[Solrighal]

  Are there any phones with comparable sound signatures to the 650s, but have a larger soundstage?

 
Not that I've heard, no.

 

[donlin]

Are there any phones with comparable sound signatures to the 650s, but have a larger soundstage?

None that I've tried. It's very hard to do warmth with a huge soundstage.

 

[teofilrocks]

None that I've tried. It's very hard to do warmth with a huge soundstage.

Yea, I was wondering if it were possible. I haven't heard that many phones, especially at the $500-and-up level. The LCD-2 is supposed to have a "darker" signature, but I don't know how much a difference there is between the 650. The HeadRoom FR graphs shows some similarities, but I'm not sure about the soundstage comparison (or comfort).

 

[Sonic Defender]

  That wasn't my point.  My point was considering everything we do in this hobby, I'm always drawn back to the HD650s because they do so much right for me.

And that is what is always the most important thing; sorry if I seemed like I was challenging you.

 

[Mdraluck23]

Coming from HE-400's...
 
There is in fact something special to the sound. More organic, fuller sound. The notes are thicker and just have more body instead of the sterile accuracy. The slowness is what does it I think.
 
The attack of each new note is still fast for detail but the decay may be slower? That's how I'd describe it compared to the HE-400's.
 
I could listen to these all day.

 

[thejsm]

Just got my HD650's in from Amazon, These things aren't even broken in yet and I already feel like they are sexually assaulting my ears.
 
I've got ATH-M50x's for my closed cans and now these for my open, both amazing headphones.
 
This is turning into a bad obsession.

 

[Malfunkt]

For those new 650 owners who find their headphone too clamps or not tight enough, I highly recommend this thread:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/438898/hd650-hd600-hd580-comfortable-uncomfortable-or-fractured

I've owned my 650 for months and it hadn't relaxed on its own. Perhaps after years of clamps enjoyment, it might finally become comfortable, or you could just gently bend the metal band in safe and simple fashion, and the headphone becomes supremely comfortable.

Comfort is essential for headphones, and allows you to focus on the music. So glad I did this.

 

[donlin]

Yea, I was wondering if it were possible. I haven't heard that many phones, especially at the $500-and-up level. The LCD-2 is supposed to have a "darker" signature, but I don't know how much a difference there is between the 650. The HeadRoom FR graphs shows some similarities, but I'm not sure about the soundstage comparison (or comfort).

I listened to LCD-2's for two years straight and IMO the 650 with the right amp is more enjoyable across the board. The 650 soundstage is bigger and image outlines are much better defined.

 

[Malfunkt]

Just got my HD650's in from Amazon, These things aren't even broken in yet and I already feel like they are sexually assaulting my ears.

I've got ATH-M50x's for my closed cans and now these for my open, both amazing headphones.

This is turning into a bad obsession.

Only two cans? Sounds healthy.

. the 650 can seem polite on bass and laid back, but as you sink into them you start enjoying pretty much everything you throw at them. Still, it's great to have closed can, especially one that has a visceral low-end. In that respect, the M50x sound like a perfect compliment.

A closed can that I've been revisiting again is the HD25. The 650 and 25 are true classics for sennheiser whose design have stood the test of time.

 

[62ohm]

I listened to LCD-2's for two years straight and IMO the 650 with the right amp is more enjoyable across the board. The 650 soundstage is bigger and image outlines are much better defined.

 
What about the HDVA 600? I'm actually currently thinking of trading my K812 for an LCD-2, if I like it I might sell the HD650. But the comfort factor is a concern..

 

[donlin]

What about the HDVA 600? I'm actually currently thinking of trading my K812 for an LCD-2, if I like it I might sell the HD650. But the comfort factor is a concern..

Yes, the HDVA 600 is the amp that made the 650 magical for me. The main comfort problem with Audeze phones is the weight on the very top of your head. I got pretty sore after a while. The 650 clamping doesn't bother me nearly as much.

 

[Solrighal]

Here's an odd thing. I almost always listen to my 650's using EQ of some description. It's not because I perceive a weakness that I'm trying to compensate for as such, just that I have tended to prefer them (and all my other headphones too, for that matter) this way. Well, all morning, for the first time in years, I've been listening to classical music. At the moment it's a Mendelssohn violin concerto and I just can live with EQ of any description. They sound much better flat, with no EQ at all. Imaging is vastly superior in my opinion and the tonality of violins in particular is wonderful. It's not like my normal listening tastes are for the overly processed music currently sitting in the charts either. I tend to listen to more folky stuff like Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and the like. When I push the boat out it's usually for older Mike Oldfield, Yello & Royksöpp. Who knows what 'natural' is to those artists.
 
I've also been of the opinion that my Forza Audioworks cable added little to the experience. Not now. The aftermarket cable is far superior in resolution and, dare I say it, timing.
 
I'm guessing that these days ALL music is processed to such a degree that any sense of reality is extinguished from the final mix and so EQ is perfectly acceptable because the engineer has already decided there's no 'right' way to hear the sound. I don't know. This has been an eye-opener for me. Further scrutiny is required. Can't wait.
 
Am I alone in thinking this way?

 

[gmazz]

I've had the 650's for about 2 months now.  At first I was very underwhelmed but apparently all the chatter about burning in headphones is somewhat legit.  After about 30-50 hours of use I really noticed the depth of the sound improving.  I using a Valhalla 2 to drive them.  Quite happy with the setup but I can't help but wonder if something better is out there....
 
Great forum by the way.  I've lurked for months and used this forum to make many audio selections.  First post!

 

[Solrighal]

Congratulations on your first post! You're right too. Of all the hi-fi components I've bought over 30 years none have benefitted more from burn-in than my HD 650's.

 

[olegausany]

Here's an odd thing. I almost always listen to my 650's using EQ of some description. It's not because I perceive a weakness that I'm trying to compensate for as such, just that I have tended to prefer them (and all my other headphones too, for that matter) this way. Well, all morning, for the first time in years, I've been listening to classical music. At the moment it's a Mendelssohn violin concerto and I just can live with EQ of any description. They sound much better flat, with no EQ at all. Imaging is vastly superior in my opinion and the tonality of violins in particular is wonderful. It's not like my normal listening tastes are for the overly processed music currently sitting in the charts either. I tend to listen to more folky stuff like Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and the like. When I push the boat out it's usually for older Mike Oldfield, Yello & Royksöpp. Who knows what 'natural' is to those artists.
 
I've also been of the opinion that my Forza Audioworks cable added little to the experience. Not now. The aftermarket cable is far superior in resolution and, dare I say it, timing.
 
I'm guessing that these days ALL music is processed to such a degree that any sense of reality is extinguished from the final mix and so EQ is perfectly acceptable because the engineer has already decided there's no 'right' way to hear the sound. I don't know. This has been an eye-opener for me. Further scrutiny is required. Can't wait.
 
Am I alone in thinking this way?

I also was using EQ with all my headphones. But recently I decided to try Out of my head program and I don't need EQ anymore cause I prefer to use a preset with which recording sounds best for me . Right now I own 4 presets and planning to get one more soon cause one of my favorite album sounds best with it