[plonter]

My week old HD650 sound great with the ultra micro stack, they don't have any veil at all, and the bass is the total opposite than muddy..it is super tight and goes deep down when the music is calling for it. there is enough treble extension as well and it is not too piercing like the grado.
In the first two days i was really dissapointed with the sound because i am used to the colourful sound of the AHD5000 and the RS1 but a little burn in together with my ears getting used to the new (rather neutral) sound made me appreciate the HD650.
hope it will keep improving with more burn in.

the next step is to go balance with them...maybe with one of headroom's balanced amps. Hope it will improve the sound dramatically.

 

[yeahx]

I have been seeing some great used prices on these lately while I wait for birthday money. But from my research I doubt if my amp will do and I cant afford a new amp at the same time so I feel like I will be limited unless I upgrade my amp first and then to the 650's the next time I have money. That just seems hard to do because I dont think the amp upgrade will show its worth until I can actually get the 650s.

The homepage for the penguin amp actually uses the 650 in its example for battery life but I have been lead to believe that it isnt worthy. Any thoughts?

 

[mayanez]

I just got mine 2 days ago, they sound incredible. Only downside to them was the headband fit, boy was it tight. It felt as if my skull was being smushed kinda like this:

Thankfully I found the solution here on the forums by 1Time. So if you're having any trouble in that sense make sure to bend the heck out of the metal in the headband.

I can't wait to try my new HD650 once I get a few more hours of burn-in and my soon to be Little Dot DAC 1.

 

[nor_spoon]

Congrats with your new cans!

Yeah, they could really be serious melon-crushers. But, when you get them adjusted, there are nothing like them. I like their thick velour padding, and their lightweight.

 

[plonter]

Between all my three cans (HD650,RS1 and AH-D5000) the HD650 are the most comfortable one. I don't feel they clamping on my head too tight...it just in the right amount for me. except...I prefer too tight from too loose (AH-D5000).

After more than a week with the HD650 i can say that these are the most neutral sounding cans I owned so far. coming from the grado and the denon these cans are pretty neutral sounding..and I am listening only to them for 8 days in a row, so i think I got used to the sound and still wouldn't mind for some more bass. I will never understand why people are calling them bass heavy...? even comparing to the grado they are not bass heavy IMO , only slightly more bass than the RS1 that's all.
anyway..they are great and in a few monthes I will probably go balanced with them just to see what all this fuss about balance drive.

 

[sbulack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by yeahx /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have been seeing some great used prices on these lately while I wait for birthday money. But from my research I doubt if my amp will do and I cant afford a new amp at the same time so I feel like I will be limited unless I upgrade my amp first and then to the 650's the next time I have money. That just seems hard to do because I dont think the amp upgrade will show its worth until I can actually get the 650s. The homepage for the penguin amp actually uses the 650 in its example for battery life but I have been lead to believe that it isnt worthy. Any thoughts?

I own a Penguin Caffeine amp and a pair of HD650.

I have two thoughts about your situation.
1) Using an iPod with a line-out dock as a source, the Penguin Caffeine amp and a pair of HD650 (recabled with 18 AWG Jena Labs Cryo wire - I can't seem to find my stock HD650 cable at the moment) - it's a good listen. The bass is not what I'd call abundant, but it is satisfyingly there and well toned. The mids are full, toneful and beautiful. The highs are nicely balanced, and have the HD650 trademark clarity and focus. Very satisfying soundstage, and overall, delivers music I can dance to in my desk chair. This is all on low gain with the volume pot set at about 9 O'Clock (full range is 5:30 - 4:00). The volume is a very full, moderate-to-upper-moderate volume. If I try to raise the volume to "Mind-Bending Rock Concert" levels, the timbres become increasingly "amped" sounding and unrealistic. No clipping, just more of a mechanical than an organic sound. I'm not sure how the Penguinamp Caffeine relates sonically to the Ultra that you own, but I'm sure that there are threads on Head-Fi on which that comparison has been made. The Caffeine gives what I would call a good taste of the really clear and beautiful sound of which the HD650 is capable, and so, IMO, it is a good starting point as an amp to use with the HD650. I've never heard the HD555, so I can't say how the sound with the HD650 will compare with the sound using the HD555. I'd be surprised if, on Head-Fi, there were not a thread in which that comparison had been made.

2) My favorite amp for the HD650 is the Purity Audio KICAS Caliente all-discrete amp created and sold by a pair of fellow Head-Fiers. It sells for about $400, and, to my ears and tastes, easily matches the HD650 better than at least one amp costing three times it price, an amp costing twice its price, and several amps costing about 1.5 times its price, all of which I used to own and regularly use with the HD650.

 

[moonboy403]

Quote:

Originally Posted by plonter /img/forum/go_quote.gif Between all my three cans (HD650,RS1 and AH-D5000) the HD650 are the most comfortable one. I don't feel they clamping on my head too tight...it just in the right amount for me. except...I prefer too tight from too loose (AH-D5000). After more than a week with the HD650 i can say that these are the most neutral sounding cans I owned so far. coming from the grado and the denon these cans are pretty neutral sounding..and I am listening only to them for 8 days in a row, so i think I got used to the sound and still wouldn't mind for some more bass. I will never understand why people are calling them bass heavy...? even comparing to the grado they are not bass heavy IMO , only slightly more bass than the RS1 that's all. anyway..they are great and in a few monthes I will probably go balanced with them just to see what all this fuss about balance drive.

I think you're misinterpreting what bass heavy means. What you're interpreting as bass is only the midbass which gives you that impact on drums for instance.

 

[plonter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonboy403 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think you're misinterpreting what bass heavy means. What you're interpreting as bass is only the midbass which gives you that impact on drums for instance.

I agree that a while ago I used to think that bass is only the punch (midbass) , but in time i learned what deep bass means and the HD650 surely have it but only sometimes...in a very certain deep bass songs/tracks.
normally I can't feel the bass too much with them...not like I used with the denons, and that's why i said that they are,for me, a very neutral headphones. and they are not lacking midbass imo, but bass in general...quantity.
IMO they are really don't bass heavy, bass healthy maybe...but not heavy!
the DENONS are what bass heavy means. and for the sake of the denons,they not only got HUUUGE amount of bass, it is also very deep and goes low low. the problem with it is that it is too much and need some taming IMO (markl mode).

 

[Chri5peed]

I completely adore their almost total 'take-apart'-ability; i.e. ear-cups, earpads, grills, headband & lead can all be unclipped[all clips or inteference-fit, no screws or glue] and be laid down seperate, washed or newed/upgraded.

 

[mahlerfan999]

Hi all! I wanted to thank everyone here for getting me to get those phones! You won't remember me asking because I just lurked and read through old threads. I used to be a headfier and I know how annoying it is when someone asks a question that has been asked dozens of times over.

Anyway I was taking a gamble ordering the 650s but OMG I've never ever ever heard anything like this!!!! I had the 580s before but they sounded congested in veiled in comparison. I had been currently using 555s at home and ath-ad700s in the office so this is a tremendous upgrade.

I've heard that the 650s are supposed to have bass bloat, too dark etc but I hear crystal clear but liquid mids, deep tight bass, wonderful treble that's detailed but not shrill. Deep soundstage too! The perfect can!

But it's even better than that!!!! I pop in a cd of some Mozart horn concertos and it sounds like a live concert. I can't believe how real and vivid it sounds. The instruments have just the right timbre, the blend just right while still preserving individual voices like I've never heard before and didn't know you could hear on recordings.

I'm glad that I believed those that said it wound sound like that even though so many have said so many bad things about these cans.

The 555s are going in the closet... forever! Long live the 650s!!

 

[pp312]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mahlerfan999 /img/forum/go_quote.gif But it's even better than that!!!! I pop in a cd of some Mozart horn concertos and it sounds like a live concert. I can't believe how real and vivid it sounds. The instruments have just the right timbre, the blend just right while still preserving individual voices like I've never heard before and didn't know you could hear on recordings.

This where the 650 excels, in recreating a concert hall experience. Anyone who seeks this should go straight to the 650; nothing else will match it in this area. Those who criticise the 650 are looking for a quite different experience and probably don't even know--or care--what an orchestra in a concert hall sounds like.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mahlerfan999 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The 555s are going in the closet... forever! Long live the 650s!!

Don't be too quick to closet the 555; it's a very respectable phone, especially with the "sound reflector" mod. I have both phones, and though of course the 650 is superior, I don't wince when switching over to the 555. I still consider them the gold standard in their price range and great as a 650 backup for computer and TV duty.

 

[mayanez]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pp312 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Don't be too quick to closet the 555; it's a very respectable phone, especially with the "sound reflector" mod. I have both phones, and though of course the 650 is superior, I don't wince when switching over to the 555. I still consider them the gold standard in their price range and great as a 650 backup for computer and TV duty.

I completely agree. I had the 555 for almost 3 years before getting the 650 and they are definitely up there in SQ. I wouldn't trade that headphone for anything, its great but I wouldn't ever trade my 650s either

 

[jdkJake]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mahlerfan999 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi all! I wanted to thank everyone here for getting me to get those phones! You won't remember me asking because I just lurked and read through old threads. I used to be a headfier and I know how annoying it is when someone asks a question that has been asked dozens of times over. Anyway I was taking a gamble ordering the 650s but OMG I've never ever ever heard anything like this!!!! I had the 580s before but they sounded congested in veiled in comparison. I had been currently using 555s at home and ath-ad700s in the office so this is a tremendous upgrade. I've heard that the 650s are supposed to have bass bloat, too dark etc but I hear crystal clear but liquid mids, deep tight bass, wonderful treble that's detailed but not shrill. Deep soundstage too! The perfect can! But it's even better than that!!!! I pop in a cd of some Mozart horn concertos and it sounds like a live concert. I can't believe how real and vivid it sounds. The instruments have just the right timbre, the blend just right while still preserving individual voices like I've never heard before and didn't know you could hear on recordings. I'm glad that I believed those that said it wound sound like that even though so many have said so many bad things about these cans. The 555s are going in the closet... forever! Long live the 650s!!

The HD650 is pretty special. It certainly changed my opinion on what a headphone could bring to the table. They continue to amaze me to this very day.

That said, you are at just the beginning. The next step is the amp and source. The HD650 will respond to whatever change or challange you present to it. To me, this represents a true value in that I can embark on whatever sound journey I wish knowing they will respond in kind.

Good stuff indeed!!

jk

 

[dave650]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdkJake /img/forum/go_quote.gif The HD650 is pretty special. It certainly changed my opinion on what a headphone could bring to the table. They continue to amaze me to this very day. That said, you are at just the beginning. The next step is the amp and source. The HD650 will respond to whatever change or challange you present to it. To me, this represents a true value in that I can embark on whatever sound journey I wish knowing they will respond in kind. Good stuff indeed!! jk

Totally true, that. The HD650 loves new things! I changed from Grado headphone amp, high gain, to the Darkvoice 336se, and my 650s just came even more to life, pushing serious air around in my skull. Now I'm considering getting the headband and horseshoe and the other bit on the bottom airbrushed with all gnarly Geiger art for a great custom look. And my new earpads should be here today. I have a spare HD580 band and probably should just get that airbrushed instead, because the finish itself on the 650s is loverly.

 

[mahlerfan999]

I don't know which to upgrade first but I will upgrade the amp and source. Not immediately though, I'll do one next month, and the other the month after.