SENNHEISER HD650 $120 off

[deepinya]

It all depends on the cabling guys!! lol I kid. I kid.

 

[ivan2]

How are these (Senn and AKG) compare to those Wooden Audio Technica that I've my eye on for some time...

 

[Kaido]

Senn HD-650s have great sound, but two caveats:

1. They really clamp your head (main reason I sold mine - headaches!)
2. They reveal the flaws in highly-compressed music (128kbps from iTunes sound pretty poor)

If neither of those bother you, go for it!

 

[Thump553]

Originally posted by: Kaido
Senn HD-650s have great sound, but two caveats:

1. They really clamp your head (main reason I sold mine - headaches!)
2. They reveal the flaws in highly-compressed music (128kbps from iTunes sound pretty poor)

If neither of those bother you, go for it!

I bought a pair of Senn 600s several years ago for about $200 in a prior Hot Deals and have gotten many, many happy hours of use out of them. My understanding is that the 650 is physically identical to the 600, and if so I would totally disagree with the clamping comment. I frequently wear mine for hours at a time (seated) with absolutely no discomfort. They are the most comfortable headphones I have worn. They are large and fairly heavy, not really suitable for mobile use. Also, my head may be on the smallish side. For any headphones I strongly suggest phyiscally trying them out first to see how you like them-I've found several highly rated headphones so physically uncomfortable that they are useless for me.

I agree that headphones (and excellent speakers, for that matter) will make poorly sourced music unlistenable.

Also, as suggested before, a headphone amp is essential. Be wary, quality headphones can easily become an expensive hobby-browsing the great forums at Head-Fi can wipe out years of Hot Deals savings.

About headphones versus speakers, my experience has been that a quality pair of headphones is usually better than most speakers costing 2-3 times as much, for solo or late night listening. Speakers and headphones each have their own place-a party with a bunch of people wearing headphones would be pretty ridiculous, just as blasting your speakers at 3 AM is.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Thump553

Originally posted by: Kaido
Senn HD-650s have great sound, but two caveats:

1. They really clamp your head (main reason I sold mine - headaches!)
2. They reveal the flaws in highly-compressed music (128kbps from iTunes sound pretty poor)

If neither of those bother you, go for it!

I bought a pair of Senn 600s several years ago for about $200 in a prior Hot Deals and have gotten many, many happy hours of use out of them. My understanding is that the 650 is physically identical to the 600, and if so I would totally disagree with the clamping comment. I frequently wear mine for hours at a time (seated) with absolutely no discomfort. They are the most comfortable headphones I have worn. They are large and fairly heavy, not really suitable for mobile use. Also, my head may be on the smallish side. For any headphones I strongly suggest phyiscally trying them out first to see how you like them-I've found several highly rated headphones so physically uncomfortable that they are useless for me.

I agree that headphones (and excellent speakers, for that matter) will make poorly sourced music unlistenable.

Also, as suggested before, a headphone amp is essential. Be wary, quality headphones can easily become an expensive hobby-browsing the great forums at Head-Fi can wipe out years of Hot Deals savings.

About headphones versus speakers, my experience has been that a quality pair of headphones is usually better than most speakers costing 2-3 times as much, for solo or late night listening. Speakers and headphones each have their own place-a party with a bunch of people wearing headphones would be pretty ridiculous, just as blasting your speakers at 3 AM is.

I have a number of other headphones (HD-570, HD-280, etc.) and the HD-650s definitely take the cake for clamping. I tried stretching them out, breaking them in, wearing them constantly, but in the end it was just a tad too much for my skull. Again that's not something that bothers everybody, but it was giving me headaches so I ended up selling them. I've been much happier with my 570s, which is like wearing a pillow. Mmm, comfort. I agree that you need an amp with these cans. You won't get very good volume without them. I really like Headamp's headphone amplifiers, available here:

http://www.headamp.com/

 

[crimson117]

I have a Soundblaster X-Fi Platinum (with the drive bay thing)... would I be wasting my money to get ~$300 headphones, without buying a headphone amp? Or would the X-Fi be good enough?

Mostly doing gaming (WoW) and MP3 listening. Occasional DVD.

 

[A5]

Originally posted by: crimson117
I have a Soundblaster X-Fi Platinum (with the drive bay thing)... would I be wasting my money to get ~$300 headphones, without buying a headphone amp? Or would the X-Fi be good enough?

Mostly doing gaming (WoW) and MP3 listening. Occasional DVD.

I'm going to say yes, but I'm sure someone will disagree. For MP3 you may want lesser cans to mask some of the compression artifacts (especially if you have a low bitrate collection).

 

[Tegeril]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: Thump553

Originally posted by: Kaido
Senn HD-650s have great sound, but two caveats:

1. They really clamp your head (main reason I sold mine - headaches!)
2. They reveal the flaws in highly-compressed music (128kbps from iTunes sound pretty poor)

If neither of those bother you, go for it!

I bought a pair of Senn 600s several years ago for about $200 in a prior Hot Deals and have gotten many, many happy hours of use out of them. My understanding is that the 650 is physically identical to the 600, and if so I would totally disagree with the clamping comment. I frequently wear mine for hours at a time (seated) with absolutely no discomfort. They are the most comfortable headphones I have worn. They are large and fairly heavy, not really suitable for mobile use. Also, my head may be on the smallish side. For any headphones I strongly suggest phyiscally trying them out first to see how you like them-I've found several highly rated headphones so physically uncomfortable that they are useless for me.

I agree that headphones (and excellent speakers, for that matter) will make poorly sourced music unlistenable.

Also, as suggested before, a headphone amp is essential. Be wary, quality headphones can easily become an expensive hobby-browsing the great forums at Head-Fi can wipe out years of Hot Deals savings.

About headphones versus speakers, my experience has been that a quality pair of headphones is usually better than most speakers costing 2-3 times as much, for solo or late night listening. Speakers and headphones each have their own place-a party with a bunch of people wearing headphones would be pretty ridiculous, just as blasting your speakers at 3 AM is.

I have a number of other headphones (HD-570, HD-280, etc.) and the HD-650s definitely take the cake for clamping. I tried stretching them out, breaking them in, wearing them constantly, but in the end it was just a tad too much for my skull. Again that's not something that bothers everybody, but it was giving me headaches so I ended up selling them. I've been much happier with my 570s, which is like wearing a pillow. Mmm, comfort. I agree that you need an amp with these cans. You won't get very good volume without them. I really like Headamp's headphone amplifiers, available here:

http://www.headamp.com/

The 590s are just like the 570s with a bit more plastic as far as the casing is concerned and I can definitely agree to the pillow sentiment, they are the most comfortable headphones I've ever put on. I also find no need for an amp with the 590s as the X-Fi can drive them to volumes that would be dangerous to my hearing.

 

[Googer]

Does anyone know of a decently priced (<$200) headphone amplifiers?

 

[tailes151]

Originally posted by: crimson117
I have a Soundblaster X-Fi Platinum (with the drive bay thing)... would I be wasting my money to get ~$300 headphones, without buying a headphone amp? Or would the X-Fi be good enough?

Mostly doing gaming (WoW) and MP3 listening. Occasional DVD.

Yes, you would be wasting your money.

 

[ecove]

Googer - do an ebay search for "CMOY".

 

[Tegeril]

Originally posted by: crimson117
I have a Soundblaster X-Fi Platinum (with the drive bay thing)... would I be wasting my money to get ~$300 headphones, without buying a headphone amp? Or would the X-Fi be good enough?

Mostly doing gaming (WoW) and MP3 listening. Occasional DVD.

While you would hear better quality sound, it's not worth going up to the 650s, imo.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: ecove
Googer - do an ebay search for "CMOY".

Isn't that one of those Altoids Candy Tin Amplifiers? I can do that myself.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Tegeril

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: Thump553

Originally posted by: Kaido
Senn HD-650s have great sound, but two caveats:

1. They really clamp your head (main reason I sold mine - headaches!)
2. They reveal the flaws in highly-compressed music (128kbps from iTunes sound pretty poor)

If neither of those bother you, go for it!

I bought a pair of Senn 600s several years ago for about $200 in a prior Hot Deals and have gotten many, many happy hours of use out of them. My understanding is that the 650 is physically identical to the 600, and if so I would totally disagree with the clamping comment. I frequently wear mine for hours at a time (seated) with absolutely no discomfort. They are the most comfortable headphones I have worn. They are large and fairly heavy, not really suitable for mobile use. Also, my head may be on the smallish side. For any headphones I strongly suggest phyiscally trying them out first to see how you like them-I've found several highly rated headphones so physically uncomfortable that they are useless for me.

I agree that headphones (and excellent speakers, for that matter) will make poorly sourced music unlistenable.

Also, as suggested before, a headphone amp is essential. Be wary, quality headphones can easily become an expensive hobby-browsing the great forums at Head-Fi can wipe out years of Hot Deals savings.

About headphones versus speakers, my experience has been that a quality pair of headphones is usually better than most speakers costing 2-3 times as much, for solo or late night listening. Speakers and headphones each have their own place-a party with a bunch of people wearing headphones would be pretty ridiculous, just as blasting your speakers at 3 AM is.

I have a number of other headphones (HD-570, HD-280, etc.) and the HD-650s definitely take the cake for clamping. I tried stretching them out, breaking them in, wearing them constantly, but in the end it was just a tad too much for my skull. Again that's not something that bothers everybody, but it was giving me headaches so I ended up selling them. I've been much happier with my 570s, which is like wearing a pillow. Mmm, comfort. I agree that you need an amp with these cans. You won't get very good volume without them. I really like Headamp's headphone amplifiers, available here:

http://www.headamp.com/

The 590s are just like the 570s with a bit more plastic as far as the casing is concerned and I can definitely agree to the pillow sentiment, they are the most comfortable headphones I've ever put on. I also find no need for an amp with the 590s as the X-Fi can drive them to volumes that would be dangerous to my hearing.

Yeah the 650s are definitely improved with an amp, but the 570s can even run off my laptop and still crank. Yay for efficiency!

 

[butthead]

Originally posted by: crimson117
I have a Soundblaster X-Fi Platinum (with the drive bay thing)... would I be wasting my money to get ~$300 headphones, without buying a headphone amp? Or would the X-Fi be good enough?
Mostly doing gaming (WoW) and MP3 listening. Occasional DVD.

The drive bay should have enough juice to run the headphones, and there's not a significant enough difference in audio quality to warrant buying a specialty amp (I've done it both ways). Having the amp is nice only in the sense that you're not having to turn up the headphone output up to a significant degree.

However you will be wasting your money simply because I doubt WOW and MP3's are going to push the headphone's ability to resolve detail to any useful degree. Perhaps headphones around $150-200 would be a better fit (like some inexpensive AKGs).

For DVD, nothing beats a proper subwoofer, or at the least, a buttkicker on your chair in conjunction with headphones.

 

[Thump553]

Originally posted by: butthead

Originally posted by: crimson117
I have a Soundblaster X-Fi Platinum (with the drive bay thing)... would I be wasting my money to get ~$300 headphones, without buying a headphone amp? Or would the X-Fi be good enough?
Mostly doing gaming (WoW) and MP3 listening. Occasional DVD.

The drive bay should have enough juice to run the headphones, and there's not a significant enough difference in audio quality to warrant buying a specialty amp (I've done it both ways). Having the amp is nice only in the sense that you're not having to turn up the headphone output up to a significant degree.

However you will be wasting your money simply because I doubt WOW and MP3's are going to push the headphone's ability to resolve detail to any useful degree. Perhaps headphones around $150-200 would be a better fit (like some inexpensive AKGs).

For DVD, nothing beats a proper subwoofer, or at the least, a buttkicker on your chair in conjunction with headphones.

I would vote AGAINST buying the 650s (or any other quality headphone) for those uses. WoW will be OK (you will probably notice minimal difference, if any) but the headphones will expose the sonic deficiencies in your mp3s so that it most likely will be less enjoyable than listening to them on a cheap setup that masks the deficiencies. Without trying sound like a snobbish audiophile you should check out a lossless audio format like FLAC. I converted my rather large CD to FLAC files a while back, got a Squeezebox to bridge my audio system to my computer (the best piece of audio equipment I ever bought) and have been happier than a pig in mud since then.

The 650s are supposed to be a slight upgrade of the 600s. If so, a headphone amp is necessary for quality listening. They will work without it (most likely) but it would be like never shifting your Ferrari out of second.

 

[dealmaster00]

I recommend getting a Toshiba Gigabeat F series MP3 player if you are going the lossless setup (and you want to save a bit of $$$). You can get them used or like new off ebay. You can rockbox it and then listen to your FLAC music AND the dock has a dedicated line-out port that is suitable for an amp. The 40GB version cost me $100, which is a steal in my opinion. Rockbox has a few quirks but as a whole its awesome, it is amazingly customizable. For example, I made my own While Playing Screen so I can see exactly what I want to see when my music is playing. And that's just the beginning.

Of course you can get a 30GB ipod used for like $170 ish and then get an interconnect so you can use an amp on the go. It'll probably cost twice as much and isn't as customizable, but would be a better choice for those not so technically inclined. Of course you could rockbox an Ipod too, which would let you listen to your FLAC music.

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: tailes151
Most will find it tough to argue that speakers paired against equally priced headphones sound better. The sound quality is more crisp and clear through a pair of good headphones. However, speakers can definitely be more "fun." No, you're not going to feel the bass from most headphones, but you will likely hear details in the music you hadn't on speakers.

Buying and using some 650's without an amp would be like buying a $5000 HDTV and watching VHS through it.

its not just fun, theres the sound interacting with the room which sounds more natural, theres the real surround sound and convenience of speakers..and that you can sort of feel the music especially with subwoofers...even on non bass heavy songs, its more immersive and natural.

that being said if you have to use headphones great ones can have incredible sound detail which speakers of the same price won't reproduce. but you won't feel the music the same way, and you have the isolating feeling of wearing the headphones, even if you cross mix the stereo signal its still sorta just inside your head a bit. so you can't really compare speakers with headphones simplistically.

 

[RideFree]

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: uhohs
the akg k701's can be had for <$300, in fact i swear i saw the amazon price at ~230 a few weeks ago, but amazon is out.

Thanks, your information just made this whole thread irrelevant.



http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb...&Go.x=20&Go.y=11&Go=Go

So gents,
If you were going to buy the akg k701,
what would you buy?
I see three or four on Amazon, and several
Here.

PS The Amazon site shows three or four under the four (4) items listed
Here

Which is the right way to go?
I lean toward the K701s as the reporets of the SENNHEISER HD650 state that they are kind of tight on the ears and no amount of adjusting can remove that tightness.

What say you?
I also have the Platinum X-Fi with the front drive mount.

 

[iwearnosox]

I have both of these on my desktop. If you want the 701's go for beach audio, they're super cheap and deliver as promised. The sennheiser's are livelier, bass heavy, but much less accurate. If I had to describe the 701's, it would be accuracy, sacrificing "life" in the process. Both are attached to a headroom max. I love both and would love to simplify but I cling to the pair at the moment.

Edit: Sorry I see you're addressing the 650's. I currently have the 600's plugged, probably not too dissimilar though.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: uhohs
oh, i'd also recommend people in the market for the hd650 or this type of headphone to take a look at the akg k701's. headroom lowered the rating of the hd650 to 4.5 stars because of these.

akg k701

Nice!

 

[Ika]

Originally posted by: iwearnosox
I have both of these on my desktop. If you want the 701's go for beach audio, they're super cheap and deliver as promised. The sennheiser's are livelier, bass heavy, but much less accurate. If I had to describe the 701's, it would be accuracy, sacrificing "life" in the process. Both are attached to a headroom max. I love both and would love to simplify but I cling to the pair at the moment.

Edit: Sorry I see you're addressing the 650's. I currently have the 600's plugged, probably not too dissimilar though.

Actually, there's a pretty big difference between the 600s and the 650s... in the 580->600 upgrade, Sennheiser basically changed the cosmetic design, but in the 600->650 upgrade, they "upgraded" the drivers... specifically, they are heavier on the bass. Some won't care for the sound, but it depends on what kind of sound you're used to.

 

[konakona]

iwearnosox, that is a nice amp you have there in headroom max. I would personally say K701s are more "neutral" than "accurate" in comparison to the senns, at least thats the more widely accepted terminology - as the latter implies sennheisers headphones are inferior, which they are most certainly not. Neither of these are marketed for studio monitoring purposes, and the buyer should be well aware what they are paying for when they buy these things - pleasant listening experience on the basis of subjective preference. Do not assume more neutral-sounding is necessarily better for everyone. On my PPX3, I do not notice any "veil" or excessive midbass hump on hd650. After all, we all hear things differently

My K701s were acquired way back when headroom had a special introductory price with a waiting list. They are good enough that I decided to keep them, but never to the point where I would consider them my main phones. Somewhat sibiliant without eq'ing and definitely lacking guts, or sterile.

Also, I diagree on the build quality remark; the AKG phones have a flashier looking box, and thats where the difference ends in my view.

that being said if you have to use headphones great ones can have incredible sound detail which speakers of the same price won't reproduce. but you won't feel the music the same way, and you have the isolating feeling of wearing the headphones, even if you cross mix the stereo signal its still sorta just inside your head a bit. so you can't really compare speakers with headphones simplistically.

I would generally agree with your assessment, but just wanted to add something:
not everyone uses headphones for extracting the most amount of detail - thats what the Qualia crowd goes gah gah over. Sennheiser fans are on the polar extreme - we appreciate relaxing and natural listening experience hard to come by at similar price point with speakers (to my knowledge).

Kaido, you could have used some solid, wide object to mitigate the clamping force. After you leave the phones streched for a while, they should fit quite snuggly around your head. I remember trying hard to make my 650s as comfy as the worn out pair of 580 I have. Now the two phones are quite even ergonomics wise.

 

[bigsnyder]

Koss ksc-75 for $25 at Radio Shack. I got mine for $20 on sale, definitely the best $20 I have ever spent on audio equipment.
Give these a try before sinking big bucks on expensive headphones that might only be marginally better. Also the Grado Prestige
series (SR-60, SR-80, SR-125, SR-225, SR-325i) deserve consideration if you want a high-end set. The SR-60, SR-80 and SR-225
seem to be the most popular of the line.

 

[uhohs]

i got my ksc75's for $10 from radioshack a few years back.

grados are great for those that love that sound, very different sound signature from sennheiser's or akg's.

when mentioning grado, don't forget alessandro's. the ms-1 ($99) is considered by some to be the best bang for the buck in the grado line.