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Sennheiser HD650 Headset

Shogo

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 1, 2004
Messages
389
Hi, I currently have Sony-MDR V700

Sony MDR v700DJ description

Im willing to buy a Sennheiser HD650 wich is not really comparable in term of sound quality BUT i would like to know your advices.

I can those Sennheiser hd650 for 350$ USD, but i donw know if its REALLY worth it, because i dont have any headphns amp. I would plug it into my SOUNDBLASTER ES (its not even an audigy) or with the headphns connector from my Logitech Z2200.

Will i be restricted by my hardware (sound card + speaker system) so that the sound quality upgrade isnt really worth the extra money ?

Thank you!

BTW im a sound noob, i really love good sound quality but i know nothing about hz and frequency and things like that....
 
Get a HD580 and a PiMeta headphone amp. It'll sound better than an unamped HD650. An AV-710 can provide a very decent line-level signal that will leave typical Creative soundcards in the dust for headphone listening. It's <$30. Or you could get a Emu 0404 if you find a decent deal on a used PiMeta and/or a pair of HD580 cans. It's typically $100.
 
Agreed... the HD580s + amp will sound much better then the HD650s with no amp.
 
Actually i can get the HD650 for 300$USD ...... I could always buy a good quality AMP after when ill be Audiophilized hehehe

the HD580 i can get them for 250$ USD ... so for the difference of 50$ i dont think i should buy an amp right now...

hehe
 
I can tell you right now.. that you WILL need an amp with those 580's. You won't get any volume with your soundcard. I had the same HD580's and they needed a LOT of juice. Your soundcard isn't going to cut it at all. I am speaking from experience. You might as well get some more efficient headphones if your not going to get an amp. I don't know about other cans but it's a night and day difference with those 580s since they are so power hungry. It's kinda like you buying a ferrari with a broken down engine. Just get a cheap amp at least.
 
the HD580 i can get them for 250$ USD ... so for the difference of 50$ i dont think i should buy an amp right now...

OUCH!
In that case I would go for the HD650s.
 
I think thats what ill do, and... ill probably buy an amp from you mister X :p hehe

well, i heard that you are maybe selling some good quality a amps?

Are you shipping in Canada?
 
screw both the 580s and 650s and grab yourself a nice amp and a set of beyer dt880's and call it a day until you get yourself some k1000s, rs-1, or qualias.
 
ivandal2 said:
screw both the 580s and 650s and grab yourself a nice amp and a set of beyer dt880's and call it a day until you get yourself some k1000s, rs-1, or qualias.

I hope you're speaking from experience.
 
If it's at all possible, I think you should spend some time listening to more headphones before you plunk down a lot of cash for one. I was like you once, and I bought the HD600 because I thought they would be the best phones for the money. However, improper amping and a poor source (CD player) left my ears wanting more, and my wallet hurting.

What kind of sound do you like? The Sennheiser sonic signature tends to be a little more laid back then what I like. I prefer a more upfront presentation, such as the Audio Technica ATH-W1000 or the Sony MDR-CD3000. As well, both the ATH-W1000 and the MDR-CD3000 don't absolutely require a dedicated amp to sound pretty decent -- unlike the Sennheisers which really need a lot of ohmage (although I recommend something different then just plugging them into your soundcard at that level of headphone quality).
 
Shogo said:
BTW im a sound noob, i really love good sound quality but i know nothing about hz and frequency and things like that....

The statistics usually don't mean very much. They are just written by the companies to make it seem like their headphones are better. Almost all headphones put frequency ranges that extend beyond what the human ear can hear. They don't really have any relevance over what sounds good and what doesn't. The one statistic that does sometimes matter is the resistance -- a headphone with a high ohm rating will usually need a lot more power to be amplified correctly.
 
MrPrez said:
I hope you're speaking from experience.
yes I am. I can honestly say that I enjoy my almost all my dt880s + ppa/woo1 over the hd600s and hd650s I've borrowed w/ the same amps. The 650s were awesome cans, no doubt, but they seemed to lack a "trueness" to them, sort of sounded like a set of pa speakers but not quite right imo, and seemed a bit to airy and analytical to me, but as always thats just my opinion.
 
Yeah.. I would definitely suggest trying to demo some if you can... I had the HD580's and thought they sounded great except when listening to hard pounding tracks with lots of bass (which consists of 85% of what I listen too). I wish I would have saved that money and got the Beyer DT770's that I have now.. I started off with a XCans v2 tube amp and moved to a PPA. But to tell you the truth.. anything will be better than those V700DJ's. I am speaking from experience. What type of music do you listen too?

I noticed MisterX is selling a Pimeta in the forsale forum... just fyi.
 
hip hop and like older classical music
and stuff like mariah carey
which headphones would be best for me?
 
stunna said:
hip hop and like older classical music
and stuff like mariah carey
which headphones would be best for me?

That's a pretty broad spectrum. But if you have the cash for it and if you can find them, I'd say go for the Sony MDR-CD3000 -- even unamped it will sound very impressive, and in the future if you do decide to invest in an amp then it will sound leagues better. The CD3000 is pretty versatile, and it packs a lot of "wow" factor. If you are an inexperienced listener, then I think you will be left impressed with these.
 
LobsterSan said:
That's a pretty broad spectrum. But if you have the cash for it and if you can find them, I'd say go for the Sony MDR-CD3000 -- even unamped it will sound very impressive, and in the future if you do decide to invest in an amp then it will sound leagues better. The CD3000 is pretty versatile, and it packs a lot of "wow" factor. If you are an inexperienced listener, then I think you will be left impressed with these.
thanks for the info
how about if i were to get one for just hip hop.
would you suggest the 880dt?
 
stunna said:
thanks for the info
how about if i were to get one for just hip hop.
would you suggest the 880dt?

DT880's would be nice.. but I think DT770's might be better suited for hip hop since they are closed cans and would probably be a little better in the bass department. You will still need an amp though for either one of those cans. How much did you want to spend total? I bought the DT770's for about $200. You can pick up some Sony MDR-V6's for a lot cheaper.. I think they have pretty good bass and sound for the $$$. Make sure they are V6's tho and not the MDR-V600's. If you got more $$$... the Sony MDR-CD3000 that was suggested are great too.
 
I haven't spent a lot of time with the DT880, so I can't really comment too much on them. I would say that if you're primarily going to be listening to hip-hop and gaming with the headphones, then the MDR-V6 (as mentioned in the above post) would do you pretty well, and they are cheap enough not to break the bank. The MDR-V6 also are fine out of almost any headphone jack (just don't use a noisy jack or else the level of detail on the MDR-V6 will surely pick it out and shove it in your face).

Just so you know, the DT770 is available in two different levels of impedance. The 250 ohm version really needs a dedicated amp to shine, but the 80 ohm version may be just fine on some regular headphone outputs. I've not tried the 80 ohm version extensively -- only the 250 ohm version out of a dedicated headphone amp, so I'm afraid I can't really advise what limitations the 80 ohm version may have out of a normal amp.

The MDR-V6 is a very detailed phone that can expose problems with recordings. That is why it has often been used in the audio industry as a monitoring headphone. Yet it is also a very fun and engaging headphone, as the bass is very deep and impactful, and the highs are very clear.

The DT770's are known in some parts as the bassmasters. They can deliver some earth-shattering, bowel-moving rumbles, yet they are still pretty detailed and precise. They are not bloated and flabby as are most of the DJ-type headphones out there.

If you want more information, I highly recommend this headphone audio forum: www.head-fi.org.
 
LobsterSan said:
Just so you know, the DT770 is available in two different levels of impedance. The 250 ohm version really needs a dedicated amp to shine, but the 80 ohm version may be just fine on some regular headphone outputs. I've not tried the 80 ohm version extensively -- only the 250 ohm version out of a dedicated headphone amp, so I'm afraid I can't really advise what limitations the 80 ohm version may have out of a normal amp.

The DT770's are known in some parts as the bassmasters. They can deliver some earth-shattering, bowel-moving rumbles, yet they are still pretty detailed and precise. They are not bloated and flabby as are most of the DJ-type headphones out there.

If you want more information, I highly recommend this headphone audio forum: www.head-fi.org.

that's a good point on the ohms.. I forgot they had 250's.. I can speak from experience on the 80's that they "do" sound good from a good headphone output... but the bass just wasn't the same before I added an amp. Maybe I just got spoiled after getting my PPA. Volume was good without the amp and sound was still pretty detailed.. but just couldn't get them to "ludicrous" volume. :)
 
i think i'm gonna get the v6's for now
and i thought the 880 and the 770 were about teh same but the 880 were suppose to be the better version
guess i was wrong
 
Factory-Reconditioned Sennheiser HD600 Headphones

List Price: $449.99
Price: $178.94 & This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. See details.
While Supplies Last.

Use your favorite Amazon refferal link and serch for ASIN: B00079P73E.

Then you get a PPA amp and an Emu 0404.
 
stunna said:
i think i'm gonna get the v6's for now
and i thought the 880 and the 770 were about teh same but the 880 were suppose to be the better version
guess i was wrong

I think they are... but the 880's are open set and the 770s are a closed set. Depending on what your primary type of listening is going to be will determine which one you would prefer. There are advantages to both.

open airs generally have better sound but since they are open tend not to have as much bass impact as a closed set. Also.. if you want sound isolation.. closed set will not let as much of the sound leak out. For me.. the music I listen too tends to have a lot of bass so the DT770's were perfect.. they still sound great and have tight bass.. not as airy as the DT880's probably but still sound great to me. If you want decent bass in an open air set... I hear the AKG K501s fit this bill but I never tried them before. I haven't tried the 880's tho.
 
aight thanks for the info

another question
how does the 1212 compare to the 0404
 
stunna said:
i think i'm gonna get the v6's for now
and i thought the 880 and the 770 were about teh same but the 880 were suppose to be the better version
guess i was wrong

I think the V6's are a good choice. Just be doubly sure that they are MDR-V6 or MDR-7506, NOT MDR-V600. Also, the DT880 and DT770 are quite different animals altogether. I've only had a brief encounter with the DT880, but from my memory they were much airier and have a more refined sound than the DT770. They both have different sonic signatures which mate well with different preferences of music and tastes in sound reproduction. "better" is a tricky word with headphones. When considering tastes and preferences and listening situation, what truly is the "better" headphone comes down to what you want from it.

I don't have either the 1212 or the 0404, so I can't comment on that. I do have an M-Audio Audiophile USB though, and I've been fairly pleased with it's driver support and decent sound quality. It's also got digital out so I can use it to transfer the signal if I decide to go with an external DAC later on down the line. I prefer an external soundcard because it helps to reduce the amount of physical and electronic noise contamination generatted from within the computer case itself. I bought my Audiophile USB about 2 years ago though, so by now there may be better and cheaper products.
 
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