HD800 or simply HD650?

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by mtoc, Dec 12, 2015.

  1. mtoc

    mtoc SBAF's Resident Shit-Stirrer

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    Hello, buddies. My friend and I wanna build an end-game system. Our plan is: a Gungnir Multibit + a SS amp from EC (in the future). We still don't know how to choose between HD800 and HD650… Any advice? thx.
     
  2. Bourne Perfect

    Bourne Perfect Friend

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    650? Endgame?

    No.
     
  3. TMRaven

    TMRaven Friend

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    Wait until reviews, impressions, and measurements on HD800 S.
     
  4. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    I'll take the bait and disagree with you!

    mtoc, they are very different headphones...One is more of the neutral, slightly dark, a bit mid-bassy category, and the other is leaner sounding in comparison with a much brighter and generally more ragged top end, but also quite detailed and with a good stage.

    You're going to find camps for either one. You'll have to give us more info about your product experiences and tastes.

    This is likely going to be answered for you if you researched around on the forums...
     
  5. mtoc

    mtoc SBAF's Resident Shit-Stirrer

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    Thanks. The problem is I know their diffrences and I lean on the HD650 (they're darker), but the soundstage/resolve is not as good as HD800…
     
  6. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    Well, the staging on the HD650 isn't bad, especially with mods. And in terms of resolving abilities, the HD650 is already pretty damn good. I can understand worrying about the stage, but I wouldn't worry much about resolving power.

    You'll have to make that decision for yourself. I care much more about the general frequency response than I do staging or resolving power, so the HD650 was an easy choice for me. I know some have no issues sacrificing tone for that last bit of resolution and staging ability.
     
  7. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    The question comes down to how much of your music collection can you listen to with HD800 and do you want to acclimate to the HD800's brightness so your sense of tone becomes all screwy? With the Anax modded HD800s, 35% of my music is un-listenable. With the HD800 z28 mods, 15-20% of my music is un-listenable.* A compatible amp might help increase that a few percentage points, but the problem is that resolving amps tend to be more neutral and honest than not.

    I remember those times when I looked at the music lists in JRiver and thought to myself "oh, I can't play that" when the HD800s were my primary headphones.

    *YMMV
     
  8. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    Hd650 first. If you're happy good. Add HD800 modded later.
     
  9. mtoc

    mtoc SBAF's Resident Shit-Stirrer

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    Such an experience...thanks, Marv.
     
  10. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    The HD600 should be another consideration.
     
  11. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    Trust your ears, think, decide.
     
  12. jowls

    jowls Never shitposts (please) - Friend

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    HD6x0 are amazing headphones. Whether they can be endgame or not is going to depend largely on your preferences/expectations (and, potentially, how much amplifier you are able to put behind them).
     
  13. Bourne Perfect

    Bourne Perfect Friend

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    I'm sure there are people who consider a KSC75 "end game". It's entirely subjective, and obviously budget factors in as well. In the case where there are 2 specifics named though (650 & 800)-only the HD800 could be considered "endgame" between the two.

    Plus, I've never heard an HD650. :p
     
  14. techboy

    techboy New

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    If budget isn't an issue then HD 800 > HD 700 > HD 600 > HD 650 IMO. 650 is slightly too dark compared to the others.
     
  15. Armaegis

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    The HD700 is like a Beyer and Grado had a bastard child that everyone keep trying to pawn off as special when really it needs an extra adjective there. The 700 doesn't deserve to be in the same lineup... heck I'd eagerly take a 558/598 before it.
     
  16. daytripper

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    Or are the others slightly too bright in comparison to the HD650? :p
     
  17. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

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    Resolution past "HD 600/650 on a good DAC and amp" level doesn't bring you higher fidelity sound with higher fidelity meaning more faithful to the recording on monitor speakers. The 580/600/650 drivers are already about as detailed as those used in the speakers used to professionally mix and master. Choose what has the correct tone, timbre, and staging for your music. Keep in mind that a top of the line in price ($1500ish) headphone will run about the same price as a good pair of near fields and the ridiculous expensive Audeze and STAX ones start entering

    The HD 800 is painful bright (around DT 990 bright) for everything but binaural orchestral recordings and the HD 800S is supposedly (nobody here has tried it yet) bright but without the 6khz pencil in your eardrum. The HD 650 is on the dark side of neutral but lacks a bit of air with darker recordings and doesn't have enough bass extension for genres that rely on synthesized sub bass samples like electronica and rap. The HD 600 is similar but on the slightly bright side of neutral. You should actually listen to these headphones and pick one yourself.
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2015
  18. Rasselbande

    Rasselbande New

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    Is the HD600 on a good and neutral DAC/Amp setting still shouty in the 3kHz region? Which one has the better (not more) bass, HD600 or HD650?

    I'd get both, HD800 and HD650. That's enough headphone for a lifetime.
     
  19. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    I think the HD600 is shouty regardless of what you pair it with.

    I think the HD650 has slightly better bass, and slightly more of it too.
     
  20. NoStream

    NoStream Acquaintance

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    I fully agree with you that the 6x0 brings you to high-end studio monitors territory, but is that the goal? I hear stuff on my 009s all the time that I'm confident the engineer didn't hear, and I think that's a good thing. (The same is true on the Senn 800, but in my experience, to a slightly lesser extent.) I want to hear all that detail. If I just wanted good but not excellent resolution, I wouldn't be a headphones listener. And in some sense, you're losing out on some of headphones' best advantages with the 650s. (N.B. I do love the 650's, don't get me wrong. And they're probably the best deal in headphone audio.)
     

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