[HemiSam]

  These headphones are not for everyone, to be sure. Perhaps if you stick with them, they will really grow on you, as they did with me. With that said, you might go with the HD-600 or the Beyer DT-880s. I just heard the latter today from a friend, and I was very impressed. You might want to clarify what you mean when you say you are looking for an "interesting" sound signature, though. Perhaps you are lookign for something more V-Shaped, with accentuated bass and treble. That would lead you to something like the DT-990 or the Fidelio X1. 

 
 

 
Everyone's ears (and preferences) are different, so I won't insist that you'll ever like the sound of the 650s like I do, but I will suggest that you give them proper burn-in time before deciding how they sound.  I had targeted burning mine in for 300 hours before making critical observations, but noticed that the sound signature (and volume!) changed at around the 100 hour mark.  Just leave them on and burning in before you return them is my suggestion. 
They really opened-up a bit for me.  (And I wasn't even hoping for it.  I thought they were fine as they were originally.)
 
That said, I've heard nothing but good things about the HD-600s and 700s, but if you really like DETAIL, then I can tell you that the GRADO SR-225e headphones have it in spades, and they are relatively inexpensive.  The sound is a little too bright for my or my wife's taste, but they had great and clear detail to say the least. 

 
These are great suggestions....thank you for them.  I will continue to burn them in and also, at the advice of a friend, try using them a bit differently to see if anything changes for me.  For example, I'll try them straight out of the Woo WA7, relying on both the amp and DAC to see how they sound and I'll plug them into my old Yamaha home stereo setup to see how they sound.  It could be the combination with the Caiman DAC and Woo amp is part of the issue...the chemistry if you will.
 
I really want to love the 650's.  I thought they'd be the sweet spot for me.  Maybe my ears will grow to like them with some time, but the last couple of night the V shaped signature of the AT M50X's were what was making me smile.
 
I'm learning....
 
 
HS

 

[Billheiser]

These are great suggestions....thank you for them.  I will continue to burn them in and also, at the advice of a friend, try using them a bit differently to see if anything changes for me.  For example, I'll try them straight out of the Woo WA7, relying on both the amp and DAC to see how they sound and I'll plug them into my old Yamaha home stereo setup to see how they sound.  It could be the combination with the Caiman DAC and Woo amp is part of the issue...the chemistry if you will.

I really want to love the 650's.  I thought they'd be the sweet spot for me.  Maybe my ears will grow to like them with some time, but the last couple of night the V shaped signature of the AT M50X's were what was making me smile.

I'm learning....


HS

Listen to what you like best. Good to get input from others but ultimately you decide what works for you.

 

[gjudd]

Is it possible to ever get sick of the hd650s haha?

 

[rids57]

Hopefully not - I have my HD 650s for music and AKG K702 (bass port modded) for gaming and I'm happy as a pig in Schiit.

 

[retskrad]

Does the lcd-2 improve on the hd650? how does the mid range and highs compare between the two? 

 

[Uncle AL]

Is it possible to ever get sick of the hd650s haha?

I never have, but everyone is different. Perception of headphone performance, such as the HD650 can be quite subjective, depending on listener tastes. Pairing with an amplifier may also play a significant role on your listening experience. So if question arises about the audio quality of a particular headphone, it is good to test it with more than one amplifier, to see if the quality of audio changes. From my perspective, I have enjoyed my HD650s, consistently.

 

[MattTCG]

  I've heard mixed reviews about the Vali with the HD650, however haven't tried it myself. The Crack on the other hand is superb. Very superb. You won't believe the tone and tight bass you will get out of a Crack with Speedball paired with the HD650s until you hear it. Upgrades and tube rolling makes this even better, not that you won't be satisfied with a stock Crack.

 
The Crack with sb is just tremendous with the 650. I agree about the tone and bass response. If you favor a slightly less tubey sound with more resolution than the Crack, consider the Valhalla 2 which is equally outstanding. 

 

[mgh24]

  Absolutely wanted to love my new HD 650's...really I did.  They're great in many ways, but in the end they proved too veiled and dark for me despite what I expected....hoped for.  Playing lossless ripped CD's through a Beresford Caiman MKII > Woo WA7 (amp) > HD 650.  Surprisingly, my AT M50X's proved to be more interesting with this rig than the Senn's.  Bummer...  I can certainly see why many love the warmth and serious bass impact.  They have plenty of that going on.
 
Now I'm wondering if I should try the HD 600's or the 700's.  I have a new set of the Sony Z7's on the way....will likely wait to see what those bring.
 
HS

I would love to hear your comparison of the Z7 to the HD650 when you get them.
 
Thanks

 

[HemiSam]

 
I would love to hear your comparison of the Z7 to the HD650 when you get them.
 
Thanks

 
Me too!  We'll see when they ship.  A lot of info flying around about timing so it's hard to say when I'll get my mitts on my pair.
 
 
 

 
HS

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

 
I would love to hear your comparison of the Z7 to the HD650 when you get them.
 
Thanks

 
I preordered the Z7s on 9/18, and I'm still in a holding pattern with Amazon.  I was hoping for a closed can with HD650-like mids.....

 

[FangJoker]

   
The Crack with sb is just tremendous with the 650. I agree about the tone and bass response. If you favor a slightly less tubey sound with more resolution than the Crack, consider the Valhalla 2 which is equally outstanding. 

 
How different is the valhalla 2 than the original valhalla?  I hated the hd650 with the original valhalla as fast hitting bass became muddy and sloppy.  I'm on a 2nd go around with the hd650 and it's much better with a solid state amp.  It's probably due to the music that I listen to.  What I really want is the sound of the jvc fx850 in a full sized headphone and I have tried several headphones and can't seem to get that sound.  Next on my list is the fostex th900, but the hd650 is still probably a keeper for me now that it pairs better with my new amp/dac for heavy metal/rock music.  Also want a noble k10 but is way out of my price range at the moment as I also have my car hobby too.  

 

[MattTCG]

   
How different is the valhalla 2 than the original valhalla?  I hated the hd650 with the original valhalla as fast hitting bass became muddy and sloppy.  I'm on a 2nd go around with the hd650 and it's much better with a solid state amp.  It's probably due to the music that I listen to.  What I really want is the sound of the jvc fx850 in a full sized headphone and I have tried several headphones and can't seem to get that sound.  Next on my list is the fostex th900, but the hd650 is still probably a keeper for me now that it pairs better with my new amp/dac for heavy metal/rock music.  Also want a noble k10 but is way out of my price range at the moment as I also have my car hobby too.  

 
Very different in fact...just way better in every respect including function and versatility. Great stock tubes also. Drives the hd6x0, Sony ma900, iems, and he400i really nicely. 

 

[madwolfa]

  Does the lcd-2 improve on the hd650? how does the mid range and highs compare between the two?

 
It does improve on pretty much everything, except comfort. They're still very similar sounding cans, though.

 

[Sonic Defender]

   
Very different in fact...just way better in every respect including function and versatility. Great stock tubes also. Drives the hd6x0, Sony ma900, iems, and he400i really nicely. 

Must sound nice. I loved my first gen Valhalla with my 650s and Dt880 at the time. Do you think the Valhalla 2 would play nice with my 560? I miss tubes, but dropping big bucks on a second amp isn't in the cards. Cheers.

 

[retskrad]

Is this a true statement: the lcd-2 has the mid and highs of the hd650, but the awesome bass of planers? The only thing that bothered me was the hd650's bass, it's kind of muddy and the mid bass casts a shadow over the rest of the bass frequencies, it's the same with all dynamic headphones I have heard. 
 
I have the he-400 which I'm keeping because of the heavenly bass, but the mids and treble is tiresome. I'm hoping that the lcd-2 would keep the same qualities as the he-400, but bring better mids and treble.