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Member Reviews: Sennheiser HD 650 Headphones

dreamwhisper

Reference Quality

Posted
By dreamwhisper

Pros: Warm sound signature, detailed, non-fatiguing

Cons: 3-blob soundstage, clamping a little strong at first

The HD650's don't do anything really wrong. They have a natural sound signature and slightly elevated midbass that is easy on the ear (non-fatiguing). Most people will find that they appreciate their sound. They are not the final word in transparency and speed, but they are advanced enough technically to allow them to be true to the source material, offering an excellent sonic window into the music. This neutrality allows them to be used for reference purposes; as a studio headphone mixes done on them translate well to monitors. Similarly, they sound great with all genres, and don't dominate any particular one.   For a beginner head-fi'er, HD650's paired with a <$500...
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TwoEars

One of the world's top five headphones.

Posted
By TwoEars

Pros: Richly detailed, supremely textured, natural sound that is smooth, effortless and relaxing to listen to. A forgiving allrounder with superb comfort.

Cons: Open headphone that requires good source and amplification

I've listenend to all the top offerings from Denon, Audeze, AKG, Hifiman, Ultrasone & Sennheiser and this is my personal favourite. It is a true reference class headphone that is very natural sounding, albeit leaning ever so slightly towards a darker tone. The sound is detailed, smooth and richly textured, especially drums come alive amazingly well. It has no problem spanning all the way from the deepest bass to the highest highs with supreme control and plenty of muscles to spare.   For the money I think this is a real audiophile bargain, the HD650 exists on that plane of ultimate performance where sound quality becomes no longer a factor of quality but rather personal...
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clams

Musical reference cans

Posted
By clams

Pros: Lush sound, bass impact, treble extension, packaging

Cons: Clamping force, paint is prone to chipping

  Review Equipment: Amplifier: Matrix M-stage (Audio-gd SUN v2 HDAM) DAC: Matrix ASRC Cube DAC, Valab NOS DAC (v2.6) Other headphones: AKG K702, ATH-ES7, Beyerdynamic DT770, Sennheiser HD555   Packaging: Great packaging. The HD650 came in a hard box lined with tons of foam padding on the inside. The box is relatively durable and even had metal hinges for longevity. Included a nice 1/4" to 1/8" adaptor for use on smaller plugs. Overall, this is one of the best packaged headphones I've seen.   Comfort/Build: The Sennheisers fit like traditional circumaural headphones. Because of this, there is a good amount of clamping force. My smallish head does find...
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Bizzel

Reliable, High-End Stalwart

Posted
By Bizzel

Pros: Very comfortable with a mellow, involving sound that harmonises brilliantly with live recordings.

Cons: Paint chips off headband with regular use

There's plenty of debate around here as to what makes a headphone "high end". Putting price aside for a moment, I have no doubt that the HD650 marks the beginning of the high-end range. I've auditioned many headphones over the past few years and while many sound different only the electrostats such as the HE60 truly sound superior in every way to the 650s.   In terms of sound the HD650 is what I would call a "natural" headphone. Very rarely do I get the feeling that any part of the spectrum is being over-emphasised and the result is an intimate presentation with good (if not exceptional) soundstage - perfect for live performances. Some would criticise the 650s for their rolled-off...
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EddieE

Natural Sounding And Laid Back Great All Rounders

Posted
By EddieE

Pros: Work well with pretty much every genre; extremely relaxing; superb bass; look great

Cons: A little bit of a tight clamp

I've owned these headphones for around a year now, when I first bought them they were a quantum leap forward in my headphone listening life. It felt like a big spend as I had to buy a desktop amp and a dac at the same time and it took a pay rise at the point where I was questioning the wisdom of it all to finally pull the trigger. I never looked back.   It is funny that the cost seemed so extreme to me now; once you delve into the audio enthusiasts world and see the prices some other headphones go for you realise that the HD650 is in fact a serious bargain, especially since many people (myself included) think it is a far better phone than many of those higher priced...
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The Monkey

Still Among the Best

Posted
By The Monkey

Pros: Great bass, scales well

Cons: 3-blob soundstage

A pair of headphones I wish I kept.  Great bass, excellent highs with the right equipment.  Scales with the best of equipment.  Everyone should own a pair at least once.  
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Lunatique

The Gentle Workhorse

Posted
By Lunatique

Pros: Smooth, non-fatiguing sound, comfortable, well-balanced sonic signature

Cons: Sub-bass could be deeper, treble could be slightly more airy

My first Sennheiser was the HD555, which was a real gem for its price bracket, and then when it broke, I replaced it with the HD600. I immediately exchanged it for the HD650 as I found the HD600 to sound so similar to the HD555 (just a little bit more treble mainly) that the price difference wasn't justified. The HD650 is very similar to the HD600, but with a bit more weight in the bass, and a slightly smoother sound overall. But in any case, these upgrades are all diminishing returns, as the HD555 really is excellent already.   The HD650's clamping force is strongest of the three, but it's still comfortable enough that I often forget to take them off after I was done listening to...
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BBBS

Amazing

Posted
By BBBS

Pros: Like having a pair of tiny Albert Halls for each side of your head

Cons: You will spend a fortune trying to get a small improvement

These are simply the de facto best headphones at this price. They have a dark, slow sound that's suited to strings, guitar and vocals, and their matched drivers mean that centre-stage vocals will actually come from between your ears.   These don't so much break in, rather you get used to their reproduction. I can't recommend these enough, and everybody should spend some time with these, whether they take to them immediately or not.
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born2bwild

Great sound at a great value

Posted
By born2bwild

Pros: Mids, Sennheiser sound signature, comfort

Cons: Design, hard to drive

I bought these headphones on December 2011 and have since been thoroughly using them. I am absolutely happy with my purchase and here is why: Pros: - Great sound, albeit a bit on the darker side (amazingly natural mids, and poignant lows with controlled highs) - Requires at least a 100 hours of burn-in (200 hours recommended if you want to hear the true sound); so it keeps getting better - Amazing bargain at $300, as the sound quality is truly unbelievable - Extremely comfortable to wear for long hours - Fares excellent in general use Cons: - Requires a powerful amp to reach its full potential - Build quality and design are average
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ObscureMethods

Lucious

Posted
By ObscureMethods

Pros: Mids, Comfort, Soundstage

Cons: Sound leakage, Fragility

These cans are exquisite. I can literally fall asleep with these on. This fact is cheifly assoiated with their velour ear pads. And in regards to sound, their sound quality is immearsive. No singular element of their sound is deprived. I can state that they're immaculately endowed with mid-range presence. Bottom line is. if you can afford the admittance fee these will grant you auditory bliss.
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Where to Buy It

EarphoneSolutionsSennheiser HD 650 Headphones at EarphoneSolutions$499.95See It »
Headphones.comSennheiser HD 650 Headphones at Headphones.com$499.95See It »
Amazon.comSennheiser HD 650 Headphones at Amazon.com$440.00See It »
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