[Jono3642]

My experience with the HD650 was the same.

At first I loved them, then after burn in, they got worse and wrose until after 200 hours they were a wooly, recessed rolled off mess. Sorry to be that strong, but by the end I preferred my SR-60's

I got them from TTVJ, so this experience has not cost me much money but I know I do not like the Sennheiser sound.

 

[Theresamarie1]

I have had the same experience with the 580s, but no quite so expensive an experience...

I have grado 225s and A900s besides the Senn 580s and the 225s (with vwap pads) have particular music they're best for and the A900s have music they've best for and the 580s just seem to be a "between" phone. If I don't start using them I may just sell - em. Are the 650s even more laid back than the 580s?

 

[Welly Wu]

I had the Sennheiser HD600 with the Cardas cable upgrade and that thing bored the heck out of me! I wound up sleeping while listening to my music (especially given the fact that I lie down on my bed while I do critical listening; go figure). So, don't be worried about being perceived as being fickle in terms of your sonic preferences; the Sennheiser HD6xx family just ain't cuttin' it for ya. Go get some Grado RS-1s. I'd even help you to get them at American prices and ship it directly to you (quadruple packed of course).

 

[mjg]

SHHHH
stop saying all this, i just sent off my cd3000's to a new home!! 650's will be here in a few weeks.

Actually, i liked the cd3000s alot, listened to them for a good 5 months or even more i guess (got em this summer) I liked them... I got sennheisers this semester, i liked them even more with the mobius.

I could be happy either way, i just preferred the senns. The cd3000 isn't just a "bright" can btw... i dont think thats what pbirket likes about them. Anyways, i know what you mean about them putting you to sleep. I think i like that about them, very smooth and relaxing, almost like a marlboro medium, or a massage : P, or the momments after u know what hahaha... j/k


Well i quit smoking, but i enjoy that, enjoy the sound and i expect to enjoy every reason you hated the 650s more i suppose (from an hd600 perspective).

Sorry you disliked them afterall, thanks for taking the chance and sharing your findings.

 

[AnsBjork]

If you want more detail there is a tweak that cost nothing and make the Senns less "dark".

Step 1) Unclip the earpads (it's designed to be unsnapped don't fear);
Step 2) Remove the protective foams;
Step 3) Put back the earpads and store the foams somewhere you'll remember.

That's it!

I did that on my HD600 (I assume the HD650 are build the same way as the HD600) and the sound was instantly more lively while keeping the original richness of the Senns.

Everybody owning Senns should do this!

 

[AnsBjork]

I don't know your setup, but remember that the Senns needs a lot of power to sing... Sound cards, portable players and the like just wont bring your Senns alive.

 

[mjg]

i never really enjoyed my senns, until i heard them out of the emmeline hr2. at school i was powering right off my benchmark dac1, and couldn't quite feel the love... once the awesome hr2 amp got to drive them... i swear it was bliss.


Thats why i really, really hope the PPA i'm getting soon fixes that problem. with sennhesiers, its all about the amp as you say.

 

[gsferrari]

I listened to Senn HD580/600 with the PPA and although it was nice...it wasnt special...

What was surprising is that the PPA was from JMT Audio and I tried the Senns with the JMT built transportable amp with the same effect!!

Mate the senns with a nice Tube amp like the MG Head or MicroZOTL (my personal favorite from the couple of hours I spent auditioning it at the recent Florida meet) and you wont look away in disappointment.

cheers!!

 

[wali]

Quote:

Originally posted by Jono3642 My experience with the HD650 was the same. At first I loved them, then after burn in, they got worse and wrose until after 200 hours they were a wooly, recessed rolled off mess. Sorry to be that strong, but by the end I preferred my SR-60's

Thats the funniest thing I have ever read in this forum ever since somebody compared KOSS UR29 to HD600... now its HD650 vs. SR60...

/gone to get some fresh air and to forget what he has just read.

 

[wallijonn]

Jeez, Paul, techno on a HD650? Isn't that better served by the DT531? funny profile.

 

[N@Z]

I'm an optimist!

Soo... I don't see it on the FS forum yet...

 

[zeplin]

techno on my HD650's is presented better than i've ever heard it. but what credibility does my opinion hold???

 

[pbirkett]

Quote:

Originally posted by mjg I could be happy either way, i just preferred the senns. The cd3000 isn't just a "bright" can btw... i dont think thats what pbirket likes about them.

You are correct, as is Markl. One of the main thing the Sony does over the Sennheiser for me is instill a sense of Euphoria to my music. Its totally coloured as hell, but its oh so enjoyable, so involving. Its not as detailed as the Sennhesier, but its massive, all-encompasing soundstage whilst being intimate is an experience I dont think I've ever heard on anything else. Now that I've got more used to the CD3000, I'm finding it everything I ever wanted. Perhaps I just wanted to satisfy curiousity with the HD650, and in some ways I did want the HD650 to sound better to me but in the end, it lacks the qualities I'm looking for, and thats not doing the 650 down, its just now I really feel I know what I want.

For the record though, I dont think I've ever changed my mind about something so quickly, but then I've not always had the CD3000 in my collection.

 

[augustwest]

Maybe the HD650's just aren't for you. You should consider selling them & getting something else. Or just enjoying the CD3000's that you have. There are enough people looking for HD650's so you won't lose much money on them.

- augustwest

 

[gsferrari]

It is quite obvious by your description of your tastes that you are a "Gradoman" in the sense that you like forward presenatation. However you are also the kind of person who enjoys music for what it is - entertainment directed towards making you have fun created by a bunch of people having fun

SO - unlike some of us who treat it as a science and often forget the purpose behind our listening - you know what makes you happy and you go for it.

I think no one is right or wrong in making a choice and I like your ability to come forward and say that "the 650 may be great but its not my cup of tea" - who said it has to be

For example - I love my Senn HD580's for their detail and rendering but I had loads more fun with a friends Grado SR-60 and so I have just ordered me a pair

Its in the music...not in the hardware....