Upgrade from HD650?

[Canadian411]

Audeze LCD2 -- end of the story

 

[dxps26]

Its a vicious circle. First you get the LCD2, and then you find the performance a bit less rewarding. Then you buy a new amp, and so on... $2000 spent.

Try upgrading your back-end. What DAC are you using? HD600/650 are well-known to respond well to upgrades upstream, so may I suggest you hold on to the HD650 and try a Source/DAC upgrade first? In any case, you are now entering the realm of dimishing returns. $500 would get you a very nice DAC, I reckon.

 

[[OverDrive]]

 
To buy balanced amplifier. To buy cable with connectors balanced for the HD650 and not to want other. 
 

 

[Balazska26]

Quote:

Its a vicious circle. First you get the LCD2, and then you find the performance a bit less rewarding. Then you buy a new amp, and so on... $2000 spent.

Try upgrading your back-end. What DAC are you using? HD600/650 are well-known to respond well to upgrades upstream, so may I suggest you hold on to the HD650 and try a Source/DAC upgrade first? In any case, you are now entering the realm of dimishing returns. $500 would get you a very nice DAC, I reckon.

I use a Cambridge Audio DacMagic as DAC, amplifier is Schiit Asgard which I find very decent. I might upgrade to an upcoming DAC by Schiit announced in June, 2011 as Jason stated here in head-fi.
 
 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Another option for ya HiFiman's HE-4.  Here a link to article that goes more in-depth-http://www.headfonia.com/hifiman-he-4-the-lightest-modern-orthodynamic-yet/

X100000000

Enough to make me doubt my need to sell it for money, since I know nothing in the less than $500 range compares.

Are the 500s incoming?

The HE500 costs twice the price of the HE4. I'm quite happy with the HE4 and have no need to upgrade from it. I'm selling it for money, and because I sold the amp that was able to power it to its potential. Once I sell it and recuperate, I'm not gonna mess with extremely hard to drive headphones anymore and may just get the D7000 as my one main headphone. But that's in the future.

 

[HPManiac]

LCD-2 X2. And then X2 again. That's what I'm saving up to buy right now.  I have the '650 with all the Valgrind mods, and its usual competitors K702, DT880, and a Stax Pro SRM7/404 setup. It's a night and day difference. I should have gotten 1 LCD-2 and saved all that money! Try them (Run don't walk). Oh yeah, a good amp is a must, even though they're easier to drive than most.

 

[Balazska26]

Valgrind mods?
 
Quote:

LCD-2 X2. And then X2 again. That's what I'm saving up to buy right now.  I have the '650 with all the Valgrind mods, and its usual competitors K702, DT880, and a Stax Pro SRM7/404 setup. It's a night and day difference. I should have gotten 1 LCD-2 and saved all that money! Try them (Run don't walk). Oh yeah, a good amp is a must, even though they're easier to drive than most.

 

 

[Questa]

Nothing in the $500 range is better than hd650, there is some headphones including the HE4 that have different presentation but they are only equal if not worst in term of technicallity,  so if you like the HD650 sound so much I suggest you better upgrade something else in your system, like Source or Amplifier.