[Davesrose]

So since I'm pretty vocal on this forum now, most people know that I'm a Sennheiser fanboy. I had decided to try some other headphones to make sure I wasn't missing anything being purely into Sennheiser. Well along the way, I've developed a stereo rig that is acceptable to the audiophile world.....and insanely way too expensive in the sane world. Well a few weeks ago I posted my initial impressions on the 325i when I first recieved them. My main impression was that they would be nice if they weren't SO UNCOMFORTABLE!!!! After many stated that the HD414 pads would help, I decided to order them. Just like HD600 grills, Sennheiser had them on backorder. So I sidelined the 325s, and worked on making my ultimate system over the holiday.

Well this week, I have recieved a great SACD player that's also a better transport for my DAC-1. Using it as transport, my HD650s have really taken off as being "earspeakers". Also, my Single Power has been here for awhile I've learned all about tube rolling. With a Silver Dragon recable to just subtly sweeten the deal, my HD650s are sounding like they are no longer headphones. Such incredible soundstage, PRAT, bass impact, and detail....the HD650s can handle every genre now. Will today my 414 pads came....so of course, instead of keeping away from my stereo stuff tonight, I'm back on everything demoing the 325i! So can it keep up with my killer rig? Will the world stop if I announce that I spent all this money with the HD650 when I should have been thinking of Grado?.....

The setup: Maverick Music Hall SACD>AR pro coaxial cable>DAC-1>Silver Sonic ICs>Single Power PPX3 SLAM (1 RCA Cleartop 6CG7, 2 Tong Sol D 5687s).

HD650 with Silver Dragon cable

SR325i with 414 pads

Before getting the 414 pads, I found that this tube combination was good both for the HD650 (keeping its nice soundstage and warmth, but adding nice detail in the mids) and the 325s: not being overly fast to make them too bright.....and giving them soundstage. So now that I actually have earpads that give my earlobes relief, what's the verdict with the 325 (pause for drum rolls)

Well the 325 does have slightly more detail in the middle frequencies. It has rounded out to have nice tonality.....BUT, now it just seems to pale against the HD650. Soundstage is not as warm or indepth. Bass doesn't get as low. And the 650s now have the initial speed and attack that I liked the Grados for. In fact, even metal.....the 650s have as much speed as the 325. Just a slight, unnatural over coloration in the mids is what I pick up with the 325.

I guess this proves that the more you work on your system, the more one set of headphones will shine. For me, right now, it's the HD650. It just sounds awesome for every genre because it's come to life.

 

[Geoff Rymer]

Nice review there, Dave. And congratulations on a great rig, I am jealous! My rig is still in the build- source/transport upgrade and some more phones, but it's great to hear people's journeys reaching fruition. Just makes me even more determined...

I realise I have probably just failed to stay anywhere even in the vicinity of up to date, but do I take it that Drew has found a way to make the Silver Dragon reliable these days?

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davesrose /img/forum/go_quote.gif So since I'm pretty vocal on this forum now, most people know that I'm a Sennheiser fanboy. I had decided to try some other headphones to make sure I wasn't missing anything being purely into Sennheiser. Well along the way, I've developed a stereo rig that is acceptable to the audiophile world.....and insanely way too expensive in the sane world. Well a few weeks ago I posted my initial impressions on the 325i when I first recieved them. My main impression was that they would be nice if they weren't SO UNCOMFORTABLE!!!! After many stated that the HD414 pads would help, I decided to order them. Just like HD600 grills, Sennheiser had them on backorder. So I sidelined the 325s, and worked on making my ultimate system over the holiday. Well this week, I have recieved a great SACD player that's also a better transport for my DAC-1. Using it as transport, my HD650s have really taken off as being "earspeakers". Also, my Single Power has been here for awhile I've learned all about tube rolling. With a Silver Dragon recable to just subtly sweeten the deal, my HD650s are sounding like they are no longer headphones. Such incredible soundstage, PRAT, bass impact, and detail....the HD650s can handle every genre now. Will today my 414 pads came....so of course, instead of keeping away from my stereo stuff tonight, I'm back on everything demoing the 325i! So can it keep up with my killer rig? Will the world stop if I announce that I spent all this money with the HD650 when I should have been thinking of Grado?..... The setup: Maverick Music Hall SACD>AR pro coaxial cable>DAC-1>Silver Sonic ICs>Single Power PPX3 SLAM (1 RCA Cleartop 6CG7, 2 Tong Sol D 5687s). HD650 with Silver Dragon cable SR325i with 414 pads Before getting the 414 pads, I found that this tube combination was good both for the HD650 (keeping its nice soundstage and warmth, but adding nice detail in the mids) and the 325s: not being overly fast to make them too bright.....and giving them soundstage. So now that I actually have earpads that give my earlobes relief, what's the verdict with the 325 (pause for drum rolls) Well the 325 does have slightly more detail in the middle frequencies. It has rounded out to have nice tonality.....BUT, now it just seems to pale against the HD650. Soundstage is not as warm or indepth. Bass doesn't get as low. And the 650s now have the initial speed and attack that I liked the Grados for. In fact, even metal.....the 650s have as much speed as the 325. Just a slight, unnatural over coloration in the mids is what I pick up with the 325. I guess this proves that the more you work on your system, the more one set of headphones will shine. For me, right now, it's the HD650. It just sounds awesome for every genre because it's come to life.

Yeah.. I had my sights on the 325i for a while now.. Nice comparison between the 325i & the 650.. Since I already own the 650, I was interested in what you had to say.. You just reinforced the idea that I need a DAC1 & a single power amp..

I have taken a liking to the brightness of my SA5000, & now find the 650's presentation less then stellar.. Although I wont get rid of them, cause I know they will sound unbelievable with the right equipment..

 

[Davesrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geoff Rymer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Nice review there, Dave. And congratulations on a great rig, I am jealous! My rig is still in the build- source/transport upgrade and some more phones, but it's great to hear people's journeys reaching fruition. Just makes me even more determined... I realise I have probably just failed to stay anywhere even in the vicinity of up to date, but do I take it that Drew has found a way to make the Silver Dragon reliable these days?

Yes, now that my digital rig is all done.....I hear that vinyl is so much better for the old albums.......so the question is should I spend all of my birthday money on a turntable stuff now

As I understand, V2 of the Silver Dragon and Blue Dragon are very different then V1. For the Silver Dragon, the sonics aren't totally different, but build quality is supposed to be better and it's more flexible. Blue Dragon is supposed to be less bass heavy. I was concerned about the Silver Dragon being too harsh (hearing from some people that Zu Mobius or Silver Dragon was too bright). But Drew assured me that it would have nice detail. Sure enough, it added some detail where the HD650 needed it. IMHO, differences between the stock cable are not huge.....but just enough to make the 650 perfect for my rig.

Kool Bubba, believe it or not, but I've found that transport does matter with the DAC-1. Before my Music Hall came, the 650 didn't have as much resolution. The Single Power seems to give it some extra impact and great soundstage. All of these components just add up to a rig that I'm not going to fool with anymore!

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davesrose /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, now that my digital rig is all done.....I hear that vinyl is so much better for the old albums.......so the question is should I spend all of my birthday money on a turntable stuff now As I understand, V2 of the Silver Dragon and Blue Dragon are very different then V1. For the Silver Dragon, the sonics aren't totally different, but build quality is supposed to be better and it's more flexible. Blue Dragon is supposed to be less bass heavy. I was concerned about the Silver Dragon being too harsh (hearing from some people that Zu Mobius or Silver Dragon was too bright). But Drew assured me that it would have nice detail. Sure enough, it added some detail where the HD650 needed it. IMHO, differences between the stock cable are not huge.....but just enough to make the 650 perfect for my rig. Kool Bubba, believe it or not, but I've found that transport does matter with the DAC-1. Before my Music Hall came, the 650 didn't have as much resolution. The Single Power seems to give it some extra impact and great soundstage. All of these components just add up to a rig that I'm not going to fool with anymore!

Wish you lived closer.. Would love to audtion it.. I'm not too keen on buying expensive CD players since half the time I use my cans for movies & games..But I do see myself spending 500-600 on a CD player in the future..

 

[Snacks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davesrose /img/forum/go_quote.gif With a Silver Dragon recable to just subtly sweeten the deal, my HD650s are sounding like they are no longer headphones. Such incredible soundstage, PRAT, bass impact, and detail....the HD650s can handle every genre now. Well the 325 does have slightly more detail in the middle frequencies. It has rounded out to have nice tonality.....BUT, now it just seems to pale against the HD650. Soundstage is not as warm or indepth. Bass doesn't get as low. And the 650s now have the initial speed and attack that I liked the Grados for. In fact, even metal.....the 650s have as much speed as the 325. Just a slight, unnatural over coloration in the mids is what I pick up with the 325. I guess this proves that the more you work on your system, the more one set of headphones will shine. For me, right now, it's the HD650. It just sounds awesome for every genre because it's come to life.

Nice looking setup your have there Davesrose; its good to hear that it sounds as good as it looks. I've been interested in re-cabling my 650's and your comments on the Silver Dragon are really making me want to take that plunge.

So, are you going to keep the 325's?

 

[Davesrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snacks /img/forum/go_quote.gif Nice looking setup your have there Davesrose; its good to hear that it sounds as good as it looks. I've been interested in re-cabling my 650's and your comments on the Silver Dragon are really making me want to take that plunge. So, are you going to keep the 325's?

yep, it sounds so sweet that I'd be willing to cart it around if I needed too! In fact, there's an ATL meet coming up, so I'll be taking the rig and all my cans.

So I'm keeping the 325i and k501 until then......then after that, I'll probably sell them. The k501 is just a pale cousin to everything about Sennheiser on this setup, which I'll certainly be selling. The 325 just has slightly more detail...not as much impact. But I'll listen to it some more to see if there's any genres I do like them with.

I think the Silver Dragon is worth it.....but only after you've spent a lot already on source equipment. Otherwise, there's not enough difference in sonics between the stock cable.

 

[johntraveler]

I have Senn hd580’s and Grado 325i’s, and I enjoy having two differently sounding headphones. I would get bored listening to the same headphone all the time. With certain types of music I prefer one headphone to the other. I do not think I could choose only one headphone to keep.

 

[milkpowder]

Great review!

I'm just wondering what you mean when you said "warm soundstage"

Also, what happens (soundwise

) when the SR325i are plugged straight into the DAC1?

 

[JLai]

Awesome rig there! Mad jealous.

I'm slowly getting there...Just bought some cables for my HD650s.

Gonna look into homeamps more AFTER I get settled into an apartment (too much of a pain to transport right now), so I figured I'd go ahead and do the cable first.

I still remember when both of us were debating whether to upgrade from HD595s --> HD650s. Dang you move fast, haha.

 

[noseallinit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davesrose /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, now that my digital rig is all done.....I hear that vinyl is so much better for the old albums.......so the question is should I spend all of my birthday money on a turntable stuff now

you are for sure in a good location to go looking for vinyl! Wax and Fax in Little Five Points was always a favorite place for me to go shopping for vinyl back in the 80's. I'd drive from Birmingham just to go there. they kept their vinyl so packed in the slots I would get anxiety down to me nuts trying to thumb through every record in that place. Athens is not that far either and a lot of vinyl to be had there as well. Low YoYo, the Wuxtry and more. We also had a Wuxtry in Birmingham. it may still be there but last I heard he sold the place and moved to North Dakota.

for me, I would never have vinyl again as much as I miss some of my 400 alternative albums from the late 70's and early 80's. it's just too much of a hassle and takes up too much space. vinyl only has so much life in it. everytime you put a needle on it it takes away a little of that life. I only used me vinyl to record onto cassette and in their sleeve, into the cover, then another sleeve and then in a box is where they stayed to keep them away from dust and.. I never had a killer system. my B&O turntable and NAD system sounded good but I like what I have now more.

so where in NC are you from? I have lived in Ashevile, NC for over 11 years now.

 

[spike33]

Glad you're enjoying your HD650s. Don't think any of the headphones in your current collection can compete. It's time to try the K701s

 

[MaZa]

Dave, did you try quartermodding those pads? And after that, reversing those pads so the thicker part would be against ears?

And there are other possibilities for you to explore. Sell those cans and get DT880. *hint hint*

 

[Borat]

The rig is looking great Dave. I miss the SLAM, but I'm glad it went to someone who is really enjoying it.

 

[Davesrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder /img/forum/go_quote.gif Great review! I'm just wondering what you mean when you said "warm soundstage" Also, what happens (soundwise ) when the SR325i are plugged straight into the DAC1?

Well "warm" soundstage is and adjective that I just created to emphasize the bass that the HD650 has. With this setup, it's not an unusually heavy bass or anything. It's just enough to make it have a believable soundstage. At least to my ears, to get a real sense of soundstage, you need a slightly weighty kind of bass (not flabby or overpowering). So my setup just seems to speed up the HD650 so that it can rock on like a Grado, but have an unbelievable soundstage to make it good for any genre.


When I try plugging the Grados right into the DAC-1, it just emphasizes it's stereotype: little soundstage, lack of bass, but great detail (though some would think it too harsh).


Quote:

Originally Posted by JLai /img/forum/go_quote.gif I still remember when both of us were debating whether to upgrade from HD595s --> HD650s. Dang you move fast, haha.

Yeah, Christmas was very good for me.......didn't have a whole lot of presents to buy except my own! lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by noseallinit /img/forum/go_quote.gif you are for sure in a good location to go looking for vinyl! Wax and Fax in Little Five Points was always a favorite place for me to go shopping for vinyl back in the 80's. for me, I would never have vinyl again as much as I miss some of my 400 alternative albums from the late 70's and early 80's. it's just too much of a hassle and takes up too much space. vinyl only has so much life in it. everytime you put a needle on it it takes away a little of that life. I only used me vinyl to record onto cassette and in their sleeve, into the cover, then another sleeve and then in a box is where they stayed to keep them away from dust and.. I never had a killer system. my B&O turntable and NAD system sounded good but I like what I have now more. so where in NC are you from? I have lived in Ashevile, NC for over 11 years now.

Yeah....durability of the old vinyl is the only reason why I'm holding off on just buying the equipment right now. My dad has an old Denon that he never uses. So I'm thinking when I'm visiting next, I'll dust it off and try it on my rig. I'll have to try out wax and fax!

Problem is that I've seen the light with SACD!!!! It offeres any of the SQ advantages vinyl had, and it doesn't pop! Only problem is that Sony shot themselves in the foot with DRM, so who knows if it will take off.

BTW, I'm from Asheville! My folks are still there....off Tunnel Rd. Like being in ATL: bigger city close to hometown. It's cool that Asheville has so many microbreweries: more then ATL, and all really good

Quote:

Originally Posted by spike33 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Glad you're enjoying your HD650s. Don't think any of the headphones in your current collection can compete. It's time to try the K701s

I'm hoping that there will be a k701 at the meet......I'm holding off getting anything from AKG because of the bad experience I've had with the k501: on my systems, it's always had contrived soundstage, no bass, and rolled off high treble. Some tell me that the k701 is a lot like the k501....so I'm just going to hold off and enjoy the HD650.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaZa /img/forum/go_quote.gif And there are other possibilities for you to explore. Sell those cans and get DT880. *hint hint*

Yes, I suppose I should try the DT880 or 990 when I get the chance.....though I still say Senns are the most natural

Quote:

Originally Posted by Borat /img/forum/go_quote.gif The rig is looking great Dave. I miss the SLAM, but I'm glad it went to someone who is really enjoying it.

Your SLAM is being well used now Mark

It's great that I was able to try out the 6CG7s right when I recieved the SLAM. They're proving to be the most impactful tubes for the Senns.