Sennheiser HD650 Love (Appreciation Thread)

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

Tags:
  1. The Alchemist

    The Alchemist MOT: Schiit - Here to help!

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2015
    Likes Received:
    1,189
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    The SchiitR
    Home Page:
    I still want to try Marv's Dynomat Mod, but I am scared I would break my Hf650's if I tried installing that mod
     
  2. lm4der

    lm4der A very good sport - Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2015
    Likes Received:
    1,461
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    I have to admit that I am hesitant to mod my hd650s. I still cradle them like a baby, and polish them with a diaper.
     
  3. aufmerksam

    aufmerksam Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    1,337
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    E. Lansing, MI
    lm4der, let me assuage your fears: I am terrified of modding, especially the semi- to non-reversible kind. I finally had the time and courage to do this mod. I now plan to sell my 600's, and feel no lingering doubt about having sold my 800's. The difference is stunning. It is as palpable as when I first listened to HD800 and said "oh, yeah, I get it now." I don't like gushing, so I will stop.

    The longest part was taking out the stupid foam disc in the back: you have to REALLY prod it in from the sides to pull it out without tearing it, but once it is freed from the sides/spokes it pulls right out, and I even put one back in before taking the other one out; tedious, but doable. As to cutting the foam in front of the baffle, once you pop off the pad and see how shitty/cheap the foam is in the first place (mine had perfs all the way through on several spots where the pad clicks into place on the housing), you will have little qualms about cutting it. I cannot imaging replacing it would be enormously difficult. I am about to cut rug liner to replace it anyway and see if it sounds as good/better.

    Nope, tiny bit more gush, for sake of distinction. I want to reiterate how much better the sound is (to me) by making a comparison. I really only miss two things about the 800: the air or sense of space, and the imaging. Sometimes I miss the detail, but that (and to a lesser degree the treble) is what would drive me to fatigue all the time, and what made me sell the 800. Also, it turns out that a lot of the "detail" I was missing from the 800 is the air. I say this because the air / space / liveliness / whatever is back, and in a non-fatiguing way. (NOTE: this is NOT a suggestion that the 650 is now a diamond tipped detail drill in the way the 800 is, it is a question of degree, and I can handle the the modded 650 without going insane.) I get much better imaging from my desktop monitors anyway, so when I crave that feeling I go to there. Otherwise, I guess I am done hunting for a while. I'll shut up now.
     
  4. Bill-P

    Bill-P Level 42 Mad Wizard

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    4,801
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Dear Alchemist, you can do the dynamat mod pretty simply.

    It's basically just popping out the grill. You can do this by inserting your finger into the plastic gap on top, and just... pull.

    Photographic evidence:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    See? Just pull it out. After that, the back should be at your disposal. Now take a piece of dynamat, and just apply it on there, like applying tape. It's not that scary. You do this, and you'll get something like 50-75% tightness to the bass. Even a small piece makes a pretty noticeable difference. And you won't have to snap any plastic off like Marv did. Just apply the dynamat elsewhere.

    I went overboard with mine, but I dialed back a bit afterward because at some point, there's really no appreciable improvement. But I wanted to try anyway.
     
  5. AustinValentine

    AustinValentine Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2015
    Likes Received:
    835
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    West Chicago Burbs
    Finally got off my ass and did the dynamat mod myself this evening. (I've sent out chunks to like...5 peeps, but still hadn't done it myself.)

    It definitely made a difference with the flabby bass. I didn't expect it to do very much, so I'm pretty happy with the results.
     
  6. TomNC

    TomNC Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2015
    Likes Received:
    305
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Location:
    Hillsborough, NJ
    Bill-P or AustinValentine, could you kindly post a picture or two to illustrate where to apply the dynamat on the back? Thanks.
     
  7. AustinValentine

    AustinValentine Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2015
    Likes Received:
    835
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    West Chicago Burbs
    I can throw one up in the early afternoon tomorrow. I did mine slightly different from Marv's one. (Added two small pieces to the top and I didn't put any on the magnet.)
     
  8. AustinValentine

    AustinValentine Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2015
    Likes Received:
    835
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    West Chicago Burbs
    Two small pieces at the top. Four small pieces around placed around the center as so. One placed on the long plastic bridge at the bottom.

    [​IMG]
     
  9. TomNC

    TomNC Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2015
    Likes Received:
    305
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Location:
    Hillsborough, NJ
    Thanks for the picture!
     
  10. juanchotazo99

    juanchotazo99 New

    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2015
    Likes Received:
    12
    Trophy Points:
    3
    I'd first removed the foam at the back of the drivers. Was impressed, and relieved to have addressed the missing air from the stock 650s. Then after a few weeks went ahead and cut the front foam out as instructed in the first post. I was hesitant to do that because of it being irreversible, but after giving it a good listening session, any doubts I'd had about that went away in a twinkling of an eye. Just what the 650 needs to truly shine.

    Now I'm interested in doing the dynamat mod. Problem is, what if I don't have access to dynamat due to living in a shitty country where it's unavailable and hard to get a hold of? Is there anything else that could have a similar final effect? Plasticine like the one used in the T50RP mods?
     
  11. lm4der

    lm4der A very good sport - Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2015
    Likes Received:
    1,461
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    Btw, thank you for this post. I am planning to put on my big girl panties and go for the mods.
     
  12. Luckbad

    Luckbad Traded in a unicorn for a Corolla

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    3,408
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Holly Springs, NC
    @AustinValentine @Bill-P @purrin

    Where can one acquire the correct dynamat on the cheap? I just pulled the foam from the back, now I oughta do the dynamat and quarter mods.
     
  13. philipmorgan

    philipmorgan Member of the month

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    3,790
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    In the wind, so to speak
    Home Page:
  14. T.Rainman

    T.Rainman Acquaintance

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2015
    Likes Received:
    57
    Trophy Points:
    18
  15. aufmerksam

    aufmerksam Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    1,337
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    E. Lansing, MI
    Yeah, that's solderdude's opus on the 650. Its referenced earlier in this thread. He was a regular at CS... anyone know if he has registered over here yet?
     
  16. JonCharles

    JonCharles Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2015
    Likes Received:
    100
    Trophy Points:
    33
    Location:
    Cerritos, CA
    Just ordered a set of these. I owned them a long time ago and remember them being quite magical with a lot of music. In my inexperience and impatient drive for newer and "better" things, I sold them after a few months. Hoping to recapture the magic and complement my UERMs. I'll be sure to give these mods a try later.
     
  17. BleaK

    BleaK Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2015
    Likes Received:
    67
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    Norway
    Just got this and I am loving them so far. Gonna listen and burn them in and maybe, just maybe trying some mods after a while (if I dare...:oops:)
     
  18. philipmorgan

    philipmorgan Member of the month

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    3,790
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    In the wind, so to speak
    Home Page:
    I just did the add-Dynamat-remove-foamies mod to my 650s.

    [​IMG]

    I just wanted to reassure those who've said they want to do it but are nervous. Removing the foam discs behind the drivers is the hardest part, and that's not saying much. IMO you'd have to be very careless to damage the drivers while doing this. There's a good 5mm of metal between the instrument you use to remove the foam and the delicate parts of the driver and you'd have to jab your tweezers an obviously unsafe depth into the hole to touch the driver.

    If you just use closed tweezers or a small flat blade screwdriver held parallel to the back plane of the driver to push the foam in towards the center and dislodge it from the spider assembly that pinches it in place and then use tweezers to pull it out through the center of the spider, you're good. It takes maybe 2 minutes per driver. Cutting Dynamat and fitting it in place takes longer. :)
     
  19. KurtSvensson

    KurtSvensson Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2015
    Likes Received:
    188
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Any subjective impressions? :) Do you think it added bass resolution? Still debating if it's worth ordering some of that dynamat stuff for 35 euro.
     
    Last edited: Oct 24, 2015
  20. philipmorgan

    philipmorgan Member of the month

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    3,790
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    In the wind, so to speak
    Home Page:
    TBH @KurtSvensson I haven't had enough seat time with the 650s to tell you if it added bass resolution or not. I can say it was an easy, reversible mod, but I understand not wanting to order materials if it's not likely to yield a benefit.
     

Share This Page