[hibuckhobby]

I own a number of headphones, among them the venerable HD650.  I've read on
the headphone site about the infamous "veil", which I don't hear and I've also read
about how they "scale" well, which I haven't heard much of until recently.  I heard
differences in tonality and speed in amplifiers on these phones, but nothing that
made them come anywhere near the higher priced cans I own.

Two weeks ago, I bought a Woo audio WA2 amp and a number of tubes from
another user.  Once I found the blend of tubes I liked and tried several different
sets of cans, I hooked up the HD650's with a Cardas cable.  Are they still warm
and laid back?  Sure.  But man, I have never heard that much stage width, depth
and air between performers before regardless of the cans I used...including HE5LE's
HE500's, Audeze LCD-2's etc.  The sense of location and weight on the drums and
string bass on Hallie Loren's "Heart First" disc caught me off guard.

The only down side?   It showed me the difference between the HD650 and HD700's
wasn't as large as I thought it was...although it was clearly there.  I'm going to cautiously
say that I am very close to where I want to be in the headphone/amp world.  I have
Denon D7000's on a WA6 and Koss ESP-950's for a change in detail and perspective.
It's going to be a good Christmas.
best,
Hibuck....

[Sam-fi]

Could you throw in a few sentences about the hd650 and hd700 comparison. I was wondering about the characteristics of the sound.

[hibuckhobby]

The 700 is a bit more comfortable and has greater depth to the soundstage.  The width is
similar, there is greater space between performers.  The bass and lower midrange sound
similar to my ears although there is more transparency top to bottom with the 700.

Mids are warm on both cans, but again, less so on the 700's due to a peak in the lower
treble (6k) on the 700's.  I have used the EQ in Jriver to tame that peak and love the
detail that still comes thru. (only using about 2db reduction)  The spaciousness of the WA2
is, for me, clear on both phones.  It brings the 650's to a point, that did I not already own
the 700's I probably would not feel a need to spend the money.  Since I do have them, I
enjoy them.  The point of diminishing returns is there...but it exists at a different point
for every person.
best,
Hibuck....

[Wasatch]

Nice write-up.

[Blackstone]

You can only go so far with headphones. None of the flagship phones scale as well as I had hoped. They all have a sound signature that is hard to overcome.

[hibuckhobby]

Having been in the audio game for over 40 years, I can assure you that
what we "hope" for is usually not realistic.  What we "can" get is something
we are happy with and that we find pleasing to listen to.
Hibuck...