Sennheiser HD650 Love (Appreciation Thread)

Discussion in 'Headphone Measurements' started by purr1n, Sep 27, 2015.

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  1. Prydz

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    I'm looking to try a SS amp or maybe another tube with my HD650's.
    I got a WA6-SE. I'd like a cleaner sound, more tight and less warm sound if possible.
    Just make them sound more livly basicly.
    Recommendations?
     
  2. mtoc

    mtoc SBAF's Resident Shit-Stirrer

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    Marv mentioned in the other thread which discussed the neutrality:
    So I am curious, after the three-steps modding which posted here by Marv, will we get a smoother response than ever before? (in the category of HPs.)
     
  3. a44100Hz

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    Would a generous soul be willing to summarize the mods for the 650 that have passed the test of time and what their primary purpose is (this one can reduce peaks in this frequency range, that one can improve "clarity," etc.) for people who are new to headphone modding as a concept? That would be greatly appreciated.
     
  4. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Back foam: crisper transient response, possibly a tiny bit more mid-bass, livelier / less damped.
    Front quarter mod: tonal response less laid back
    Dynamat: better quality tauter less muddy bass, more plankton
     
  5. Hands

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    My own take on what the mods do (including some of the stuff I've done that not everyone else has - bolded the common, approved stuff that is most worthwhile):

    Back foam removal: Livelier sound, probably a bit more mid-bass, sounds less strained (easier going, less glare, etc.).

    Plastic spider removal behind driver: Applicable with foam removal. Further reduces sense of glare due to immediate reflections off plastic. I find it subtle but worthwhile if you decide to leave rear foam out permanently.

    Front quarter mod: Goes hand-in-hand with rear-foam removal. With less rear foam, you'll gain back some clarity while keeping the inherent tone and smoothness of the HD650. Don't make this hole too big, just enough for the open spot on the driver. Don't remove the front plastic spider. Not worth it.

    Drawer liner under front foam (with quarter hole): Helps reduce a bit of glare on the HD650. Bumps up mid-bass a tiny bit. Too much crap in front of silver mesh brings out more bass but starts to screw up mids and treble. The right drawer liner strikes a perfect balance.

    Dynamat: A little goes a long way, but if you have enough material and patience and can stand the extra weight (minimal), the more, the better IME. I put mine on the back of the magnet too, but you have to make sure you give the rear vent plenty of breathing space (i.e. don't have dynamat right up against vent, but give it a good 3mm gap at least before dynamat). Tightens up response from top-to-bottom with bass being improved the most. I did not feel this to increase bass whatsoever. You can put some dynamat on the front side of the baffle too under the pads. (Note: Covering baffle holes may or may not improve transient response. I did it and like the results. Some do not. Some say it increases bass, but I could not find measurable proof of this.)

    Foam ring in cups, around the edge: Cut an oval ring of 1/4" open-cell foam with a small cutout for the cable entry area on the bottom of the cups. This sits on top of the outer edge of the interior of the cups so that it covers the black plastic edges. Make sure it does NOT cover any visible silver mesh from the back side. You want that to be unimpeded and able to breathe, so to speak. In theory, this should reduce minor reflections off plastic. Subjective impressions give a smidge more clarity. May need to be adhered slightly so that the removable grill portion of cups doesn't push it up at an angle away from the plastic.
     
  6. a44100Hz

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    Thank you both. Very helpful information as I had a mental disconnect between the "how" and the "why."

    Cutting or removing foam makes sense to me. What does the dynamat actually do: reduce vibrations in the driver housing? And that's why the bass sounds "tauter?"

    Thanks for entertaining my uninformed questions. I learn more when things are explained to me from initial concept to execution. Similarly to a math class when a professor explains _why_ some dude created an equation or framework 200 years ago to solve a specific real-world problem rather than just presenting the formula, that's much easier to relate to and internalize.
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2016
  7. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    Yes, Dynamat damps the housing to reduce vibration/housing resonance. The idea behind this being some of the bass distortion or other less-than-perfect characteristics could be due to the housing vibrating. At least, I think that's the idea. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong. No matter what type of audio stuff you're working with, whether that be speakers, headphones, or car audio, having a good enclosure to mitigate vibration and resonance is very important.
     
  8. AustinValentine

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    My final version has dynamat on the drivers as well - I also broke off the spider entirely. (Early on I was trying to stick with reversible mods - but I stopped worrying about it.)
     
  9. FlySweep

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    Can we get a pic of the dyn on the driver, Austin? What were your impressions of the sonic effect?

    What's the cleanest way to clip off the plastic spider? Wire cutters?
     
  10. AustinValentine

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    Pic incoming. Like Hans noted, make sure to leave a few mm from the center. I might add a few more pieces to the outer area before I'm completely satisfied. I used tweezers to remove the spider. Just a couple twists back and forth on each foot breaks it right off. Also like Hands said, removing the rear spider can help get rid of some of the glare from reflections off the plastic. It helps.

    [​IMG]
     
  11. a44100Hz

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    Popped the small black rear foam out. Sound is more forward now? I'm kinda surprised something that simple, and BEHIND the driver, was audible.

    I like it though!

    I'm not sure if I just had a positive mood shift or if the sound difference is really this significant from removing that rear foam but already after about 10 minutes I'm noticing smile-inducing improvements in my enjoyment of the music I listened to earlier tonight.
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2016
  12. FlySweep

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    Terrific, thank you.. I was envisioning a dynamat ring/"donut" on the back of the driver.. but this is more discrete.
     
  13. a44100Hz

    a44100Hz Friend

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    Where do you guys get your dynamat? I'm seeing $60-120 on amazon, is that right?
     
  14. AustinValentine

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    Around $18 right here. (And that's a lot of dynamat. I sent out square after square after square of it to a ton of members.)
     
  15. Hands

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    I use a donut of dynamat on the back of my driver.
     
  16. GettingBuckets

    GettingBuckets Almost "Made"

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    Nothing wrong with donuts.

    [​IMG]
     
  17. Prydz

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    Anyone heard the Lake People G109, V200 or Meier corda classic ff with HD650?
    I dont want another tube amp... :(
    Tbh I dont want Schiit Mjolnir 2 either...
     
  18. Ash1412

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    How's the horizontal swivel on everyone's HD650s? My left swivel has gone totally smooth while the left is still a bit "sandy", totally different from when I purchased these a few months ago. So much for the most expensive component to replace :(
     
  19. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

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    Seems to be normal. One of mine was rougher than the other but it doesn't effect anything.
     
  20. Impulse

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    Of the three more common mods, which are equally applicable to the HD600? Seems like if one likes the effect on any of them on the HD650 then the same would hold true for the HD600 no? I'm just guessing tho, and asking because that kinda broad question can be hard to search for... My HD600 are still a little new for me to go tinkering with them but my interest is definitely piqued. :p
     

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