, they do sound spectacular with things such as SACD or Binaural recordings.
 
The Q701's are great for the categories that the HD650's are not. That's how I view it. Classical? HD650 by a long shot. Dance or Dubstep? Q701 all the way. People say they are similar, and in a general sense, sure, I don't see why not. They are very open and have an airy feel to them. But when you really start counting the little minute details, they just don't stack up to one another.
 
In short, I love them both. I still use them both equally now because my taste in music seems to be different every day. I'm glad I have both of them and I would recommend BOTH of them to anyone that listens to a wide variety of music.
 
.... But maybe my ears are just wrong for liking the Q701's, right, everyone?

There are a lot like you that like different headphones for different genres of music, I actually like to listen to a genre with different headphones just to hear a different presentation, makes listening interesting IMO.
 
I've tried a Q701 once and didn't really care for it at the time but who knows, I might like it now

 

[SSSN]

Since having the HD650 as my main phones, I am extremely sensitive to bad mid coloration/timbre.
For instance, I tested the Hifiman HE-400S, HE-400i and HE-500 and they ALL had a weird, plasticky tone to their mids. Admittedly, it was hardly noticeable on the HE-500. It's a good headphone, but the fit/comfort was unacceptable.

 

[jimmers]

 
.... But maybe my ears are just wrong for liking the Q701's, right, everyone?

My Q701 are still locked away where they can do me no harm.

 

[lenroot77]

My Q701 are still locked away where they can do me no harm.

Nothing a razor blade and piece of adhesive backed felt can't fix.

I'll admit for me the bumps on the q701 were brutal!

 

[DavidA]

  Since having the HD650 as my main phones, I am extremely sensitive to bad mid coloration/timbre.
For instance, I tested the Hifiman HE-400S, HE-400i and HE-500 and they ALL had a weird, plasticky tone to their mids. Admittedly, it was hardly noticeable on the HE-500. It's a good headphone, but the fit/comfort was unacceptable.

can you describe the "bad mid coloration/timbre" a little more other than "a weird, plasticky tone"?  a few examples with songs that you notice this would also be helpful.  On a similar note do you consider the HD-600 to have bad mid coloration/timbre since you consider the HD-650 to be good mids with no coloration and good timbre?
 
Also, what DAC and amp are you using for the HD-650 and what was the audio chain that you used when you tested the HE-400S/i/500?

 

[jimmers]

Nothing a razor blade and piece of adhesive backed felt can't fix.
 

Razor blade can't fix the shrill, adhesive backed felt over my ears might.  

 

[lenroot77]

Razor blade can't fix the shrill, adhesive backed felt over my ears might.  

Sounds like an audio chain problem?

I will admit when paired with a Schiit magni modi uber combo they were a bit much.

I never had any issues with the gustard h10 or the creative x7.

 

[Beztis]

Tbh i don't know why anybody would buy AKG headphones, they are so painful sound wise - the k7xx wasn't painful to me sound wise though, but it's no wear near the same league as the hd650 as far as sound quality, and i found the k7xx painful cus the bottom of the pats would dig into my cheeks and i couldnt wear them!! they made my hd650s feel like having a pretty girl in a dark blue dress smile at you in the walmart parking lot when you go to put your cart away and are having a bad day because you realize that you never really felt understood by your parents but now that they are dead there is not a single person in the world who genuinely cares about you. 

 

[mysticstryk]

The k7xx is cheaper and doesn't have the amping needs of the hd650. They are not in the same field sound wise but are not priced to be either.

 

[lenroot77]

Tbh i don't know why anybody would buy AKG headphones, they are so painful sound wise - the k7xx wasn't painful to me sound wise though, but it's no wear near the same league as the hd650 as far as sound quality, and i found the k7xx painful cus the bottom of the pats would dig into my cheeks and i couldnt wear them!! they made my hd650s feel like having a pretty girl in a dark blue dress smile at you in the walmart parking lot when you go to put your cart away and are having a bad day because you realize that you never really felt understood by your parents but now that they are dead there is not a single person in the world who genuinely cares about you. 

Dude is this all for real?!?! You have been on quite a run the last few days here and on the Hd800 board. It's borderline trolling in my opinion.

 

[lenroot77]

The k7xx is cheaper and doesn't have the amping needs of the hd650. They are not in the same field sound wise but are not priced to be either.

They are a great bang for the buck and not far from the K712's. They are deceptively current hungry as well. Awesome for gaming and movies!

But I suppose if I wanna talk about them I should go over to their thread.

Sorry folks!

 

[iancraig10]

Tbh i don't know why anybody would buy AKG headphones, they are so painful sound wise - the k7xx wasn't painful to me sound wise though, but it's no wear near the same league as the hd650 as far as sound quality, and i found the k7xx painful cus the bottom of the pats would dig into my cheeks and i couldnt wear them!! they made my hd650s feel like having a pretty girl in a dark blue dress smile at you in the walmart parking lot when you go to put your cart away and are having a bad day because you realize that you never really felt understood by your parents but now that they are dead there is not a single person in the world who genuinely cares about you. 

That's a bit of a 'generalisation'. Bit like saying Sennheiser headphones are boring and laid back.

The K712 is pretty close to an hd600 in terms of treble. In fact, I actually prefer the K712.

Hd650 is also a great headphone and at one time probably took quite a lot of unjust criticsm.

I can see why your parents might not understand you in the walmartt parking lot with that girl. I'm having trouble myself!!

 

[SSSN]

  can you describe the "bad mid coloration/timbre" a little more other than "a weird, plasticky tone"?  a few examples with songs that you notice this would also be helpful.  On a similar note do you consider the HD-600 to have bad mid coloration/timbre since you consider the HD-650 to be good mids with no coloration and good timbre?
 
Also, what DAC and amp are you using for the HD-650 and what was the audio chain that you used when you tested the HE-400S/i/500?

 
Describing it, well...a bit like a peak at 1 or 2kHz right in the telephone/plasticky area. The AKG K7xx series has this too.
I suspect it's also partly because of the planar soundstage. Very strong left and right separation without much height or depth.
 
I mainly noticed it on the soundtrack of Xenoblade Chronicles X, example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VZE1I6m10g (not on Youtube of course)
 
Unfortunately, I do not have a HD600 to compare.
 
My amp/DAC is a JDS Labs The Element, plenty powerful for everything.

 

[DavidA]

   
Describing it, well...a bit like a peak at 1 or 2kHz right in the telephone/plasticky area. The AKG K7xx series has this too.
I suspect it's also partly because of the planar soundstage. Very strong left and right separation without much height or depth.
 
I mainly noticed it on the soundtrack of Xenoblade Chronicles X, example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VZE1I6m10g (not on Youtube of course)
 
Unfortunately, I do not have a HD600 to compare.
 
My amp/DAC is a JDS Labs The Element, plenty powerful for everything.

Thanks for the reply, I'll try to see if I can further understand your comment since its the first time I've heard headphone sounds described as "plasticky".
 
I can't even listen to the youtube link, its says it unavailable here in the US.  One of the reasons I asked about the HD-600 is that it is a headphone that many consider neutral while the HD-650 is considered colored, and your description of the HE-400S & 400i as being "plasticky" is not the normal description for those headphones.  I for one consider the HE-400i a more natural/neutral sounding headphone than the HD-650 but still far from the normal standard of the HD-600 as being called by many to be the noted standard of neutral/natural sounding.