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Post by kmanmx on Mar 5, 2008 0:16:40 GMT
Well, i decided that i may infact just stick with the sound of my Denon CD player head-out. I'm just not sure i would like the totally flat neutrality of a headphone amp, although it would offer some benefits. So, lets say i just didn't want to get an amp. What headphone would you reccomend i replace my HD650's with (that i've had less than a week, so would sell for around £150) I wouldn't mind open back again, but have found on some occasions i wish i had got closed back. I would only be willing to do this if there were headphones with a substantial improvement over the HD650's. I like bass, not overbloated, but tight controlled powerfull bass - with slam, i like detail and resolution, and an exciteing headphone that makes you get up and pretend to play the drums ! Thanks..
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Nigel
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Post by Nigel on Mar 5, 2008 11:11:51 GMT
I take the opposite view. I would be very surprised if any headphones offered a substantial improvement over the HD650's. Certainly none, in my admittedly limited experience, that I've heard.
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Post by spiug31 on Mar 7, 2008 10:52:32 GMT
Which headphone amps have you tried your HD650's with that gave "totally flat neutrality" ? Could tubes (Darkvoice 332) be an option ? The HD650 are known to need strong amps to perform to their best. Which other headphones have you tried ?
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rowuk
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Post by rowuk on Mar 7, 2008 11:34:58 GMT
If you do not have the deep bass slam with your HD650, you just need to compress the ear cushions a bit (get them warm and apply pressure). It is AMAZING what a millimeter or 2 can do for the low end on an excellent set of headphones! I think the other phones in your price range are equal in quality, not better.
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Post by merton on Mar 7, 2008 19:49:43 GMT
i would mate a pair of k701's to a good amp... probably a tube amp for my tastes.
they supposedly sound great... and they have some of the thickest ear cushions i've seen on phones, so i'm betting they're pretty damn comfortable.
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Post by leporello on Mar 10, 2008 13:29:06 GMT
i would mate a pair of k701's to a good amp... probably a tube amp for my tastes. they supposedly sound great... and they have some of the thickest ear cushions i've seen on phones, so i'm betting they're pretty damn comfortable. I've heard that sexual intercourse can be fun. Have you thought of giving it whirl? Could save you the cash you would have spent had you tried the K701s and the tube amp. Just a thought
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Post by merton on Mar 10, 2008 22:38:11 GMT
don't be bitching at me about your viagra woes, old man.
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Post by bozzy on Mar 10, 2008 22:56:25 GMT
Damn !
Just when I thought the AKG's would be the end of it.......
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Post by charleyphogg on Mar 10, 2008 23:11:33 GMT
don't be bitching at me about your viagra woes, old man. you get the award for making me clean up my monitor.
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Post by charleyphogg on Mar 10, 2008 23:16:12 GMT
I'd also have to suggest, since you already have the 650's, try an amp first, then decide which direction you want to go. If nothing else then, you pick out anohter headphone you think may suit your taste and have something to compare. No matter what you're not going to get the best out of a set of cans from a cd out, I'd think. after all, you can, or will sell the 650's anyhow, and you will be buying an amp in the future wrether you admit it now ,or not.
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Post by charleyphogg on Mar 10, 2008 23:28:24 GMT
don't be bitching at me about your viagra woes, old man. This is just funny! in a sick kind of way. F***ing Merton has the best icon for his sense of humor. Never, ever imagined he was a young'n . You;d think he;d be an old crumedgon.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Mar 10, 2008 23:43:16 GMT
This is just funny! in a sick kind of way. F***ing Merton has the best icon for his sense of humor. Never, ever imagined he was a young'n . You;d think he;d be an old crumedgon. It was me who awarded MERTON that icon.... the guy in the icon is the genuine Merton, the MERTON hiding behind that icon (our MERTON) is the legendary MERTON.... there is a difference. By the way, my vote goes for either ATH W-1000 or AKG K-701, no other headphones I have heard come close to either of them (to my ears) corking performers, the both of them.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Mar 10, 2008 23:48:59 GMT
Out of interest the genuine Merton (not the legendary MERTON) coined the terms "role model" and "self fulfilling prophecy".... what a clever chap he was More on the genuine Merton here The legendary MERTON can be seen in action here most days.... you guys really don't know how lucky you are with a living legend in the house
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toad
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Post by toad on Mar 11, 2008 11:32:05 GMT
What headphone would you reccomend i replace my HD650's with (that i've had less than a week, so would sell for around £150) How much time have the phones had to bed in? I've read bed in times between 150 and 500 hours for HD650s. My HD 595s are still improving after 300 hours +
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Sol
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Post by Sol on Mar 11, 2008 12:06:08 GMT
What headphone would you reccomend i replace my HD650's with (that i've had less than a week, so would sell for around £150) How much time have the phones had to bed in? I've read bed in times between 150 and 500 hours for HD650s. My HD 595s are still improving after 300 hours + HD650 can sound crap for ages ... especially if you are used to a Grado sound. They emphasise the low end, and this is often interpretted as the "Sennheiser veil" and often leads peeps to sell soon after purchase. The veil is actually something else entirely, and affects the full range. Needless ot stay that if you give them a good amp that grabs them by the balls, give the sufficent time to bed in, then the HD650 can sound superb, with good highs and genrous low extension. It can have slam, and delicacy. However, I cannot ever imagine they would sound great with a CD player's headphone monitor ... they need something to drive them. Personally speaking I find the Gardo 325i can work OK without serous oomph behind them ... not at their best certainly ... but in a like for like with HD650s, they fair better. All said and done .. I'd give the HD650s some time (at least 300 hours of constant use - 500 if you have time) .. then beg or borrow a headphone amp and see the difference it can make
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Post by leporello on Mar 11, 2008 15:09:59 GMT
don't be bitching at me about your viagra woes, old man. Merton, my dear little Munchkin, I can't think were you got the impression that I have a problem with Viagra. Perhaps you heard it from the same person who told you about the excellence of the AKG 701s when used with a tube amp? However, rest assured that should I ever have any problems with recreational drugs I shall not trouble you with them. Far be it for me to add the final straw to your burden. How are your spots these days?
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Post by kmanmx on Mar 18, 2008 0:53:18 GMT
Forgot to visit the forum in weeks, silly me. Anyway, still got my 650's. Listening to them for about 45 or 50 hours in total now, and i can't say i can feel them improveing at all anymore, i guess thats the limitation of my knowledge. Can't be doing with a headphone amp i see myself going 'Eurghhh weres all that nice easy to listen to warm sound gone that my Denon 500CD player delivered me ! ' (yes... i don't like flat sound, don't get me wrong, i also hate overdone bass etc) I just can not see much difference what so ever. I might have to be getting the AKG K701's. Simply because they look nice, look comforatble, and has a cool box . Are they closed back ? (yes, i really have done that little research on them )
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toad
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Post by toad on Mar 18, 2008 19:40:39 GMT
Beg, borrow or steal an amp from somewhere. Most decent cans NEED a head amp to sound good.
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Post by kmanmx on Mar 18, 2008 20:24:24 GMT
It still worries me that i will spend £200 and not find that the difference is not worth £200.
I might have to get the 701's... they just look so god damned nice !
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insomniac
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Post by insomniac on Mar 18, 2008 20:38:03 GMT
So, lets say i just didn't want to get an amp. What headphone would you reccomend i replace my HD650's with (that i've had less than a week, so would sell for around £150) Hi kmanmx If You bought the HD650's new then at less than a week old, even on continuous play they are hardly broken in. Also IMO driving them from a headphone socket and not a dedicated amp will rarely bring out the best from the HD650's.
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Post by paradigm on Mar 18, 2008 22:53:24 GMT
Replace the stock cable with something which would go with your prefence. And a valve amp?
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allenf
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Post by allenf on Mar 19, 2008 14:00:11 GMT
Amp those Senns! I just received my second pair of HD650s: the first pair are long gone, I sold them a couple of years ago because I thought they were a bit dull with heavy floppy under-damped bass. This brand new pair sound nothing like them - quite a lot brighter than the first pair (where's the veil gone?), with very tight bass. Man, I'm looking forward to burning these in! But I didn't have the Micro DAC source and the modded X-Can V2 to drive the first pair And at the end of the day even if you go down the K701 road you will still need to amp those to get the best out of them.
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insanitybeard
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Post by insanitybeard on Mar 21, 2008 12:12:20 GMT
Sennheiser and Grado are very similar in that you either love their sound or you hate it. I will add that those who dig the Sennheiser sound do not care for the Grado sound. The reverse is also true. I happen to be one of those that does not care for the Sennheiser house sound, specially the HD650. IMO the HD600 is more balance although it lacs sufficient extension into the high frequencies. IMO the Sennheiser is also a very dull can that does not get you up and going. Or like th OP stated: " ... an exciting headphone that makes you get up and pretend to play the drums ! " So based on this statement and price requirements is what I based my self on when I made the above recommendations. I must admit to being an exception to this in that I own both Grados and Sennheisers and can appreciate the benefits/flaws (if you can call it that) of both. The Senns to me seem to be a better listen for the electronic music I listen to and the Grados better for more instrumental/ ambient music due to the extra space they give to recordings and finer detail. I think that the Sennheiser HD600s I have are a better all round headphone than the Grado GS1000, certainly less "harsh" at times but then maybe that has as much to do with my source/amp setup and the fact that the Grados are still burning in as much as anything. All in my opinion of course!
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