[castleofargh]

Quote:

 

I have two hd650's. One with old black drivers and one with new white/silver. Both have new pads.

The new one is just a tiny amount brighter in the top. Not a lot in it though.

wondering how many hours were on the old drivers vs. the new drivers and how tight each headband was and what difference did you expect to hear......
 
just wondering......... nothing more.

that's a very good observation. I know I ended up bending back the headband a little after noticing a loss in the sub bass. probably it didn't maintain the seal enough at that point, I had it real lose.

 

[iancraig10]

  you listened to at least two pairs of 650s and well, I guess that settles it.

wondering how many hours were on the old drivers vs. the new drivers and how tight each headband was and what difference did you expect to hear......

just wondering......... nothing more.

I'm not trying to settle anything. Just describing my experience. Rather like most people buy just one headphone and then review it. It did settle it for me though. Whether you would wish to take advantage of my experience is totally your choice.

Yes, there were many more hours on the old one, of course.

I've only really heard a headphone change once and that was a Superlux. It had no bass for about 30 minutes and it suddenly appeared later. Apart from that, I have never been aware of 'burn in'.

The new headphone pushed tighter. Both had new pads.

Tbh, the difference between them is really not worth buying a new headphone as I think some might have done when the driver colour change was noticed. Mine were bought for me as a present so I instantly used the opportunity to compare.

 

[racer11]

i used to have the 650. it sounded great with my old music hall amp that ive sold. It was one of the first real cans for me

 

[iancraig10]

I started with an hd414 and slowly went through most of the range!!

It's quite funny that when I first bought the hd580, some of the reviews in the press weren't that great in the UK I remember. I liked them and had three of them. Two developed faults on the headphone connections at the cup and then I mived on to an hd600 which I still have.

I also like the hd650 a great deal and it's one of those headphones that you just want to keep even if you have Lots of other headphones!!

 

[JacobLee89]

  Boy, I'm listening to my early iTunes purchases right now.  And, I'm sure glad my HD650s are a bit more forgiving then other headphones I have....

 
It's not a "veil"! its a cashmere blanket and it's super comfortable!

 

[connieflyer]

I have to agree with Ian, I bought my first pair December 2012, and have really enjoyed them.  Amazon was running a one hour sale and I caught it about three months ago.  So I bought my second pair, after seeing where Sennheiser is going with their latest offering, I am glad I did.  You can never have too many 650's!  The new ones clamp tighter than the first ones, not just the difference in use of the first ones.  Might have gotten a little nudge from the factory, not a problem, a little jusdicous bending and the new ones are fine.  The difference is very minor between the two, using the FrankenEmber, these really come alive. 

 

[iancraig10]

Yes, I find the Polaris very good with the hd650 as well.

My new ones were a bit tighter. I seem to have a little hamily of hd's. A 600 and two 650's. One of the 650's has a nice short lead on it for mobile use around the house and garden. It's quite weird getting such good quality from a portable rig!!

 

[upstateguy]

 

  you listened to at least two pairs of 650s and well, I guess that settles it.

wondering how many hours were on the old drivers vs. the new drivers and how tight each headband was and what difference did you expect to hear......

just wondering......... nothing more.

I'm not trying to settle anything. Just describing my experience. Rather like most people buy just one headphone and then review it. It did settle it for me though. Whether you would wish to take advantage of my experience is totally your choice.

Yes, there were many more hours on the old one, of course.

I've only really heard a headphone change once and that was a Superlux. It had no bass for about 30 minutes and it suddenly appeared later. Apart from that, I have never been aware of 'burn in'.

The new headphone pushed tighter. Both had new pads.

Tbh, the difference between them is really not worth buying a new headphone as I think some might have done when the driver colour change was noticed. Mine were bought for me as a present so I instantly used the opportunity to compare.

 
So I'm not sure what to take away from your experience?
 
You compared an older 650 with worn in drivers (how many years old?) and a looser fitting headband with a new 650 out of the box, with new drivers and a noticeably tighter fit  and you found the difference between them to be small enough to not to be worth buying a new headphone. 
 
I wonder if there is a factory pads Vs. replacement pads issue?
 
Hey, I just thought of another thing and you'll have to check me on this. 
 
If you want to replace one of your 650 drivers, doesn't Sennheiser recommend that you replace both drivers, so they are matched? 
 
If that is true, the implication is that not all 650 driver sound exactly the same, even ones from the same production run.
 
So my feeling remains that until Sennheiser says otherwise, 650s sound unmistakeably like 650s.
 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Has anyone investigated Tyll's headphone measurement graphs at InnerFidelity to see if he was able to measure a difference in FR between the old 650s and the new ones?

 

[mikoss]

This is not complicated...

650's released in 2003 - 2007/2008 have the old drivers.

The drivers were changed in 2007/2008 and it's very easy to tell the two apart. The "new" style have silver/white baffles.

Any headphone driver failure on any headphone requires both drivers to be replaced... There are minor differences between the drivers as they're manufactured. Any reputable manufacturer will match drivers in pairs and replace both.

 

[Liu Junyuan]

   
So I'm not sure what to take away from your experience?
 
You compared an older 650 with worn in drivers (how many years old?) and a looser fitting headband with a new 650 out of the box, with new drivers and a noticeably tighter fit  and you found the difference between them to be small enough to not to be worth buying a new headphone. 
 
I wonder if there is a factory pads Vs. replacement pads issue?
 
Hey, I just thought of another thing and you'll have to check me on this. 
 
If you want to replace one of your 650 drivers, doesn't Sennheiser recommend that you replace both drivers, so they are matched? 
 
If that is true, the implication is that not all 650 driver sound exactly the same, even ones from the same production run.
 
So my feeling remains that until Sennheiser says otherwise, 650s sound unmistakeably like 650s.
 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Has anyone investigated Tyll's headphone measurement graphs at InnerFidelity to see if he was able to measure a difference in FR between the old 650s and the new ones?

From what I recall, it is not easy (or perhaps even possible for most people) to get matched drivers if you install them on your own. 
 
The 650s sound like 650s, just as LCD-2s sound like LCD-2s (even pre-fazor)--which is not logic I accept, given palpable differences between different versions of the prefazor LCD-2s despite Audeze's silence on the issue. The objective difference we know is that there is a different color of screen and driver in the old Sennheiser HD 650s which is visible to the eye. I think what is less "cut-and-dry" given Sennheiser's silence on the issue is whether this objective change of driver/screen color manifests itself as any sonic difference. From sources I have read from experienced, old-time listeners I am inclined to believe there is a difference. However, again the change in color is nothing very recent; it is has been around for several years now, and this means most people need not go OCD about this. If you want to believe there is no difference, based upon Sennheiser's silence on the issue as your primary reason, that is fine. 

 

[mikoss]

  The objective difference we know is that there is a different color of screen and driver in the old Sennheiser HD 650s which is visible to the eye. I think what is less "cut-and-dry" given Sennheiser's silence on the issue is whether this objective change of driver/screen color manifests itself as any sonic difference. From sources I have read from experienced, old-time listeners I am inclined to believe there is a difference. However, again the change in color is nothing very recent; it is has been around for several years now, and this means most people need not go OCD about this. If you want to believe there is no difference, based upon Sennheiser's silence on the issue as your primary reason, that is fine. 

 
You'd probably have to have some major hearing damage to not hear the differences between the old drivers and the new ones... here is a page with some measurements and further info:
https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/brands-s-se/
 
As for differences between 650's which both have the new drivers, there may be minor differences, but nothing close to old drivers vs new. Sennheiser is not a boutique headphone manufacturer struggling to control the quality of their production... 650's sound much the same. Pad wear does make a big difference though. All IMO.

 

[iancraig10]

Frans had indeed measured the new and old versions. He found pad differences as well. But it is really minimal.

 

[DDDamian]

Wow - great stuff over the last few days. This thread has some of the best folks on Head-Fi imho. And they have great taste in cans 

 

[iancraig10]

It has been a good thread Damian. I've really enjoyed the way that it has wandered in and out of different issues. Off topic and back again. Been really interesting to follow.

 

[JamesBr]

  Wow - great stuff over the last few days. This thread has some of the best folks on Head-Fi imho. And they have great taste in cans 

 
Learned a lot! Wasn't expecting such taste that would match mine!