Sennheiser HD650 & Massdrop HD6XX Impressions Thread
Nov 24, 2010 at 5:15 PM Post #1,861 of 46,497
OMG!! HD650 + Headroom Desktop Amp/DAC = audio heaven.
 
i just received my goodies and i must say it's absolutely amazing!
 
of course this is my first high(ish) end headphone setup though. but i am definitely pleased with the sound. good bass and smooth everywhere else. do they get even better with break in?
 
i'm also using the crossfeed along with Brightness filter 1.
 
Nov 27, 2010 at 6:04 PM Post #1,862 of 46,497
I think I'm done with my HD650's. Over a month now, I've been admiring their wonderfully lush midrange and tonality... as well as dreading that shrill treble spike thing I keep hearing and can't get rid of. There's definitely either something fundamentally wrong with the treble or it's very incompatible with my ears. I can make my K701's sound much like the HD650's though some creative EQ'ing, but I can't fix the HD650's treble no matter what I try. It's curious how EQ'ing down around 16khz makes it slightly more tolerable, but EQ'ing the K701's up by a whopping 10db at the same range isn't nearly as bad as the 650's un-EQ'd. It seems to be not a matter of amplitude, but rather reproduction quality, or lack thereof.
 
It's a real shame. These would have been keepers otherwise. Back to looking through headphones in search of that HD650 lushness without it's treble issues. Or maybe I should just call it quits and settle for my EQ'd K701's.
 
Nov 27, 2010 at 6:15 PM Post #1,863 of 46,497
You might want to try another amp, and source, which will better match your Senns.  Most likely any stridency you hear is a result of a poor match with the phones.  The HD650s are by no means strident, or shrill... when properly matched to a source and amp.  The V-DAC is especially known for being a bit strident.  The "new version" HD650's are some of the best sounding phones available, when mated to the right equipment.  That is... barring any problems / malfunction with their drivers. 
 
Nov 27, 2010 at 6:24 PM Post #1,864 of 46,497
I have tried three different sources and two different amps with the same results. Well, they sounded different in other areas, but the treble remained similarly problematic through all of them.
 
EDIT: Make that four sources and three amps. I did try in a H&K cd-player + stereo amp combo, too.
 
Nov 27, 2010 at 6:28 PM Post #1,865 of 46,497
I think I know exactly what you mean, the treble has issues. I got over it after a while though, and I pretty much fixed it with EQing. Still, it is an annoying flaw. 
 
Nov 27, 2010 at 9:23 PM Post #1,866 of 46,497
It's interesting that this treble "issue" has now come up in a couple of threads, yet for years the only complaint about the 650s treble was that there wasn't enough of it. Now several posters seem to be hearing in the 650 what I hear in the 701/702, DT880 and just about every AT phone ever made: unbearable sibilance. And each time I read this I slip across to my stereo to listen for the slightest sign of harshness in my 650s---yet I just can't hear it. Is there something wrong with my ears? Have I just got too used to the sound? What am I missing? My equipment is quite modest, consisting of a budget Cambridge Audio A340SE integrated; surely if anyone should be hearing treble harshness it's me. I'm mystified, but I'd still like to hear more about it so that I can listen more specifically, or maybe just on the right kind of material.  
 
Nov 27, 2010 at 9:29 PM Post #1,867 of 46,497
Can't figure out how the HD650s are sibilant, mine are anything but.
 
Nov 27, 2010 at 11:23 PM Post #1,868 of 46,497
sibilant? no way...
 
harsh? no way...
 
bright? very rarely, and when it is bright it's the musics fault, not the headphones. i'm using the HeadRoom Desktop Amp/DAC with the brightness switch set to "filter 1". to me the treble sounds very smooth. i don't notice any strong peaks or dips. i've never been a treble junkie and i enjoy the amount of treble the 650's supply. it's just right for my tastes. i would never call it harsh or sibilant though.
 
Nov 28, 2010 at 1:21 AM Post #1,869 of 46,497


Quote:
sibilant? no way...
 
harsh? no way...
 
bright? very rarely, and when it is bright it's the musics fault, not the headphones. i'm using the HeadRoom Desktop Amp/DAC with the brightness switch set to "filter 1". to me the treble sounds very smooth. i don't notice any strong peaks or dips. i've never been a treble junkie and i enjoy the amount of treble the 650's supply. it's just right for my tastes. i would never call it harsh or sibilant though.

 
The HD650 will sound harsh and sibilant out of a setup that is harsh and sibilant. They won't smooth over everything.
Oh and you should watch out for some bad pairs. I have heard another pair of HD650s before that had a strange treble spike around 14-16KHz like the poster above is describing.
 
Nov 28, 2010 at 6:32 AM Post #1,871 of 46,497
My HD650 is my safe heaven of unbrightness. I find the AKG K701, Grado 325 and RS100, Senn HD800 and Beyer T1 all being too bright in many cases. But The 650? Never. Unless the recording is very very bright - but that is indeed very very rare. 
 
After reading threads here for a while, there is hard to think of any consensus of an "unbrighter" high end phone, maybe the Audeeze LCD2 (which I haven't heard), or Hifiman H5LE (whcih I havent heard)
 
There might be an issue with your particular phone? Bring it to a retailer or something and do an a/b. Contact sennheiser directly. Or go tubes. Try a NOS dac (http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/514782/bryston-bda-1-dac-vs-muse-dac-reviewed#post_6959455 - its this one http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120612153492&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_2827wt_903)
 
Nov 28, 2010 at 8:10 AM Post #1,872 of 46,497


Quote:
I think I'm done with my HD650's. Over a month now, I've been admiring their wonderfully lush midrange and tonality... as well as dreading that shrill treble spike thing I keep hearing and can't get rid of. There's definitely either something fundamentally wrong with the treble or it's very incompatible with my ears. I can make my K701's sound much like the HD650's though some creative EQ'ing, but I can't fix the HD650's treble no matter what I try. It's curious how EQ'ing down around 16khz makes it slightly more tolerable, but EQ'ing the K701's up by a whopping 10db at the same range isn't nearly as bad as the 650's un-EQ'd. It seems to be not a matter of amplitude, but rather reproduction quality, or lack thereof.
 
It's a real shame. These would have been keepers otherwise. Back to looking through headphones in search of that HD650 lushness without it's treble issues. Or maybe I should just call it quits and settle for my EQ'd K701's.



 
Nov 28, 2010 at 8:16 AM Post #1,873 of 46,497
Sorry, but I have to totally disagree ^. I owned the HD650 for almost 3 years and NEVER found them bright or emphasized anywhere in the treble at all.
As a matter of fact I wished they would have had slightly more treble emphasis and extension. I felt they were alittle too mellow and laid back in the highs, and could become boring at times, so I sold mine, and bought some HD600's.
That is why I actually prefer the overall balance off the HD600 better than the 650. The 600's are slightly brighter than the 650's, and that is more to my liking.
I actually prefer the overall treble balance of the HD600's, K702's, and sometimes even the DT880/600's, because it sounds more balanced to me, and not too laid back like the 650's can sound to me.
You and some others may actually have some defective pairs of HD650's, or maybe Sennheiser has made a change to them or the drivers and isn't telling anyone?
You may want to get them checked out by Sennheiser.
Just my 2 cents.
 
Nov 28, 2010 at 11:22 AM Post #1,874 of 46,497


Quote:
Yes, but a spike you could EQ out. From what I've gathered, this isn't a matter of amplitude. It just sounds wrong, regardless of the volume you're playing the frequency range at.



For me it's a matter of large peaks in the treble. I find the HD 650s to be bright and have somewhat messy highs, but they are not really harsh or sibilant. I hope there isn't something wrong with them. Like I've said in the past in this thread and others, maybe the differences are because there are supposedly 2 different versions. 
 
Nov 28, 2010 at 11:26 AM Post #1,875 of 46,497
i have a brand new pair and i don't find them to he harsh sibilant or unbalanced up top. it sounds smooth to me. i actually have the brightness switch on my HeadRoom amp set to "filter 1" to add some extra brightness, and to balance out HeadRoom's crossfeed.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top