Also have an HD600 which scales quite well with better audio gear. I have also owned a Modi 2 Uber dac for the past six years and continue to enjoy it.
In the update of the HD600 and HD650 review, the auxiliary DAC and amplifers combos used for the tests cost more than the two sets of headphones combined!
Thatâs a problem for me.
I want to buy the HD650 'phones but cannot budget for $$$s on-costs to make them perform as intended.
Any advice from anyone?
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Welcome.
Iâve tested and keep around lower cost reference setups for this very purpose [see that entire thread]. Not everyone can afford the pricey stuff and many people want to test before going hog wild. A modest system will never match a high end system, but they do sound very good. The law of diminishing returns is real â you pay a lot more for the improvements.
I currently run my HD 600 with the iFi ZenDAC (<$200). It has an internal amplifier and enough warmth to offset the 600âs brightness. The 650/6XX is warmer, and may be too warm with this setup. See the link for other ideas.
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You might also look into some dongle DAC/Amps for a good lower-cost solution that can be used flexibly in a variety of situations. The Questyle M15 comes to mind, as I believe I have seen it on sale recently. I liked it a great deal - only issue I had with it was a little interference while using cellular data with it plugged into a phone. On WiFi it had no issues. Sound was good, and it is powerful and versatile.
Welcome to the forum!
You can get the HD6XX from Drop right now for $200, which saves some off the price of the HD650.
Schiit is closing out the Valhalla, so itâs available for $300 now, and itâs a good partner for the 6XX/650.
Put a low-cost DAC based on the AKM4493 in front of it so things donât get too warm/sweet. Something like the SMSL SU-1 at $80.
Youâve got a complete system for less than $600, while the 650 retails at $500. You can play around with tube rolling with the Valhalla, and you can upgrade the DAC without having to get a new amp. If you need EQ (probable), start off with free software until you can swing $150 for a Loki or $300 for a Lokius. Biggest downside is that the Valhalla will be truly happy only with other high-impedance headphones.
Thanks to @generic for the reminder that good sound can be had for reasonable $$.
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With all respect - the Schiit EQâs compared to even a 6 band PEQ are like stone clubs when you need a rapier. They are built well, and my DAC and main AMP are Schiit. But to get my HE-500, HE-6 SE, and HD-600 to meet my criteria of accurate - a PEQ is required.
As for your comments, I find agreement.
Regards,
Walt
I have several headphones that are significantly more expensive than the HD 600, but I still rank my HD600 as my absolute favorite headphone, especially after I upgrade my amplifier to the Violectric V222, they really scale well with an amp that can deliver high voltage.
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@Resolve Have you ever posted your preferred EQ settings for the HD600âs? Iâve searched but cannot seem to find it.
Mind sharing it?
I literally just add a bass shelf below like 80hz. Do this to your taste.
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Add 10 db for everything below 1khz. Cut everything above 4khz by 3db. Guaranteed @Resolve seal of approval
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That would get you into harmonic distortion territory, since distortion is related to level. I wouldnât go much past 5dB in the bass.
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Thanks a lot for the reply 
I thought you mentioned something about the midrange in one of the older videos, but I probably misunderstood something, or it was a reference to another headphone.
I recently purchased a pair of HD600 directly from Sennheiser/Germany.
The headphones are connected to an RME Adi 2 DAC FS, just like my other two headphones, the Hifiman Ananda OG and the Sennheiser HD560S.
With the HD600, Iâm now noticing unpleasant noises with and without music. Itâs a kind of static crackling that gets louder and more pronounced as soon as you move even slightly. If I stand up or even take a few steps, it becomes a constant crackling. The noise is coming from both ear cups.
My other headphones are completely quiet. Does anyone know this?
Is there a workaround?
Try replacing the cable, that could be the cause.
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Dankeschön 
Will the HD650 cable solve it?
I do not have a replacement cable here and have to order it from e.g. Thomann.
But, I will give it a try.
Yeah, they use the same cable.
In my experience thatâs more likely related to the jack rather than the cable. Sometimes jacks donât go in deep enough or go in too deep, and the TRS rings seem to intermittently short out. My Bottlehead Crack jack has done that with only some headphones. Iâve solved it by pulling the jack out a millimeter or two.
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Understood what you mean, however, different situation here. The static crackling is completely indepedent from the jack position / depth.
The RME also would detect short out and would prompt an error immediately.
I remember I had the HD600 some years ago for testing with the HD650 cable, which is thicker and has only a 6.3mm jack.
Same crackling issue, maybe not that prominent.
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(using UAPP nomenclature):
+2.0 db @ 50 Hz bass shelf Q 1.0; anymore on the first two settings - mostly sonic, but also headroom concerns
+2.0 db @ 85 Hz bass shelf Q 1.0
-1.6 db @ 200 Hz analog bell Q 3.4 - cuts overly warm midbass, low bass stands out better w/ this setting, avoids chesty male singers
-3.0 db @ 3.3 kHz digital bell Q 3.8 - this and next setting put too bed the reputation for brightness
-2.4 db @ 5.2 KHz digital bell Q 5.0
-2.0 db @ 8.0 kHz digital bell Q 6.8 - audible on some recordings, not most
-5.0 db @ 15 kHz analog bell Q 7.4 - for the young of ear, the other âbrightnessâ adjustment
Make sure to adjust the level so that the volume is the same when you A/B. They really canât take much more bass at 50 & 85. If you want bass cannons, look elsewhere.