Is Sennheiser Audiophile HD650 Headphones worthfull

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Richard G Merrill, Jan 15, 2016.

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  1. murphythecat

    murphythecat https://www.last.fm/user/murphythecat

    Location:
    Canada
    im reading about this amp. but now it seems some negative comment about the treble of the jotunheim starts to emerge.

    damn, will I really have to spend 2k for a tube amp to have a no compromise headphone amp???? I think I may go with mjolnir 2 until I can go to EC amps

    anyone else have modded their hd650? Im blown away by how better they now sound. I was really thinking of selling them since I got the hd800 but the mods really brings more claity in the treble, more air, and more dynamic: some sounds pops much more. its now more dynamic then hd800. I even prefer hd650 now over stock hd800, but hd800 + eq is still king but by not that much difference anymore. sick!
     
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2016
  2. murphythecat

    murphythecat https://www.last.fm/user/murphythecat

    Location:
    Canada
    but it seems jotunheim + hd650 is outstanding combo!
    im very close to order a jotunheim
     
  3. Richard Austen

    Richard Austen Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hong Kong
    I initially liked the HD 650 (albeit modified with better cables and other things) over the HD800. Certainly you have to consider price as well to determine if the value is really there. Some headphones may sound better but are they better enough to warrant the added expense. Even the 580 I believe is still around and if so - is worth considering. Ditto for my HD 600s which I have owned since 2000

    Still there are other headphones - heard some nice Audio Technica closed back cans and some comfy Beyerdynamics. AKG makes strong ones - and there are the uer expensive planar magnetics I auditioned not long back HiFiMan and Audeze. The first rule is comfort - if it ain't comfortable you won't use them - no matter how great they sound. And you have to try them yourself on this aspect - Sennheiser is generally viewed as comfortable by i know a lot of folks who find them to crush their heads. Weight is also a factor for some. My old Sonys from the late 80s were fantastic for comfort and sounded quite good too but they're no longer made.
     
  4. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US
    refined slam
     
  5. YtseJammer

    YtseJammer Forum Resident

    I don't have any issues with the treble.

    The guy complaining about the treble with the Jotunheim and the HD650 on SBAF is listening to poorly recorded black metal albums...;)
     
    Merrick and murphythecat like this.
  6. Hermetech Mastering

    Hermetech Mastering Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Milan, Italy
    They are pretty good, although I prefer the HD600 as they sound flatter to me (I find the 650's a little congested in the lower mids), and are cheaper to boot.
     
  7. murphythecat

    murphythecat https://www.last.fm/user/murphythecat

    Location:
    Canada
    with a good amp, hd650 is for many still one of the best if not the best headphone. the key is to use a good amp, without it, the hd650 will be nothing special.

    songmic's DAC/amp/headphone shootout | Super Best Audio Friends »
    this guy compared all modded hd800, hd800s, hd650 and the new 4k focal utopia. he ends up preferring the combination of EC amps + hd650 over all the other headphones.

    the hd650 veil is due to bad amping and nothing else. Just like my harbeth or atc scm7 can sound litteraly bad with not a good amp, same for hd650.
    hilarious, just realized that its true.
    Jotunheim is ordered! now the long wait!
     
    Last edited: Sep 29, 2016
  8. xcqn

    xcqn Audiophile

    Location:
    Gothenburg, Sweden
    I'm using my HD600 together with a Benchmark DAC2 at the moment with excellent results.

    They sound excellent with my Xonar Essence at full gain as well.
     
  9. Kind of late for the OP but I found one way to get a slightly cheaper pair of HD650's in Canada. I bought a pair in an open box. It saved me about 80 bucks (Canadian) and everything seemed untouched.
     
  10. Carl Swanson

    Carl Swanson Senior Member

    Another vote for the 600s.
     
    Linto likes this.
  11. YtseJammer

    YtseJammer Forum Resident

    Good choice, probably the best amp under $1000 for the HD650.
     
  12. scotth

    scotth Forum Resident

    Location:
    Charleston, SC
    Is it really worth it to mod the 650s? Just read some about it from that thread @murphythecat linked to but it freaks me out to start cutting these $300 headphones up.
     
  13. Bill

    Bill Senior Member

    Location:
    Eastern Shore
    Seems crazy to me, DIY run amuck.
     
  14. Fregly

    Fregly Well-Known Member

    Location:
    London
    I agree with the others who think the 6oo are better. Clearer and more balanced. Too much bass on the 650 and a duller top. Both are on the euphonic side of the spectrum, which can be a good thing when you have the sound so close. You should be able to get the 600 cheap used.
     
    Hermetech Mastering likes this.
  15. murphythecat

    murphythecat https://www.last.fm/user/murphythecat

    Location:
    Canada
    imo, it really makes the hd650 better. before the mod? i was about to sell them. it increase dynamics, treble and adds air and increase clarity. dynamat adds focus. its no doubt most would prefer the modded 650 over stock. ever since i did the mod, i have felt no inkling to go back to my hd800.
    before the mod, within 2 hours i was going back to hd800.

    btw i didnt do the coin mod, only the foam and spoder removed behind the driver magnet
     
    Last edited: Oct 2, 2016
  16. YtseJammer

    YtseJammer Forum Resident

    Don't do the coin mod if you have ordered the Jotunheim.
     
    Merrick likes this.
  17. murphythecat

    murphythecat https://www.last.fm/user/murphythecat

    Location:
    Canada
    what I heard. im afraid the spider/foam mod may also not match perfectly with the jotunheim...
     
  18. bxbluesman

    bxbluesman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bronx, NY
    I got my HD650s in December 2014 from Amazon for $350. I use them with an Objective2 + ODAC amp/DAC. 90% of my listening is Foobar2000, iTunes, or Spotify via my Dell XPS 152X Lap Top's 3.0 USB port. I also occasionally plug them directly into the headphone out on my Yamaha RX-595 Receiver.
    I have hearing loss, so I'm not the best qualified to attest to their SQ, but I will say that I do like them very much and have no intentions of upgrading at this time. If anything were to happen to them, I would buy another set, even if I had to pay full price.
     
  19. Dreadnought

    Dreadnought I'm a live wire. Look at me burn.

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    I received my Jotun last night. I've been using an unmodded 650, stock tubed Valhalla 2 and multibit Bifrost for a year, and that's with some amount of black metal. Initially I was both impressed and disappointed. There was no question that the Jotun was more transparent as well as more extended in both treble and bass but that wasn't making music more enjoyable. I didn't consider that soundstage/ 3D holographics were very important to me but when it was suddenly diminished I missed it. Regarding information it was like the gamma of an image was turned up. Impressive but distracting. I had no complaints with the Valhalla 2 even if I was aware that bass was not a strength. I left the gear running overnight, even though I'm not much of a burn-in guy, and this morning it does seem better. I'll just enjoy the Jotun today without intentional analysis. Tomorrow I'll compare the two amps to see if one is more enjoyable than the other for the music I listen to. Also one personal note, I try to protect my hearing and desire to get the full impact of the music without having to crank it. That was a concern last night but less so this morning.
     
    murphythecat and YtseJammer like this.
  20. murphythecat

    murphythecat https://www.last.fm/user/murphythecat

    Location:
    Canada
    let it play all week and report back!!! imo, burn in smooth things

    thanks a lot im waiting for the jotun to arrive in canada to get them so very interested to see if it improves/smooth.
     
  21. YtseJammer

    YtseJammer Forum Resident

    Maybe I'm wrong but I think that the sound will be bright with the 2 foam mods.
     
  22. Merrick

    Merrick The return of the Thin White Duke

    Location:
    Portland
    Just leave the Jotunheim on, it does smooth out when it's warm. But you don't need to burn it in for a week to smooth out the sound, that's ridiculous.
     
  23. murphythecat

    murphythecat https://www.last.fm/user/murphythecat

    Location:
    Canada
    really? modded, the hd650 is not bright at all to me. if the jotunheim would turn them too bright, I wouldnt understand why people refer to jotun to a neutral amp.

    songmic's DAC/amp/headphone shootout | Super Best Audio Friends »
    songmics only use modded hd650 and really recommend the pairing with jotunheim.
     
  24. YtseJammer

    YtseJammer Forum Resident

    So maybe I should try the foam mods on my pair ;)
     
    murphythecat likes this.
  25. murphythecat

    murphythecat https://www.last.fm/user/murphythecat

    Location:
    Canada
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