[HappymaN]

Damn, you guys have got me so damn curious...

 

[Nietzsche]

Quote:

Originally posted by Geek solo violin playing unaccompanied Bach

Couldn't agree more.
I you like Bach's suites und partita (or Bartok's sonata for violin solo, his stringquartets, viola/piano-sonates of Bartok/Prokofiev/Schnitke, etc.) or large scale music with refined colours (Mahler/Karamanov/early Stravinsky/John Adams/Shostakovich/etc), any stringquartet, this is it.
The HD 650 just doesn't sound like a headphone (at least to me) with that kind of acoustic music.

 

[zeplin]

i agree about keeping more than one phone that you absolutely love too. while i am selling my W1000's and HD600's, i will defintely be keeping my ety's to have that variety...the ety's are just too dern good to give up. but you guys are killin me when i'm reading about all your thoughts on the HD650. mine should be arriving tomorrow, and i just can't wait any longer...it is pure torture. i keep telling myself, don't read anything more about these new beasts, but i can't help myself

and the more i read, the more i torture. it's like i keep inflicting myself with pain in order for some kind of reward

 

[pingles]

I'd agree with the points above about how amazing they sound with Bach, I bought the Unaccompanied Cello Suites Inspired By Bach recording performed by Yo-Yo Ma and it sounds awesome through my Pioneer 656A, HGA Silver Lace, JMT PPA and my 650s. Most recently I've also added an Equinox cable to proceedings.

The thing where the 650s excel in my mind is just how natural they feel, everything sounds relaxed and as it would be when performed. Nothing is exaggerated, the whole picture just hangs together.

Fortunately, when I added the Equinox it didn't knock any of this out of balance, it just seemed to add a little sparkle, making things a little cleaner sounding. People say the differences are 'night and day', I don't see it quite like that, you don't so much notice things being better (although I found separation was enhanced) but you get a general feeling that across the board things are cleaner.

I've also just ordered a Zu Mobius cable to try also, and am hoping that it also keeps the essential character of the 650s intact, but refines the performance even more than the Equinox has. Whichever I prefer I'm sticking with, the other will find its way onto the For Sale section

I can also fully empathise with the wait, I ordered mine and had to wait around 3 weeks for delivery, Sennheiser just couldn't make them quick enough by the sounds of things!

 

[nicke2323]

The HD650s are the faithful wife? If so, who needs a mistress? My marital bliss with this lady is such that I would never even glance at any other. She is amazingly perfect - not merely "comfortable" but gorgeous, charming, sexy, sensitive, witty, emotional, ... and yes, she shags my brains out too.

 

[pbirkett]

Well, a further update, I've decided that i will DEFINITELY KEEP the CD3000, as I feel that some songs sound a bit dull and lifeless on the Sennheisers and such songs can benefit from the injection of life that the CD3000 bring to the party.

Strangely enough, as much as I like the HD650, in the last 24 hours they have given me a greater appreciation of the CD3000s. Strange how things pan out I feel.

 

[skullguise]

I know exactly how you feel ! I own both the CD3k's and the 650's, and some music I prefer on the 3k's. It's funny, in my bedroom system, the 3k's shine so well, no harshness at all.

And they're great to listen to at night, where the closed design will keep my wife's voice out of my ears....uuuhhhmmm, I mean won't bother my lovely wife

Meanwhile, the 650's are sounding awesome driven by the RKV Mk II in my main sysem ! Diversity is GOOD !

Todd.

 

[newguy]

After reading all these wonderful comments about the HD650 I just ordered a pair. Due to arrive Friday and I am eager to hear how they sound.

Thanks for the helpful comments.

 

[lan]

Quote:

Originally posted by pbirkett Strangely enough, as much as I like the HD650, in the last 24 hours they have given me a greater appreciation of the CD3000s. Strange how things pan out I feel.

That's why it's good to listen to another headphone every now and then. It resets your audio "palette" and keeps things in perspective.

I think you should sell one of these headphones and upgrade something else.

 

[newguy]

For those who have used the HD650s, do you find them comfortable to wear for extended periods?

 

[raif]

Quote:

Originally posted by pbirkett Well, a further update, I've decided that i will DEFINITELY KEEP the CD3000, as I feel that some songs sound a bit dull and lifeless on the Sennheisers and such songs can benefit from the injection of life that the CD3000 bring to the party. Strangely enough, as much as I like the HD650, in the last 24 hours they have given me a greater appreciation of the CD3000s. Strange how things pan out I feel.

I love that you used the wife/mistress analogy, I have almost used it to describe my feelings on the two phones many times.
That is exactly how I feel about the two headphones, if I had to choose, I would pick the hd650s, hands down, but if I could afford both, the cd3ks would stay in heavy rotation. Luckily for you, headphones don't get jealous.

On a side note, the 650s with the silver moon audio cable sounds like an "open" cd3k to my ears, so if you decide to consolidate, it might be a way to maintain the cd3k energy.


newguy
yes I wear them eight hours a day at work. I couldn't do that with the cd3ks. They clamp a little at first but that goes away in a couple of weeks of wear.

 

[pbirkett]

Quote:

Originally posted by lan I think you should sell one of these headphones and upgrade something else.

Perhaps I will do that at some stage, although at this precise moment of time, I'm not sure which I'd sell. Funny thing is, when I got the HD650, I did think they kicked the crap out of the Sony's but now I'm not so sure. I stand by everything I said in my original post in this thread, for "real" music the Senn's are quite probably the real winners, but for dance music, and that makes up the majority of my listening, I am feeling like the Sony's are still the better choice.

The bottom line is that I feel they are both fantastic headphones, but it is my Sony's that grace my head tonight. They still have this explosive power and dynamic ability that the Senn's simply cant quite hold a candle to for powerful dance melodies.

I'll still do a nice "shoot-out" review for you guys next week...

Hopefully this will make things more clear in my own mind too...

 

[pingles]

newguy: I find them extremely comfortable, but I do have a fairly small head. Others with more average to above average size heads sometimes feel they clamp a bit. I use them here at work (still here now at 20:32) pretty much for most of the day, at least 6 or 7 hours of use.

 

[lan]

pbirkett, overtime you will know which headphone is more "you". Unless you have multiple personalities.

 

[pbirkett]

Quote:

Originally posted by lan Unless you have multiple personalities.

Lets not go there