[jasonb]

Lately I've been using my HD650 with my OnePlus 6t (smartphone) using USB audio player pro and a Hidizs Sonata HDII USB-C DAC dongle. Plenty of power for a person that doesn't listen all that loudly, like myself.

The HD650 never sounded that good to me with my Magni 2 Uber and ODAC combo. It seemed too cold and bass light. It sounds better with the Topping NX4DSD, but there is just something about how this sounds with the Hidizs usb-c dongle.

 

[dakanao]

Tube amps typically sound somewhat different from solid state. These differences can be heard readily on headphones or speakers. The design & quality of implementation of each tube amp determines the final sound more than just the fact tubes are used. As others here note, there is no single/universal "tube sound" you get from all amps.

Still, there are some common elements many tube amps have: they tend to bring out the midrange a bit more than solid state. There's often a hard to describe (but easy to hear) increase in dimensionality w/tubes: each note seems more distinct, 3-dimensional, more clearly positioned in space. I've always gotten better soundstaging with tubes--not only in terms of width, height, etc, but in terms of believability. IMO tubes often sound a little more like real music.

But with headphones, there's the additional & significant factor of impedance matching. So when you listen to the HD650 on an OTL tube amp, you're not just hearing tube characteristics, but also proper impedance matching (you can also get this w/high impedance SS amps). I find that good impedance matchings produces its own distinctive sonic virtues. The 300 ohm HD650 sounds great on my SS amps, but it brings something extra on my OTL: the overall sound is more level, exact, composed. Subtle qualities, but audible & most welcome.

Hmm, that seems to be the reason people usually like tubes with the HD 650; since with the stock cable and a neutral amp, their mids, while fantastic in quality and timbre, are a bit too distant, along with the kind of flat soundstage, a typical sounding tube amp improves on those deficiencies.

 

[Nik74]

Another reason why a tube amp works is the possibility of further tuning the sound to your liking with a bit of tube rolling

 

[tafens]

Hmm, that seems to be the reason people usually like tubes with the HD 650; since with the stock cable and a neutral amp, their mids, while fantastic in quality and timbre, are a bit too distant, along with the kind of flat soundstage, a typical sounding tube amp improves on those deficiencies.

I haven’t listened to OTL, but I got the Schiit Lyr3 some time ago and really love its sound with HD6XX compared to the solid state Magni3.

Rolling tubes can make quite a difference to the sound from it, and I have tried a few, but not really found any (reasonably priced) that beats the new production Tung-Sol 6SN7GTB.

Does anyone here have this amp, and what tube brings out the best in the HD6XX in your opinion?

 

[megabigeye]

Hmm, that seems to be the reason people usually like tubes with the HD 650; since with the stock cable and a neutral amp, their mids, while fantastic in quality and timbre, are a bit too distant, along with the kind of flat soundstage, a typical sounding tube amp improves on those deficiencies.

Is that really your impression of the HD 650? Because that is really not at all how I hear them. I might describe them as slightly mids-forward. In fact, the only tube amp I've tried them with is my Quickie + Quicksand setup and I thought the mids were really, really bloated and strange sounding (chesty?), pretty much unlistenable. On my DT 1990 and PM-3-- both of which I'd say have somewhat recessed mids, especially in comparison to the HD650-- the mids are absolutely beautiful when used with that amp setup. When I read things like this, it makes me wonder if I'd enjoy the HD 650 with any tubes... but I don't want to jump to any conclusions.

 

[dakanao]

Stupid, stupid mistake. Bought a new Chord Mojo, and the volume was at 100%, so I had the HD 650 on my head, and it played on max volume for 2 seconds…

Is there a way I can check if the drivers are damaged? Like with a demo sound or something?

 

[jimmers]

Sennheiser specs maximum continuous power of 500 mW for HD650, Mojo would output maximum of 70mW into HD650 (SPL less than 120dB), so that should be OK

 

[JKDJedi]

I haven’t listened to OTL, but I got the Schiit Lyr3 some time ago and really love its sound with HD6XX compared to the solid state Magni3.

Rolling tubes can make quite a difference to the sound from it, and I have tried a few, but not really found any (reasonably priced) that beats the new production Tung-Sol 6SN7GTB.

Does anyone here have this amp, and what tube brings out the best in the HD6XX in your opinion?

Mullard 6080 / Western Electric 421a / Tung Sol 5998 / Tung Sol 7236 / (<--- Either of those) PAireD With---> NOS GE 6SN7GTA (side getter) / NOS Westinghouse 6SN7GTB / NOS or New Tun Sol 6SN7GTB / to name a few.... tubes from the 40's are $$$ and rare, the ones on the left are from the 60's

 

[dakanao]

Sennheiser specs maximum continuous power of 500 mW for HD650, Mojo would output maximum of 70mW into HD650 (SPL less than 120dB), so that should be OK

Really, even though the sound was heavily distorting because it was so extremely loud? I would think that 500 mw (more than 7x the volume of what I've experienced!!!!) would instantely destroy the driver, since even with the Mojo @ 100%, it was heavily distorted and insanely loud, to the point of having a peep in my ears for the whole night.

 

[Guidostrunk]

The distortion you were hearing was the mojo clipping. For the amount of time that it happened. I wouldn't stress over anything. Now if you were throwing 2 watts(@300ohms) at the 650, and that happened. Yeah, they probably would have fried or have damage.

Really, even though the sound was heavily distorting because it was so extremely loud? I would think that 500 mw (more than 7x the volume of what I've experienced!!!!) would instantely destroy the driver, since even with the Mojo @ 100%, it was heavily distorted and insanely loud, to the point of having a peep in my ears for the whole night.

 

[JKDJedi]

Really, even though the sound was heavily distorting because it was so extremely loud? I would think that 500 mw (more than 7x the volume of what I've experienced!!!!) would instantely destroy the driver, since even with the Mojo @ 100%, it was heavily distorted and insanely loud, to the point of having a peep in my ears for the whole night.

Headphones max at 1watt, so your good.

 

[Delmetrice]

Is that really your impression of the HD 650? Because that is really not at all how I hear them. I might describe them as slightly mids-forward. In fact, the only tube amp I've tried them with is my Quickie + Quicksand setup and I thought the mids were really, really bloated and strange sounding (chesty?), pretty much unlistenable. On my DT 1990 and PM-3-- both of which I'd say have somewhat recessed mids, especially in comparison to the HD650-- the mids are absolutely beautiful when used with that amp setup. When I read things like this, it makes me wonder if I'd enjoy the HD 650 with any tubes... but I don't want to jump to any conclusions.

I think you probably already know the answer to that question. I only keep a tube setup for the HD650s, it's honestly too good/fun not to use. I'm sure I would have moved on to something else full time if not for the stupidly obsessive desire to collect tubes and see what changes.

 

[JKDJedi]

I think you probably already know the answer to that question. I only keep a tube setup for the HD650s, it's honestly too good/fun not to use. I'm sure I would have moved on to something else full time if not for the stupidly obsessive desire to collect tubes and see what changes.

having a passion for that tubed sound is not stupid

 

[gefski]

Stupid, stupid mistake. Bought a new Chord Mojo, and the volume was at 100%, so I had the HD 650 on my head, and it played on max volume for 2 seconds…

Is there a way I can check if the drivers are damaged? Like with a demo sound or something?

The misconception that drivers can only be damaged by too much power has been around for many years. Actually, a low power amplifier driven into clipping can easily damage loudspeaker or headphone drivers.

As for your 650s, just spending some time listening to music will tell you if they're fine.

 

[castleofargh]

The misconception that drivers can only be damaged by too much power has been around for many years. Actually, a low power amplifier driven into clipping can easily damage loudspeaker or headphone drivers.

As for your 650s, just spending some time listening to music will tell you if they're fine.

I'd at least remove "easily" from that sentence. I have no clue how long it would take or the amount of clipping needed at typical listening level(or somewhat loud levels), but I'm going to make the assumptions that:
1/ it's not instantaneous damage because several people have square waves involved in their measurements routines and they don't keep destroying stuff all day long.
2/ if it takes a significant amount of time(and probably output), no listener in his right mind will keep listening to massively clipped signal for hours, days, weeks....
so finding circumstances where clipping unequivocally caused damaged to drivers, might not be easy. maybe you have access to data I don't know of?