I have a pair of Sennheiser's 650 and I don't like them.

I have a pair of 600s and they sound fine. Try using an equalizer with them. I also am 61. They are the most comfortable headphones I have ever owned.
 
I use a Mac Mini for playback. Your comment pushed me into buying some software and went with Audirvana. It has equalizer software built in. After some more evaluation I'll try to comment.
I downloaded the trial version of Audirvana and could not find the Equalizer sadly. I guess I'll stick with Sonarworks Tru-Fi.
 
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I downloaded the trial version of Audirvana and could not find the Equalizer sadly. I guess I'll stick with Sonarworks Tru-Fi.

The trial version is the same as the one you buy. There's a lot of stuff in the program and to really appreciate the program you have to put some time into it. You must click on the up down arrows and the configure button. The downside is when the trial is over you must pay.
 
To the OP, go to the following website: http://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php. You will find tons of threads there on the 650's. One you want to find is by a guy who goes by the username Marvey. He has a mod he does that many others there have done and swear by.

Also, you need a headphone amp made for driving those 300 ohm HP's. There are MANY to choose from, both tube and SS. You can look on the previously mentioned site or on Head-Fi. You'll get a ton of recommendations from cheap to many thousands of $$$. Or, you can just say the heck with it and dump 'em.
 
Something to know about the HD650 - they're a nominally 300 ohm load, but they hop to 500 ohm at around 100 hz.

https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/SennheiserHD650.pdf

That kind of jump is a prescription for a headphone amp with an output impedance of maybe 30 ohms tops. A lot of headphone jacks on stereo gear have very high output impedance, 150 ohm isn't uncommon, and I have a vague memory of at least one being measured as high as 400 ohm.

You'd be surprised how high output impedance is even on recent, fairly reputable integrated amps. There's a great explanation of why picking 1/8 of your cans' nominal impedance (or less) is important for sound quality at http://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/02/headphone-amp-impedance.html

What it comes down to is that if you're working with a high headphone jack output impedance relative to your headphones' impedance, and their impedance varies with frequency, the actual voltage delivered is going to vary with frequency as well.

I use HD598s, which are a nominal 50 ohm can - with a jump in impedance to 300 ohm at that 100hz level.

I have gotten away with output impedance as high as 10 ohm, but once a component is up to around 50 ohm, the 598s sound like Dr. Dre has rebalanced the sound. (With an RMS meter, or better yet a USB oscilloscope, and a dummy load it takes about 5 minutes to measure the impedance of that jack. Why more vendors and reviewers don't measure it is beyond me.)

Obviously, the 598 is a more extreme deviation from nominal than the 650, but depending on the impedance of the headphone jack they're plugged into and what music you're listening to, I could see the 650 overemphasizing the low end and that making the high end feel pretty rolled under.

But, play these with a proper headphone amp, and I like them quite a bit. Their timbre matches the timbre of the monitors on my desk very well, and I can play 'em way louder late at night than I can the monitors!
 
This kind of response was funny the first few hundred times it was used.

Sorry it does not meet up with your standards.... I will check in with you next time before posting to see if it passes your tests. Good thing we have you here to monitor the funniness of our posting.
 
dang guys ole Roost is needing a new set of cans and had just about pulled the trigger on a set of 650's, have them in my amazon cart now. So now i am hesitant, wth should i buy, i am coming from Bose QC15's that i really like but they broke. I use mine on my laptop, tablet, etc I for sure want the around ear HP"s i like them better than "on ear" and my budget is 300. I intend to buy the Schiit Magni 3 and Modi 2 combo to go with my new phones, is that gonna do it ? need some feedback, kinda bummed about the 650"s though, all that reading i did...Roost
 
btw guys what is this massdrop thing, saw it in another thread and clicked on it, looked like you can buy a set of Senn 650"s for 199, also said something about not shipping them out till march. They actually have "massdrop" on the side of them and Sennheiser on top, can someone please explain, would i be better just going through amazon, they are 100 more for the 650"s
 
You will be fine amp-wise. I have the Magni 2 and you might prefer some sort of different sound, but the Magni drives them with plenty of oomph and authority.

As for the $100 extra for the 650 vs $200 for the Massdrop... That's for you to decide. I definitely prefer the look of the Massdrop version.
 
hey thanks for reply, on those Massdrop phones it says 8 days left i presume i have that long to decide ? also presuming they take paypal ? thanks again
 
hey thanks for reply, on those Massdrop phones it says 8 days left i presume i have that long to decide ? also presuming they take paypal ? thanks again
If you have to have the 650s right now, buy them on Amazon. If you like the look of the Massdrop version and you want a lower price, then wait until March.
 
I have the 580's, a GDA-700 and a Schiit Valhalla2 headphone amp.
Very clear, smooth and even sounding once I got that headphone amp.

I would recommend a dedicated headphone amp with enough power to drive your cans.
Before I got the Valhalla2, I used a Grado headphone amp...not enough power to drive the high impedance 580's. The Valhalla has 2 output settings and is up to the task.

BTW, I don't listen at loud volumes, the Grado amp just wasn't up to the task at any volume..just not gutsy enough for my 580's.

I want to set the record straight on this thread. I did end up buying a dedicated head phone (Schist Magni) and ooh what a nice difference. Thanks for the advice.
 
hey thanks for reply, on those Massdrop phones it says 8 days left i presume i have that long to decide ? also presuming they take paypal ? thanks again
Massdrop buys the 650 model from Sennheiser and then dresses them up. You get a different cord etc. By buying bulk quantities Massdrop can sell their 65x model for $200.
 
for those of you who don't know Massdrop:

they offer a "drop" of an item which has a length of time the offer is open (closing in xxx days),
you pay for the item and you wait for them to get it and ship it to you which could takes
weeks.

I just bought headphones, they used Fedex ground and took almost a week.
 
I have the 580's, a GDA-700 and a Schiit Valhalla2 headphone amp.
Very clear, smooth and even sounding once I got that headphone amp.

I would recommend a dedicated headphone amp with enough power to drive your cans.
Before I got the Valhalla2, I used a Grado headphone amp...not enough power to drive the high impedance 580's. The Valhalla has 2 output settings and is up to the task.

BTW, I don't listen at loud volumes, the Grado amp just wasn't up to the task at any volume..just not gutsy enough for my 580's.
Just an update...

Earlier this year (more accurately "late last year") I purchased a set of Massdrop HD6XX's and a Darkvoice 336SE headphone amp.
For the HD580's and HD6XX's...the Darkvoice is more fun to listen too. I would describe the Valhalla2 as "sounding more polite" but I very much prefer the HD6XX'S and the Darkvoice.
 
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Thank you all for the info on Massdrop. I had the 650's in my shopping cart on Amazon and then looked into Massdrop after looking at this forum. I opted for the 65x in Massdrop. I'm ok with a little patience for $100 savings.
 
I just received my Massdrop 6XX phones today. They came quickly and I just plugged them in to listen to music briefly. So far so good and I managed to save all that extra money from buying from Sennheiser directly.
 
I have an amp that completely ignores impedance. It is stable down to short circuit. Limitless current flow. Yes impedance does vary with frequency but we are talking headphones. Tiny drivers not floorstanders. If you really want to go all out get electrostatics. Something like Stax. Get the proper amp. Headphone amp I mean. My preamp has a dedicated headphone amp in it but I haven't used it yet, it is an Anthem AV60. Oh and while I am at it goooooooo Binaural if you want to really enjoy your head set. Nothing like it. No rooom crap, reflections, gain, decay. And unlike stereo, no left in the right or right in the left signal. The most amazing imaging I have ever heard regardless of the quality of your headphones.
 
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