Is there an HD650 in the speaker world?

Well- both share a significant clarity (unlike other HP's to me ear), yet with slightly warm touch, great spacious realistic sound, as you might or might not know Adam's are very well known around the professional music community, many sound engineers utilize them on everyday basis in their studio's for mixing etc, as well as Sennheiser HD650.
But also i have to mention here, that if you for example listen to you HD650's without good and proper amplification, then for sure, you haven't yet heard what they are capable of. I would say same about Adam's - i've listened to them through roughly 5 sources - Chord Mojo, Centrance Dacport HD, IP6+, Cowon PD, Teac UD-H01, and it sounded very nice only with 3 of em - Centrance, Mojo and Teac. Rest weren't good enough.
If you have a chance to visit something like B&H and try different options it would be very nice. Before i purchased Adams i auditioned Kef X300a (very overrated and exaggerated hype about it - sound is super colored) Genelec 8010, 8040 (i liked the 8040) but the pair would've costed me 1500$ USD.
thanks,
just added my 5 cents here

 

My suggestion coming into the speaker world from headphones is to get a quality studio monitor. Something like an Adam A7X or S3X can be refined to your tastes to some degree and limits the addiction to try a million components for that perfect sound. In the speaker world, for me, it gets expensive, fast lol

Not only will these last you awhile, imo it takes a noticeable price increase to improve everything in the chain.

I remember when I was initially speaker shopping and I walked into a room where some jazz was on and my mouth f'ing dropped. I was so stoked. Until I found out those big ugly wood speakers were Tannoy speakers from their prestige line, powered by Devialet mono blocks. $30k later and I could take it home!!....not a chance...

Ended up with Totem Arros and a high quality integrated from Hegel that I hope lasts me.

I've come to the realization that I should have just bought active studio monitors at the same price I spent and been done with it. Additionally, to spend more money on headphones of I'm looking for the perfect sound - it's a cheaper punishment to myself haha...

 

Ha hah... Just posted one of those in the speaker-porn thread: I rather like that woodwork. They are obviously designed for audiophile manor houses --- but the pair I enjoyed were in modern Singapore apartment block!

 

The PSB Stratus Goldi (or earlier Gold) are excellent speakers that are mostly accurate but a bit bassy. They're not cheap, but they're moderately priced compared to the crazy high-end stuff. I got lucky and got a pair at a good price. They aren't made anymore though, so you have to buy them used.

 

I own the HD600's and never heard the HD650's but with the elevated midbass I'd imagine the'd sound like the NHT Classic Three bookshelf speakers.

I heard the a couple years ago at a local hifi shop and was thoroughly impressed, wow'd even. They really left a lasting impression. In the end I ended up going with the Ascend Sierra-1's though but often think about that speaker. I'd do swap if I was given the choice. They don't often come up on the used market but typically go for $500 - 600 and sold for 800 - 900 new.

I'm going from memory here but I looked around for a review and felt like Stereophile described their sound well.
http://www.stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/1106nht/#8RzO0YzGxy85MplY.97

 

The elevated bass you see in Stereophile is an artifact seen in almost all Stereophile speaker measurements. In the more accurate Soundstage true anechoic graph there is only a tiny rise of a db or two.

http://www.soundstage.com/measurements/speakers/nht_classic_three/

 

When I first heard the HD650 they reminded me a little of the pair of B&W DM-7mkII that I used to own. Those were sort of the pre-matrix version of an 802 or 803. They were detailed but in an easy, dark sort of way with slightly tubby bass, and a sweet n easy midrange. These were the first real pair of speakers I ever owned. Purchased used in 1987 for $150.

 

Why dont you try Tekton Seas Pendragon.. Have read great reviews about it. Also once heard at a friend's place.. Very nice..

 

For really keeping a sub $1000 budget but getting something with some staying power, the Pioneer SP-FS52 is a pretty good option. They sell regularly for 130 usd but seem to drop to ~$100 once or twice a year. It leaves a lot more room for your source and amps. I should note that they aren't very efficient, so a reasonable amount of power is necessary. They do seem to scale reasonably well compared to most of the other non-DIY options within a couple hundred dollars.

 

The last time I bought speakers, the Vandersteen 2Cs were at the top of my list. The other speaker I was considering was the Thiel CS1.2, And coincidentally, my amp at the time was the Adcom GFA-545.

Did I mention this was 30 years ago? Back in 1990 we had actual stereo shops, and the better ones would let their regular customers take demo equipment home to audition. So the 2Cs and the CS1.2s came home for a weekend of a-b listening.

I had loved the Vandersteens in the showroom. The Thiels, in comparison, sounded kind of uninspiring. But after less than an hour of listening in my smallish room my preferences flip-flopped. In my room the 2Cs were unremittingly boomy and thick. The CS-1.2s, on the other hand, sounded clear, balanced, and punchy. They sounded like music.

Sold. And thirty years (and one room) later they still play music.

So what Hrodulf says, kinda:

But my room acoustics were not "bad". They were bad with the Vandersteens. And for me the solution was not going to be some massive series of room treatments. The solution was different speakers.

 

I find Wharfedale speakers to sound similar to HD650. Specifically their Diamond series and evo line.

 

This is an old thread, not sure why it was resurrected. But I might as well answer now.

I bet @fraggler has spent more than 2k by now on headphones and speakers. haha that's how it goes.

No offense but I don't think this question makes much sense because the speaker and headphone markets are so different. There are tons of very balanced sounding speakers with a touch of warm tonality and excellent timbre and even FR. Tons. Many for very cheap. Many very cheap powered monitors are pretty flat with good tone and timbre.

The only reason the HD650 is loved in the headphone market is because everything else sucks so much. The HD650 is not a very good headphone, it just doesn't have the errors of commission that almost every other heaphone has and it's not very expensive compared to what the best headphones cost today.

I feel ike there a thousands of speakers to choose from if you like the HD650 sound. My parents B&W speakers have that sound.

 

I always found my Quested S7R actives to remind me of a hybrid of the 600 and 650, low's from the former and high's from the latter. Can listen all day without ever fatiguing with plenty of detail even if they are a bit dark. They roll of at 65hz so they need subs, i use a 10"(100hz x-over) sub for each channel. Listening distance is about 190cm so at the edge of near and midfield. Shits on any headphone i've heard and haven't had the upgrade bug yet.

 

"classic hifi sound" was my response to the hd600 (didn't have 650)