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Post by sahmen on Nov 26, 2016 21:07:11 GMT -5
Okay, I have the 600, the 700, and the 800, and I have to make this observation : the 700 is in most respects an excellent headphone, unless where the user is oversensitive to peaky trebles... It is the one thing about it that its detractors often complain about (the more OCD among them even call them "harsh," "ear-piercing," trebles, and the HD800 is also sometimes attacked and trashed for the same reasons, and for being too "dry" and "analytical," although it is also almost universally hailed as a venerable pioneer of sorts)... I am personally not bothered by any such harsh highs, which I generally consider to be largely source and amp-dependent (I'm referring particularly to the alleged "harshness"), although I do sympathize with those who are. To keep things short and sweet, If you consider yourself to be overly treble-sensitive, then it might be best to go with the HD-650 or the Massdrop Hd6XX. I have never heard anyone complain about the harsh or "peaky" trebles of the Hd650.
PS: On the other hand, there are amps that are great at taming those harsh or peaky treble, whatever and wherever they maybe, and some of these may synergise very well with the HD700, if that is what you end up going with—some relatively inexpensive tube amps particularly come to mind, such as the Darkvoice SE336 OTL tube amp, or the Little Dot MkIII, or the schiit Valhalla 2…
I thought I should throw that in there too.
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Post by autiger on Nov 27, 2016 12:56:31 GMT -5
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Post by restless on Nov 27, 2016 14:55:55 GMT -5
If you check this weekend, Audeze has the LCD2 B-Stock on Sale. www.audeze.com/promotional-products/audeze-black-friday-b-stock-sale$499 is not so bad by comparison to their normal pricing. I have the HD600/HD650/HD700 headphones. Got the Senn replacement cords for the HD600/HD650 on amazon, and that made a difference on the headphones. I prefer the HD650 for personal listening, the B&W P3 wired for the iphone. All the Senn Headphones work well with the EMC-1 and XDA-2. Also have the first Schitt amp, and they work well with that unit as well. |
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Post by RichGuy on Nov 27, 2016 21:33:05 GMT -5
I have the 650's and use my MHDT Havana NOS tube DAC and Little Dot MK III tube head phone amp to listen to them with, great sound, not bright or fatiguing in anyway, I am very happy with them.
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Post by pop on Nov 28, 2016 23:22:37 GMT -5
Honestly, sorry Ricky. You can do much better for the price, assuming you aren't getting a slamming deal. However, this is personal. I find all Senns to be wayyyy to bright and when something is cupping your ears, fatigue sets in. They have a nice soundstage, but I would say that's about it. I'd look into Audeze. A bit more $$, but pound for pound the LCD2 is the best set I've heard. They do need an amp, but I think 90% do. Just my .02 That's odd because I've found Senns to be on the warmer side compared to the other ones I've heard. Grados are very bright and get to be fatiguing. AKG and Beyerdynamic also brighter than the Senn's. I've never heard Audeze, though. Most definitely it does pay to try different headphones because they do vary quite a bit. We put the 600, 700, and 800 against all Audeze models. Even The LCD2 was preferred over the 800s. Everyone found the Senns to be very bright and lacking in Bass. FWIW, I think most headphones are bright, the Audeze LCD2, and 3 are the most natural headphones I've ever heard. Too each their own, I just think Senns are way overrated. Even the 800s were less than thrilling. I've never heard a client describe Senns as warm. |
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Post by qdtjni on Nov 29, 2016 9:18:05 GMT -5
That's odd because I've found Senns to be on the warmer side compared to the other ones I've heard. Grados are very bright and get to be fatiguing. AKG and Beyerdynamic also brighter than the Senn's. I've never heard Audeze, though. Most definitely it does pay to try different headphones because they do vary quite a bit. We put the 600, 700, and 800 against all Audeze models. Even The LCD2 was preferred over the 800s. Everyone found the Senns to be very bright and lacking in Bass. FWIW, I think most headphones are bright, the Audeze LCD2, and 3 are the most natural headphones I've ever heard. Too each their own, I just think Senns are way overrated. Even the 800s were less than thrilling. I've never heard a client describe Senns as warm. Was this brand new headphones? |
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Post by qdtjni on Nov 29, 2016 9:36:30 GMT -5
Wow, that's a great price! Thanks!  |
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Post by monkumonku on Nov 29, 2016 10:11:28 GMT -5
That's odd because I've found Senns to be on the warmer side compared to the other ones I've heard. Grados are very bright and get to be fatiguing. AKG and Beyerdynamic also brighter than the Senn's. I've never heard Audeze, though. Most definitely it does pay to try different headphones because they do vary quite a bit. We put the 600, 700, and 800 against all Audeze models. Even The LCD2 was preferred over the 800s. Everyone found the Senns to be very bright and lacking in Bass. FWIW, I think most headphones are bright, the Audeze LCD2, and 3 are the most natural headphones I've ever heard. Too each their own, I just think Senns are way overrated. Even the 800s were less than thrilling. I've never heard a client describe Senns as warm. You are right, to each their own and we do indeed hear stuff differently! I've never heard anyone describe Senns as bright or lacking in bass. Well, the 600's have been described as "bright" compared to the 650 but not bright in terms of headphones in general. I like the 800's the best of all the headphones I've owned (never heard Audeze) but even so, given a choice I'd rather listen to speakers than headphones. One of these days I'll listen to the Audeze but I've already spent enough money this year, in part thanks to you.  |
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Post by sahmen on Nov 29, 2016 10:24:53 GMT -5
Sound signature preferences are like everything else in audio : subjective. All "mine sounds better than yours" claims, are therefore non-starters, if they're made without appropriate demonstration, but even empirical demonstrations are so subject to all manner of expectation/confirmation biases and placebo effects that their usefulness is limited at best. Please do note that the popularity of a particular set of cans does not prove anything, otherwise Beats headphones (which are probably the best selling headphones in the world by some margin) would also be the king of all the best-sounding headphones in the world, but that would be as absurd as claiming that Coca cola is the best beverage in the world, because it is the most popular, or something like that. It is dangerous to generalize, but to the extent that one is allowed to do so for practical purposes, I would say, when it comes to Audeze and Sennheiser headphones, that Audeze headphones tend generally to be "dark" sounding, and lean toward "basshead" preferences (which is not to say that all Audeze lovers are necessarily bassheads). They are generally classifiable among "warm," "dark," "lush" --and some would say "musical" sound-signatures, whereas the Sennheiser's tend generally toward the "neutral," reference," sound-signatures, with things getting to be more "dry," "bright" and or "ethereal" (depending on who is talking) and analytical with wide, airy sound-stages, the higher up the chain you go... (I am excluding from this classification, more recent "Beats" wannabe products from the Sennheiser line, such as the Sennheiser momentum). Also, note that the HD 650 is sometimes called "dark" and "veiled" among enthusiasts, but take that as you will. This analysis is very far from being exhaustive, of course. It does not help to make value judgments here : "to each their own" is indeed useful as a general rule. When it comes to Audeze models however, there are well documented QC issues, such as driver failures and sound signature consistency problems that prospective buyers would do well to be aware of : www.innerfidelity.com/content/preliminary-investigation-audeze-lcd-3-and-lcd-2#xK0phS5vrcj2H3v5.97www.head-fi.org/t/575751/new-audeze-lcd3www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/are-audeze-really-that-bad-quality-wise.576/www.head-fi.org/t/645154/audeze-lcd-2-driver-failureswww.head-fi.org/t/771760/how-many-times-have-your-lcd3-headphones-been-returned-to-audeze-for-servicing-rmawww.head-fi.org/t/753171/no-shame-on-audeze-buyer-neednt-bewarehttps://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/2ukqm3/psa_audeze_owners_past_present_and_future_beware/ And there are many others, all dealing with similar issues. The debates can get contentious every now and then, but I just want prospective buyers to be aware of the existence of these issues, without necessarily taking sides. |
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Post by qdtjni on Nov 29, 2016 10:50:34 GMT -5
And here I was feeling happy about my latest hifi find. You fun killer!  |
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Post by garbulky on Nov 29, 2016 10:58:57 GMT -5
I would say the HD600's lean towards the darker side of things but I've heard good things about Audeze! I would be interested in hearing a pair.
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Post by restless on Dec 6, 2016 10:09:17 GMT -5
I received my LCD2 yesterday, and thought that due to the Blemish Sale, they might not be complete. The website still has them for $999, while the sale was $499.
I have yet to find the blemish. Still looking (cold and dreary yesterday). Came in Rosewood (darker color) and leather headband. Also with the full massive travel case!! So, no missing parts and full warranty. Also, heavy duty 1/4 to 1/8 adapter.
Sound is really great compared to the HD600/HD650/HD700, not sure how to compare, but easier to listen to for a couple hours.
Really happy with purchase!!
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klinemj
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Post by klinemj on Sept 4, 2017 16:03:28 GMT -5
Any thoughts on Sennheiser 598's vs. their HD650's? I can get 598CS's for $144 or 598SR's for $170 or 650's for $316. In that price range, any others I should consider?
The headphone amp would be my new BasX A100 or my LH Labs Geek Pulse X Infinity.
Mark
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Post by teaman on Sept 4, 2017 16:29:28 GMT -5
Any thoughts on Sennheiser 598's vs. their HD650's? I can get 598CS's for $144 or 598SR's for $170 or 650's for $316. In that price range, any others I should consider? The headphone amp would be my new BasX A100 or my LH Labs Geek Pulse X Infinity. Mark I've never heard the HD 598 Mark but I own and love the HD 599, which from everything I've read is pretty much the same set. I only paid $99 for mine from Amazon, not sure what the prices are now. They also come in beige/brown or black. I have black. They are pretty easy to drive and my XDA-2 rocks them out. Tim |
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Post by gmeyer on Sept 4, 2017 17:26:38 GMT -5
I have the 598's (50 ohm) and the HD-600s (300 ohm). The 598s are easy to drive without a headphone amp but if you have a BasX A100 I would go for the 650s or 600s.
The 600s with an amp sound better than the 598s.
Without and amp I would choose the 598's.
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Post by garbulky on Sept 4, 2017 18:00:53 GMT -5
Having heard the A-100 - the HD600 is a real chameleon. A demanding as heck load for a amp to drive properly. The A-100 is the first amp that opened it wide open. No longer dark. Just utterly fantastic. HUMUGOUS DETAIL, soundstage, unlimited dynamics.
I heard the HD650 has a touch more lean toward the bass. And that would make the overall balance slightly more even with the A-100 jumpers off. On my HD600's though it reaches very low in the bass with tons of impact. However the overall balance is a tad less on the bass and a bit more on the treble. So maybe the HD650's would be more even. Nevertheless the HD600 and A-100 is serious magic.
I can't wait to someday afford the HD800's. All I can say is the amp matters and you want one that has HUGE guts like the A-100. I wouldn't look at anything less than an amp with huge amounts of bandwith and control to control these phones like the Ragnarok or the Mjolnir.
The sound is fantastic. I recommend it unreservedly as long as you have a serious amp - which is usually 2 to 5 times the price of the headphones themselves.
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klinemj
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Post by klinemj on Sept 4, 2017 19:55:01 GMT -5
Having heard the A-100 - the HD600 is a real chameleon. A demanding as heck load for a amp to drive properly. The A-100 is the first amp that opened it wide open. No longer dark. Just utterly fantastic. HUMUGOUS DETAIL, soundstage, unlimited dynamics. I heard the HD650 has a touch more lean toward the bass. And that would make the overall balance slightly more even with the A-100 jumpers off. On my HD600's though it reaches very low in the bass with tons of impact. However the overall balance is a tad less on the bass and a bit more on the treble. So maybe the HD650's would be more even. Nevertheless the HD600 and A-100 is serious magic. I can't wait to someday afford the HD800's. All I can say is the amp matters and you want one that has HUGE guts like the A-100. I wouldn't look at anything less than an amp with huge amounts of bandwith and control to control these phones like the Ragnarok or the Mjolnir. The sound is fantastic. I recommend it unreservedly as long as you have a serious amp - which is usually 2 to 5 times the price of the headphones themselves. Thanks for the input. FYI, I already have (to be delivered) the A100. I bought it at Emofest for 80% off. (Oh, did I say that...OMG...that was a secret! Well, it was a deal but...not 80% off...) So, at this point, I'm debating what phones to use. I am leaning to the 650's as what I have read is that it has more bass punch than the 598/599 - and presuming enough power - better across the whole spectrum. I will be using it for the headphone output AND for use with speakers. So, I'll leave the jumper in stock position (for now!). I'll be taking whatever phone from the 3rd floor ("2nd system") to the 1st floor (critical listening room) from time to time. On the 3rd floor, I'll have the A100. On the 1st, I'll have the Geek. It should be fun to hear both. The 3rd floor also has the DC-1 feeding the A100. Mark |
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Post by garbulky on Sept 4, 2017 20:21:07 GMT -5
Having heard the A-100 - the HD600 is a real chameleon. A demanding as heck load for a amp to drive properly. The A-100 is the first amp that opened it wide open. No longer dark. Just utterly fantastic. HUMUGOUS DETAIL, soundstage, unlimited dynamics. I heard the HD650 has a touch more lean toward the bass. And that would make the overall balance slightly more even with the A-100 jumpers off. On my HD600's though it reaches very low in the bass with tons of impact. However the overall balance is a tad less on the bass and a bit more on the treble. So maybe the HD650's would be more even. Nevertheless the HD600 and A-100 is serious magic. I can't wait to someday afford the HD800's. All I can say is the amp matters and you want one that has HUGE guts like the A-100. I wouldn't look at anything less than an amp with huge amounts of bandwith and control to control these phones like the Ragnarok or the Mjolnir. The sound is fantastic. I recommend it unreservedly as long as you have a serious amp - which is usually 2 to 5 times the price of the headphones themselves. Thanks for the input. FYI, I already have (to be delivered) the A100. I bought it at Emofest for 80% off. (Oh, did I say that...OMG...that was a secret! Well, it was a deal but...not 80% off...) So, at this point, I'm debating what phones to use. I am leaning to the 650's as what I have read is that it has more bass punch than the 598/599 - and presuming enough power - better across the whole spectrum. I will be using it for the headphone output AND for use with speakers. So, I'll leave the jumper in stock position (for now!). I'll be taking whatever phone from the 3rd floor ("2nd system") to the 1st floor (critical listening room) from time to time. On the 3rd floor, I'll have the A100. On the 1st, I'll have the Geek. It should be fun to hear both. The 3rd floor also has the DC-1 feeding the A100. Mark Using it with both speakers and headphones doesn't affect taking out the headphone jumper. What does effect it is the impedance and power hungriness of the phones. A low impedance headphones with the jumpers on may encounter too much noise. So only use it on the appropriate phones. I wouldn't use it on any headphones that are below a 100 ohms without the jumper. The HD650 and 600 are 300 ohms so removing the jumper unleashes all the mini-x's capability. The HD650's will be a really nice match imo. Your Geek DAC also has a very powerful very nice headphone amp. Its balance is slightly different than the A-100 and it is a bit quieter. But I give the nod to the A-100's. |
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klinemj
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Post by klinemj on Sept 5, 2017 21:10:17 GMT -5
I'm leaning to the 650's at this point. I have a $100 gift certificate to Amazon, so that brings the price down to $215...not bad at all.
I'm reading that the 650's bass tends to be better than the 598/599 with more clarity overall.
Mark
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Post by GreenKiwi on Sept 6, 2017 1:20:04 GMT -5
I'll add a few comments, I'd generally agree with the sentiments regardign the 598/599 -- they are great when driven by non HPAs, but when properly driven the other headphones really stand apart. klinemj I think that the 650's when purchased at the Massdrop price are very attractively priced. At $300, you start to get into a range where there are other headphones that are well worth listening to. The LCD-2 & Focal Elear are both in that next category up and do most things better. The LCD-2's are almost always on sale for $700 and the Elears just went on sale for $700. The LCD-2s are quite heavy, so they might not be as comfortable as other headphones. The Audeze EL-8s also deserve a listen, they might be available at an Apple Store, if you have one near by. I'm assuming you're looking for open headphones, but if you are looking for closed backs then you might want to look at the Mr Speaker Aeon too. Do you have any places near by where you can put them on? I personally find that fit/comfort is almost as important as sound. I'll add quickly that the Audeze, MrSpeakers & HiFi Man use similar technology to your maggies =D |
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