[DDDamian]

Re: Burn the Witch!!!!  <- I almost spewed my beer lol. And how do you know she's a witch??
 
I admit I do SS strolls with the 650 

 Maybe that's why I don't mind telling a portable guy to grab an E12. Tubes are fun and, depending on the tubes can really accent the lush feel of the 650 but it's not the only way...

 

[Solrighal]

This is a Bob Dylan song, but better..
 

 
And this is a Lucinda Williams song, but better..
 

 
I believe this to be the genre where the HD 650 comes into it's own.

 

[iDesign]

I am considering replacing the headband on my HD650s due to minor cracks in the paint in the flex areas. I noticed the replacement cost is more than 1/3 the cost of the entire headphones. I have an older version of the HD650 with the black drivers and Im wondering if I should replace the hand band or purchase an all new pair with the white drivers. Thoughts? 

 

[DDDamian]

  I am considering replacing the headband on my HD650s due to minor cracks in the paint in the flex areas. I noticed the replacement cost is more than 1/3 the cost of the entire headphones. I have an older version of the HD650 with the black drivers and Im wondering if I should replace the hand band or purchase an all new pair with the white drivers. Thoughts? 

It's only paint... what does your wallet say? The difference is said to be a brighter 650 with the white driver. At these prices get a spare and compare?

 

[Krutsch]

  Man they really stick it to you on their "money back guarantee" 15% restocking, on top of the shipping you had to pay, and you have to pay to ship it back. I might be better off putting it on craigslist.
 
I think I know part of the problem. I've been comparing the specs and the DAC chip they have in the Modi is decent, same class as the E5, but it outputs 1.5vrms. All of the DAC's people seem to rave about have 2 to 2.5vrms out. I suspect that the Modi is under-driving the preamp on the Lyr leading to mud. I can't find the specs on the E5's line out voltage but hot swapping using WASPI push at max volume, the Soundblaster is louder than the Modi. If I had to guess I'd say it's 2vrms to the Modi 2 ubers 1.5. This puts it on par with the Bitfrost.
 
I think I'm going to just have to bite the bullet on this and buy another DAC, I didn't spend half a grand on an amp to have the DAC make it sound like poo.
 
I'm thinking to get the musicstreamer ii plus. I've seen several recommendations around the board and I remember looking at those before I bought my Audioengine and hearing good things. It's $250, asynch, outputs 2.5vrms and has an isolated analog stage to keep usb noise out of the signal path. What do you guys think? I admit I dind't research Modi 2 reviews much before buying. It was only $150 and at half the price I was impressed heavily by their Fulla.

 
I don't know how you can feel so unfairly treated. I don't own anything from Schiit Audio (well, I have a Wyrd that I don't use), but their sales/return policies seem pretty good for the industry, considering you are talking about $150.00 DAC.
 
It looks to me like you are setting yourself up for failure - I expect that if I searched backwards, I would find similar posts from you describing how the Modi is highly recommended and look how that is turning out. You might need to consider matching your budget with your expectations - there really is no free lunch and all DACs do not sound the same, despite what many believe.
 
Before you run the table with sub-$250.00 DAC options, why not find a meet and try out some of them, first-hand. Or, find a dealer that will let you audition and/or take home something on a trail basis (that usually also requires upping the price category).
 
Just my $0.02 ... 

 

[iancraig10]

I am considering replacing the headband on my HD650s due to minor cracks in the paint in the flex areas. I noticed the replacement cost is more than 1/3 the cost of the entire headphones. I have an older version of the HD650 with the black drivers and Im wondering if I should replace the hand band or purchase an all new pair with the white drivers. Thoughts? 

These fit although they're tight to get on at first. They also make the Senns more comfortable to wear as well as cover up the cracking paint........

http://www.thomann.de/gb/beyerdynamic_dt770_prodt880_pro_kopfgurt.htm

 

[paladinm]

Not an impression here, but on Amazon , HD 650's are only 299 now. Whoever has been waiting can make a move now...I've got mine for $410...

 

[Kodhifi]

   
I don't know how you can feel so unfairly treated. I don't own anything from Schiit Audio (well, I have a Wyrd that I don't use), but their sales/return policies seem pretty good for the industry, considering you are talking about $150.00 DAC.
 
It looks to me like you are setting yourself up for failure - I expect that if I searched backwards, I would find similar posts from you describing how the Modi is highly recommended and look how that is turning out. You might need to consider matching your budget with your expectations - there really is no free lunch and all DACs do not sound the same, despite what many believe.
 
Before you run the table with sub-$250.00 DAC options, why not find a meet and try out some of them, first-hand. Or, find a dealer that will let you audition and/or take home something on a trail basis (that usually also requires upping the price category).
 
Just my $0.02 ... 

Well lets see. The msrp is $150, Schiit sells directly on Amazon for $179 plus shipping which is a pretty high mark up for no particular reason. However if I had ordered it from Amazon and paid Schiits 30 dollar premium plus shipping, and when it arrived it sounded like mud, all I'd have to do is say "Hey Amazon, this sounds like crap. " and I'd have a prepaid return label, no restocking fee, and a much more convenient return. So yes, I think Schiit's 15 day guarantee is kind of a joke, considering every other retailer out there has 30 day no questions asked returns and the majority do not charge shipping or restocking fees. 
 
It almost sounds like you're saying if it's under $250 expect poo but that can't be right can it? The Audioengine D1 is $169 and it's a terrific DAC/AMP combo. Schiit's own Fulla is $79 and it's sound is far superior to the modi 2 uber with 'upgraded analog circuitry'. When something is sold as "A mini bitfrost" and you pay a $50 premium for a better analog stage, you kind of, well you know, expect a better output. At the very least it should not be an audible step backwards. 
 
The E5 was only $199 and from a company that is the laughing stock of the audiophile world and yet it has a superior Lineout and DAC performance than a dedicated 'audiophile' dac. I'm sorry if I"m a little snippy in my response but when you pass judgement and defend a companies products and policies while stating "I don't own anything from Schiit audio" it pushes my buttons.

 

[Solrighal]

This thing about the Modi 2 Uber is interesting to me too. Not the financial side of it really because at the moment I'm skint but the sound quality angle. I use an ODAC & since I've now upgraded to the Project Ember Mk2 amp I'm hearing what's often referred to as the achilles heel of the Sabre chip - namely treble glare.
 
On another forum I'm active on I've asked around & the general consensus has been that, for the price, I should be looking at the Modi 2 Uber.
 
Given that Kodhifi hears "mud" from his DAC and I hear "glare" from my DAC I'm now very confused. Is it just perception? Is it a mis-match of components? If we lived on the same continent I'd be happy to swap for a time to see what the issue is but that's not going to happen.
 
Here's an off-the-wall question..
 
I read some posts back that the only difference between Modi 1 & Modi 2 Uber was the "enhanced analogue circuitry". But there's a more significant difference than that. Modi 2 runs off mains power as opposed to USB.
 
Is it plugged in to the wall mate?
 
Gordon.

 

[Fearless1]

 Is it a mis-match of components?
 
 
 

This. It sounds fine.  Or maybe a defective unit.
 
Not the best DAC I have heard/ used, but certainly decent sounding.

 

[Dobrescu George]

Not an impression here, but on Amazon , HD 650's are only 299 now. Whoever has been waiting can make a move now...I've got mine for $410...

This is an extremely good price!
 
They usually run for 450$ or so.
 
Maybe sennheiser plans to produce a new version?

 

[arnaud]

  This is an extremely good price!
 
They usually run for 450$ or so.
 
Maybe sennheiser plans to produce a new version?

I got my HD600 last week for USD250 + shipping (probably free in the USA) so I was wondering the same. Then I realised it doesn't matter if some new phones are announced in May (you bet there will, Senn's 50th anniversary, Munich audio show ...). To produce better SQ for the same amount sounds impossible to me. If something slightly better comes out at 450USD, it's still almost double the current going price new.

 

[whirlwind]

I am back in the club!
 
Mine should be here wednesday, got a deal from another head-fi member that I could not pass up .

 

[Solrighal]

  This. It sounds fine.  Or maybe a defective unit.
 
Not the best DAC I have heard/ used, but certainly decent sounding.

 
I suspect this too but he's pairing a Schiit DAC with a Schiit amp. You'd think they'd have at least attempted to make them work well together?

 

[shawtuw]

 
I got my HD600 last week for USD250 + shipping (probably free in the USA) so I was wondering the same. Then I realised it doesn't matter if some new phones are announced in May (you bet there will, Senn's 50th anniversary, Munich audio show ...). To produce better SQ for the same amount sounds impossible to me. If something slightly better comes out at 450USD, it's still almost double the current going price new.

 
This is absolutely correct. With the current pricing, I would bet that the HD-600 and HD-650 are the best deal in audiophile grade headphones right now. I don't think any other headphone is going to get you into sound this good for the $275-$300 that you pay for an HD-600 or HD-650. My understanding is that basically all of the "summit-fi" headphones have flaws that these don't. These reveal detail and even flaws in recordings, but they do so without making the music unbearable to listen to. Sure, you will hear that a recording is bad or that you have a crappy MP3 file, but it wont destroy it. The HD-600 and HD-650 are not ideal when played without an amp, but they do not sound horrible either. The better your equipment, the better they will sound. Additionally, because they sound good right out of the box, you don't have to struggle with matching amps and dacs to make them not sound bad.
 
My experience with the HiFiMan HE-400 was not that way at all. It sounded horrible out of the box. People were telling me how to fix the flawed headphones by getting different earpads, buying a different amplifier, or even listening to different music (The reality is that I tried them with many genres and there was no genre that impressed me). I'm sorry, but if I have to switch genres, earpads, and amplifiers to even be able to use my headphones then to me that means the headphone isn't very good to begin with. That isn't the case with these Sennheisers. There is no genre with which they simply do not work. They may be better at some than others, but they still sound good with everything.
 
I also haven't heard anyone say that they are unbearable with any quality DAC/Amp combo. They might sound BETTER with some, but they at least sound good with basically any quality equipment. They sound good right out of the source, they sound even better with a decent DAC/Amp, and I'd imagine they sound absolutely amazing when paired with the best possible equipment. I bet a lot of people end up coming back to one or both of these headphones even if they move on to "better" headphones, simply because of how well rounded they are. I hear that many of the the summit-fi headphones can turn much of your music collection into unusable trash. I think it's hard to beat the refined sound produced by this design. I find that my HD-600's are absolutely flawless for gaming, movies, and TV shows (I don't have cable television, so I use my computer for all of this). I'm not convinced that there are all that many headphones which can sound as natural as the HD-600's do when watching movies and TV shows. Also, the HD-600 and HD-650 are extremely comfortable headphones for long listening sessions. I can wear my HD-600's for 4 to 6 hours and suffer ZERO discomfort. The ear pads are breathable and the driver housings are open, so the air circulates in there and you don't sweat. 
 
Basically, I can't really find a major flaw with the design, and now that you can get either one for less than $300 there isn't really anything else that can touch the overall package they deliver. It makes no sense for most people to spend double the price for something that doesn't really improve on them that much and probably adds significant flaws in other areas (Comfort, treble spikes, picky with amps/dacs, too revealing, etc). I'm sure there are good headphones out there for more, but with these priced like they are it doesn't make a lot of sense.
 
If you guys noticed, the HD-700 also went down big time. It was as low as $550 new the other day on Amazon. That used to be a $1000 headphone. The only one that hasn't changed much is the HD-800. I think they may be getting ready to do an update to their lineup.