Sennheiser OCD

[stackowax]

Okay, I'm about to go off-topic on my own thread!

So I've been looking into the Sennheiser line a bit more closely. There seems to be a bit of a debate about the virtues of the HD600 vs. the HD650. People who prefer the former argue that its better balanced, less bloom in the bass in particular. Those who prefer the HD650 seem to think the added bass is a plus and while also praising its unfatiguing sound.

So here's a graph of the frequency response of three Sennheiser phones:

The most obvious difference between the three is the 650's (relatively) steep drop above 10,000 hz. I suppose that could contribute to the non-fatiguing quality and a subjective experience of more bass (although the 650 also appears to have more bass output too)?

Another graph: this time of distortion of a 500 hz sine wave input. Not sure what this means in practice but the HD650 and HD800 seem to have more distortion than the HD600, at least with this test.

Getting to the point--anybody want to weigh in on the relative differences between the HD650 and HD600 (I'm not even considering the HD800)? Right or wrong, I have a rather high regard for the ears of PFM folks.

 

[greg788]

I've owned both the HD600 and HD650 at the same time and listened to both extensively against each other (along with the AKG K701). I've since sold the HD600 and K701. I've also compared the Denon AH-D2000 against all of them (and returned them). I've never heard the HD800 but I've read enough to know that it's highly analytical and demanding of amplification.

Out of all of them, the HD650 is the most musical by far. The AKG K701 is like an audiophile minimonitor -- all dissection. The HD600 is like an upfront HD650 -- a bit tighter in the bass, too, but slightly less refined overall. It also lacks a bit of the resolution of the HD650.

Just get the HD650, honestly, unless you want to do what I did and compare ad nauseum. We have Headroom here in America which makes that really easy to goof with headphones, granted, but I knew within a few songs that the HD650 was special, at least for my ears.

Don't put a ton of stock in headphone frequency response graphs without listening to them. They're OK for comparison purposes but headphones transmit a lot differently than loudspeakers. You probably don't want super flat unless you're really into that audiophile 'thang, for which AKG K701 is your best bet.

Caveats Emptor:
1) I prefer a laid back, smooth, easy sound. Anything upfront or bright bothers the heck out of me.
2) Although a headphone output from a receiver or integrated amp is *OK* I think you need a decent amplifier for any of these, esp. the HD650. I'd start with the Rega or Creek at a minimum. I'm talking a home headphone amplifier, nothing portable unless it's a beefy one like a Ray Samuels SR71A. I also went through several amps in my quest to transition from home audio to headphones. I kept the Schitt Asgard.

 

[stackowax]

Thanks. As it happens, I did decide to order the HD650 today--might be a few weeks before it arrives (Headroom was out of stock; I'm in the States).

I've been toying with the idea of buying something like the Benchmark DAC, mostly because I think I need a new digital device (could be wrong about that) but a new reason is that it has a headphone jack. I how it compares to a dedicated headphone amp?

 

[cromodora]

Thanks. As it happens, I did decide to order the HD650 today--

Coincidentally I too put in an order for a pair of cans today.
Took a punt on the Audez'e LCD-2 planars.

 

[SteveS1]

Thanks. As it happens, I did decide to order the HD650 today--might be a few weeks before it arrives (Headroom was out of stock; I'm in the States).

I've been toying with the idea of buying something like the Benchmark DAC, mostly because I think I need a new digital device (could be wrong about that) but a new reason is that it has a headphone jack. I how it compares to a dedicated headphone amp?

I find that interesting, I would settle on a headphone amp/Dac - then compare headphones. The result is all about the combination. I happen to have both a headphone amp and high quality DAC/Headphone amp. Comparisons using either does produce quite different results.

Steve

 

[greg788]

I find that interesting, I would settle on a headphone amp/Dac - then compare headphones. The result is all about the combination. I happen to have both a headphone amp and high quality DAC/Headphone amp. Comparisons using either does produce quite different results.

Steve

I agree. If you're going to get a serious pair of headphones then you need to investigate a few amplifiers as well. HD650 per their tonal balance and high impedance tend to sound very different depending on the amplifier driving them in my experience (I tried 3 different amplifiers with them).

 

[Shane2468]

Yes, the AKG K701 are analytical and very revealing. After owning them for nearly 2 years, we sold them on and bought a pair off H600. And we certainly prefer the HD600!!

 

[SteveS1]

Yes, the AKG K701 are analytical and very revealing. After owning them for nearly 2 years, we sold them on and bought a pair off H600. And we certainly prefer the HD600!!

Hi Shane, what were you using to drive the 701s? They need some juice imo. I nearly moved some on but now use them on a Heed Canamp and it's a very good combination. Not over analytical but powerful and detailed. Some 595s sounded a bit over-smooth by comparison.

Steve

 

[Shane2468]

SteveS1,

We were using the K701s with a Musical Fidelity X-CAN V2 (unmodified) I'm guessing the K701/X-CAN combo could have been a wrong combo?

Plus, I also have a pair off AKG K240 MII (55ohm) and prefer them over the K701s. I find the K240 MKIIs forgiving and easy going on the ear. And the midrange is nice too, very good headphones for the money.

Kind Regards.

 

[SteveS1]

Hi Shane, I don't think it's a right or wrong thing necessarily but I was a bit underwhelmed using the 701s just straight from a DAC for the reasons you describe. I noted that some of the guys on Head-Fi rated them highly with a Heed as a combination, so I tried the Heed with them and was very glad I did.

Regards,

Steve

 

[TheDecameron]

If you can get HD600's at a good price over the 650's then you cannot go wrong.The 600s equal Beyer DT990 pro's for me- jus the presentation is different. I dont find HD60s unblanced or fatiguing in the slightest.