[Rewkie]

I can either continue to save up for a piece of schiit amp (i'll be getting the Valhalla 2) or get a new ship for Star Citizen which is going away soon never to be seen again, or at least for 8-12 months.  Will the HD650s be THAT bad without an amp?  Because i REALLY want this ship, and won't have the chance to get it again for a while. (although it definitely wouldn't kill me to go without, I've already sunk more money into that game than i ever dreamed of before)  I've already ordered the headphones, so if it just can't be driven without an amp i'm fine with just getting the amp instead.

 

[billybob_jcv]

You came to a forum full of headphone fanatics to ask whether we would rather have a new piece of headphone gear or a virtual piece in a video game??

 

[Rewkie]

You came to a forum full of headphone fanatics to ask whether we would rather have a new piece of headphone gear or a virtual piece in a video game??

 
WRONG.  I asked if the HD650s would sound like poop without an amp.  "Will the HD650s be THAT bad without an amp?"  That was the sentence with the question mark, the rest were statements.  I just wanted to put why i was considering not buying the amp first.  

 

[PurpleAngel]

  I can either continue to save up for a piece of schiit amp (i'll be getting the Valhalla 2) or get a new ship for Star Citizen which is going away soon never to be seen again, or at least for 8-12 months.  Will the HD650s be THAT bad without an amp?  Because i REALLY want this ship, and won't have the chance to get it again for a while. (although it definitely wouldn't kill me to go without, I've already sunk more money into that game than i ever dreamed of before)  I've already ordered the headphones, so if it just can't be driven without an amp i'm fine with just getting the amp instead.

 
You can always just get an amplifier cheaper then the Valhalla 2, to drive the HD650s.
Like the Schiit Vali.

 

[Rewkie]

   
You can always just get an amplifier cheaper then the Valhalla 2, to drive the HD650s.
Like the Schiit Vali.

Yeah i was seriously considering the vali for a while, and i'm no golden ear audiophile either, would i be better off just saving the $500 and getting that instead?  
 
Still need an answer on the unamped HD650 thing.

 

[billybob_jcv]

I think you would be very disappointed in an unamped HD650. I have some vintage 300 ohm Sennheiser HD420. Without an amp, the volume is low and the sound is thin and congested. With the amp, it's a completely different story. Of course, this was from the cheap Realtek onboard sound in a laptop. A gamer's PC soundcard might be much better.

 

[InebriatedGnome]

Even cheap amplification is far better than none, especially cheaper tubes. I've been running my HD650 out of a Darkvoice 336i for the last year or so; the amplifier set me back $150 used and I'm missing it sorely now that it's in for repairs. After two months' radio silence from the store, I caved and listened to the HD650 completely unamplified. I still prefer it to my V-Moda XS, but the improvement is only minor. The soundstage isn't much bigger; some instrument presentation, notably that of the drums, is actually a little worse; and everything sounds markedly darker, which works for some slow numbers (Sinatra's New York, New York) but falls flat during more energetic music (Tool, RHCP). This is before we discuss the general thinness of the HD650's un-amplified sound.
 
The comparison isn't truly valid, but what I mean to say is that the un-amped HD650 sounds noticeably worse than a closed-back headphone that sells for half the price.
 
Of course, better amplification costs less with time. With the advent of the Lyr 2, I've seen Schiit Lyr amps in excellent condition with additional tubes sell for under $250 on eBay. If you do decide to get the ship, chances are you'll have some of your current options available at more attractive prices in a year or so, especially if you're buying used.

 

[tsktsk]

If you really want the ship, you could always get yourself a cheapie Fiio amp like an E6 that will only set you back a few bucks and test amped and un-amped.  And, if you see a huge difference with even that small amp, then you will know that your investment down the road will be worth it.