[ButtUglyJeff]

 

 
1.  How will the 650's be different?  I can tell you but maybe later.  YOU will hear them and experience them for yourself.  No reason to add to preconceptions of what you may hear, especially since with your research you might already have expectations.  Plug them in and listen and enjoy!
2.  Yes, your M&M stack will be excellent.  I do prefer the Vali over the Magni, but I can't tell you how MUCH difference there is.  I decided to sell the Magni at a slight loss and buy a Vali.    
So, the math worked out to be about $40 more to dig the Vali, and for me it was worth it.

 


You raise an excellent point about expectations. I am intellectually aware that this subject is highly subjective and opinionated, but I am just so eager to develop the language to be able to discuss it that I was wondering how others would describe the difference. I fully expect to thoroughly enjoy my new headphones, though. I harbor some suspicion that I may be a tube guy, so I think I'm gonna have to spring for the Vali just so I can stop wondering.

 
I'd wait on the Vali till you're head is broken into the HD650s.  Not saying you shouldn't get it eventually, but since you have a similar sounding Magni, maybe get used to the purchase you haven't even received yet....

 

[teofilrocks]

Anyone have impressions of the HD650 on some Audio-GD balanced gear? I'm curious what kind of real changes there would be, and I like the convenience of a combined DAC/amp. The NFB-28/10.33 put out a pretty massive amount of power in balanced mode as well: 1.2W @ 300-ohm and 600mW @ 600-ohm.

 

[MattTCG]

 
I prefer the HD650 over the LCD-2. It's my workhorse - everything I play through it is engaging and there is little to detract from the experience.
 
The HD800 is technically more proficient, but the manner in which it highlights flaws in upstream components and recordings can be a distraction. When all elements align though, the HD800 is sublime.

 
This pretty much sums it up for me. And the very reason why I own both.

 

[Androb]

  Anyone have impressions of the HD650 on some Audio-GD balanced gear? I'm curious what kind of real changes there would be, and I like the convenience of a combined DAC/amp. The NFB-28/10.33 put out a pretty massive amount of power in balanced mode as well: 1.2W @ 300-ohm and 600mW @ 600-ohm.

Dunno about AUDIO-GD but going balanced makes a quite big difference imo.

 

[JacobLee89]

  Dunno about AUDIO-GD but going balanced makes a quite big difference imo.

 
As a very quick question: does going balanced mean needing both a balanced DAC and a balanced amp?
 
I'll probably ask more once I get pass the "I now own a BHC" mark.

 

[teofilrocks]

  Dunno about AUDIO-GD but going balanced makes a quite big difference imo.

 
What kind of significant improvements did you hear?

 

[Lorspeaker]

i have the nfb10.32...it is a balanced dac n build in amp.( the previous model..not sabre chip..)
v powerful amp, even in single ended mode.. big tall soundstaging...v slightly warm but clear.
tried a few cans on balanced mode but not the hd650 yet cos i havent got the guts to snip the 8strandcable i have.
 
ok...going balanced....the sound is ermmm....better separation...the musicians sat further apart from each other by 6inches.
happy? 

 

[donlin]

   
What kind of significant improvements did you hear?

The biggest improvements I hear from balanced is greater separation and more openness in the treble.

 

[teofilrocks]

The biggest improvements I hear from balanced is greater separation and more openness in the treble.

 
You're also rocking a HDVA-600 

 

[XERO1]

I just wanted to put this out there, because it is something I recently realized about the HD650.
 
For me, the HD650 has a near ideal frequency response and can be driven to incredibly high levels without any audible distortion creeping in at all.
 
The combination of these two qualities makes the HD650 pretty unique among high-end headphones.
 
While their sound signature my be a little 'over-forgiving'', this can be greatly reduced by using DACs, amps and cables that combine to create an overall sound quality that suits the owners preferences perfectly.
 
So I guess what I'm saying is that the HD650's are a truly excellent 'foundation' to build upon.

 

[donlin]

   
You're also rocking a HDVA-600 

True.  For me, that amp is required.  I'm still surprised at how much better it is than the others I've had.

 

[Androb]

 
As a very quick question: does going balanced mean needing both a balanced DAC and a balanced amp?
 
I'll probably ask more once I get pass the "I now own a BHC" mark.

I think it depends on ur amp? His amp is both dac/amp so I guess the dac already is balanced
 
Quote:

 
What kind of significant improvements did you hear?

Well I don't know if it's that my amp is so much worse on SE but when I compare to the balanced output everything kinda gets better. More firm pronounced bass, better mids (gets oh so yummy) and non fatiguing treble, which is pretty boring and dull on SE output. It doesn't sound as sloppy anymore. 

 

[TeddyShot]

My HD650s arrived this week and I thought I'd post a few impressions. Firstly, I'd just like to say how incredibly helpful head-fi has been in guiding me in all my headphone purchases. Finding good bang-for-buck kit makes me very happy and so far, my RE-ZEROs, GR07 Mk2, M50s and Maverick Audio D1+ (with all upgrades) have been excellent acquisitions for their specific purpose.

I bought the HD650s for them to be my 'lounge' phones where I can sit and relax with some decent scotch and enjoy the music once my kids and possibly wife have gone to bed. What attracted me to the HD650 specifically was that people have described them as being very forgiving yet resolving at the same time, with a slightly warm Senn house sound (I loved my px100s before my son snapped them) as well as being phones that scale well with decent kit. I can't confirm the decent kit part yet (the D1 seems to be a good fit for now), but I definitely can confirm the forgiving part. Whether I'm listening to Rdio or Spotifiy streaming at 320kps, badly ripped mp3s from yesteryear or decent .flac files, the 650s seems to deliver the best possible music experience with what's available.

If anyone owns the other phones that I've mentioned, I could put the HD650s performance in context to theirs using ratings out of 10 (obviously in my own very subjective viewpoint). This may or may not be helpful to some.

RE-ZEROs - Low 6.5/10, mid 8.5/10, high 6.5/10, sstage 6.5/10
GR07 - Low 8, mid 8, high 8, sstage 7.5 (seriously good workhorse )
M50s - Low 8.5, mid 5.5, high 7, sstage 6

HD650s - Low 8.5/10, mid 9.5/10, high 8/10, sstage 8.5/10

I can't wait (or can rather ) to see how these phones develop over time with a bit of burn in, and well, if there are no changes, well that's also gravy.

I cannot for the life of me imagine anyone regretting buying these phones (unless they don't amp them - I plugged them into a J3 and a Samsung S4 and they sounded slow and very average) and I personally can only heartily recommend them.

Does it sound veiled in any way? I've heard that the newest version has almost no veil. I ask this because while I know I will enjoy the improved bass response and detail over my 598s, I'm afraid the highs will be so rolled off that it makes my music and gameing sessions boring. I also will be running them off the Cayin portable amp, which is very neutral with a tiny bit of warmth.

 

[Za Warudo]

When I comes to listening on my 598, gaming and music listening are pretty much split equally. So my question is, how good is the soundstage on the 650 compared to the 598. Before I got the Cayin C5 amp, I tried a Fiio E12 and hated how closed in my headphones sounded. The C5 gives a really good soundstage to headphones and is very powerful, it feels perfect for me. I forgot to mention this, but I'm actually going to return the 598s if I open the 650s, that's why I'm trying to figure out how they will sound compared to my 598 and whether I'll like the sound.
Not sure if you have any familiarity with the Cayin C5, but its a powerful portable amp with great soundstage reproduction. Some have commented before on the Cayin C5 thread that the 650 pairs well with it but I'm not sure how well.

Update: In terms of Sound signiture, what is the main difference between the 598 and 650. My main concern is opening the headphones, trying them for a week and finding out I like the 598s more. I purchased the 650s from BHphotovideo.com . They charge a 15% restocking fee at the minimum if I return them opened.

Just open it. If you don't like it, sell it on the classified section for close to what you paid. It shouldn't be hard especially after the price goes up again.

 

[jamesfonda]

Does it sound veiled in any way? I've heard that the newest version has almost no veil. I ask this because while I know I will enjoy the improved bass response and detail over my 598s, I'm afraid the highs will be so rolled off that it makes my music and gameing sessions boring. I also will be running them off the Cayin portable amp, which is very neutral with a tiny bit of warmth.

 
When amped, I didn't find them veiled at all. They certainly aren't forward, but that doesn't mean they're veiled. I found the highs to be surprisingly clear after everything I'd read about these phones. I thought they were totally unobtrusive and not etchy/shouty  in any way, but very much there and well presented.
 
The one thing I really, really like about these phones is how quickly one stops listening to the phones and starts enjoying the music. And then every now and then, I'll go 'that sounds great...nice one" and then carry on enjoying what I'm listening to.