[C x 2]

  I'd consider AKG K712's as well, or the Massdrop K7XX. The HD650 is a great headphone, but it's considerably warm, and thus may not 'rule them all'. I haven't heard the HD600, but from everything I've read, the K7XX/K712 should probably beat it in extension and detail, perhaps at a loss on tonality and smoothness. Just some options, I really think auditions are in order for you to be happy.

I've heard that the AKG headphones are more analytical and may sound a bit "boring." I've never completely understood what exactly a "warm" sound is, what genres would a "warmer" sound affect?
 
Thanks to everyone for the help so far

 

[kapanak]

Join www.buysonic.com and get a much more reasonable price on those Sennheisers and Beyers.

 

[Beyakusenn]

  The HD 600's are $499 on amazon while the 650's are $479.. should I just get the 650's instead since they're $20 cheaper?

There are many comparisons of the two and the differences are not that big, but the HD600 is the more neutral of the two so people say it's less 'veiled'. The discussion about the Sennheiser 'veil' is endless and vague. I prefer the sound of the HD600 myself. Trying is the only way to Know which one you prefer.

  I've heard that the AKG headphones are more analytical and may sound a bit "boring." I've never completely understood what exactly a "warm" sound is, what genres would a "warmer" sound affect?
 
Thanks to everyone for the help so far

A warm sound signature has a bit more midrange presence. Sometimes the upper bass will add to the warmth. A warm sound is easy to appreciate. Not many people dislike a warm sound signature. Analytical sound might take a while to get used to, but it has it's own charms. I have never heard the K712 and it might be great, but on Amazon it's quite a bit more expensive than either the HD600 or the HD650.

 

[C x 2]

  Join www.buysonic.com and get a much more reasonable price on those Sennheisers and Beyers.

I've checked out BuySonic before, it's not much better than buying from amazon after including shipping, tax and duty costs. Thanks for the suggestion though 

 

  There are many comparisons of the two and the differences are not that big, but the HD600 is the more neutral of the two so people say it's less 'veiled'. The discussion about the Sennheiser 'veil' is endless and vague. I prefer the sound of the HD600 myself. Trying is the only way to Know which one you prefer.
A warm sound signature has a bit more midrange presence. Sometimes the upper bass will add to the warmth. A warm sound is easy to appreciate. Not many people dislike a warm sound signature. Analytical sound might take a while to get used to, but it has it's own charms. I have never heard the K712 and it might be great, but on Amazon it's quite a bit more expensive than either the HD600 or the HD650.

As a beginner/noob to the audiophile world, I feel like I'm more inclined towards more "fun" sounding headphones over analytical. I've read some reviews and seen quite a few comparisons between the 600/650 and I was under the impression that I couldn't go wrong with either. The Sennheiser 'veil' does worry me though, I borrowed my friend's HD 598 once for a week to try them out. I don't know if I was hearing what people called the 'veil' or if it was because I didn't have a dac/amp, but I didn't like the sound of it. It sounded muffled, like something was covering the speakers and made the music feel kind of distant, it could have also been that my friend had a faulty pair. If this is what people are calling the 'veil' however, should I stay clear from the 600/650's?

 

[Beyakusenn]

 
As a beginner/noob to the audiophile world, I feel like I'm more inclined towards more "fun" sounding headphones over analytical. I've read some reviews and seen quite a few comparisons between the 600/650 and I was under the impression that I couldn't go wrong with either. The Sennheiser 'veil' does worry me though, I borrowed my friend's HD 598 once for a week to try them out. I don't know if I was hearing what people called the 'veil' or if it was because I didn't have a dac/amp, but I didn't like the sound of it. It sounded muffled, like something was covering the speakers and made the music feel kind of distant, it could have also been that my friend had a faulty pair. If this is what people are calling the 'veil' however, should I stay clear from the 600/650's?

What you described is not the 'veiled' sound people speak of. I think the colouration of the sound, the low frequency distortion, the lack of sub-bass and the less open nature of these headphones make them less enjoyable to you.
The HD600 have more extension on both ends of the spectrum. They are quite neutral overall, but with a slight warmth that gives them an relaxed sound. I believe that is part of the 'veil' people describe.
I don't think you need to be afraid of this 'veil'. It's just another way to describe a certain type of sound. To me the Shure SRH840 are one of the more veiled headphones in the market, but it isn't even a Sennheiser. Still, many people like this type of sound.

 

[C x 2]

  What you described is not the 'veiled' sound people speak of. I think the colouration of the sound, the low frequency distortion, the lack of sub-bass and the less open nature of these headphones make them less enjoyable to you.
The HD600 have more extension on both ends of the spectrum. They are quite neutral overall, but with a slight warmth that gives them an relaxed sound. I believe that is part of the 'veil' people describe.
I don't think you need to be afraid of this 'veil'. It's just another way to describe a certain type of sound. To me the Shure SRH840 are one of the more veiled headphones in the market, but it isn't even a Sennheiser. Still, many people like this type of sound.

Would you say the HD 600s are a safe pair to start at? I'm not so much scared of the 'veil' as I am scared of finding them boring. I really want to find that one pair that gives me that "wow" factor that will keep me happy for a while. I never really got that when I had my M50x's or my friend's HD 598, but then again, that could have been from me expecting too much.

 

[Beyakusenn]

  Would you say the HD 600s are a safe pair to start at? I'm not so much scared of the 'veil' as I am scared of finding them boring. I really want to find that one pair that gives me that "wow" factor that will keep me happy for a while. I never really got that when I had my M50x's or my friend's HD 598, but then again, that could have been from me expecting too much.

I think the HD600 are the safest choice and that they will please you. They are not boring, but remember that they are not one of the more 'fun' sounding headphones either. The danger with any 'fun' headphone is that they  do some genres better than others and you are looking for "one to rule them all".
Don't expect any headphone ever to surpass a good stereo system. The details in the music might be more apparent on most good headphones, but the soundstage and realistic feel in general will never be as good as speakers. Having said that, if the HD600 don't give you that 'wow' feeling, then you either like a certain colouration in your headphones, or headphones are just not your thing. As some people already said, buy them from Amazon and if you don't like them, return them. If you don't like the HD600, you might like 'fun' headphones like any Grado or the more exotic headphones like the Sony MDR-F1. That would mean you just have to try to know what you like and that's a fun, expensive hobby.

 

[billybob_jcv]

If you want a "Wow", then spend 2 days listening only to the original Apple ibuds, and then in the middle of a song, switch to the HD600.

 

[C x 2]

  I think the HD600 are the safest choice and that they will please you. They are not boring, but remember that they are not one of the more 'fun' sounding headphones either. The danger with any 'fun' headphone is that they  do some genres better than others and you are looking for "one to rule them all".
Don't expect any headphone ever to surpass a good stereo system. The details in the music might be more apparent on most good headphones, but the soundstage and realistic feel in general will never be as good as speakers. Having said that, if the HD600 don't give you that 'wow' feeling, then you either like a certain colouration in your headphones, or headphones are just not your thing. As some people already said, buy them from Amazon and if you don't like them, return them. If you don't like the HD600, you might like 'fun' headphones like any Grado or the more exotic headphones like the Sony MDR-F1. That would mean you just have to try to know what you like and that's a fun, expensive hobby.

I know the dangers of having "fun" headphones, I was looking for a pair that could do all genres well while still keeping the music fun and alive. I might just be a speaker person haha, when I got my first set I was shocked at how the music felt so much more alive compared to  my old earbuds. The main reason why I'm searching for a pair of headphones is so that I can enjoy my music without everyone in the house hearing what I'm listening to. Really sucks when I'm up late and have to keep the volume low so I don't wake others up. 
 
Thanks for all your help so far, I'll definitely give the HD 600's a try. What amp/dac would you recommend for them? I was thinking about the o2+odac combo but it also comes with a hefty price tag of ~$330 CAD. 
 

If you want a "Wow", then spend 2 days listening only to the original Apple ibuds, and then in the middle of a song, switch to the HD600.

Haha I actually gave this a try while I had my m50x's, while I noticed a huge jump in quality, the music still didn't really pop out and amaze me still. It was an interesting experiment though 

.

 

[Youth]

There's also Schiit Modi/Magni - since you mentioned O2. I have no idea what pairs well with HD600 though

 

[davidsh]

It seems to me that one of the few headphones that has somewhat of a persistent wow factor is the HE-500 and perhaps the HE-560 (not sure as I only had them for 2 weeks). I know I'm not the only one thinking that.
I've had a decent share of headphones, yet take this with a grain of salt. There's just something about the signature and most HE-500 owners would likely agree that it's a headphone with a lot of 'wow factor'.

 

[billybob_jcv]

OP: What are you using as your comparison for "Wow"? Have you ever heard "Wow" from music? There are MANY reasons why recorded music does not give you the same feeling as a live show, and most of those reasons have nothing to do with the sound quality itself. At a live show your senses are being bombarded with all the sounds, sights, tastes, touches & smells of the show. The sensory experience is COMPLETELY different and I really don't see how you can expect to get the same experience sitting in a chair in your own home.

 

[C x 2]

  There's also Schiit Modi/Magni - since you mentioned O2. I have no idea what pairs well with HD600 though
 

I was considering those, after shipping, taxes and duty it's about the same price as the o2 + odac combo. The main thing that worried me about the stack, is that it's harder to move two units over one when I'm switching between my laptop and desktop. Another thing, if I end up going for something else, would the stack be enough to handle most other headphones?
 
Quote:

It seems to me that one of the few headphones that has somewhat of a persistent wow factor is the HE-500 and perhaps the HE-560 (not sure as I only had them for 2 weeks). I know I'm not the only one thinking that.
I've had a decent share of headphones, yet take this with a grain of salt. There's just something about the signature and most HE-500 owners would likely agree that it's a headphone with a lot of 'wow factor'.

Would you say that the HE-400i is similar to those? The HE-560's are currently way out of my price range, I'll consider them for a future upgrade in the future though. 
 

OP: What are you using as your comparison for "Wow"? Have you ever heard "Wow" from music? There are MANY reasons why recorded music does not give you the same feeling as a live show, and most of those reasons have nothing to do with the sound quality itself. At a live show your senses are being bombarded with all the sounds, sights, tastes, touches & smells of the show. The sensory experience is COMPLETELY different and I really don't see how you can expect to get the same experience sitting in a chair in your own home.

I'm not expecting a whole live show experience, I actually like the clarity of recorded music over the jumbled sounds of live shows. The last time I felt that "wow" was when I got my first pair of speakers, the sound completely popped out! It was a massive change coming from earbuds. I know that headphones will not give me that same speaker experience. Out of this, I want to find a pair that can give me something similar, while being able to play all genres nicely.

 

[Beyakusenn]

 
Thanks for all your help so far, I'll definitely give the HD 600's a try. What amp/dac would you recommend for them? I was thinking about the o2+odac combo but it also comes with a hefty price tag of ~$330 CAD. 

Judging from the reviews of others, the o2+odac combo is a good choice. If you decide to get an upgrade, this combo will still perform very well. I used an Musical Fidelity X-Can V3 with Philips NOS tubes for my HD580 and that combination sounded exceptionally good. For my T1, the X-can V3 didn't work quite as well, so now I'm using a speaker amp for my T1 and it sounds awesome. Therefore I won't be able to give further advice on this.
 
 

Originally Posted by C x 2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Would you say that the HE-400i is similar to those? The HE-560's are currently way out of my price range, I'll consider them for a future upgrade in the future though.

I made 2 comparisons of the frequency responses from the HE-400, HD600 and HE-500. The HE-400i is not exactly the same as the HE-400, but it's similar. You'll see that the bass on the HiFiMan headphones has a better extension, but you'll also notice that the upper mids / lower treble of the HE-400 is very different from the other two. Female vocals and violins are likely to sound less forward / less natural on the HE-400. The HD600 is known for reproducing those frequencies in a very natural way. Until you have the money for the better models of HiFiMan, I think the HD600 is the better choice for you.

 

[thoughtcriminal]

I've heard that the AKG headphones are more analytical and may sound a bit "boring." I've never completely understood what exactly a "warm" sound is, what genres would a "warmer" sound affect?

Thanks to everyone for the help so far

Peel of two stickers and those are nothing but lies and slander