[RAZRr1275]

Quote:

I'm thinking about getting an ODAC and Project Ember (since I want to try and DIY a variable output imp amp), I'm just looking for that head-fi validation. Anyone know how that would work out?

I have the odac and an ember. It's a great combo. I'm thinking about getting the hd650s for it

 

[Stoney]

"Notch" improvements: It is not that the replacement cable "does all that," but the stock cable does the opposite. Less low-lows, warmish midrange, rolled highs.  In general, cheap cables "do" more than expensive ones, which "do" as little as possible.  
 
HD800: This is not a "notch" more or less from HD650s.  That is a different headphone sound to a greater degree.  Family DNA is there, but not the frequency response signature and not the easy-breezy balance of the HD650... more of a microscope that has some glare. OK, too many bad mixed metaphors. 

 

[RAZRr1275]

Speaking on cables are there any sq differences that people with those sub 100 ebay cables found?

 

[Gilly87]

God I just have to say, now that I have an Asgard to power them, these are far and away my favorite headphones. Really glad I went with these over the HD600, I just love the bass punch and the super rich tonality. I may spring for an HD700 some day in the distant future, but right now, the HD650 are really making me happy and doing everything I ever wanted or expected a headphone to do.

 

[Pepper]

Quote:

God I just have to say, now that I have an Asgard to power them, these are far and away my favorite headphones. Really glad I went with these over the HD600, I just love the bass punch and the super rich tonality. I may spring for an HD800 or LCD-3 some day in the distant future, but right now, the HD650 are really making me happy and doing everything I ever wanted to expected a headphone to do.

It really is the reason why they're the #1 headphone. A few pages back, you can see my unhappiness with the HD650s, but now that they're broken in and all of the sound problems have been resolved, I really came around to liking it. It really is laid back and a fun listen. 
 
With proper amping (I'm using the Bottlehead Crack + Speedball, and I'm trying to tube roll), the bass and lows are just perfect. I am glad that you are enjoying them. 
 
Really try to look for good recordings; the HD650s really, really shine when given proper recordings. Always play uncmopressed files, and play bitperfect, and look for well mixed/mastered albums. The ABSOLUTE BEST recording I have ever heard on the HD650s (since they are super good at jazz) is Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue." The saxophone is goosebumpingly realistic. My audio engineer friend also described it as "breathtaking," which is not praise he normally gives.
 
Daft Punk's RAM album was mixed by Mick Guzauski (sp?), and so it's a good display of the lows and mids (especially on the hit track "Get Lucky").
 
Look for recordings like this to really show off the power of the HD650s (and anyone who says the bass is too weak is crazy)! HD650s also do really well with electric guitar (if you get good recordings). If you come by good metal recordings, the sound of chords is really mesmerizing. 
 
Good luck!

 

[Gilly87]

Yeah, one reason I've decided I likely won't go beyond the HD650 in terms of HPs is that a good chunk of my music isn't well-mastered, and even though it's in FLAC, I'm just now starting to hear its technical shortcomings when I pay attention with the HD650...still the sound is forgiving enough that I can tune them out if I just want to enjoy the music.
 
And yeah, anyone who isn't satisfied with the bass on these either needs to go Denon/Ultrasone, or just use a bit of EQ, like me ^_^
 

 
For some good electronic that really shows them off, Infected Mushroom is a fun listen; I know they mix their tracks using the HD800, so its no surprise their music does well with the Senn house sound (yeah I know the hd800s sound different, but the house sound is still there). Dancing with Kaddafi is a beautiful track; the violins aren't the most realistic, but still have a pretty haunting sound, and the rest of the track is really well-mixed. Their newer stuff (Army of Mushrooms mostly) is more compressed and therefore not as satisfying on open cans, but BP Empire and Converting Vegetarians are both really well done albums.
Quote:

It really is the reason why they're the #1 headphone. A few pages back, you can see my unhappiness with the HD650s, but now that they're broken in and all of the sound problems have been resolved, I really came around to liking it. It really is laid back and a fun listen. 
 
With proper amping (I'm using the Bottlehead Crack + Speedball, and I'm trying to tube roll), the bass and lows are just perfect. I am glad that you are enjoying them. 
 
Really try to look for good recordings; the HD650s really, really shine when given proper recordings. Always play uncmopressed files, and play bitperfect, and look for well mixed/mastered albums. The ABSOLUTE BEST recording I have ever heard on the HD650s (since they are super good at jazz) is Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue." The saxophone is goosebumpingly realistic. My audio engineer friend also described it as "breathtaking," which is not praise he normally gives.
 
Daft Punk's RAM album was mixed by Mick Guzauski (sp?), and so it's a good display of the lows and mids (especially on the hit track "Get Lucky").
 
Look for recordings like this to really show off the power of the HD650s (and anyone who says the bass is too weak is crazy)! HD650s also do really well with electric guitar (if you get good recordings). If you come by good metal recordings, the sound of chords is really mesmerizing. 
 
Good luck!

 

[Sound Quest]

On the subject of the foobar2000 equalizer. Does anybody else notice that when you use it, it adds noticeable artifacts to the high frequencies? (A sort of squeak-like artifact)

 

[Gilly87]

I was actually just noticing this a minute ago. It doesn't bother me personally, I mean I can tell its there when I focus on the details, but when I'm just casually listening it doesn't bother me at all. No EQ is perfect, though, and Foobar 2k's is the best I've used yet by far.
Quote:

On the subject of the foobar2000 equalizer. Does anybody else notice that when you use it, it adds noticeable artifacts to the high frequencies? (A sort of squeak-like artifact)

 

[olegausany]

On the subject of the foobar2000 equalizer. Does anybody else notice that when you use it, it adds noticeable artifacts to the high frequencies? (A sort of squeak-like artifact)

You can use 31-band graphic equalizer instead

 

[Gilly87]

Ummm, hi. Explain?
 
edit: found it already. You are awesome.
 
For anyone wanting this:
 
http://www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_dsp_xgeq
Quote:

You can use 31-band graphic equalizer instead

 

[moriez]

Quote:

"Notch" improvements: It is not that the replacement cable "does all that," but the stock cable does the opposite. Less low-lows, warmish midrange, rolled highs.  In general, cheap cables "do" more than expensive ones, which "do" as little as possible. 

 
I see you have your Cardas on the 650's. Can you comment on what in your experience were the most significant changes compared to the stock cabel? Personnally I'm a bit afraid that I won't hear jack different.

 

[Lorspeaker]

http://www.head-fi.org/t/678711/zu-mobius-sennheiser-hd650-cable
 
a zoo for sale.. 

 

[Stoney]

Quote:

 
I see you have your Cardas on the 650's. Can you comment on what in your experience were the most significant changes compared to the stock cabel? Personnally I'm a bit afraid that I won't hear jack different.

 
Hi, 
 
I'm using both a Cardas Clear in balanced configuration with the SR-71B from Ray Samuels (for which balanced gives highest power and best detail), and the Cardas Clear Light (half of the Clear... which is two cables) for a short unbalanced cable to the Schiit Valhalla (Single-ended Triode, Output Transformer-Less design which by definition gives the most vivid SET type triody goodness by NOT being balanced). Two polar opposites of amp virtues and both fully justified in their own ways. 
 
My experience... it has been a while since testing the stock cable, perhaps a couple of months... is that definition is greatly diminished with stock.  The stock cable is like the stage is in a fog, and the back half of the orchestra is hardly visible at all.  Just a metaphor. Also, transients are softened, treble is too relaxed and poorly defined, and bass doesn't have control, depth, and authority. The legendary "veil" (most of which was banished by an improvement to the HD650 about 2007) remains only to the degree that the cable causes it.  
 
I've also added a Moon Audio Blue Dragon v3 as my 1/8" interconnect from DAC to SR-71B, which compared to $10 and $25 cables is much better, clearer, defined, and realistic.  
 
With the Valhalla, I use very good Cardas interconnects from a decade ago (Neutral Reference), which make a nice difference compared to cheap Audioquest, older Cardas, and lesser cables.  These combinations of relatively pricey cables with a budget but excellent amp is not wasted... it is just that the Schiit Valhalla is a great amp for high-impedance, medium efficiency headphones and listeners who appreciate the triode purity of sound.  
 
The difference between the two Cardas HD650 cables, Clear and Clear Light, should be mostly a choice of whether the Clear is usable in a given application (it is twice the copper) and if the last bit of additional clarity and solidity is worth the big price difference.  

 

[RAZRr1275]

Quote:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-7-Foot-Sennheiser-Cable-for-HD-580-HD-600-and-HD-650-/111145103539?pt=US_MP3_Player_Cables_Adapters&hash=item19e0c3b0b3
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Headphone-Upgrade-Cable-Furutech-Cable-for-Sennheiser-HD25-HD580-HD600-HD650-/111147685600?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19e0eb16e0
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/5ft-Headphone-Upgrade-Cable-For-SENNHEISER-HD25-HD580-HD600-HD650-/111148734352?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19e0fb1790
 
 I should've done that in the first place

Anyone have any impressions of these cables and what they did to sq?

 

[connieflyer]

Quote:

Im almost certain that first cable is made by a headfier, who has a very good reputation around here. That price is very good as well, it probably cost really close to that in materials. Those Chinese ones are kinda hit or miss in my experience. Sometimes you get really nice looking cable with decent build. Other times you get a really crappy cable that is DOA.

I just purchased a cable from Ernst and it is really a nice piece of work.  The one that was listed was sold, he put 3 different cables and i bought one. The price was $49.00 and free shipping.  He shipped the same day as the order.  I just got them today, a day earlier than quoted.  The cable is done in a blue ripcord material all the way up to the earcups.  The shorter length of this cable is a big plus.  The cable is a "little" stiff, another benefit as I see it as now it stays were I want it instead of falling under my chair wheels or hooking on to the arm.  As far as sonic difference I am noticing a slight improvement in overall sound quality.  Perceived?  Wishful thinking?  Don't know, all I can say is if it looks like to me as an improvement to me.  Ernst did not advertise as sonic improvement, these are my thoughts.  The quality of his work is exemplary and would definetly buy from him again.