[Krutsch]

  For sure. I like my Sennheisers for electronic music as well, but he is asking for a different headphone for electronic since he already owns the HD-650. 
I have yet to hear DT 770, but my M-Audio Q40 is a rough equivalent for closed headphones. Nothing compares to the ortho bass of the HE-500 out of my headphones though FWIW.

 
 

  Posting about electronic has inspired me to shift from the HE-500s to the HD 650s (I've been doing HiFiMAN and AKG almost exclusively for the past few days). I am listening to Kiasmos' "Trown EP" and couldn't be happier; detail retrieval is outstanding, bass is tight, I don't feel anything slow at all about them, and those mids...

 
Interesting response, as I've read great things about the HE-500 (I've not heard them, myself). I often wonder if the HE-500 is the complimentary can to the 650s.

 

[Liu Junyuan]

Interesting response, as I've read great things about the HE-500 (I've not heard them, myself). I often wonder if the HE-500 is the complimentary can to the 650s.

They possess a lot of similarities. I still cannot decide which does mids better, for instance. Slightly warm, not at all cold or neutral, siding rather on the side of natural, like the Senns. The ortho drivers, however, carry a different presentation that is complementary without nullifying the HD-650s unique strengths. I highly recommend the HE-500s, but I do not know whether your OTL would drive them adequately. You need an amp that pushes a lot of current into a low impedance. Anything AGD would do it, so would the Lyr, Lake People G103/109, or Meier Audio Classic, as well as any respectable balanced amplifier. I hear Asgard does admirably too, but people debate this, with some maintaining 1w/ channel falls short of ortho requirements and others, such as Stan D (who also owns HE-500), claiming Asgard has more than enough power.

But HD-650 really are fantastic too. I am listening to some early 90s Aphex Twin on them now, and it's actually on par with HE-500, without ortho bass but with its other seductive qualities repeated ad nauseam over the course of this engaging thread.

 

[donlin]

   
 
 
Interesting response, as I've read great things about the HE-500 (I've not heard them, myself). I often wonder if the HE-500 is the complimentary can to the 650s.

Have you considered the HE-560?  From all accounts it's a very fast somewhat bright yet smooth phone that might be a good alternate to the 650.

 

[Thebb]

  Posting about electronic has inspired me to shift from the HE-500s to the HD 650s (I've been doing HiFiMAN and AKG almost exclusively for the past few days). I am listening to Kiasmos' "Trown EP" and couldn't be happier; detail retrieval is outstanding, bass is tight, I don't feel anything slow at all about them, and those mids...

 
Have you listened to their self-titled release from last year?  I've been enjoying that lately.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

  Phew! Finally caught back up with this thread!
 
Yes my LCD 2.2 (non-Fazor) is a bit more "closer" sounding than my HD 650. But the technical clarity on the LCD2 certainly is greater allowing for more detailed texturing, instrument separation and a closer more intimate distance to the instruments.
 
YET, the HD 650 still provides more forgiving listening and more "laid-back-a-few-rows-in-the-audience" feel rather than the on-stage/in recording studio with the musician sound. This is particularly true in my experience with both these cans running balanced, as it seems to improve the soundstage a fair bit (the HD 650 showing greater benefits from going balanced).

 
This sounds about right to me (not counting the balanced thing).
 
Honestly outside of the extension, I don't get the whole "planar bass is soooo superior". Yes, the LCD-2.2 had linear extension down to like 5Hz but when people talk about "quality bass"... it's just flim flam. The LCD-2 is certainly a more high quality product and it's better overall, but with people talking about how its bass is just the best thing to ever happen I don't think it's quite like that.

 

[rovopio]

   
This sounds about right to me (not counting the balanced thing).
 
Honestly outside of the extension, I don't get the whole "planar bass is soooo superior". Yes, the LCD-2.2 had linear extension down to like 5Hz but when people talk about "quality bass"... it's just flim flam. The LCD-2 is certainly a more high quality product and it's better overall, but with people talking about how its bass is just the best thing to ever happen I don't think it's quite like that.

 
soo. i found a way to audition (by bribing the clerk to let me when the boss isn't around). i like the hd600 better than the hd650. But that granite. damn man.
and i think my ear can listen to hd600 even if it doesn't have rolled-off treble because with hd600 i can listen on low volume, while on the hd650 i have to listen louder to get more details
 
but i agree with your reddit assessment. it's 5 percent difference, whether somebody like bass or me, like bright sound.
 
by the way, tried he-400i too. it does everything better than hd650 but vocal realism. I never understood what air means in terms of sound glossary. I do understand it now.
he-400i does everything better than hd650 but air. And that air is very important to vocals. Honestly, i think my ma-900 is better than the he-400i for my vocal rendering preferences.
 
so he-400i is off my list, the hd600 is not sold locally. i think i'm going to get hd650. i have a question. Considering distributors here stock a large amount of item and keep them for years and years (for example, my shure 940 is the one from 2009, while bought on 2014)...
 
How do i know whether i get the new HD650 or the old HD650? which one is the newer version? the silver driver?
what's the old driver then? black?
 
Also, i've heard the cardboard box is different now?

 

[donlin]

  Phew! Finally caught back up with this thread!
 
Yes my LCD 2.2 (non-Fazor) is a bit more "closer" sounding than my HD 650. But the technical clarity on the LCD2 certainly is greater allowing for more detailed texturing, instrument separation and a closer more intimate distance to the instruments.
 
YET, the HD 650 still provides more forgiving listening and more "laid-back-a-few-rows-in-the-audience" feel rather than the on-stage/in recording studio with the musician sound. This is particularly true in my experience with both these cans running balanced, as it seems to improve the soundstage a fair bit (the HD 650 showing greater benefits from going balanced).

 
My experience is very similar to yours, while I knew the LCD2.2 was technically better it just was not as enjoyable to listen to.  Also very much agree about the improvements gained from running balanced. 

 

[Solrighal]

I think people complaining about lack of treble detail need to take a long hard look at their amp. I actually prefer the relatively rolled-off nature of the 650 - as compared with nearly every other headphone on the market - but now that I'm using the Project Ember I'd have to say they lack nothing in the top register. Plenty of detail and still as smooth as butter.
 
*edit* - It would also be wise to take some time to adjust to the signature. I have some sympathy for anyone coming to the 650 straight from almost anything else out there. If I were to audition my Q701 & HD 650 back to back for a short period of time I'd almost certainly point to the Q as being the more detailed. Owning both allows a more objective appraisal and there's no extra detail to the Q701's. it's just shoved in your face more.

 

[raybone0566]

soo. i found a way to audition (by bribing the clerk to let me when the boss isn't around). i like the hd600 better than the hd650. But that granite. damn man.
and i think my ear can listen to hd600 even if it doesn't have rolled-off treble because with hd600 i can listen on low volume, while on the hd650 i have to listen louder to get more details

but i agree with your reddit assessment. it's 5 percent difference, whether somebody like bass or me, like bright sound.

by the way, tried he-400i too. it does everything better than hd650 but vocal realism. I never understood what air means in terms of sound glossary. I do understand it now.
he-400i does everything better than hd650 but air. And that air is very important to vocals. Honestly, i think my ma-900 is better than the he-400i for my vocal rendering preferences.

so he-400i is off my list, the hd600 is not sold locally. i think i'm going to get hd650. i have a question. Considering distributors here stock a large amount of item and keep them for years and years (for example, my shure 940 is the one from 2009, while bought on 2014)...

How do i know whether i get the new HD650 or the old HD650? which one is the newer version? the silver driver?
what's the old driver then? black?

Also, i've heard the cardboard box is different now?

Bought mine from amazon in December. It was in the old box. Don't know anything about new/old version.

 

[rovopio]

Bought mine from amazon in December. It was in the old box. Don't know anything about new/old version.

 
there's one with black box. and another one with cardboard box or something... i dont know.
 
by old, i mean 2009 old...  i seriously dont think if you buy anything from Amazon or anywhere in the US or Europe you'll get the old hd650 version, cardboard, driver, or anything else. it's the western world.
 
it's just the asian distributor buy in bulk and keep it for many many years, that's why i need to ask here.... i'm set on hd600/650 and i seriously don't want to get an "old" version after paying $640 for these...

 

[Hal X]

I ordered a a pair with new black box from thomann today. Hope it arrives soon

 

[raybone0566]

there's one with black box. and another one with cardboard box.

by old, i mean 2009 old...  i seriously dont think if you buy anything from Amazon or anywhere in the US or Europe you'll get the old hd650 version, cardboard, driver, or anything else. it's the western world.

it's just the asian distributor buy in bulk and keep it for many many years, so i'm wondering. i'm set on hd600/650 and i seriously don't want to get an "old" version after paying $640 for these...

That's the first I've heard of that, but good to know. But yes mine came in the black box, that was inside the diver plastic box. Hope you can get the ones your looking for.

 

[rovopio]

That's the first I've heard of that, but good to know. But yes mine came in the black box, that was inside the diver plastic box. Hope you can get the ones your looking for.

 
 

Is this the same one with the one you bought?
(even if it's just the cardboard that sennheiser decides to change, i still want the damn new cardboard for $640)

 

[HiFive]

I have an Oyaide cable for my HD650s that I bought in Japan a few years ago. Sadly, one of the connectors broke. I bought some new ones on eBay, from Hong Kong. They turned out to be Acrolink FP-650 connectors. My questions is, how do I get the cables to stick in the connector? Do i jam the cables in the sockets and give them a whack to flatten them to keep the cables in place? Or is there a better method? I'm not a DIY guy so I really have no idea... 
 

 

[Solrighal]

There's a silver box and a black box. The black box surfaced about a couple of months ago but the consensus is that it's a purely presentational feature. It keeps the HD 650 in line with other Sennheiser products.