Feliks Euphoria/HD 650

[AP@1992]

Headphone listening for me has always been about necessity and convience rather than outright sound quality. I don't look for 2 channel feel through headphones. Both are different and both has value, IMO.

The ability to enjoy fav tracks at a decent level, comfortable without having to wait for a empty house, was a great prospect. I started out to build together a headphone rig early this year.

Finally, I have build together a system consisting of Lumin U2 Mini -- Pontus II (both part of my main 2 channel rig as well) ----Feliks Euphoria --- HD 650.

Till date this is the best my oldy HD650 have sounded. Blissful experience everytime. HD650 sounds less veiled and more open while retaining it's signature midrange magic. A decent improvement on the soundstage front as well (I am yet to hear any Planars to relatively put soundstage into perspective)

Tube rolling:
Driver tube
The driver tube Psvane CV181 T2 G pin that comes with the amp is excellent. However, 6sn7 NOS RCA grey glass is smoother while retaining 90 percent of detail retrieval of the CV181. All my other 6sn7's performed lesser than either of the two for my liking in this set up.

Power tubes:
It's a easy one, Tungsol NOS 5998 is hands down the best tube for this amp. It is head and shoulder above the stock Svetlana 6H13S it comes with and all the 6080's of the past. It pushes the sound stage wider and deeper and has amazing dynamics. It has become expensive and also very rare and difficult to source these days.

All in all, it was a great experience setting this rig up and enjoying it.

 

[amrutmhatre90]

My headphone with tube amp experience also has been excellant!

Though I have used a basic headphone rig, I was blown away how a tube amp sounds on headphones.
Willsenton R8 > Gustard R26 > HiFiman 400SE with Roon + HQplayer upsamping over LAN

I am not too much into headphone listening, but I enjoy it while working. Gets me in the zone!

I just re-did my Headphone rig today, nothing fancy.
We are Rewind / Wiim Mini > Fosi V3 > HiFiMan HE Adapter > HifiMan 400SE

Used Tinned Silver cables, Class D amp on headphones sounds really good!
This is the second best headphone amp combo I heard after Willsenton R8.

A good dac can take this to a next level, but I want to keep the chain small and simple.

 

[reignofchaos]

Awesome! You started out at the best place. HD650 is a super headphone that scales really well as you move up. Its amazing that the headphone sells for so little. Make sure to change the cable to something better.

 

[AP@1992]

I

Awesome! You started out at the best place. HD650 is a super headphone that scales really well as you move up. Its amazing that the headphone sells for so little. Make sure to change the cable to something better.

I was amazed how it keeps getting better.

I have tried it with laptops/mobiles/entry level OTL amps/transformer coupled amps/SS amps and finally on Euphoria.

Euphoria really takes it to the next level. I thought it can't go better than this. That claustrophobic feel of headphones is completely absent and unbelievable intimacy.

Than I swapped the tubes particularly the 5998 Tungsol, it keeps getting better. But I don't intend to go any higher than this (something we have all said to ourselves infinite number of times). May be a HD800 just to test.

But lovely experience, the rig has good synergy.

 

[fLUX]

Try to find an used Auteur instead of HD800

 

[reignofchaos]

Agree after 650, I was disappointed when I heard the 800

 

[AP@1992]

Awesome! You started out at the best place. HD650 is a super headphone that scales really well as you move up. Its amazing that the headphone sells for so little. Make sure to change the cable to something better.

You mean the headphones cables or between DAC to amp ? Any suggestions.

 

[AP@1992]

Try to find an used Auteur instead of HD800

Will see if I can lend one.

Ears I trust have told me Euphoria is a great match to both Sennheiser HD 650 and 800. Hence the interest. But everytime I listen to the current set-up, that itch is put to rest. Down the path, will see if I can lend few headphones including Planars to try in this set-up.

 

[reignofchaos]

You mean the headphones cables or between DAC to amp ? Any suggestions.

The cable that connects the headphone to the amp

 

[fLUX]

Will see if I can lend one.

Ears I trust have told me Euphoria is a great match to both Sennheiser HD 650 and 800. Hence the interest. But everytime I listen to the current set-up, that itch is put to rest. Down the path, will see if I can lend few headphones including Planars to try in this

Will see if I can lend one.

Ears I trust have told me Euphoria is a great match to both Sennheiser HD 650 and 800. Hence the interest. But everytime I listen to the current set-up, that itch is put to rest. Down the path, will see if I can lend few headphones including Planars to try in this set-up.

It indeed is a good match , I had the 650, 800 & Auteur. The 800s are very different to most of the sennheiser headphone , they have a extremely large stage slightly sharp treble ( tubes help a lot here) & mids are not as lush as the other 6xx series. Nonetheless a good headphone to own ( I had got one at near 40k luckily ).

The ZMF headphones are like BBCs of the headphone world , if you like the signature takes no tine to get you intoxicated . Not as wide a soundstage as HD800, details are not a priority although they dint seem lacking in this aspect but sound so darn intimate.

Dynamic drivers do well with OTL , Planars not so much ( they do.better with SET amps) . They sound fine but lose the speed for which planars are renowned.

 

[AP@1992]

It indeed is a good match , I had the 650, 800 & Auteur. The 800s are very different to most of the sennheiser headphone , they have a extremely large stage slightly sharp treble ( tubes help a lot here) & mids are not as lush as the other 6xx series. Nonetheless a good headphone to own ( I had got one at near 40k luckily ).

The ZMF headphones are like BBCs of the headphone world , if you like the signature takes no tine to get you intoxicated . Not as wide a soundstage as HD800, details are not a priority although they dint seem lacking in this aspect but sound so darn intimate.

Dynamic drivers do well with OTL , Planars not so much ( they do.better with SET amps) . They sound fine but lose the speed for which planars are renowned.

Well that is the exact signature I like. HD650 is more or less like that, that is with right tube compliment.

Tungsol 5998 + Tungsol 6SN7 GTB - Great soundstage, slightly forward and thicker sounding. Beautifully Intimate without sounding claustrophobic.

Changing the driver tubes to stock or RCA grey glass 6sn7 = Even wider soundtstage, cleaner sounding albeit thinner than the first one. Midrange intimacy is also lesser. But great nonetheless.

Initially the preferred the later but over time I like the former and from what you describe, ZMF will be to my liking. Finding one used will be challenge though. Let's see.

 

[az9012]

As a lifelong fan of HD6X0 on tubes:
HD800(SDR) on a nice tube amp with EQ (only 3 filters. 2 for bass boost and 1 for reducing the treble peak at 5.8 kHz) runs circles around 6X0. Yes the lushness and forwardness of midrange cannot be replicated to the same extent but the midrange on 800 sounds more natural. The driver on 800 is leagues ahead compared to 6X0 and is capable of far more excursion and resolution. It beats 6X0 in every single conceivable way, by a big margin. 6X0 can be elevated to a whole new level with EQ as well and still an EQ'd 800 SDR beats it imo, practically faultless to my ears.
Yes you can achieve similar results with HD800 (non SDR) and to similar extent with 800s as well (except maybe bass, where 800s may sound murkier if boosted due to presence of 2nd order harmonic distortion).
But yes, you need EQ (and it's very easy to implement) to get the best out of 800 (and 6X0 for that matter). But as i understand, many don't like to use DSP and that's totally understandable. In that case 6X0 fares better in stock form, especially the price.

 

[az9012]

^ please note that this isn't me belittling 6X0. 600/650 are the only two headphones that i truly liked (and Auteur) after trying lots and lots, for years. Just that it took me a long time to get something that outperforms them. But that doesn't take anything away from 6X0. With EQ, I'd live with 600 forever happily.