1st sound Sennheiser HD 650: 2010-02-26

[rakeford]

I just got my Sennheiser HD 650 (http://www.sennheiserusa.com/private_headphones_audiophile-headphones_009969). They sound great! http://www.head-fi.org/forums/images/smilies/gs1000.gif

This is my first decent set of headphones since I got my Realistic LV-10 circa 1975. Um... er... were they decent? http://www.head-fi.org/forums/images/smilies/confused_face_2.gif .

For now, I'm just running them off the headphone jack of my Yamaha RX-797 receiver.

I'll keep ya posted.

Right now I'm http://www.head-fi.org/forums/images/smilies/L3000.gif to ray charles- genius loves company.
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

[Mr Peabody]

Excellent headphones. I like my 600's and a big Senn fan. Your 650's will sound even better after many hours of use. Enjoy.

Do you use a digital connection from your Sharp player to Yamaha receiver? If not, you might give it a try, I'd imagine the Yamaha DAC sounds better than the Sharp's internal DAC.

[rakeford]

Excellent headphones. I like my 600's and a big Senn fan. Your 650's will sound even better after many hours of use. Enjoy.

Do you use a digital connection from your Sharp player to Yamaha receiver? If not, you might give it a try, I'd imagine the Yamaha DAC sounds better than the Sharp's internal DAC.
The Sharp does not have digital out, and the RX-797 does not have a digital in or a DAC.

I've got a Yamaha DVD-S2700 (CD/SACD/DVD-Audio) coming in the mail to take care of that. I hope to get it soon.

[poppachubby]

Rake, DL this burn in generator. Use the pink noise for a week, then switch to sweeps for a day or so.

http://www.burninwave.com/generator_dl.htm

[winston]

rakeford" great choice!! you cant wrong with the "600 or 650" just put some Hours on it theirs lots of room for adjustment enjoy

[rakeford]

Thanks for all the replies.

Today I listened to

Chicago Transit Authority (1968), Side 3
Free form guitar
South California Purples
I'm a man

through the HD 650 today. The drums were loud and clear. The horns precise and clean. "Free form guitar" is definitely burn in material.

I like what I'm hearing, and others like what they're not hearing.

[Mr Peabody]

Unless the 650's have under gone a design change from the 600's there is still a lot of leakage of sound into the room but if others aren't in the same room it does keep the walls from rattling.

[winston]

Unless the 650's have under gone a design change from the 600's there is still a lot of leakage of sound into the room but if others aren't in the same room it does keep the walls from rattling.
Mr Peabody" that's an interesting thought'.... as i owned booth sets' and I'm not trying to put the quality" of the 600s or the 650s to a debate here!! But in my opinion booth cans could be mistaking" for an expensive pair of speakers playing at low volume when the room is quiet and your sitting up to 15' away! also if there's a question of which of these two cans leaks more IMO" (I'm thinking the 650s) all that been said these are two grand headphones.

subsequently the audio technica ATH-AD 700 is the Winner in that regards:wink5:

[rakeford]

Mr Peabody" that's an interesting thought'.... as i owned booth sets' and I'm not trying to put the quality" of the 600s or the 650s to a debate here!! But in my opinion booth cans could be mistaking" for an expensive pair of speakers playing at low volume when the room is quiet and your sitting up to 15' away! also if there's a question of which of these two cans leaks more IMO" (I'm thinking the 650s) all that been said these are two grand headphones.

subsequently the audio technica ATH-AD 700 is the Winner in that regards:wink5:


Unless the 650's have under gone a design change from the 600's there is still a lot of leakage of sound into the room but if others aren't in the same room it does keep the walls from rattling.

I'm using the HD 650 in my private room with a door. Therefore, leakage is not a concern in my application.
:3:
Since this is my first set of headphones in 35 years, I was going for the best I could get within reasonable budget limits. At the price I paid for the HD 650, they were an incredible value over the HD 800.

If I was going to use headphones in public , on an airplane :incazzato: , or in the bedroom while others sleep :sleep: , I would have got some other headphones.

Thanks for your support.

[Jack in Wilmington]

Since I've read that having a pair of Senns (650 or 600 don't remember which) is like having a pair of $10,000 speakers strapped to your head. Do you enjoy the sound of the 650's more than you enjoy your RF7's? I know with me, that once I got my 600's, it made me see the shortcomings in my old speakers. The Senns were a much warmer sound, with incredible detail. My speakers at the time were much brighter and it made me see what was missing, and why I didn't spend a lot of time listening to music.

[poppachubby]

You check out the generator? That site in general, is a great one.

[rakeford]

You check out the generator? That site in general, is a great one.

Thanks poppaC, I may look into that later.
:12:
Right now I'm enjoying Brain Salad Surgery (Emerson, Lake & Palmer) through the HD 650. :thumbsup:

[jsound]

Hi to all - PoppaC & Mr.Peabody may remember me from my thread on the evolution
from boombox to mini-system to mid-level component system (running Cambridge Audio
640A amp, 640C CDP & Polk RtiA1's - 4 months & sounds great!!!)
As I have a limited space, I really can't crank the sound up as much as I would sometimes like - so now I'm looking at 'phones.
I found an older thread where PoppaC was touting the AKG, where Mr.P. was praising the Sennheiser 600's. As they are different designs (open-back vs. closed), I'm looking
for a little more discussion... I've read that the Senns have significant "leakage" into the
outside world, but sound like really good speakers mounted on your head. I only intend to use these 'phones on the home system, so impedence is not an issue.
I'd appreciate any comments...

[winston]

"jound I also have high praises for the Senn 600,650. (as far as open-back vs. closed only you can decide which is best for you) at the time when I was looking for help with head phones,

the cans" that was recommended to me was the audio technica ATH-AD700 & SENN-600,
I started out with the ATH-AD 700!! and I did not look back??!! because IMO the open cans are more KIND to my EARING... that said depends on your budget!! and if "open/leakage" is not a problem for you, the above mentioned would be my recommendations.you also visit [URL www.head-fi.org and see whats cooking up there.. good luck:12:

[jsound]

Any thoughts on the Grado line? I've read some pretty good reviews on them.

[Mr Peabody]

My man, this is a touchy subject. You have hardline Senn lovers and hardline Grado lovers and never the two shall mix. You become one or the other, I have yet to meet any one who loves both.

Here's my take on it, Sennheiser is excellent and the most accurate, having some of the tightest bass I've heard in a headphone, as well as extended yet smooth high end, very wide sound stage. Grado, does not :) Seriously though, Grado is colored to the extreme warm with bloated or exaggerated bass with laid back high end, I don't even like their midrange much. I was looking to replace my AKG some years back and compared the AKG to some of the expensive Grado and I preferred the cheaper AKG. When I heard the HD-600's it was better than I ever thought a headphone could be. The HD-600 sound is large and expanded.

As with any speaker/headphone the result will ultimately rely on the source and affiliated equipment.

[jsound]

Mr.P. - You know what I'm running (hell, you gave me a couple of shoves in the right direction...) I'd really like to listen to the Senn 600's or 650's. Now that I have a decent system, the "headphone reality" thing will take on a whole new dimension. I'd like to think that the Senns will not be "too much" 'fone for my system, but I haven't heard them yet.
Any thoughts?

[Mr Peabody]

The Senn's would be fine with your gear. I use a pair of 580's on a HD radio and before that an Onkyo stereo receiver. If I can't go to sleep I will put the phones on and listen. I use my 600's with an X-can amp. The reason I got that rig years ago is my Krell didn't have headphone jack.

If you wanted to try a pair with no risk some of the online dealers will allow a 30 day return. www.amusicdirect.com used to be a Senn dealer but I have not looked at their site in a while. If you do this keep in mind Senn's need a break in period. I usually plug mine into something and let them play over night and while I'm at work.

[rakeford]

....
As I have a limited space, I really can't crank the sound up as much as I would sometimes like - so now I'm looking at 'phones.
I found an older thread where PoppaC was touting the AKG, where Mr.P. was praising the Sennheiser 600's. As they are different designs (open-back vs. closed), I'm looking
for a little more discussion... I've read that the Senns have significant "leakage" into the
outside world, but sound like really good speakers mounted on your head. I only intend to use these 'phones on the home system, so impedence is not an issue.
I'd appreciate any comments...
Open-back headphones and "leakage" maybe an issue in tight airplane enviornments, where you might disturb nearby passengers. But for a single person behind a closed door room leakage should not be a problem.

I turned my Senn. HD650 to normal listening volume and laid them on the bench. While outside my closed door about 12 feet away, I cannot hear them.