Sennheiser HD650 Headphones - PC Sound Card Suffice?

[gtiboy]

I have just bought the Sennheiser HD 650 headphones to replace my Shure E2C in-ear phones.

What will the difference be listening to the Sennheiser HD 650 coming from in-ear phones such as the Shure E2C's which were excellent in sound.

Am I to expect a big difference in sound quality and volume? And are Can type headphones the best you can get for audio perfection?

[LFC_SL]

Comparing full sized headphones to in ear monitors is like asking whether to take the bridge or the tram across the river. "Best type" depends on needs and budget. I am of the sincere belief that full sized cans will always beat all but the best universal and custom IEMs for SQ based on my own experiences

A big factor with IEMs is the portability and sound isolation. You can never underestimate the fact IEMs means you do not need to engage in conversation

Unfortunately in your case the E2C vs the HD650 is not a fair comparison at all. It is only a starter IEM, and a decent introduction at that which incidentally I bought it as a present to my brother a few years back

I myself own the Westone UM2, AT ESW9 and Senn HD600 all around the same price range and all perform differently (and the Senn PX100 I keep for sentimentality). I sold the Shure E4C a few months back along with a few cheap canals which had not broke on me. Variation is the key as you get a flavour of different sound signatures. But the UM2 have their own purposes and my full sized cans have their own place

The HD650 will need more power to drive them, and members are going to tell you to buy an amp to get full value out of them. That is presuming you are using a decent source to begin with

[gtiboy]

The source is coming from the PC, using Realtek audio. the sound from the Shure were brilliant, but I've always had the thought thats cans will be a step up in all round sound.