[BobG55]

  I have both 650s and T1s.  Love them both.   You won't be disappointed in the T1s.

 
 
 
 
+1 

 

[BobG55]

 

From my short experience of the HD700'S I think classical at low volumes would be the ideal situation for these headphones. The soundstage is pretty wide and the details in the upper treble range would suit strings perfectly. Sadly I wanted more bass clout and turned them up too loud to compensate which made the treble far too hot for my tastes.

 
Well, I will soon find out. BestBuy has them on sale (matching the lowest price I've ever seen them on-line), so I bought a pair.
 
Let's see... Scotch in glass... check; Julia Fischer - Sarasate in Audirvana+ ... check; daughter and cats asleep... check; tubes warming up... check; HD-700s plugged in... check;
 
Let the flavor-of-the-moment euphoria begin  

 

If your cat is anything like mine he's probably pretending to sleep; I'd keep an eye on that Scotch if I were you. 

 

[Krutsch]

 
If your cat is anything like mine he's probably pretending to sleep; I'd keep an eye on that Scotch if I were you. 

Ha ha... it's not the Scotch they come after, it's the cables. I've had to spray all of my interconnects with "Phooey" (an anti-cat chewing spray) and keep my headphones in a cabinet.
 
Even while I am sitting at my desk, I have to make sure the headphone cord isn't dangling; otherwise, it's a late night snack. They do it for attention, because I yell at them and then chase them around the house. I lost my original HD-650 and Grado RS2i cables this way.
 
They have their positive side, however, from time-to-time:
 

 

[ZachPtheDude]

If your cat is anything like mine he's probably pretending to sleep; I'd keep an eye on that Scotch if I were you. 

One must train their loving cat to respect the owners Scotch. One of the first lessons I taught my little guy, haha.

 

[BobG55]

 

 

What a cute little guy !

 

[DavidA]

 
Ha ha... it's not the Scotch they come after, it's the cables. I've had to spray all of my interconnects with "Phooey" (an anti-cat chewing spray) and keep my headphones in a cabinet.
 
Even while I am sitting at my desk, I have to make sure the headphone cord isn't dangling; otherwise, it's a late night snack. They do it for attention, because I yell at them and then chase them around the house. I lost my original HD-650 and Grado RS2i cables this way.
 
They have their positive side, however, from time-to-time:
 
 

think you need one of these, only plays with his toys, not mine.

 

[JamieMcC]

  Brilliant descriptions Jamie - exactly what I am looking for. I love these 650's and the signature is perfect for the laid-back or long listening sessions. I'm looking next for a pair that have that 'sit-up-and-notice" effect when exceptionally clear recordings just raise hairs. Almost the opposite of the 650's sometimes.
 
I'm a huge fan of acoustic guitar and a great songwriter (Neil Young, Bob Dylan, some Dave Matthews as examples) and while the 650's present vocals beautifully they don't always resolve strings well. A gentlemen here who I purchased my S.E.X. amp from has a pair of T1's for sale, and I'm pretty tempted.....
 
From what I've read the T1's pull it off while still keeping the musicality over the more clinical HD-800. I do suffer a bit of fatigue from overly bright phones though - would the T1's need a bit of EQ in that regard?

 
Hi if you find your Sex to bright and it is in stock configuration you could try swapping out the standard 1.5uf budget films with some paper in oil or wax which would most probably bring a smother top end. Another inexpensive option would be to try bypassing them with a Russian Teflon.

 

[PianistHusband]

I also have both SR325is and HD650, I also prefer the latter mostly because I love classical music, especially romantic.
I really love to listen to some rock when SR325is is very well drived. It is a completely different sensation from HD650.

 

[Solrighal]

Murdo is our youngest & cute as a button. Sadly, not so cable-friendly..

 

[vc1187]

I just built my second Bottlehead Crack, with the first one being built in 2012 and sold in 2013.
I feel a bit guilty for saying this, but I think I enjoy my secondary rig more than my primary!
 
Primary: MBP -> NAD M51 -> Zana Deux -> HD800
 
Secondary: MBP -> Schiit Gungnir -> Bottlehead Crack -> HD650
 
It just goes to show that the HD650 can still contend with the modern day top dogs when it comes to straight up pleasurable listening.

 

[MattTCG]

Mine leaves the hp stuff alone...except for my hand carved wooden stand. She made a snack out of it.

 

 

[weitn]

 
It's funny you mention the "end game" weint.  In the last couple of days I wrote on a couple of different threads that w/this amp and the rest of my gear I'm at my end game.  I can't justify, even to myself, spending any more money let's say 2-3 thousand just to get a 1 or maybe 2 percent sound improvement.  This is the best set up I've had since I began this hobby approx. 5 yrs ago & I've reached a point now where I realize that "good enough is good enough."  If you do buy the Taurus mk2 (I personally recommend it) you'll most likely be very pleased with it.  Its best features, I find, are the : the black background, the detail & excellent smooth transient sound but above all the Taurus' main attribute/quality is the soundstage.  It is wide, clear and most importantly it has depth.  It's a truly exceptional HP amp especially considering the price.  Good luck & hope whatever you decide to do you'll be happy with.

 
Glad to heard that you already found your end game system. Unfortunately I am still chasing after mine. I am quite tired of it actually. Thank you for the recommendation. I never heard/audition the Taurus mk2 but I have read many good reviews regarding it. I ready to get one now.

 

[DDDamian]

   
Hi if you find your Sex to bright and it is in stock configuration you could try swapping out the standard 1.5uf budget films with some paper in oil or wax which would most probably bring a smother top end. Another inexpensive option would be to try bypassing them with a Russian Teflon.

Appreciate the tip! I'm not finding the S.E.X. bright with the HD-650's (in fact despite shunning EQ I sometimes bump the 5-7KHz range a tad for "air" and a little liveliness on some recordings). It is a little bright with my m50x's although that's just their V-shaped sig. The S.E.X. has a little more air and soundstage already over the Crack/Speedball. I was worried the T1's might be similar to the m50x's in the top end although they are clearly miles above in quality.
 
What a great hobby eh? 

 
 
Edit: Now waiting for the C4S upgrade to come in for the S.E.X. Supposed to increase resolution and tighten/deepen the bottom end a bit. The deeper bass is definitely one advantage the Crack/Speedball has over the S.E.X. when paired with the 650's. Loquah described the Crack as initimate and deeper and the S.E.X. as more airy and open, and I find his comments bang-on.

 

[Minstrel59]

I just built my second Bottlehead Crack, with the first one being built in 2012 and sold in 2013.
I feel a bit guilty for saying this, but I think I enjoy my secondary rig more than my primary!

Primary: MBP -> NAD M51 -> Zana Deux -> HD800

Secondary: MBP -> Schiit Gungnir -> Bottlehead Crack -> HD650

It just goes to show that the HD650 can still contend with the modern day top dogs when it comes to straight up pleasurable listening.

Have you tried swapping the HP's over with the electronics just to see if it's the electronics or the HP you prefer?

 

[Mich4lle]

Have you tried swapping the HP's over with the electronics just to see if it's the electronics or the HP you prefer?

+1, I would also be interested to hear which it is.