[zeplin]

i too have had a great relationship with my 650's. they present a certain type of sound that i just love and can't get away from! i've had the same experiences some of you have already described where you buy or listen to another headphone, only to come crawling back to the 650's. it's like i've come to the point of comparing or holding up every headphone i've listened to since. simply put, for me, the 650 is the bar i use to compare everything else. although, i do still love and enjoy my shure E500's as well... and my Ety's

but you get the point!!!

i do have one question though...
its been a long time since i've posted here, so i don't really know whose still around from the "old" days (i.e. 2-3 yrs ago).
anyways, when i first bought the 650's, i also bought the Zu cable to go along with it based on an overwhelming amount of advice telling me to do so. well, i've had these cans for about 3 years now and i've unfortunately started to notice a scratchy sound whenever i would move around the cable at the connection point on the headphones. for example, i could be laying on my bed and then i'd get up to stand on my feet and i would again notice a scratchy sound. it's obviously happening whenever the cable wiggles around at the connection point on the headphones. i've detatched the cables from the cans in order to try and clean the plugs with no success. so i'm now wondering if the problem could be in the connection port where the cable plugs in to the headphones???

has anyone else had this problem or issue? if so, i would hope there is something i can do in order to avoid having to send in the cans for repair possibly across the globe!!!

thanx in advance to anyone who can offer some help/advice... it is greatly appreciated!

 

[donlin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeplin /img/forum/go_quote.gif i too have had a great relationship with my 650's. they present a certain type of sound that i just love and can't get away from! i've had the same experiences some of you have already described where you buy or listen to another headphone, only to come crawling back to the 650's. it's like i've come to the point of comparing or holding up every headphone i've listened to since. simply put, for me, the 650 is the bar i use to compare everything else. although, i do still love and enjoy my shure E500's as well... and my Ety's but you get the point!!!

I have experienced exactly the same thing several times and right now am coming off a three month fling with the GS-1000's. I think it happens because at first other phones have more apparent resolution, more treble sparkle, tighter bass, higher cost,etc., but the total package of sound from the 650's is so listenable and non-fatiguing. With a total lack of vocal sibilance and treble glare, nice weighty bass without being overly tight or bloated, and a perfect perspective (not too distant or in your face) they just sound like real music.

 

[lmf22]

Another new HD650 owner here. I got it from a fellow Head-Fier and had only 30 hours on it. I really enjoy the warm and smooth sound. One complain I have is that the soundstage is narrower, but that's compared to my K701.

Now I wonder if I should upgrade the cable. Most of the cables cost more than what I paid for these headphones and doesn't seem to be worth it.

 

[wsoxfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lmf22 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Another new HD650 owner here. I got it from a fellow Head-Fier and had only 30 hours on it. I really enjoy the warm and smooth sound. One complain I have is that the soundstage is narrower, but that's compared to my K701. Now I wonder if I should upgrade the cable. Most of the cables cost more than what I paid for these headphones and doesn't seem to be worth it.

You would get much more bang for your buck by investing in an amp that is better matched with the 650s such as the Darkvoice 332. The gilmore is a nice little amp but lacks the overall punch to really drive the 650s.

 

[chobint]

Well after first listen the "veil" was terribly apparent. It felt like cotton balls in my ears, but after a weeks worth of burn in and most importantly the removal of NFB on my bijou, I can say that I'm quite pleased. The HD650's seems to excel when used with an edgier setup. I still find the air and texture of the k701's to be superior for vocals, but for overall listening I've come to prefer the hd650's, at least thats my preliminary assessment in a weeks worth of ownership.

Edit: would tend to agree with wsoxfan, source/amp upgrade > expensive recable. Or for that price, grab a pair of 701's and have the best of both worlds

 

[McPanse]

Chobint,

I'm in a similar vote in regards to the HD-650. The initial veiling you and many others have pointed out is real. But to my ears, the HD-650s do get better with age. I had them in the house the same time as the Beyerdynamic DT-880s as well as the HD-600s. The 600s were way too tight in my opinion, but the DT-880s had an airiness and openness that I enjoyed. For about $100 less, I definitely could have lived with the DT-880s, but the HD-650s had a slight edge over them in terms of overall control.

I'm also in the same boat concerning better cabling. The good thing about the HD-650s is that new cabling is not a hard wire job and if you buy from someone with a good return policy, you can see if new cables make a difference without the pressure of convincing yourself that the $200 to $300 you just spent was really worth it.

 

[rds]

Quote:

You would get much more bang for your buck by investing in an amp that is better matched with the 650s such as the Darkvoice 332. The gilmore is a nice little amp but lacks the overall punch to really drive the 650s.

That is very questionable advice. He should downgrade from a top quality solid state to a basic tube amp? Really?

 

[QQQ]

Quote:

He should downgrade from a top quality solid state to a basic tube amp?

Waht is top quality solid state and what is basic?

 

[donlin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wsoxfan /img/forum/go_quote.gif You would get much more bang for your buck by investing in an amp that is better matched with the 650s such as the Darkvoice 332. The gilmore is a nice little amp but lacks the overall punch to really drive the 650s.

The Graham Slee Solo has very good synergy with the 650's giving them more punch and reducing the veil effect.

 

[dave650]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donlin /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Graham Slee Solo has very good synergy with the 650's giving them more punch and reducing the veil effect.

Woohoo I just found this thread.
I've had mine for 1 year thru the stock cable now, I LOVE them!
Since I just got my brother a set of HD555s I now know the Veil Effect via comparison (the 555s really are awful up against the real thing, spoilt big time, me)
Does anyone know if a recable fixes the Veil Effect? That cardas one....not balanced, I have Grado HiGain.
I ask this without reading the thread, will do that in a sec anyway.
My system is headphone only, and a total joy, would want to be for the money!!
It loves playing music for me!!
I have noone to talk to about it, I'm making my brother a cheaper system to get him interested in vinyl, that's what I have, vinyl, all my fav rock albums and pop, metal, tech, I gotta get more styles of music!
The Grado HiGain hardly makes a noise AT ALL, when I plugged it in, I got the satisfying pop that says "muting caps? get outta here!"
But then: silence, as though it was DOA, I thought, chucked on a record a boosh it came to life.
I would recommend the grado HiGain/650 combo to anyone willing to shell a grand for awesome discreet sound.
The amp is definitely "loud" enough for the 650s, it's what it's made for.
I'm only in the first 50 hours of use.
I did notice with the 555s plugged in, there was way more hiss, must be lower impedance cans? I don't know.
Inferior cans, I know that. That's not being very nice, though, think price range, of course.
Once I've bought one more shelf i will post photos of my hi end headphone system, it's lovely, got a $2000 preamp for my turntable and all.
Totally no noise whatsoever apart from the record

 

[jernmo]

I have not read all of the pages in this post, however I feel that the latest versions of the HD650 reduce the veil. I do believe that the veil is (or was) there as I have in my possession my friends 3yo HD650's and my 200+ hr burned-in new style that I got about a month and a half ago. I also have HD595's (along with other high-end cans) that I do not feel suffer from the same Senn veil.

I bought the 650's because I felt that while I loved the 595's I was missing something. I borrowed my buddy's 650's and I knew right away what it was. And last night I was impressed. I was listening to my music and I realized that the music sounded EXACTLY as I thought it should. I love these things.

 

[QQQ]

Quote:

The Graham Slee Solo has very good synergy with the 650's giving them more punch and reducing the veil effect.

Quote:

I feel that the latest versions of the HD650 reduce the veil.

Oh, poor people. Don't buy the HD 650 in the first place, so you'll free yourself of constant battling with "veil".

 

[donlin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave650 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Does anyone know if a recable fixes the Veil Effect? That cardas one....not balanced, I have Grado HiGain.

I use the unbalanced Cardas Cable and it does reduce the veil compared with the stock cable by cleaning up and extending the treble. Just based on what I have read, there are other cables that provide even more forward treble balance, but the laid back treble is one of the things I like most about the 650's.

 

[s4nder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jernmo /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was listening to my music and I realized that the music sounded EXACTLY as I thought it should. I love these things.

Same here. When I had the HD600, I liked them very much but I thought the highs were a bit too much for me, also the bass felt lackluster at times. HD650 is spot on. For me, it's like equipment disappears and all that's left is music. That doesn't mean I will stop upgrading of course

.

 

[j0shimi]

The HD650 is a truly amazing headphone, I mostly use my via my PC Auzentech Prelude > Toslink > Headroom Balanced Desktop DAC > Equinox Balanced Cable with a couple of EQ tweaks and they blow me away every time.

I went away on holiday for a couple of weeks and when I came back and listened to them again I smiled the whole time.