Sennheiser HD650

I’ve really liked the case below for trasporting the HD650 or HD600:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009...hd650+case&dpPl=1&dpID=51-zFLbjyFL&ref=plSrch

 

Thanks! Deciding between that and this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FMFBU16/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_XricAbXMF1FPZ

 

I usually just throw my 650s into the luggage. Not carelessly, but I don't feel I need to baby them. I think just sticking them near the top of my carry-on is good enough. They are pretty durable and I won't be doing the transducers themselves any harm if I just layer them with a sweater, stick some socks in between to keep them from getting squished. done deal! Replacement parts are already on their way and I doubt I'll even need them anytime soon.

If I were to stock up for an apocalypse, my headphone of choice would be the 650 and I'd get lots of extra parts and some spare drivers. I'd be set as long as there is a source and decent-to-good power. Yo-ho yo-ho to good times in the end times.

 

Just a rando/lurker opinion:

Just got a HD650 (couldn't wait for the HD6xx, and I don't like the blue). I'm really surprised how much resolution and detail I'm getting out of them. Very pleasantly surprised.

I've always been in low-mid-fi purgatory (M50x, NAD HP50, X1, HE400, QC35, HD598, and many more ), and even compared to my current daily driver the ER4XR, which I really liked in terms of overall presentation + resolution, it's better in some ways. I've always geeked out at measurements etc., and so based on that I've never really considered the HD650 seriously (bass rolloff and distortion, not the most extended), but this forum more or less convinced me to at least give it a try.
Thanks changstar/sbaf!

 

As an aside @rtaylor76 came by my place and brought his gear this weekend. He has his old silver driver 650s (with quarter mod) and I have my new black-driver version.

Completely different headphones*, and it wasn't subtle. Mine are more aggressive and forward. His more laid back and lush-sounding.

Which one I preferred was 100% dependent on the track and gear. Some songs I found his to be smooth and resolving while mine felt harsh and jarring. On other amp/song combos, I felt mine provided clarity and detail that his smoothed over. Norah Jones was a good example...the piano was smooth on the old 650s and didn't interfere with other sounds and made things such as the background vocals stand out. On the new 650s, the piano was more forward and a bit distracting in the mix. The background vocals were there, but the overall sound wasn't as cohesive.

On other tracks, my preferences were exactly the opposite.

I've heard of newer 650s losing the veil before, but I didn't quiet expect it to be this obvious.

*Yes, this is hyperbole. They're both 650s with the same basic sound signature. But, going back and forth between the two didn't require hard listening to spot the differences. Perhaps it's just pad compression as other's have stated and measured. In retrospect, I wish we had tried switching the pads back and forth, but we had a lot of different gear to play around with and got distracted.

 

Hmm... Isn't it the other way around: silver mesh = new, black paper = old?

 

Yes. Good catch. Ignore the colors and the rest of the post is accurate.

New - netrual/more forward
Old - darker/more romantic

 

After more listening I find that the HD650 has a little more upper-midrange to treble presence than the ER4XR, which I find odd since measurements indicate otherwise (I guess Tyll applies the same compensation for both headphones/IEM, which omits pinna interaction?)

 

Yes, that's quite likely. The HD650 measure with a small bump @ ~3 KHz with my ear-mounted rig.

 

I will throw in my 2 cents...

I agree mostly with @Skyline. His (newer) seemed louder and a bit more in the 3-4K range. It was like adding presence. It seemed to me to also have a more narrow soundstage. It had a more "in the head" mix, and mine (older) sounded more distant with more space. Lots more space. Mine also maybe had a bit of grain to it in the mids. Mind you this was coming from the same setup (Bifrost 4490 -> Valhalla 2).

You really could not tell that they were the same model headphone. It was very strange. I am not sure if differences were that mine are a) older and different driver, b) older and just more worn out, c) worn out pads, d) worn out foam, front and back.

I will also add that mine also had the quarter mod and Skyline's did not.

Either way, it was revealing between the two headphones.

 

Could be a mix of clamp strength and pad wear?
Maybe that changes the distance between driver and ear?

I notice the HD650 clamp strength new is quite high, whereas from memory testing it in a headphone store demo unit it was noticeably lighter/softer.

 

Could be. Perhaps it's seal related.

His earcups swivel a lot as they've gotten loose over the years. Mine don't have much play at all.

Still, his set never felt loose on the head once you put them on.

 

Respectfully, this statement should be at the top of your post, as comparing headphones with more than one uncontrolled variable is almost worthless IMO

 

It was at the very top of my post, which he quoted.

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Respectfully.

 

Also, the quarter mod actually raises the high end slightly. It is one of the more gentle mods you can do to the HD650 and only really makes a difference in high end transients as far as I can tell. And since mine still sounded darker and more lush sounding...but I doubt un-modded would have brought them closer together.

I plan on getting replacement pads and foam, and maybe then Skyline and I can compare again.

 

I wasn't replying to your post, but you're correct.

Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate the comparisons. Are the quarter-modded (or stock) foam pieces easy to swap between headphones?

 

Nope, not easy at all.

And, as @rtaylor76 pointed out, I don't think it accounts for the differences.

Pad wear and seal are the more likely possibilities beyond an actual revision on Sennheiser's part.

We know the driver color changed a while ago and it was debated whether or not that come with any sonic differences. Many have reported that the new drivers lifted the famous Sennheiser veil, which is a theory I wouldn't reject outright. Others say it has nothing to do with the drivers, but simply pad wear and other physical factors.

 

Ok, so has any of you received the Massdrop HD6XX's that were supposed to ship this month? Have you modified them?

I bought into the 6XX and the HE4XX months ago and recently received them. I prefer the Sennheiser's more neutral, "give it all to me" tone over the "softer" HE4XX tone. I wonder if modifying the newer 6xx's are worth the risk. I'm clumsy as shit so I'm worried i'll punch through the driver.

 

None of the mods entail going anywhere near the diaphragm. Follow the KISS instructions and you'll be safe as houses.