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Just wondering. I like these phones very much. Notice I like my loudspeakers better though. I think a reasonably priced and flexible cable upgrade would be nice -- I don't know of any though.
I wonder how the HiFi Man HE-4 phones compare??
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. . . with Cardas upgrade. Based on advice from Music Direct, I got a PS Audio headphone amp. I had been using David Clarke headphones for the past 40 years.
Listening to these headphones had a big effect on me. I heard things I never heard with the Rectilinear Mini-IIIs. Knowing what good sound is, I scrimped and saved and now listen to Vandersteen 2ce etc. They're not fully set up or broken in but, regardless, they sound terrific. While I'm at it, I'm upgrading the preamp from NAD 114 to Rogue 99.
My ears are happy.
----- Dan
"Where the hell's all the f***ing kangaroos?", Thelonious Monk in Australia, circa 1965
...and was quite pleased with the improvement. Although the Cardas cable is a bit pricey. However, I'm happy from a value perspecive.
Pop the ear cushions off and remove the thin foam covering the driver. You'll get more detail, better sound stage.
It's not a huge difference and if you don't like it, you can always put the foam back.
___
I believe in coyotes and time as an abstract...
I saw the HiFi Mann phones at CAS and they appeared very nicely made with good cabling as well!
Also, the suggestion to get a good headphone amplifier is probably a good suggestion. HiFi Mann has a headphone amplifier so I wonder how good that is?
I already upgraded to HD-650 cables because I broke the previous ones and the new ones appear to be holding up well enough now, and the price is certainly right.
you haven't heard what they can do. But having said that, my HD650's aren't getting much love these days. I spend all my time with Denon AHD2000's. The Senns have no bass compared to the Denon's. No way I would plunck down $1000 for a set of cans w/o being able to audition for 30 days and return if I didn't like them. Not sure AA or Music Direct will let you do that or not on cans. They will on head amps.
just to correct a matter of fact- Music Direct does take returns on headphones, subject to the usual conditions - that they are returned in as-new condition, complete with everything they were sent with including all original packing materials, and that shipping costs are borne by the customer
You'd be hard pressed to find a retailer that would allow for returns on headphones unless they were "defective". Returns for refund or exchange should always be in "like new" condition, and with headgear there's always the hygiene issue to consider: Once those earpads and/or headbands have come into contact with an individual's skin and/or hair, the headphones cannot be returned in "like new" condition.
whether they do now or not I do not know. That is how they always have demo items for sale, buyer/auditioner returns.
I don't think I'd want to buy a pair of "demo" headphones sight unseen. Unless the 'phones had been thoroughly disinfected, you might never know what kind of stuff might be growing in or on them! Demo'ing headphones at a public meet is a different story - being there in person I might be able to see who else may have tried on the headphones before me...
I might go to one again and demo someone else's cans but I will never take mine to another one. Between iffy personal hygiene and blatant disregard for other's property (saw one pair of my cans dropped on the floor twice), I'll keep my phones at home.
FWIW, a lot of the bias toward speaker listening sessions is the fact that most recordings are meant to be heard in a speaker system, not headphones. But with the right recordings and a single purpose headphone system headphones can be great if not addictive.
I use a tubed headphone OTL amp, a tubed CDP, and Senn 650's. After playing with tube changes for a while I got a pretty good sound. Lots of detail(!). Clarity without edge or up-tilted highs.
Sources were a big factor IMHO. Poor sources and poor recordings really stand out with headphones. Of course you loose the spaciousness of a good speaker system which is why I don't favor headphones for prime listening.
I agree with the 650 cable a inexpensive upgrade and also available on Amazon and Ebay. I think you may be satisfied. I have not heard the HE4 but I owned the hE6 and heard the HE500 and both the 6 and the the 500 are significantly better than the HD600 I owned and sold. You could always try them with the 30 days audio advisor gives and compare them heads up and if you prefer the planar then you could sell your 600 for about 200.00 going rate used. I do recommend a good amp if you going with the planar they all need powerful amps to drive them.
Contact Sennheiser USA directly to place an order. For about $20 shipped, I would try out an HD650 cable. It's an easy plug-in replacement and for the money you can't go wrong. I noticed a subtle increase in airiness, bass depth/clarity, and the plugs on the HD650 cable are much more sturdy too. But, I wouldn't waste hundreds of $$$ on a expensive "boutique cable" upgrade. If you want to spend a lot of money wisely, I would just go ahead and buy some new headphones. Those Hifiman 'phones would probably be a nice change of flavor, although I have not heard them.
Edits: 07/25/11
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