[ahmadfaizadnan]

I really wasn't impressed with HD 6xx....I felt like my Fidelio x2s were much more fun...(using a magni 3) am I missing something?

I would say yes. Although magni 3 is a great amp, HD6xx can sound much better. I started to enjoy my HD6XX after I paired it with Liquid Carbon. But of course, if it's not the sound you preferred, maybe HD6XX is not the right headphone for you.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Sorry for off topic but they've had a bad review of just about everything Alex ever made. I thoroughly enjoy my LC.

+1
X10

 

[Pharmaboy]

I really wasn't impressed with HD 6xx....I felt like my Fidelio x2s were much more fun...(using a magni 3) am I missing something?

Not sure if you're missing anything. Only you can discover that by careful listening.

All I can say is I've done a lot of listening to the X2s over past 2+ years, love them like crazy. Lately I've also done a lot of listening to a modded pair of HD650s (still haven't heard stock)...because they're modded, consider comments below w/a grain of salt (ie, may not totally apply to stock HD650s).

I hear these as fundamentally dissimilar headphone designs. They have little in common beyond open design:

• X2s are fun/fun/fun: bassy, rich-sounding, w/big/spacious midrange. Music sounds like music, tonality is warm & ear-friendly, and comfort is excellent. The relaxation factor is sky-high w/the X2s.
• The overall tonality of the HD650s isn't greatly different from X2s (both a relatively bassy, warm sounding HPs)--but the modded HD650s have far better "technicals" IMO -- particularly a rich, detailed midrange w/more information than usual in the upper bass as well as lower treble. these are headphones to use when really trying to hear the tonality & overall balance of a recording. soundstaging not as expansive as X2s, but probably more informative--giving better cues about placement in space of instruments & singers.
  • That's all on SS amps. On an OTL amp designed for high impedance loads like the HD650, everything gets even better. it's all pretty subtle, but on my Woo WA3, the HD650 jumps up several levels in quality, fidelity to source, and accuracy.

I like them both a lot & enjoy them greatly, but would never confuse one for the other...

 

[Emulle]

I really wasn't impressed with HD 6xx....I felt like my Fidelio x2s were much more fun...(using a magni 3) am I missing something?

I used to own a pair of X2s, but they were far to sibilant for my ears to the point where it would hurt.
I would agree that the X2s is fun in terms of the bass because of the V-shaped sound signature, but because of that the treble will be heightened also.

I used to be a sucker for V-tuned equalizer and headphones until I heard the 650s.

 

[Bazirker]

I used to own a pair of X2s, but they were far to sibilant for my ears to the point where it would hurt.
I would agree that the X2s is fun in terms of the bass because of the V-shaped sound signature, but because of that the treble will be heightened also.

I used to be a sucker for V-tuned equalizer and headphones until I heard the 650s.

Never heard the X2, but I feel you on the V-tuning comment. I actually want the mids there now!

 

[equalspeace]

Been goin with the Audirvana app on Mac -> Fiio Q1 (on high gain) -> HD6XX stock, with a balanced Mimic OFC cable. This chain has me pretty damned happy right now.

 

[Sound Trooper]

Dusted off my HD6XX for a listen this morning and boy do these cans scale!

I found that the HD6XX are really forgiving and sounds fantastic with not so well recorded tracks. This is also the lightest headphone which I own and they are really comfortable for extended listening sessions.

The stock cables are quite nice as well, however I've been debating on aftermarket cables to up the experience. What cables are are you guys using??

 

[Bazirker]

Dusted off my HD6XX for a listen this morning and boy do these cans scale!

I found that the HD6XX are really forgiving and sounds fantastic with not so well recorded tracks. This is also the lightest headphone which I own and they are really comfortable for extended listening sessions.

The stock cables are quite nice as well, however I've been debating on aftermarket cables to up the experience. What cables are are you guys using??

I'm using a Venture Electronics cable (1.8m, balanced) periodically found here: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/venture-electronics-headphone-cables

It looks really slick. I can't speak to its specific sonic qualities against the stock cable, as I switched them out shortly after getting my 6XX.

 

[Music freak]

I tried many top-tier headphones, also some rare ones. Although they offer higher fidelity and some sounded incredible, they did not have the 650's soothing sound. There is something about the HD 650's midrange that is incredibly addictive, it is such a pleasure to listen to music for hours without hurting the ears. It is just me and beautiful music. At times, the music sounds so sweet that you feel like tasting it.
I tried the HE 400i recently. It did not sound like the 650s with better details like some people said here. Maybe they offer better details, but I could not try them for long. I found the treble a bit gritty for my taste, they kind of sounded brighter and airier. I was not impressed much.

 

[aisalen]

I tried many top-tier headphones, also some rare ones. Although they offer higher fidelity and some sounded incredible, they did not have the 650's soothing sound. There is something about the HD 650's midrange that is incredibly addictive, it is such a pleasure to listen to music for hours without hurting the ears. It is just me and beautiful music. At times, the music sounds so sweet that you feel like tasting it.
I tried the HE 400i recently. It did not sound like the 650s with better details like some people said here. Maybe they offer better details, but I could not try them for long. I found the treble a bit gritty for my taste, they kind of sounded brighter and airier. I was not impressed much.

What amp did you pair it with if I may ask?

 

[Music freak]

What amp did you pair it with if I may ask?

Schiit Modi + Magni 2 (Uber)

 

[Allanmarcus]

I tried many top-tier headphones, also some rare ones. Although they offer higher fidelity and some sounded incredible, they did not have the 650's soothing sound. There is something about the HD 650's midrange that is incredibly addictive, it is such a pleasure to listen to music for hours without hurting the ears. It is just me and beautiful music. At times, the music sounds so sweet that you feel like tasting it.
I tried the HE 400i recently. It did not sound like the 650s with better details like some people said here. Maybe they offer better details, but I could not try them for long. I found the treble a bit gritty for my taste, they kind of sounded brighter and airier. I was not impressed much.

Many are saying the Elear (if you want a really warm) or Clear are the natural upgrades to the 650. I've even read where the Clear with the Elear pads are even more smooth. I have a Utopia, and I prefer it to the HD650 (duh), but it's definitely a more dynamic, punchy sound, which is not good if you want laid back.

 

[aisalen]

Schiit Modi + Magni 2 (Uber)

Thanks, I paired mine with Jot using built-in balanced dac using balance cable. Not convinced yet to the sound coming out of it, probably due to the dac. I will see if my impression change when I get my DV 336SE.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Thanks, I paired mine with Jot using built-in balanced dac using balance cable. Not convinced yet to the sound coming out of it, probably due to the dac. I will see if my impression change when I get my DV 336SE.

I get very good results on a modded pair of HD650s with every solid state amp, SE or balanced (not much difference in sound on any particular amp or SE vs balanced).

However, I get FANTASTIC results on an OTL tube amp, the Woo WA3 (the difference between "very good" vs "exceptional" sound). I don't have another OTL or I would test to see if it's a "class effect," but based on this experience, I conclude that for this particular high impedance headphone, impedance matching is one of the keys to the kingdom...

Will eventually test another 300 ohm design (ZMF Eikon) on the Woo, again to see if impedance matching improves the sound of that headphone, which is already quite spectacular on SS amps.

BTW, my DAC is the SE Audio GD NOS 19 (pure non-oversampling multibit), which has done nothing but good for my entire desktop system...

 

[Pharmaboy]

Many are saying the Elear (if you want a really warm) or Clear are the natural upgrades to the 650. I've even read where the Clear with the Elear pads are even more smooth. I have a Utopia, and I prefer it to the HD650 (duh), but it's definitely a more dynamic, punchy sound, which is not good if you want laid back.

I must be reading the wrong threads...I haven't seen anyone describe the HD650 & Elear as sonically related, upgrade path, one to the other, etc. Nor have I ever seen the Elear described as "really warm."

I have listened quite a lot to a borrowed pair of Elear: at first it was w/stock pads fed by various SS amps. More recently, my Head-Fi pal, Anthony, owner of these headphones, found ways to pad-roll them (they now have ZMF angled pads on--vastly more comfortable) + insert sound-dampening material to control what we both hear as an overly bombastic upper midrange, verging on bright. Even pad-rolled and sound-dampened, this headphone is the most assertive, "in your face" HP I've ever heard--insanely dynamic...when this or that instrument enters the mix, I often jump. The Elear is extremely articulate and detailed, and reproduces percussion exceedingly well (no detail/no transient is ever lost in the mix). I don't hear a molecule of warmth in the Elear, to be honest, and I've heard it often w/rather warm sources (Audio GD NOS 19 DAC + Woo WA3 OTL tube amp or Cavalli Liquid Carbon).

But the Elear as natural upgrade to the HD650...? These designs have almost no sonic connection or similarity I can detect, beyond the fact that they're both open designs (and the Elear doesn't sound all that open w/soundstaging that is at best, average).

Each has unmistakable winning virtues. The HD650 is one of the most listenable, ear-friendly designs I've heard...music comes across with feeling, plenty of detail, great midrange, and detailed (though not spacious or enveloping) soundstaging.

They're nothing alike IMO...

PS: I briefly heard the Clear at CanJam. Maybe it was the source (a Phonitor amp of some kind), but it was the brightest, most aggressive HP sound I ever experienced. I only lasted a couple minutes, then bailed. That HP just razored my ears right off. It was such a bad experience that I walked right past the Utopia (connected to the same source). Couldn't handle the thought of more sonic razor-bladed in the ears. Maybe I'm so treble-averse that my sonic opinions are different from others...who knows?