Hi guys,

Thinking about upgrading to Sennheiser 650's, from my 590's. The 590's I have now are fantastic, incredible phone, cost me about £100.

I can get a new pair of 650's for £200. I'm thinking of buying them, and assume there would be a significant quality step up, or am I expecting too much?

Worth it or not?

Tom

[StevieDvd]

The HD650s are great and a big upgrade from the 590s. I had the 590s and 600s but now only have the 650s.

To get the best from the 650s you do need a good source to drive them and/or possibly a headphone amplifier.

I have a Cyrus system coming in a week, and on my PC I have an E-MU 1820.

I'm probably going to buy those phones then!

Would the 650's give better sound quality than UE-10 pros?

[sirlukas]

Originally Posted by Gullanian

Would the 650's give better sound quality than UE-10 pros?

I believe that, ohhh YES!!!
Can't really compare In-ear with Headphones, I think.

[senu]

Ive got and keep both of these headphones. Like you I got the 650 at an irresitible prize and just had to have it. Still love it many many months on .
I dont have a dedicated headphone amp but mainly use my Yamaha Rx-V640rds AV reciever and an Arcam cd 82
and an Older Arcam Amp Delta 290 and 2 box Linn Karik III in a second room.
Im sure your Cyrus system will serve you well in driving the 'phones
I mainly listen to vocals ,jazz fusion, and all else in that order
The 590s sound brighter and are a bit less forgiving of poorly recorded music but are other wise fantastic sounding and incredilbly comfortable .They also seem to go louder with less volume. The cord is ( very) flimsy though but being one sided it doesnt get in the way.
The 650s are very neutral and much less tiring with " bright " music.
Sound quality? : Believe the hype it is that good. The have an openness and speed that reminds one of the eclectic electrostatics of old
I have read a review that says they seem to add a subtle amt of overlay ambience to music ( compared to the Beyer dynamic DT990 pro) but to my ears that is a good thing ( whatever it means ).
The 650s I find slightly less comfortable for longer use partly because they are a bit heavier but that is nit picking. The build quality, finish and sound quality are a significant upgrade from the 590.
As they are both open-back headphones dont expect smiles from your immediate neigbor ( wife in my case) when you turn up the music loud

[NicolasB]

I've not actually heard the 590s, but a lot of people felt that they were actually less good than the 580s - they were certainly cheaper.

There is definite step up in quality from 580 to 600, and another definite step up fropm 600 to 650. If you're after a really clear, neutral response, I think you'll love the 650s.

Cheers guys, I'll probably end up getting the 650s, but I'm really tempted to get some UE-10 pros, but the only thing is I cant demo them anywhere really!

[doctorjuggles]

Originally Posted by Gullanian

Cheers guys, I'll probably end up getting the 650s, but I'm really tempted to get some UE-10 pros, but the only thing is I cant demo them anywhere really!

Remember that for the UE-10 Pros you're paying for quality that is good in comparison to other headphones at that size. That doesn't mean that the $1000 translates into the same sound as $1000 spent on full sized cans.

They're not really comparible to the HD650s and, while I've never heard the UE10s, I'd wager that they sound great, but not as good as HD650s. That's not an insult to the UE10s, but rather a realistic appraisal of the two different technologies.

So out there, best phones quality wise are the 650's?

[senu]

Correct..
Read
This
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=82862

Even the 650 can be beat but to be fair the stax are electrostatic
( Different?? superior technology) and about 5 times as expensive

[alexs2]

Originally Posted by senu

Correct..
Read
This
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=82862

Even the 650 can be beat but to be fair the stax are electrostatic
( Different?? superior technology) and about 5 times as expensive

True,but to get the best out of the Sennheisers(600 and 650s) you need a decent headphone amplifier,and that goes a long way towards evening the odds on prices.

Done get me wrong,I personally like the Sennheisers(I've owned a few pairs as well as Beyers along the way),but the best I've ever heard remain from the Stax camp....I would also say at that price level,the differences become very subjective,and by the time you've wrung the best out of the 600/650s with a(very) expensive amp,or compared that to a Stax setupof similar price,it's down to what you prefer.

[doctorjuggles]

Originally Posted by alexs2

True,but to get the best out of the Sennheisers(600 and 650s) you need a decent headphone amplifier,and that goes a long way towards evening the odds on prices.

And don't forget the Zu Mobius cabling.

[senu]

Originally Posted by doctorjuggles

And don't forget the Zu Mobius cabling.

...ouch!!
What do they cost??
The musical fidelity x-can v3 headphone amps used in the review i bookmarked only cost £250 ( perhaps less) toal cost with the 650's still less than £500.

[alexs2]

Originally Posted by senu

...ouch!!
What do they cost??
The musical fidelity x-can v3 headphone amps used in the review i bookmarked only cost £250 ( perhaps less) toal cost with the 650's still less than £500.

I'm sure that was as much tongue in cheek as anything else.....the point is that there are possibilities to upgrade the Sennheisers to get a bit more out of them,if you wish,and wish to spend that is....the stock cables on the 600/650 can be replaced with aftermarket cables such as the Zu,Cardas,Kimber etc,although the stock cable is more than adequate to begin with,depending on your source/amp,and how much listening you do.

[senu]

alexs2,
I totally agree. In the quest for ultimate perfection in musical reproduction one has to pause for breath and draw the line somewhere.
Even "live" music which recordings ( by that i mean a musical recording in whatever form) try to aspire to will be affected by the acousitcs of the venue ( and occasionally how much alcoholic berverage one has consumed! )

Even with unlimited funds, there reaches a point where the benefits of spending more on a reproduction system become blurred and even ego massaging. This is more so because as you rightly pointed out , after a certain level , indiviual musical tastes and perception of what sounds "right" become a deciding factor.
Everyday anecdotal examples abound: people buy a car worth £2000. and then proceed to kit its audio wiith a £5000 system in order to get The Royal Albert Hall squeezed somewhere within the car!!
Each to his own...Besides, this years hottest kit will be old news by next year .. what then?
But it is also true that development would stifle if there is no greater standard to aspire to. There is nothing wrong with being an audiophile as long as snobbery is not in the mix, that is tiresome. "I love my reference recordings: they sound better than yours "
My high school ( East Lansing, Michigan) motto is
" Where greatness is possible excellence is not enough". ( im still trying to grasp at excellence many years on )
Over to Stax, Senn, Beyerdynamic, Grado. AKG, Koss ,Shure...... Keep making great phones!