[Andrew_WOT]

Quote:

 
$46/pair directly from Sennheiser. That's not that bad. What hurts is the markup from other places...
Sennheiser is also really fast in shipping parts out.
 
BTW my pads are really old. I don't want to know how much worse new pads would sound... I'll be afraid that the mids will be much less forward.

If you factor in shipping and tax, B&H Photo is cheaper.

 

[eltocliousus]

InnerFidelity posted their HD650 cable measurements, what do you guys think of it?
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/headphone-cable-measurements-part-one

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Quote:

InnerFidelity posted their HD650 cable measurements, what do you guys think of it?
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/headphone-cable-measurements-part-one

That cables mean crap to sound, everyone knew that already.

 

[HamilcarBarca]

Quote:

InnerFidelity posted their HD650 cable measurements, what do you guys think of it?
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/headphone-cable-measurements-part-one

 
There's no question that, with sensitive equipment, the difference between any two cables is measurable. InnerFidelity concludes, as have many others, that the differences between any two non-defective cables is inaudible (the only thing that matters, in this context, for audio cables.)

 

[dxanex]

Quote:

That cables mean crap to sound, everyone knew that already.

 
HEY!! that's not true....without cables, you can't hear anything at all!

 

[calipilot227]

Quote:

 
$46/pair directly from Sennheiser. That's not that bad. What hurts is the markup from other places...
Sennheiser is also really fast in shipping parts out.
 
BTW my pads are really old. I don't want to know how much worse new pads would sound... I'll be afraid that the mids will be much less forward.

 
New velour pads will make it sound like it's supposed to 

 

[SunshineReggae]

Didn't you know? Changing cables can turn your HD600 into a "bass thumping Grado".

 

[SunshineReggae]

But yes cables are ******** ofcourse.

 

[Ohnoitztotoro]

Hey guys I'm really new to the hobby. Been reading all over head-fi for the last 4 months and finally decided to make an account this month. I bought the HD650's over a month ago and at first I found myself liking the airy crispness of the HD600 more but I ended up returning it since I overpaid for the 600's. Figured if I really like the HD600 just re-buy for the better price or wait for a good used offer. Since I've been alone with the HD650's more recently though and tried some other headphones I've been really appreciating these a lot more. 
 
Gave these a listen last night after using the recently on trial HE-400 for the past few days non stop. I use to clearly think the HD650's were so dark but these actually have a fair amount of brightness to it comparatively. Definitely blew my initial impression away. Felt that these were a bit bloated in the beginning (not so now, maybe mentally got use to it lol) but those mids were something that made it so hard to stop listening to my music into the late hours. My opinions on these while listening to symphony concerts definitely changed for the better.  
 
Would like some advice though. I really loved the HD600s. These two cans both have their shortcomings and strengths. I really liked the airy crisp sound of the HD600 but the sound on the HD650 really have much more weight and has a great enveloping feel. I think the middle ground of a slightly faster and crisper/brighter HD650 would be perfect.
 
I know cables are a big controversy but can anyone recommend a cable and/or amp combo that can help with adding a touch more tightness and crisp sound? I know schiit hybrid tube amps (lyr) have been noted as having some brightness with a mix of the typical lush tube sound and it has been heavily recommended all over here. So in the semi near future I might slowly move towards this. (FS forum + some luck)
 
Thanks! 

 

[joebobbilly]

IMHO cables only give subtle changes... you're better off saving cash for better amp (unless you can get a used one very cheap... mine was a steal).  Asgard 2 is out... and from what Jason is describing it'll have a nice clean sound that will likely suit your needs.
 

 

[Ohnoitztotoro]

Quote:

IMHO cables only give subtle changes... you're better off saving cash for better amp (unless you can get a used one very cheap... mine was a steal).  Asgard 2 is out... and from what Jason is describing it'll have a nice clean sound that will likely suit your needs.
 

Thanks. I am overall actually very happy with the HD650 sound signature so just a slight notch up is enough. I found certain aspects of the HD600 great like its crisp sound but it also made it sound a little thin at times. So while I am looking for a bit more of a crisp sound from the HD650 I don't want to take it too far any opinions on the Lyr? I've heard that pairs great and I do like tubes amps a lot. Asgard might end up too much the other direction.  

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

Hey guys I'm really new to the hobby. Been reading all over head-fi for the last 4 months and finally decided to make an account this month. I bought the HD650's over a month ago and at first I found myself liking the airy crispness of the HD600 more but I ended up returning it since I overpaid for the 600's. Figured if I really like the HD600 just re-buy for the better price or wait for a good used offer. Since I've been alone with the HD650's more recently though and tried some other headphones I've been really appreciating these a lot more. 
 
Gave these a listen last night after using the recently on trial HE-400 for the past few days non stop. I use to clearly think the HD650's were so dark but these actually have a fair amount of brightness to it comparatively. Definitely blew my initial impression away. Felt that these were a bit bloated in the beginning (not so now, maybe mentally got use to it lol) but those mids were something that made it so hard to stop listening to my music into the late hours. My opinions on these while listening to symphony concerts definitely changed for the better.  
 
Would like some advice though. I really loved the HD600s. These two cans both have their shortcomings and strengths. I really liked the airy crisp sound of the HD600 but the sound on the HD650 really have much more weight and has a great enveloping feel. I think the middle ground of a slightly faster and crisper/brighter HD650 would be perfect.
 
I know cables are a big controversy but can anyone recommend a cable and/or amp combo that can help with adding a touch more tightness and crisp sound? I know schiit hybrid tube amps (lyr) have been noted as having some brightness with a mix of the typical lush tube sound and it has been heavily recommended all over here. So in the semi near future I might slowly move towards this. (FS forum + some luck)
 
Thanks! 

 
If the HD-650 is too dark for you as it is, why pair it with a warm amp? The Lyr is fairly warm right?
 
The Magni and ODAC are perfect for the HD-650. People say they're bright, but they're really not. Despite that they still do sound best with warm headphones.
 
The only way I'd suggest a new cable is making one yourself. Try a low capacitance wire such as Belden 1192A (dirt cheap) or similar. There's a good reason people use silver with the HD-650, but I don't go there..
I prefer stock cable for the HD-650. My belief is that the capacitance of the wire changes the tone of a headphone slightly, but not enough to be measurable. It's kind of like warm/cold amps that measure the same and have very good measurements too.

 

[bracko]

If the HD-650 is too dark for you as it is, why pair it with a warm amp? The Lyr is fairly warm right?

I don't really understand why "warm" would be synonymous with "dark".

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

I don't really understand why "warm" would be synonymous with "dark".

 
Based on my experience with the DJ100/HD-650 and other warm headphones, warm amps and DACs generally make the problem worse if someone wanted to make a headphone brighter. I hate the HD-650 when used with sources that are too warm.
 
It's about as bad as pairing a DT-990 or K701 with a very "cold and analytical" amp. Not always...
 
I guess it has more to do with preferences.Some amp/dac combinations don't seem to sound like they'd be a good match for a specific headphone, but it actually isn't too bad. Everyone told me the ODAC would be terrible with the Q701, but this was definitely not true.

 

[fuzzybaffy]

Well... if anyone is looking for a DAC that will complement the HD-650 well, they should check out the M-Stage DAC (the standalone one, not the cheap $30 one that comes with the M-Stage amp USB version). The amp has two filters, "sharp" and "slow".
 
The "slow" filter, I think fits the HD-650 really, really well. It nicely fills out the bottom end, and should assuage any complaints of the HD-650 not having enough bass. It of course won't bring out the bass to the point that it's comparable to a closed headphone. But, it rounds out the bass just a tad, to make it really satisfying.
 
The only downside to the "slow" filter is that it can at times, seem a tad stuffy, without enough air.
 
For that extra bit of air and clarity, "sharp" is the right filter.
 
It almost seems as if they made the M-Stage DAC specifically to complement the HD-650.
 
Unfortunately I don't have any other decent DACs to compare it to. Only the DAC on my motherboard onboard audio, which... is no contest. The M-Stage DAC exhibits virtually no noise even when my amp (the M-Stage amp) is set at the highest setting. And the music just feels more solid and more put together.