[SirMarc]

Any fellow HD650 owners the headphone collector type? Looking for some more mid-fi cans to add to my collection just so I can have some different sound signatures when I feel like it. My current set is pretty diverse in my opinion and the LCD-2 is kinda my flagship headphone lol (though the 650 gets more head time). I sold an HE-500 it just wasnt much different from the LCD-2 in my mind or rather it couldn't get any head time over it . My AD700 broke (left driver) and my M50's wire got frayed from too much portable use. But right now I just don't know of any sub-500 cans to go in my collection...

I got the Amazon black Friday deal on the hd598se and they sound really good out of my phone and tablet. Nice sounding headphone for around a buck fifty. They even come with 2 cords. A short one for daps, and a longer one for home.

 

[B-Dawk20]

225 are a great bang for the buck, heck the SR60 or 80 are fun cans.

I have heard the  60i....225i.....325is......RS1i....G1000

Rs1i is my favorite out of these....but the 225i is scratching my Grado itch for the time being.

The 325 is a better made headphone....metal cups, leather headband......The five that i have listed here, are all true to the Grado sound signature...maybe grab a 60 or 80 and see how you like them

I forgot about those! I have used the SR60i and 80i in the past and borrowed them for a couple weeks at a time. It was the same thing, always a fun headphone but my amp at the time was not a good match. They really don't need amping or anything, but that combination just really took the life out of them. But I know they really do shine elsewhere and were better out of my phone haha.

Maybe I'll pick up the 225i or I saw a 325e on the forums for $250 yesterday. I'd go for the RS1 but I don't wanna pay RS1 money T__T. I'm kinda looking for two headphones for $500~ total.

 

[Malfunkt]

  Any fellow HD650 owners the headphone collector type? Looking for some more mid-fi cans to add to my collection just so I can have some different sound signatures when I feel like it. My current set is pretty diverse in my opinion and the LCD-2 is kinda my flagship headphone lol (though the 650 gets more head time). I sold an HE-500 it just wasnt much different from the LCD-2 in my mind or rather it couldn't get any head time over it . My AD700 broke (left driver) and my M50's wire got frayed from too much portable use. But right now I just don't know of any sub-500 cans to go in my collection...

 
Hmm, perhaps a closed can or IEM. Get some portable hi-fi.
 
My 7550 have more bass texture and clarity in areas than the 650. Great impact. Would also recommend MDR-EX600 or EX1000. Haven't used the newer Sony IEMs, but for neutralish sound sigs, the 7550/EX600/EX1000 are excellent. But there are so many good IEMs out there. I'd definitely have a hard time parting with them knowing the quality and convenience they bring.

Closed cans, you will get a different sound sig for sure. Many mid-priced options to choose from. Really enjoy my 7520, as they are just that more intimate closing off exterior sounds.

 

[Rdrcr]

  Just received my pair of HD 650 and wow they sound great!!! Coming from the new Hifiman's 400S I think these are better.  Dont get me wrong I think are pretty good in their own element, but for my taste of sound....oh boy they are just the right prescription!  I cant understand the veiled reputation to me they sound just right, although I have the new version which some people have stated that are more clearer than the originals.  I think I will be quite happy at this level for a while, still no direction of where I would go next, till then I will enjoy comfortably my HD650's. 

 
Good to hear!
 
Mike

 

[raybone0566]

Any fellow HD650 owners the headphone collector type? Looking for some more mid-fi cans to add to my collection just so I can have some different sound signatures when I feel like it. My current set is pretty diverse in my opinion and the LCD-2 is kinda my flagship headphone lol (though the 650 gets more head time). I sold an HE-500 it just wasnt much different from the LCD-2 in my mind or rather it couldn't get any head time over it . My AD700 broke (left driver) and my M50's wire got frayed from too much portable use. But right now I just don't know of any sub-500 cans to go in my collection...

T90, k712

 

[CanadianMaestro]

  225 are a great bang for the buck, heck the SR60 or 80 are fun cans.
 

I agree. 225i is a gem. More details and crystalline highs. Those metallic grills must do something.
 
Started Grados with 60i and 80i. Fun is the word. Then I stumbled on PS500. It's the darkest of all Grados, imo. Love it. Still trying to figure out whether the 500 was an accidental creation by Grado. It is an outlier among their previous (and subsequent?) HPs, in terms of sound profile. Haven't heard the 500e yet, 'cause I am content with having only the orig 500 as my reference Grado can.
 
cheers, WE is here.

 

[DavidA]

  Any fellow HD650 owners the headphone collector type? Looking for some more mid-fi cans to add to my collection just so I can have some different sound signatures when I feel like it. My current set is pretty diverse in my opinion and the LCD-2 is kinda my flagship headphone lol (though the 650 gets more head time). I sold an HE-500 it just wasnt much different from the LCD-2 in my mind or rather it couldn't get any head time over it . My AD700 broke (left driver) and my M50's wire got frayed from too much portable use. But right now I just don't know of any sub-500 cans to go in my collection...

HD-700, K7XX, RS2e, HE-400i and if you can DIY a SennGrado.

 

[muchtooloud]

I too own the 650's - my last purchase actually and a few others. I also have the LCD2 Fazors and a few others.
 
My go to Headphone is there Mr. Speakers Alpha Dog - no real need for the Prime - too expensive for what it brings to the table - very open sounding!
 
Here are some suggestions:
 
Philips Fidelio X2 (if you like the 650's you'll love these
NAD Visio  HP50
Grado PS500's (originals not the e or it series)
 
And lastly, but not least, the Focal Classics.
 
At the end of the day if I go listen to each headphone with the same song via the same source the Alpha Dogs win hands down but I suspect from what I have read on this forum that I have one of the 'perfect' pairs.
 
IF you can find a used pair or buy one on sale now - DO IT. They are tweakable and they supply the tweaks!

 

[ubs28]

What really happens is that your ears tune to a certain headphone when you listen to it.

If you listen to a Shure SE846 for 5 minutes and then listen to the HD 650, the HD 650 sound bright and very thin. But when you have fresh ears and listen to the HD 650 it sounds dark.

Same with the HD 800, with fresh ears it sounds great but if you start listening to dark headphones and go to HD 800 after your ears have adjusted the dark headphone, it will sound bright.

I find Grado's way too bright also, but I suppose I could listen to it if my ears adjust to them after a few minutes.

 

[musiclife]

What really happens is that your ears tune to a certain headphone when you listen to it.

If you listen to a Shure SE846 for 5 minutes and then listen to the HD 650, the HD 650 sound bright and very thin. But when you have fresh ears and listen to the HD 650 it sounds dark.

Same with the HD 800, with fresh ears it sounds great but if you start listening to dark headphones and go to HD 800 after your ears have adjusted the dark headphone, it will sound bright.

I find Grado's way too bright also, but I suppose I could listen to it if my ears adjust to them after a few minutes.

Makes me think of the frog getting slowly boiled without noticing it... unfortunately its true that our senses are mostly relative...

 

[Tuneslover]

  I too own the 650's - my last purchase actually and a few others. I also have the LCD2 Fazors and a few others.
 
My go to Headphone is there Mr. Speakers Alpha Dog - no real need for the Prime - too expensive for what it brings to the table - very open sounding!
 
Here are some suggestions:
 
Philips Fidelio X2 (if you like the 650's you'll love these
NAD Visio  HP50
Grado PS500's (originals not the e or it series)
 
And lastly, but not least, the Focal Classics.
 
At the end of the day if I go listen to each headphone with the same song via the same source the Alpha Dogs win hands down but I suspect from what I have read on this forum that I have one of the 'perfect' pairs.
 
IF you can find a used pair or buy one on sale now - DO IT. They are tweakable and they supply the tweaks!

I love your profile picture!  I have the white ones.  They originally came with blue earpads but they disintegrated decades ago.  I've replaced them numerous times over the years with yellow ones.  Cheers!

 

[B-Dawk20]

Thanks for all the advice guys! I'm definitely gonna get a pair of Grados. The question now is what else. I've always wanted to try some Beyer DT990's and they are $220 on Massdrop right now...

 

[iamvincent]

  Thanks for all the advice guys! I'm definitely gonna get a pair of Grados. The question now is what else. I've always wanted to try some Beyer DT990's and they are $220 on Massdrop right now...

The price is a killer deal
I brought my first pair of DT990 600omh used for $200 
and even the best deal only get around $220 
 
Edit: take my advice with a grain of salt , I owned many pairs of DTs and now keeps only DT1770 

 

[B-Dawk20]

  The price is a killer deal
I brought my first pair of DT990 600omh used for $200 
and even the best deal only get around $220 
 
Edit: take my advice with a grain of salt , I owned many pairs of DTs and now keeps only DT1770 

 
 
Haha why have you gotten rid of so many?
 
edit: Depending on how you answer, I might just pull the trigger

 
edit 2: I ended up doing it anyway haha

 

[iamvincent]

I was looking for something that reacts to instrument fast enough
but without a dent on vocals
So I first tried DT880 but was not satisfied, then I bought dt990 35 ohm version 
which was relatively easy to drive, but missing some bass ( I already own a pair of Sennheiser HD600 at that time)
so I tried DT990 250 ohm, what could go wrong?
turns out the 250 ohm version is by far the hardest to get any pleasant sound:
too hard to drive on portable device, yet the volume easily maxed out before most amplifiers gets
the optimal amount of output
So I sell the two pairs and get the 600 ohm version. It performed better than the 250 ohm one
even on my Galaxy S3 and I can go pedal to the metal on my amps
 
Edit: 
I did not believe this thread and decided to test it out myself.
Turns out most things are exactly as I experienced. 
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/513393/guide-sonic-differences-between-dt770-dt990-models-more

  DT990

The DT990 is a fully open headphone with very impressive bass. Though the treble is more pronounced in the whole line up of headphones. I classify this headphone as their fun and bassy one. One thing to note that the DT990 has the most recessed midrange of all three lines.
 
- 32Ohm

The 32Ohm model for this headphone follows like the previous two lines. It sounds very much like the 600Ohm models, but has a far less refined tone to it. The bass in this model also seems a little sloppy compared to its other two incarnation and is slower sounding as well. The soundstage is still smaller like the other two lines, but bigger than the 32Ohm DT880. The midrange is fuller than the 250Ohm model, but is a lot more hollow sounding than the 32Ohm DT880. The soundstage is also wider than the 32Ohm DT880 with better imaging.
 
- 250Ohm

The treble us a bit far too pronounced and covers the midrange, though it has better detail and extension over the other DT770 and DT880 models. It’s somewhat strident and can cause ear fatigue quite quickly for those who are sensitive to treble. The midrange, as stated above, is very shallow to almost nonexistent. Maybe that’s overstating it, but it’s very shallow sounding, but what can be heard is very detailed and transparent. The 250Ohm DT880 has a much fuller midrange, but the DT990’s has more detail and transparency to it. The bass is very prominent and takes over the sound. It makes the headphone sound darker. The impact on the bass is very impressive for an open headphone and it has more extension than the 250Ohm DT880, but lacks it’s texturing and layering. The soundstage easily beats the 250Ohm DT880 as this ohm rating of the DT990 is much wider and deeper sounding.
 
- 250Ohm (PRO)
The pro version follows the trend of the other two lines pro variants with a smaller soundstage, more bass, and more clamp. The treble seems smoother also because of the increased clamping force and aids the mids in coming forward. Bass seems to have gained impact but now there’s slightly more bass. Even more bass than the 600Ohm model, but not as controlled. The treble is smoother now from the added bass as it gets masked a tiny bit. The mids gain some body and the lower mids are more audible.
 
- 600Ohm

The 600Ohm model is the definitive version of the DT990 and has the smoothest treble of the DT990 line. It’s also the most detailed treble of all three lines and offers the most extension. The midrange of this model is close to the 250Ohm DT880 and is rather shallow, but far more improved over the 250Ohm DT990. The DT990 600Ohm’s mids are a little bit more transparent and detailed over its 250Ohm counterpart, but not nearly as full sounding as the 600Ohm DT880. The DT990 still has a slightly more detailed midrange over the 600Ohm DT880. Bass on this model is just insane. It has so much impact and is so tight and controlled sounding it makes you question that’s it’s an open headphone. Also the bass is very snappy and fast, far faster sounding than the other DT990 variants. Really just the most impactfull and controlled bass I’ve heard from an open headphone. The soundstage also beats all the DT770 and DT880 models and is pretty wide and deep. The imaging though is just a bit better than the 600Ohm DT880, but not by much.