[jdlafleur]

Just received my pair of HD650's to compete with my T1.3s. Whilst I do love the T1.3s for their bass and technicalities, I'd be lying if I said that my first few hours with the HD650 have been more exciting than I thought.

Now I have EQ'd that low end a bit (a lot) but for the total of $165 I paid, I am not complaining about the HD650. It competes with the T1.3 very well.

 

[BobG55]

Just received my pair of HD650's to compete with my T1.3s. Whilst I do love the T1.3s for their bass and technicalities, I'd be lying if I said that my first few hours with the HD650 have been more exciting than I thought.

Now I have EQ'd that low end a bit (a lot) but for the total of $165 I paid, I am not complaining about the HD650. It competes with the T1.3 very well.

I can’t remember where I read the following but I’ll try and find it again. A passage in the article made an interesting point : in the past twenty years, only two popular headphones have resisted the test of time : the HD600 & HD650. The HD600 was launched in 1997 & the HD650 in 2003.

Many other, rated or deemed better have come and gone or changed, e.g. Beyer T1 to T1.2 & T1.3; Focal Utopia was revamped also a couple of years after it’s initial launch. The HD800 is no longer in production, etc.

My personal headphone journey reflects this. I haven’t been without the HD600 since 2003 and the HD650 since 2005. I’ve owned and rid myself of many other HPs, a few much more expensive and highly rated (at the time) than the HD6xx siblings.

I love the HD650 and still listen to it often. There’s a reason why it’s still a best seller & for me it’s not about price affordability. It’s because both those HPs are amongst the very best ever produced regardless of price.

 

[jdlafleur]

I can’t remember where I read the following but I’ll try and find it again. A passage in the article made an interesting point : in the past twenty years, only two popular headphones have resisted the test of time : the HD600 & HD650. The HD600 was launched in 1997 & the HD650 in 2003.

Many other, rated or deemed better have come and gone or changed, e.g. Beyer T1 to T1.2 & T1.3; Focal Utopia was revamped also a couple of years after it’s initial launch. The HD800 is no longer in production, etc.

My personal headphone journey reflects this. I haven’t been without the HD600 since 2003 and the HD650 since 2005. I’ve owned and rid myself of many other HPs, a few much more expensive and highly rated (at the time) than the HD6xx siblings.

I love the HD650 and still listen to it often. There’s a reason why it’s still a best seller & for me it’s not about price affordability. It’s because both those HPs are amongst the very best ever produced regardless of price.

Yeah, my first "audiophile" headphone was the HD660s and HD600, moved with various different cans from the K712 Pro, to the T1 all the way to the Ether 2 and now, I've just come round full circle and will sit with my 650 and recently repurchased 660s. I just love the HD6-- series and whilst I do EQ the bass on them, I still love them to bits and to me are just "good enough".

 

[BobG55]

Yeah, my first "audiophile" headphone was the HD660s and HD600, moved with various different cans from the K712 Pro, to the T1 all the way to the Ether 2 and now, I've just come round full circle and will sit with my 650 and recently repurchased 660s. I just love the HD6-- series and whilst I do EQ the bass on them, I still love them to bits and to me are just "good enough".

Coming full circle with the HD6XX is a common thing amongst many HP audiophiles. As for EQ, I make use of it all the time & have never understood those who are opposed to it. It’s the only way to adjust the music as it was produced & like anything else, some recordings are exceptionally well produced and some not so much.

 

[jdlafleur]

Coming full circle with the HD6XX is a common thing amongst many HP audiophiles. As for EQ, I make use of it all the time & have never understood those who are opposed to it. It’s the only way to adjust the music as it was produced & like anything else, some recordings are exceptionally well produced and some not so much.

There is something about the HD6-0 series that I love and I can't explain it. They're just "great" in most regards that it satisfies all my needs perfectly and for a relatively good price as well.

 

[Bret Halford]

I can’t remember where I read the following but I’ll try and find it again. A passage in the article made an interesting point : in the past twenty years, only two popular headphones have resisted the test of time : the HD600 & HD650. The HD600 was launched in 1997 & the HD650 in 2003.

Not to knock the HD600/650 (I own em both, and I quite like the 600), but Beyer DT770 and 990 are from 1981 and are still in production and very popular today. The 880 is a few years younger but still an old man compared to the HD600. I think AKG 7x are similarly aged and still running strong.

Plus Beyer still and always have made 'em in Germany. No embarrassing liaisons to Romania involved

 

[BobG55]

There is something about the HD6-0 series that I love and I can't explain it. They're just "great" in most regards that it satisfies all my needs perfectly and for a relatively good price as well.

That part you wrote, right there is where you could have stopped if you wanted to explain the main reason for those two HPs excellent performance.

 

[rafaelo]

I can’t remember where I read the following but I’ll try and find it again. A passage in the article made an interesting point : in the past twenty years, only two popular headphones have resisted the test of time : the HD600 & HD650. The HD600 was launched in 1997 & the HD650 in 2003.

Many other, rated or deemed better have come and gone or changed, e.g. Beyer T1 to T1.2 & T1.3; Focal Utopia was revamped also a couple of years after it’s initial launch. The HD800 is no longer in production, etc.

My personal headphone journey reflects this. I haven’t been without the HD600 since 2003 and the HD650 since 2005. I’ve owned and rid myself of many other HPs, a few much more expensive and highly rated (at the time) than the HD6xx siblings.

I love the HD650 and still listen to it often. There’s a reason why it’s still a best seller & for me it’s not about price affordability. It’s because both those HPs are amongst the very best ever produced regardless of price.

So inevitably there is a question for you sir.

According to your opinion does Neumann 30 destroy or is so much better than the HD600 as some people claim?

I am curious about your opinion since as far I know you have both.

Thank you very much in advance.

 

[jdlafleur]

So inevitably there is a question for you sir.

According to your opinion does Neumann 30 destroy or is so much better than the HD600 as some people claim?

I am curious about your opinion since as far I know you have both.

Thank you very much in advance.

I've owned the NDH30 before, it does not blow away any headphone that I've owned and I thought that the T1.2 and T1.3 is better personally.

Now, I do think the NDH30 sounds "better" than the HD650 and my HD600 (from memory on the HD600), but it's not major, nor did it allow me to enjoy my music more. I'd personally use my HD650 any day over the NDH30.

 

[rafaelo]

No embarrassing liaisons to Romania involved

I do not understand what exactly is embarrassing with Romania per se. Some of the most expensive headphones are designed there currently I.e. Meze audio.

The 6 series from Sennheiser has a particularly history with the Ireland factory and in the past all of them they were produced there. But currently they are also produced there. People like me always wanted the 6 series to have the stamp made in Ireland not because there is a problem with Romania per se but because of historical and practical reasons. As the drivers for 650 and 600 are hand picked and the personnel in Ireland have probably more years of experience and in general the factory there might have more experience since they were doing that job for few decades.

From now one all the 6 series headphones including the 58X are made in Ireland only. The only positive thing probably from this acquisition.

 

[Bret Halford]

I do not understand what exactly is embarrassing with Romania per se. Some of the most expensive headphones are designed there currently I.e. Meze audio.

The 6 series from Sennheiser has a particularly history with the Ireland factory and in the past all of them they were produced there. But currently they are also produced there. People like me always wanted the 6 series to have the stamp made in Ireland not because there is a problem with Romania per se but because of historical and practical reasons. As the drivers for 650 and 600 are hand picked and the personnel in Ireland have probably more years of experience and in general the factory there might have more experience since they were doing that job for few decades.

From now one all the 6 series headphones including the 58X are made in Ireland only. The only positive thing probably from this acquisition.

I am poking a bit of fun, obviously (hence the ) - Romania along with many ex soviet states inherited a great deal of excellent expertise and capacity for planars in particlar. Ukraine is absolutely riddled with great planar boutiques too!

But you touch on the issue for us as enthusiasts with Sennheiser in your own post... there's a reason we look for the Ireland ones as collectors (I love my Irish OG Marble 600s!). Senn's decision to move production to Romania (and at the time lay off a ton of their Irish employees!) was purely a cost saving measure to take advantage of cheaper labor, they didn't do it because of any unique local technology or capability. To be fair, it wasn't Sennheiser that moved production back to Tullamore either, it was their new Swedish owners that made the (excellent) decision. They've also shifted HD800s production to Tulamore as well now AFAIK, which I am more ambivalent about.

 

[WilcoRoger]

Of course one might argue that in the first place the production was moved to Ireland due to the lower labour costs (vs Germany)

 

[rafaelo]

I am poking a bit of fun, obviously (hence the ) - Romania along with many ex soviet states inherited a great deal of excellent expertise and capacity for planars in particlar. Ukraine is absolutely riddled with great planar boutiques too!

But you touch on the issue for us as enthusiasts with Sennheiser in your own post... there's a reason we look for the Ireland ones as collectors (I love my Irish OG Marble 600s!). Senn's decision to move production to Romania (and at the time lay off a ton of their Irish employees!) was purely a cost saving measure to take advantage of cheaper labor, they didn't do it because of any unique local technology or capability. To be fair, it wasn't Sennheiser that moved production back to Tullamore either, it was their new Swedish owners that made the (excellent) decision. They've also shifted HD800s production to Tulamore as well now AFAIK, which I am more ambivalent about.

OK i am sorry i Did not understand that you have been sarcastic.

I hope the Ireland factory survives but now the new owner is a public company and can change mind in any moment.

I have 6XX and 58X made in Ireland before the factory was moved.

And HD660s and HD600 made in Ireland after the factory moved there back again. Full circle.

I want one more 58X for back up but maybe also wait for a 58Xs2 in case it comes too.

 

[domdesilva]

Hello, I just purchased a 6xx (which is on the way) yesterday.
I also orderd the custom cans mod just for fun.
I think the 6xx will be my first mod headphone.
I am also excited to compare them to my Ibasso sr2, which i'm being in a love/hate relationship.
Hope the 6xx will be more relaxing....

 

[Luckyleo]

Hello, I just purchased a 6xx (which is on the way) yesterday.
I also orderd the custom cans mod just for fun.
I think the 6xx will be my first mod headphone.
I am also excited to compare them to my Ibasso sr2, which i'm being in a love/hate relationship.
Hope the 6xx will be more relaxing....

many here highly recommend the custom can mods. Let us know your thoughts!

Leo