Topic: HD650 Redux (Read 19186 times)

CEE TEE · « **Reply #30 on:** February 01, 2013, 01:50:13 AM »

I wish Mkubota1 would chime in about this, he repaired his brother's HD600 and might be able to report on change in new pads on an old pair. He also has HD580 and HD650 and HD800. We sat with all of them at the same time one afternoon. I found his HD580 to sound a bit more recessed in the mids than the pair that I borrowed from blessingx and have heard on multiple occasions but can't be sure unless back-to-back listening on same rig. I find Mkubota1's HD650 to sound a bit veiled but would like to try several pairs off of the same Crack amp.

I can say that at the SoCal meet I tried both uzi's and mackat's HD650's back-to-back off same Crack amp and both were really nice but one was just a "touch" brighter. The ones that Anaxilus had were funky- purrin heard mackat's HD650 and the HeadRoom set and I believe he concurs. I've got shipsupt's HD600 coming in and I'll keep them. I'll also wait and pick up HD650 when I get the chance so I can have the set and figure it out for myself...pads/amp/mood/?

mkubota1 · « **Reply #31 on:** February 01, 2013, 08:25:04 AM »

(Wish granted.

) Actually, I didn't get to spend much time with my brother's HD600s with the old/flattened pads. However, to make things even more confusing, I did notice a pretty big difference between his HD600s (~12+ years old?) and my HD600s which I bought around 10/2012. Both having brand new pads after refurbing my brother's set, his sounded quite a bit more mid-centric. Not in the analytical sense, but with less bass and maybe slightly softer highs compared to my new HD600s. Compared to my HD580s, which as CEETEE mentioned have a very slight vee shaped character to them, my new HD600s sound like a better version of the 580s in every aspect: much stronger bass, less dip in the mids, and clearer mid > highs. I always thought that the HD580s had a softness to their sound (veil?... not sure I'd call it that) that made them listenable for days. My new HD600s seem to have a tiny bit more aggressiveness in the form of the previously mentioned aspects. But it still has that Sennheiser 580/600/650 ease of listenability I seem to get from them.

In both cases (old 600 vs. new 600, 580 vs. new 600), the older cans do have quite a few more miles on them compared to the new 600s, which as I write this probably have less than 30 hours on them. So it's not a completely apples to apples comparison. Going back to the old 600 vs. new 600, I don't have both on hand right now so I cannot tell you of any physical differences.

So now that we're all thoroughly confused...

jerg · « **Reply #32 on:** February 02, 2013, 03:47:17 AM »

Quote from: mkubota1 on February 01, 2013, 08:25:04 AM

(Wish granted. ) Actually, I didn't get to spend much time with my brother's HD600s with the old/flattened pads. However, to make things even more confusing, I did notice a pretty big difference between his HD600s (~12+ years old?) and my HD600s which I bought around 10/2012. Both having brand new pads after refurbing my brother's set, his sounded quite a bit more mid-centric. Not in the analytical sense, but with less bass and maybe slightly softer highs compared to my new HD600s. Compared to my HD580s, which as CEETEE mentioned have a very slight vee shaped character to them, my new HD600s sound like a better version of the 580s in every aspect: much stronger bass, less dip in the mids, and clearer mid > highs. I always thought that the HD580s had a softness to their sound (veil?... not sure I'd call it that) that made them listenable for days. My new HD600s seem to have a tiny bit more aggressiveness in the form of the previously mentioned aspects. But it still has that Sennheiser 580/600/650 ease of listenability I seem to get from them.

In both cases (old 600 vs. new 600, 580 vs. new 600), the older cans do have quite a few more miles on them compared to the new 600s, which as I write this probably have less than 30 hours on them. So it's not a completely apples to apples comparison. Going back to the old 600 vs. new 600, I don't have both on hand right now so I cannot tell you of any physical differences.

So now that we're all thoroughly confused...

I wouldn't rule out the possibility that the diaphragms "age" with use and time, especially over the scale of decades.

Solderdude · « **Reply #33 on:** February 02, 2013, 10:43:48 AM »

It is possible materials (certainly plastics) change their properties over time (decades indeed)

Also consider spread in production (tolerances) but most of all changes in the design (quietly done) to materials, pads whatever to improve performance or if they have to use different/cheaper/easier to obtain materials.
well known examples : HD650, Dx000, ATH-M50, T50RP to name but a few, even within a few months and production spread Beyer is notorious (Tesla's)

Ringingears · « **Reply #34 on:** February 02, 2013, 05:35:29 PM »

Quote from: Solderdude on February 02, 2013, 10:43:48 AM

Also consider spread in production (tolerances) but most of all changes in the design (quietly done) to materials, pads whatever to improve performance or if they have to use different/cheaper/easier to obtain materials.
well known examples : HD650, Dx000, ATH-M50, T50RP to name but a few, even within a few months and production spread Beyer is notorious (Tesla's)

I will second this especially the Beyer's. I had a pair of DT880's that were so U shaped in their FR that I could barely hear the vocals and the treble was unbearable. I sent them back. About two months later a friend bought a new pair, and they sounded very nice.

Armaegis · « **Reply #35 on:** March 18, 2013, 06:26:06 AM »

I heard an HD650 today (a relatively new one I believe) and it was nothing like ones I'd heard in the past. This is the first time I've felt like there was a "veil". Bass felt ill defined and there must have been a strong dip in the treble somewhere because something was missing. I wasn't even sure I was listening to a Sennheiser

donunus · « **Reply #36 on:** March 18, 2013, 06:49:53 AM »

What were those plugged in to by the way?

Armaegis · « **Reply #37 on:** March 18, 2013, 07:37:23 AM »

Nuforce DAC-100 and HDP, UHA 6Smk2, Asgard2.

victor25 · « **Reply #38 on:** March 18, 2013, 07:49:19 AM »

Hi,

I had my old HD650 yesterday side by side with my new one (one was really old, black backs etc., the other one brand new, white backs). I noticed that the new one sounded less laid-back, more aggressive. Its still a HD650 (forgiving, and easy to listen to), but definitely more forward sounding than the old one. The visual changes are also very obvious, its not just the different damping material, there's all sort of different stuff going on (on the back of the driver). I prefer the new one quite a lot

Armaegis · « **Reply #39 on:** March 19, 2013, 08:24:55 AM »

I've been poking around a bit and it seems the 650 have quite a bit of variance. Does anyone know if the 600 are more consistent?

Author Topic: HD650 Redux (Read 19186 times)

CEE TEE

Re: HD650 Redux

mkubota1

Re: HD650 Redux

jerg

Re: HD650 Redux

Solderdude

Re: HD650 Redux

Ringingears

Re: HD650 Redux

Armaegis

Re: HD650 Redux

donunus

Re: HD650 Redux

Armaegis

Re: HD650 Redux

victor25

Re: HD650 Redux

Armaegis

Re: HD650 Redux

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Author Topic: HD650 Redux (Read 19186 times)