[LugBug1]

Quote:

I finally received my HD650s after a long period of wanting to try them and my first impression was similar to what people have been saying.  There is nothing on these cans that blow you away, but everything sounds.... right.  After taking them off all I can think about is when can I put them back on?  It's weird, but in a good way.  I love the way the HD650s make, and pardon the corny description, a soundscape bubble around my head.  Like there is this large bubble and the music just completely fills this space around my head. 
 
Of course, I also noticed something odd when testing these headphones.  It seems that when using the HD650s with my Matrix M-stage amp, I can hear the infamous veil that some people talk about.  It's almost like I put a piece of cloth in between the headphones and my ears.  It's there because when I hook the HD650s directly to my Auzentech Forte soundcard the sound is crystal clear.  I mean, it is really really nice.  It completely removes that veil.  The treble is nice and detailed.   The bass is there in full force and of course the famous mids are probably the best I've ever heard from a set of cans.
 
It is a little disappointing to see that my m-stage won't cut it with these cans, but I am nothing but happy about my decision to buy the HD650s. 

See how you get on with them for a few months and then you can always try the foam mod. I'm one of a few that really hears the benefits. I only have the foam removed from the driver, not the inner ear cups. Again you will need a good amp to make sense of all the extra openess. The detail and dynamics are much more, but it is the bass that comes out the most... for better or worse there is much more of it. 

 

[Brent Hutto]

My point being, recognizing that something is silly and declining to spend a few hundred dollars confirming that it is silly is worth saying here just like any other "finding".

 

[olor1n]

Quote:

My point being, recognizing that something is silly and declining to spend a few hundred dollars confirming that it is silly is worth saying here just like any other "finding".
 

You're still making assumptions and are clearly stubbornly set in your ways. Please point out where it was stated someone had to spend a few hundred dollars on a cable. You could go the much cheaper DIY route and make the determination yourself. Until you do, your preaching carries no weight at all and you're making yourself look rather silly imo.
 

 

[Brent Hutto]

And why would I want to spend hours of my time building a cable any more than I would want to spend hundreds of dollars. Either way it's senseless to invest time or money in trying to prove a negative proposition.

The last time I spent two hundred bucks and about fifty hours trying to hear something that other people insisted I would hear, it was to set up a high-quality listening setup that let me to ABX comparisons of "bad" MP3 files to "good" WAV files. Couldn't distinguish between even 96kbps LAME or AAC files and the original WAV files using a variety of my own music (and an E-MU 0404 PCI through a good headphone amp to a HD595).

That "proved" two things to me. First, it convinced me that my 128kpbs AAC files sounded as good as anything was likely to sound on my setup. Well I knew that to start with but it certainly removed any doubt. Second, it convinced me that trying to hear things some Internet forum-speak insists is totally obvious and crucially important was a fool's errand.

The fact that someone, somewhere seems to have convinced himself that he can hear magic (i.e. completely implausible) cable effects is not a good reason to spend effort trying to convince myself of the same thing. I find one person or ten people or a thousand people's belief in something clearly impossible not convincing in the least. You can find the most fantastical claims you can imagine believed by a bunch of people somewhere in the world. The ten thousandth person's irrational belief does not make it any more true than the first person's belief did.

 

[Shahrose]

Quote:

And why would I want to spend hours of my time building a cable any more than I would want to spend hundreds of dollars. Either way it's senseless to invest time or money in trying to prove a negative proposition.

The last time I spent a hundred bucks and about fifty hours trying to hear something that other people insisted I would hear, it was to set up a high-quality listening setup that let me to ABX comparisons of "bad" MP3 files to "good" WAV files. Couldn't distinguish between even 96kbps LAME or AAC files and the original WAV files using a variety of my own music (and an E-MU 0404 PCI through a good headphone amp to a HD595).

That "proved" two things to me. First, it convinced me that my 128kpbs AAC files sounded as good as anything was likely to sound on my setup. Well I knew that to start with but it certainly removed any doubt. Second, it convinced me that trying to hear things some Internet forum-speak insists is totally obvious and crucially important was a fool's errand.

The fact that someone, somewhere seems to have convinced himself that he can hear magic (i.e. completely implausible) cable effects is not a good reason to spend effort trying to convince myself of the same thing. I find one person or ten people or a thousand people's belief in something clearly impossible not convincing in the least. You can find the most fantastical claims you can imagine believed by a bunch of people somewhere in the world. Their belief does not make it true.

 
Wow...you can believe whatever you'd like to.
 
Lets get back to the HD650s shall we?
 

 

[Brent Hutto]

Shahrose,

Yep, sounds good to me.

Get it? The HD650 "sounds" good?

Man I crack myself up.

 

[Kees]

Calling Wmcmanus, calling Wmcmanu, Wayne come in please!

 

[LugBug1]

Just while we are one the subject of cables, my 650's have been singing with these.
 
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Connex-Audio-Solid-Silver-Phono-RCA-Interconnect-0-5m-/270731095786?pt=UK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL&hash=item3f08d4aeea
 
I'm always trying different interconnects, but these are in a class of there own. There are a lot of cheap solid silver offerings out there but the detail and soundstage that I have got with these is remarkable. I am a bit of a detail freak because of the music I listen to (if you've heard the likes of Brian Ferneyhough or James Dillon then you'll know where I'm coming from) and to be able to pick out the minutest nuance is important for me.
 
I've never tried top of the range Kimbers before but the feedback suggests that these are better! £300 or £40? its a no brainer. I've replaced my Atlas Navigators with these and they take a lot of beating.

 

[High_Q]

^They look pretty and all, and how are you sure they improve sonic quality?  I wish some one would make signal measurement though these overpriced interconnects and cables to show some sort of evidence if there is.  Its almost like fashion statement to recbale high end sennheisers.  As to sonic improvement, we have no real evidence.  

 

[tlniec]

Anyone know of a modestly-priced, readily-availble HD650 cable that is 3 to 4 feet long?  There are times where I appreciate the length of the stock cable.  But generally, I find it's a bit of a hassle.  It could be as simple as some dude on e-bay selling stock cables that have been cut down and re-terminated for all I care!   (Sure, I could do that myself, but it would be nice to buy something already made).

 

[LugBug1]

Quote:

^They look pretty and all, and how are you sure they improve sonic quality?  I wish some one would make signal measurement though these overpriced interconnects and cables to show some sort of evidence if there is.  Its almost like fashion statement to recbale high end sennheisers.  As to sonic improvement, we have no real evidence.  

Only our ears, but thats all we have on this forum if we are going to recommend anything. I'm recommending them because they deserve to be. They are a small company that are giving you a true bargain in the world of Hifi. You don't have to take my word for it, but I'm not recommending a $2000 cable, probably about $60 I paid £40. For people who want to keep the character of the 650 but with more detail breaking "the veil"  then these are the puppies.     
 

 

[Amused]

I had re-cabled my 650s just because I couldn't stand the excess length of the stock cable anymore. There will never be a need for me to use a 10 ft cord with any of my setups. Whether the Blue Dragon cable out performs the stock one is debatable. I personally find it a tad more transparent.
Anyway, I love these cans! They've been serving me well for a few years now, and they're still kicking strong. Having progressed from the HD 580s to the HD 600s to these cans over the past 14 years, I can truly appreciate their qualities.

 

[LugBug1]

Quote:

Anyone know of a modestly-priced, readily-availble HD650 cable that is 3 to 4 feet long?  There are times where I appreciate the length of the stock cable.  But generally, I find it's a bit of a hassle.  It could be as simple as some dude on e-bay selling stock cables that have been cut down and re-terminated for all I care!   (Sure, I could do that myself, but it would be nice to buy something already made).

I have this cable, its not much to look at but it is a great upgrade soundwise. He also does a cheaper one too if it is just length that you are after.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SENNHEISER-HD600-HD650-HD580-CABLE-5-ft-PURE-COPPER-/250725545256?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a60683528
 
They can made to measure.

 

[Fastlane]

I bought an aftermarket cable for my HD600 from a seller on eBay who is in the US.  I bought at least 3 replacements from Sennheiser for the 600 and 580 over the years before I switched to the 650 cable version.  One of those wore out eventually and I decided to try the aftermarket cable.  It's 24 ga. quad copper Mogami 2534 mic cable / Cardas connectors with a Neutrik gold plug with choices of plugs and solder.
Just from a practical standpoint, it appears that it will be more durable and outlast the factory replacements. 

 

[svenski]

Just got my brand new HD650.

First thing I noticed is the rather tight clamp compared to my 4 year-old HD595. I think that the HD595 felt similarly tight when I got them but just wanted to get some opinion. I wasn't going to stretch them too much as I read somewhere that the paint can drop off on the head band. Any opinions on that would be appreciated.