[timind]

A NuForce Icon ido would be good for the iphone. You can get a used ido for $90 or so. Mine works great with my 650s.
Unfortunately it would do nothing for your computer. For my Mac mini, I use a NuForce HDP. This little device has been around for a while. Lovin it with my 650s.

 

[raybone0566]

The 650 isn't that difficult to drive, but it depends on how loud you like your playback volume. If you don't need it extremely loud the E18 I believe would work well, but integrated amp/dacs aren't my bag so perhaps somebody here can chime in. What university and program are you in? Not another engineer I hope!! Just joking, I'm a social science major and it often seems nobody values the social sciences and everybody is an engineering student.

The e-12 Will drive them easy, also the cayin c-5 pairs well

 

[ty123]

The e-12 looks nice but it doesn't have a DAC. I'm wondering how important a DAC is. I wish there was a hi fidelity headphone shop near me so I can try everything out.

 

[raybone0566]

The e-12 looks nice but it doesn't have a DAC. I'm wondering how important a DAC is. I wish there was a hi fidelity headphone shop near me so I can try everything out.

Amazon has a good return policy. If you are not happy you could return it. You'd have to pay shipping of course. The c-5 by cayin pairs very well with my 650's. No dac either

 

[donlin]

Ruining them is your conclusion.  There are tons of threads here about modifying equipment and one could label it all as ruining if it's not reversible.  I think of it as owners exploring for a better or preferred sound.  Is there risk?  Maybe, but that's the owner's choice.  Further, the results are interesting for many vs just hearing from the same guy or crowd that they've found their end all be all rig and basically arguing at all costs that nothing can be better.  Yawn.

HS

Wow-sorry:confused_face_2:

 

[Solrighal]

Hi! My Sennheiser HD 650s are supposed to be shipped today and I cant wait as I have never heard them before! However, from what I've read, these headphones don't truly shine until hooked up to an Amp/DAC. This is a problem because I will be for the most part listening from my iPhone 6 and MacBook Pro. Being a novice, I have no idea what equipment I should buy to pair with these headphones. From your guys perspective, what equipment do you think would give me the best bang for my buck under $200? Thanks

 
Combining a Fiio E12 with your phone for now will give you enough power to get the 650's singing. The DAC in the iPhone isn't terrible, I've read good things about it. Most importantly the combo will be relatively compact too.
 
I'm amazed at how no phone manufacturer has marketed a "hi-fifone". Something with a great DAC chip, shielded from RFI & with a built-in amp capable of driving real loads. I'd buy one in a heartbeat. I guess HTC have maybe come closest in so much as the phones speakers sound remarkably good for what they are but it's not what we're looking for. I guess they reckon there's not enough money in it for them. Yet.

 

[ty123]

The Schiit Modi + Magni combo looks nice but sacrifices portability. Also I don't have any of the required wires so Im not sure how it would work. Maybe I'll get a portable amp so I can use my headphones from my phone and then a desktop DAC so when I'm on my laptop I could use DAC + portable amp. What's comparable to the Schiit Modi 2 that wouldn't require me buying additional wires?

 

[reddog]

The Schiit Modi + Magni combo looks nice but sacrifices portability. Also I don't have any of the required wires so Im not sure how it would work. Maybe I'll get a portable amp so I can use my headphones from my phone and then a desktop DAC so when I'm on my laptop I could use DAC + portable amp. What's comparable to the Schiit Modi 2 that wouldn't require me buying additional wires?

Have you considered the Fiio x3 dac/ amp music player for 169 Amazon, the unit is portable. I have never heard one but was researching portable lossless music player/ dac/ amp. Good luck I your quest.

 

[TeddyShot]

The e-12 Will drive them easy, also the cayin c-5 pairs well

+1 on this. The Cayin C5 goes very well with the 650s.

 

[410107]

   
How do you like the Xonar? I have a Xonar Xense and just got the 650s. They sound absolutely lifeless, detailed, but really lacking in the lower midrange. Aside from volume they sounded better on my iPhone.
 
I went so far as to plug into my onboard sound card and that was better. My onboard is a Creative X-Fi 20K2 amped to drive 150 ohm loads,so the volume is more than enough 90% of the time. I am hoping to get a dedicated USB DAC/AMP, no idea where to start.

So far so good, the card is an upgrade from my old DG and the headphones are replacing my old 515s so even though they're still burning-in the difference is very noticable, especially with the lows. Mids & highs are clearer than I could ever have hoped for. But like I said, they're an upgrade from 515s. I had 555s a very long time ago which I never really 'fed' properly (low br rips, poor soundcard) so I will plug my 515s in and get an idea of how different the sound is, I haven't changed the op amps on the card and haven't used speakers with it yet either.
 
The headphones are already loosening to my head's size! Will post back in the coming weeks/months if I remember to


Hope you all had a great Christmas (or week if you don't celebrate it)!!!

 

[knorris908]

The Schiit Modi + Magni combo looks nice but sacrifices portability. Also I don't have any of the required wires so Im not sure how it would work. Maybe I'll get a portable amp so I can use my headphones from my phone and then a desktop DAC so when I'm on my laptop I could use DAC + portable amp. What's comparable to the Schiit Modi 2 that wouldn't require me buying additional wires?

I have a DX90 that powers my HD-650s well-enough for a quiet room, and had a great DAC, and nice detail, but still a little on the anemic-side for what I know the HD-650s CAN sound like through my SCHIIT ASGARD 2.
 
My iPhone 5 and iPad Air just don't have enough juice to drive the 650's with authority and the FIIO e17 is great, but only as an amp, not as an AMP/DAC.
 
If you want portability I find that my iFi iDSD MICRO does an excellent job driving my HD-650s and the DAC is TRULY outstanding.  To my ears, if the ASGARD 2 desktop amp is 100%. then:
 
iFi iDSD MICRO with either APPLE iPhones or iPads (I have units of each going back to the original 1st gens) or iBASSO DX90 = 90% of ASGARD 2 in Home stack setup.
FIIO e17 with APPLE iPhones or iPads or iBASSO DX90 = 75% of ASGARD 2 in Home stack setup.  Sounds "Pretty good"
DX90 by itself = 70% of ASGARD 2 in Home stack setup  (Great DAC, but amp is just not quite strong enough to pull out the HD-650s FULL potential  Sounds "okay"
iPhone 5/iPad Air by itself = 50% of ASGARD 2 in Home stack setup.  Lacking refinement of the better DACs and the amps, while just adequate volume-wise, don't sound great.
 
My HD-650 summary:  (NOTE:  This is for my HD-650s ONLY.  All my other headphones are driven quite capably by any device I own without need of an external amp)
PORTABLE
BASIC CONSUMER-GRADE sound = Later-gen Apple products | Original generations MUST be used with SOME Amp or they aren't even loud enough for listening in a silent room
GOOD CONSUMER-GRADE sound = Sansa e270, Samsung YP-P2 sound better than Apples playing same MP3 files.
ENTRY AUDIOPHILE-GRADE sound = iBASSO DX90, or Apple Devices with FIIO e17 amp (Can't get the DAC to work with these devices, so just amping them)
GOOD AUDIOPHILE-GRADE sound = iBASSO DX90, or Apple Devices with iFi iDSD MICRO actingas DAC and amplifier.
 
NOT PORTABLE
SOLID AUDIOPHILE-GRADE sound = JRIVER Media Center20 on Shielded Home Theater setup with iFi iDSD MICRO acting as DAC and SCHIIT ASGARD 2 amplifier.
"SUPERIOR" AUDIOPHILE-GRADE sound = I'll let you know when I stumble upon it...  I'm not there yet.
 
I hope that my opinions from personal experiences from equipment I own help at least a little.  I won't comment on any equipment I've just auditioned, as that isn't a fair comparison to my own equipment that I've played with and "tweaked" to my liking over time in my view.
 
Ken N.

 

[knorris908]

The Schiit Modi + Magni combo looks nice but sacrifices portability. Also I don't have any of the required wires so Im not sure how it would work. Maybe I'll get a portable amp so I can use my headphones from my phone and then a desktop DAC so when I'm on my laptop I could use DAC + portable amp. What's comparable to the Schiit Modi 2 that wouldn't require me buying additional wires?

Separately, To answer your other connectivity question:
 
1] The Apple Devices with Lightning connectors can be used with the iDSD MICRO with nothing but the APPLE Lightning Camera Connection Kit (CCK)
 
2] Apple Devices with the old, 30-pin connectors can still use the APPLE 30-pin Camera Connection Kit (CCK), but will also need a short male to female USB cable to connect the CCK to the iDSD Micro's USB port.  Like this one:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E5CYW8/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
 
3] I connect my DX90 via a custom "RCA to 3.5" interconnect cable from Forza Audioworks  This is a digital, coaxial connection so the iDSD MICRO's DAC works as well as it's amp.  Not a plain analog connection like "headphone" or "line-out" jack connections.
 
I realize that the iFi iDSD MICRO is in a different price bracket ($499) than the FIIO and CAYIN solutions, but it has the added value of being as advanced and powerful a DAC as any desktop solution below $1500 that I've read about or listened to as well.  Many reviewers have even claimed that it provides ~90% of what a $2500 Chord HUGO can do!  So you get a REALLY GOOD desktop solution that is also portable!  No need to buy a separate "DESKTOP DAC".  That's where the value is from my perspective.
 
Don't get me wrong, I love my little FIIO e17 as well.  And when I'm just piping music or movies through the home theater system, it does a capable job as a DAC for my HTPC.  But when I am up for "critical listening" or an audio-fest where I plan to lose an our or two in the music, I swap-in the iDSD Micro.  It just makes music and movies sound THAT much clearer and detailed. 

 

[Krutsch]

   
Combining a Fiio E12 with your phone for now will give you enough power to get the 650's singing. The DAC in the iPhone isn't terrible, I've read good things about it. Most importantly the combo will be relatively compact too.
 
I'm amazed at how no phone manufacturer has marketed a "hi-fifone". Something with a great DAC chip, shielded from RFI & with a built-in amp capable of driving real loads. I'd buy one in a heartbeat. I guess HTC have maybe come closest in so much as the phones speakers sound remarkably good for what they are but it's not what we're looking for. I guess they reckon there's not enough money in it for them. Yet.

 
Ah, well... how about the HTC One (M8) Harman Kardon Edition? And, it was well reviewed (look up John Darko's comments on the SQ for this phone). FWIW, my last phone was an HTC One (M7) which was spectacular, from a SQ perspective. My new phone? A Samsung Note 4 which has SQ akin to a 60s transistor radio - yes, it really is that horrible (there's a thread on Head-Fi on the topic).
 
But guess what? No one cares about SQ outside of a handful of mouth-breathers on the Internet, so the M8 was a flop.

 

[servicenow]

Has anyone tried Bifrost > Magni 2 > HD650 ? Would you share some experiences about this configuration ? 
I am considering order Bifrost instead of Modi as MM model
 
Thank you so much!

 

[Solrighal]

   
Ah, well... how about the HTC One (M8) Harman Kardon Edition? And, it was well reviewed (look up John Darko's comments on the SQ for this phone). FWIW, my last phone was an HTC One (M7) which was spectacular, from a SQ perspective. My new phone? A Samsung Note 4 which has SQ akin to a 60s transistor radio - yes, it really is that horrible (there's a thread on Head-Fi on the topic).
 
But guess what? No one cares about SQ outside of a handful of mouth-breathers on the Internet, so the M8 was a flop.

 
I hear you. I have the Note 3 with the Exynos chip and it's horrible. A great phone but what were they thinking for the sound? At least HTC made an effort but of course you're right; there's no demand for what we want.