Hd 650 worth the upgrade

M

mr007

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Jan 5, 2009
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is a hd 650 a good upgrade from a hd555 if u only have mp3s, my mp3s are 192 or higher?
using a creative xfi card?
 
Get a better headphone amplifier first, imo. Else you won't be able to listen to the HD650 to its full potential.
 
No. Better source, better amp? Yes, the HD650s would be worth it. Right now? No.
 
Skip the 650 for now. I'd get a HD580 (which is close to 650) and cheap amp to start.
 
if are you going to use your the headphones straight out of your computer you will need low Impedance cans.

look at Audio-Technica or Denon

but if you are wanting to stick with Sennheiser you will need to invest in a good amp for the HD650's
 
HD650's aren't really great with mp3s and game sound cards. In your position I'd get a more forgiving set of phones like the Audio Technica A500, A700, or A900.

EDIT: With the ATs you wont need an amp.
 
the x-fi is strong for a sound card. as strong as most portable amps. you will notice an improvement over the hd555 (which is pretty lousy imo). you will notice more improvement when you add a nice strong amp
 
mr007 said:
well whats a good amp to get that works with my soundcard?
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If you have at least an Extreme Music, then it'd be worth it to invest in an amp. If you have something like an Extreme Gamer, you'll need to upgrade your source first. Sending junk into a good amp will still be junk. On the MP3 front, they don't sound as good as uncompressed wave obviously but if most of your collection is 256kbps or higher, you'll be fine (I use 320kbps to save space over wave or lossless). If most of your collection is at 192kbps though, its pushing it. For amp recommendation, I need to know a budget and what headphone you want (If you're sure you want the HD650s or if you want something) as different headphones synergize better with different amps due to current and power requirements.
 
skyline889 said:
If you have at least an Extreme Music, then it'd be worth it to invest in an amp. If you have something like an Extreme Gamer, you'll need to upgrade your source first. Sending junk into a good amp will still be junk. On the MP3 front, they don't sound as good as uncompressed wave obviously but if most of your collection is 256kbps or higher, you'll be fine (I use 320kbps to save space over wave or lossless). If most of your collection is at 192kbps though, its pushing it. For amp recommendation, I need to know a budget and what headphone you want (If you're sure you want the HD650s or if you want something) as different headphones synergize better with different amps due to current and power requirements.
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i have a X-Fi Titanium will upgrading to a X-Fi Forte that has a amp in it work for me?
 
mr007 said:
i have a X-Fi Titanium will upgrading to a X-Fi Forte that has a amp in it work for me?
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Built-in amps such as the one on the Forte and the Xonar STX are step-ups to your standard soundcard however they still do not compare to dedicated headphone amplifiers, especially not with a demanding headphone. Many people will argue against this however, for the majority, it is because they have heard nothing better and obviously it will sound better than the standard variable line-out that they-re used to. IMO if you're going with the HD650s, you'll want to pick up a dedicated headphone amplifier; an amp suited to producing the high voltage required to power the HD650s well (e.g. RSA SR-71, Headamp Gilmore Lite, etc). There are cheaper options as well but again, we need to know a budget to recommend what would be best.
 
450 said:
Skyline: Is the A35R your headphone amp?
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Technically yes, but I never use my HD650s up here so not really. I had anticipated purchasing a new source and headphone amp for my college rig but I never use my headphones so I never bothered. They'll probably go back home after this semester and join my HD600s.
 
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