[joebobbilly]

  My HD650s have just been away to the Sennheiser doctor. The right channel failed, and they have been repaired under warranty. I received them back in the same box, but they look newer... Maybe they went to the Senn health farm after the Senn hospital - they don't just look new but the sound even sounds livelier. Where is the serial numberon the actual phones these days?

Not sure the HD650 are even serialized... are they

 
They may have simply given you a new replacement? But even if they did fix it, they likely just switched out the old drivers. In which case, you might have a new pair of drivers (considering they are said to be matched) that have yet to be broken in fully yet. Slight sound variations from pair to pair wouldn't surprise me. LCD2 graphs indicate that to be the case. No pair is identical.

 

[FraGGleR]

  It's okay. Thanks for sharing anyway.
 
Do they put HD800 on sale often? Although got my HD650 just a few months ago, can't stop thinking getting a pair of HD800 for under $1k in a year or two. lol

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-O21nIYODLep/p_143HD800R/Sennheiser-HD-800-Factory-Refurbished.html  These are legit refurbs from Sennheiser with full warranty and like new condition.  Plus Crutchfield has insanely good service (and a 60day return window).
 
Edit:  Oops, out of stock.  Sorry.

 

[Amictus]

   
If your 650's were pre-2007, then there's a chance that the new (post 2007) drivers the Sennheiser Wizards put in have an impact on the sound. I've read somewhere that the change in the drivers were not to improve the sound, but to make Quality Assurance easier.
 
I don't think they have serial numbers considering the entire headphone does not use screws and can be taken apart with your hands, and a simple electronics prying tool. At least I haven't noticed any last time I took mine apart.

 
 

 
Not sure the HD650 are even serialized... are they

 
They may have simply given you a new replacement? But even if they did fix it, they likely just switched out the old drivers. In which case, you might have a new pair of drivers (considering they are said to be matched) that have yet to be broken in fully yet. Slight sound variations from pair to pair wouldn't surprise me. LCD2 graphs indicate that to be the case. No pair is identical.

Thanks for your comments, guys. My 650s were bought last November. They do now sound as if they need burning-in again. I have since bought the HD800s, which are more my sort of thing, however, there are times when I reach for the HD650s. I hope to be auditioning the Lehmann Linear and Linear SE soon and I need the 650s in racing trim by then...

 

[intlsubband]

You can see the serial number if you take the earpads off.

 

[cddc]

  http://www.crutchfield.com/S-O21nIYODLep/p_143HD800R/Sennheiser-HD-800-Factory-Refurbished.html  These are legit refurbs from Sennheiser with full warranty and like new condition.  Plus Crutchfield has insanely good service (and a 60day return window).
 
Edit:  Oops, out of stock.  Sorry.

Thanks a lot for the link. I am not buying the HD800 soon, so it's fine.
 
Just hope the price will drop within a year or 2, when I possibly start to upgrade

 

[ridethespiral]

The music is too good and I don't even have the crack yet!!
 
Can't function when listening to these cans.

 

[Anavel0]

Just for fun while waiting on a different statement amp to launch, I'm going to buy a Modi with either Magni or Vali.

Thoughts on Magni vs Vali?

 

[chee006]

 
My HD 650 has finally arrived and it was better than the one I tested in the shop before, I noticed the 650 made all of my music sounds like binaural recordings with it's amazing sound stage and also the tight bass is splendid! I am coming from owning a HD 558 and both of these are like night and day difference. 

 

[alejandro7]

Suggestion on HD650 replacement for your Cardas (I have the 10' version) cables. They are fine, indeed much better than stock cables. But for not much more you could buy a 6' foot Charleston Cables mid line AURIC cable...for about $160 and a little more for him to wrap it. That is my current preference. I switch them between 650s and my ancient 1981 420s. Both HPs are lit up and fully dynamic to the nines. Greatly improve SQ over the Cardas and you wouldn't be disappointed. Great customer service too.  
    http://www.charlestoncablecompany.com/store/c21/Sennheiser_Headphone_Cables_--_AURIC.html
 
Enjoy. Alejandro

 

[MattTCG]

Just for fun while waiting on a different statement amp to launch, I'm going to buy a Modi with either Magni or Vali.

Thoughts on Magni vs Vali?

 
Despite the small issues with microphonics, I find the Vali much better than the magni with the 650. The Vali seems to accentuates the bass slightly and add a lush tone to those wonderful mids. It's mostly all about the mids for me now. After all, that's where the music really lives, right?

 

[Amictus]

 
 
My HD 650 has finally arrived and it was better than the one I tested in the shop before, I noticed the 650 made all of my music sounds like binaural recordings with it's amazing sound stage and also the tight bass is splendid! I am coming from owning a HD 558 and both of these are like night and day difference. 

As reported earlier, my HD650s have come back from a warranty repair and they sound completely different than before. Better. They also look new. I have seen other anecdotal evidence for a variety of sound signature from HD650s in this forum, and it makes you wonder... "Amazing sound stage" you say, my last HD650s didn't really have any compared to my HD800s or my Q701s, but the new pair are respectable in that regard. Tight bass? Yes, they have. They didn't before. I'm very pleased, but I think that there is some variety in the hardware out there. My HD800 is not sibillant or fatiguing, my Q701s have no bass at all and my Gungnir is highly resolving but not 'shouty'. You will find contrary opinions on those products frequently on Head-fi.org. Is it taste, or is it a variety in the goods themselves?

 

[chee006]

  As reported earlier, my HD650s have come back from a warranty repair and they sound completely different than before. Better. They also look new. I have seen other anecdotal evidence for a variety of sound signature from HD650s in this forum, and it makes you wonder... "Amazing sound stage" you say, my last HD650s didn't really have any compared to my HD800s or my Q701s, but the new pair are respectable in that regard. Tight bass? Yes, they have. They didn't before. I'm very pleased, but I think that there is some variety in the hardware out there. My HD800 is not sibillant or fatiguing, my Q701s have no bass at all and my Gungnir is highly resolving but not 'shouty'. You will find contrary opinions on those products frequently on Head-fi.org. Is it taste, or is it a variety in the goods themselves?

Yes, these are my initial impression of my own unit of HD650 as I have said it does sound different from the one I tried in the shop however I am not sure if those have the silver coil or the black ones but I have to take into consideration that those have already been burned in while mine has not. I'll try to update on the change of the sound but I cna tell you that I am still loving it and the sound has been steadily been darker for me or it could just be my imagination.  

 

[Amictus]

  Yes, these are my initial impression of my own unit of HD650 as I have said it does sound different from the one I tried in the shop however I am not sure if those have the silver coil or the black ones but I have to take into consideration that those have already been burned in while mine has not. I'll try to update on the change of the sound but I cna tell you that I am still loving it and the sound has been steadily been darker for me or it could just be my imagination.  

Good luck! Keep us informed of developments!

 

[olor1n]

 



My HD 650 has finally arrived and it was better than the one I tested in the shop before, I noticed the 650 made all of my music sounds like binaural recordings with it's amazing sound stage and also the tight bass is splendid! I am coming from owning a HD 558 and both of these are like night and day difference. 

As reported earlier, my HD650s have come back from a warranty repair and they sound completely different than before. Better. They also look new. I have seen other anecdotal evidence for a variety of sound signature from HD650s in this forum, and it makes you wonder... "Amazing sound stage" you say, my last HD650s didn't really have any compared to my HD800s or my Q701s, but the new pair are respectable in that regard. Tight bass? Yes, they have. They didn't before. I'm very pleased, but I think that there is some variety in the hardware out there. My HD800 is not sibillant or fatiguing, my Q701s have no bass at all and my Gungnir is highly resolving but not 'shouty'. You will find contrary opinions on those products frequently on Head-fi.org. Is it taste, or is it a variety in the goods themselves?

Unless a stealth update is implemented (eg silver screen HD650) I doubt a company like Sennheiser would allow for wild variance between units. purrin has done measurements of HD800s to prove the tight tolerance levels. Sennheiser is not Audez'e.

Do you have your old HD650 on hand to compare? If there is a difference it could be a number of things. Stiffer pads in the new headphone, or pre burn in signature of the transducers (if you believe in such things).

As to disagreements in how these components sound - other than semantics - preferences of course have a bearing. Also, different configurations (amps/dacs/software/settings etc) impact the overall presentation - ie the Gungnir's "shouty" characteristic is stifled by your Lyr's inherent qualities, and/or your tolerance levels for such things is higher than others who've tried to live with that dac.

Not a great mystery.

 

[Transformatron]

As reported earlier, my HD650s have come back from a warranty repair and they sound completely different than before. Better. They also look new. I have seen other anecdotal evidence for a variety of sound signature from HD650s in this forum, and it makes you wonder... "Amazing sound stage" you say, my last HD650s didn't really have any compared to my HD800s or my Q701s, but the new pair are respectable in that regard. Tight bass? Yes, they have. They didn't before. I'm very pleased, but I think that there is some variety in the hardware out there. My HD800 is not sibillant or fatiguing, my Q701s have no bass at all and my Gungnir is highly resolving but not 'shouty'. You will find contrary opinions on those products frequently on Head-fi.org. Is it taste, or is it a variety in the goods themselves?

How much was your repair and what did they fix?