[sacd lover]

I had the 650, heard the 600 and sold them. Recently, out of curiosity I purchased another 650 to compare to my 580 and 600. I, once again, found the 650 to colored and have since sold them. I like the greater neutrality and slightly better treble extension of the 580/600. I disagree the 650 is more resolving. How can the 650 be more resolving when the lower midrange information is covered up from excess bass and the treble is so recessed. The 580/600 sound much more like the live music I use as my referance. The 650 sounds to fat and dull.

I also used the 580/600/650 balanced and I clearly preferred the 600; although the 650 is definitely better balanced run with a balanced output.

 

[Epicurean]

People certainly have very different opinions of these headphones. I also happen to own both the HD600 & HD650 atm and I actually find the HD650 to be more 'correct' especially with classical and live music, no contest. The strange thing is my HD650 while darker actually sounds slightly crispier and snappier in the highs. Putting on the HD650 after the HD600 seems to breath a little life into the music, especially with vocal-heavy music. The HD600 can sound just a little cold and un-involving. Some seem to call it 'neutral'. I wouldn't. Having said that, I do like the HD600 too, just not as much the HD650.

 

[billinkansas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sacd lover /img/forum/go_quote.gif I had the 650, heard the 600 and sold them. Recently, out of curiosity I purchased another 650 to compare to my 580 and 600. I, once again, found the 650 to colored and have since sold them. I like the greater neutrality and slightly better treble extension of the 580/600. I disagree the 650 is more resolving. How can the 650 be more resolving when the lower midrange information is covered up from excess bass and the treble is so recessed. The 580/600 sound much more like the live music I use as my referance. The 650 sounds too fat and dull.

X2! I had the 650 for about a year. Then I bought NiceCan's former 600 and my both 650 and K701 were history within about an hour. The enclosed booklet for the 650 says (paraphrasing here because I don't have the booklet anymore) that they are elevated in the bass on purpose to satisfy current musical tastes, or something to that effect. Hardly an audiophile attitude, in my estimation. In any case, refined as they may be, they are apparently boomy on purpose. I find the 600 so much more satisfying to listen to - much clearer and involving. I liked the 650 well enough, but the 600 proved more musically satisfying to me. I'm into Stax pretty big now, but I still enjoy the 600 from time to time and I'll be keeping them.

To O.P., they are different enough that you will want to try them both. Nobody here is qualified to say the one is definitely better than the other, but I certainly do have my preference. I am a classical listener, so rock/pop listeners will want to take my comments in this context.

 

[Stephen Murphy]

I have had both and prefer the 600 + Cardas cable. I found the 650 had too much bass emphasis and the highs were a bit too air-brushed smooth. I believe up to the 600, Sennheiser was trying to create a more accurate headphone. "An ideal choice for the professional recording engineer recording classical music", says their website. With the 650 they were trying to create something else that would "captivate the listener with their expressiveness and emotion". Some like that, some don't.

If you can get some 600s at a really good price, I would go ahead and try them. If you don't care for the sound you can easily sell them here or on eBay and not loose too much. Only your ears can be the judge.

 

[sejarzo]

The HD650 is just a warmer version of the HD600. If you compare frequency response curves at HeadRoom, you can see that there are hardly two phones that are as similar, and FR differences are the primary cause of perceived differences in "character" of headphones. I prefer the balance of the HD600 on well-recorded acoustical music, and opt to EQ in 2-3 dB of boost from roughly 300 Hz downward on rock/pop (and maybe a similar cut in the 7 kHz to 10 kHz range) if it sounds better that way.

My opinion is that orchestral music is generally recorded with a minimal number of omni mics, rarely EQ'd and often not compressed, resulting in a recording that is substantially flatter/real than the multi-tracked cuts that use cardioid mics (that can boost or cut bass depending on proximity to the source) which are then often compressed and EQ'd heavily to suit the producer's taste. No one can really say what is right in that case.......and while the overall character of recording venues used for classical music also changes, using them as a reference point is more valid to me.

 

[Epicurean]

Quote:

Originally Posted by billinkansas /img/forum/go_quote.gif The enclosed booklet for the 650 says (paraphrasing here because I don't have the booklet anymore) that they are elevated in the bass on purpose to satisfy current musical tastes, or something to that effect.

No, it says: "Today many music-lovers want to feel the sound more instead of plainly analysing it. The HD650 now captivates your senses where you used to be a mere observer."

It does not mention anything about elevated bass, although it would be easy to make that assumption.

Quote:

Hardly an audiophile attitude, in my estimation.

And here I thought that is exactly what audiophile is about. Having your own signature sound and that is what sennheiser has with the HD650s. No other headphone I've heard has sounded so physical and speaker-like.

 

[billinkansas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Epicurean /img/forum/go_quote.gif No, it says: "Today many music-lovers want to feel the sound more instead of plainly analysing it. The HD650 now captivates your senses where you used to be a mere observer." It does not mention anything about elevated bass, although it would be easy to make that assumption. And here I thought that is exactly what audiophile is about. Having your own signature sound and that is what sennheiser has with the HD650s. No other headphone I've heard has sounded so physical and speaker-like.

Well, it has been a long time since I saw the booklet, but that is indeed what I took from it it. Anyhow, the 650 deservedly has it's fans, it's just that I'm not one of them.

Off topic: speaking of headphones being "speaker-like", have you heard Stax Lambdas? To me they pretty much make toast out of the 650/600 in most cases.

 

[SK138]

Considering HD580 = HD600 (same driver except better matched), I like both for different musical application (see my sig). When running both in balanced mode...I like both even more than single ended. In the end...you can't go wrong with any of them. It's just matter of time you will eventually try both and find your own preference

 

[catscratch]

Yet another 600 vs 650 thread. Is the search function still broken, or do people not ever bother to use it?

I have both. I've listened to both for years now. Single-ended, I much prefer the HD600. It has a more natural tonal balance, more air and space around each instrument, more impact, and a more forward presentation. On the downside, it has a slight grain to its sound, speed is poor and detail is a bit lacking. The HD650 on the other hand is a bit faster, more detailed, and a lot more refined, but it has a wretched tonal balance, with the bass being bloated and dominating over everything, while the highs, which are quite nice actually, are too recessed and mask the detail.

Balanced, or in a push-pull system, I prefer the HD650. Balanced drive reigns in the HD650's bass and brings out the highs, effectively eliminating what I hate about it. In the absence of the negatives, the HD650's superior technical merits push it ahead of the HD600. It's a warm, lush, euphonic but still very transparent and detailed headphone. The HD600 balanced is also quite good, being very very impactful, forward, and energetic but still very natural sounding, but I prefer the HD650.

If you're going to be driving them single-ended, or if you have warm-sounding tube gear or vinyl sources, get the HD600. If you have any plans on driving them balanced, or have a cold, bright sounding single-ended solid-state rig with lots and lots of power, try the HD650. In either case, audition both, and see what you think of them. Our advice is worth less than your own experience.

 

[augustwest]

The 600 & 650's are both variations on the Sennheiser house sound, it mainly depends on your own personal preferences as to which you will prefer.

Up until recently I had both. Once I took possession of the 650's, I never had much a desire to reach for the 600's, so I sold them just this week.

I can see how many feel that the 600's are more neutral, but that is not something I have ever valued in my listening experience. Being a "music lover" and not a "audiophile", I'm only seeking a fun, exciting listening experience and the 650's deliver that more so than the 600's for me.

Over-all I feel that the 650 provides a more dynamic presentation, with greater extension at both the bass and treble end of the spectrum. While the 600 has more of a homogenized sound giving the perception of greater neutrality.

- augustwest

 

[derek8555]

600 and 650 are two brothers, 600 being young and energetic, while the other sophisticated and calm. And I prefer the latter.

 

[ast]

I have both and have been constantly A/B them whenever I got the chance.

600 is definitely more natural, more pleasant to listen to. 650, while also great, lacks the finesse -- overly bassy, recessed mid, which render female vocal much to be desired.

 

[3x331m]

Quote:

Originally Posted by augustwest /img/forum/go_quote.gif Being a "music lover" and not a "audiophile", I'm only seeking a fun, exciting listening experience and the 650's deliver that more so than the 600's for me.

I still have both 600 and 650 with several different cables. I don't think it's anything to do with music lover vs audiophile. I strongly believe the choice between these phones are more personal. I'm a Grado fan and found the 650 a bit too dark (Less fun), despite the refinement of the 650. Anyway, I do love the 650 with Zu Mobius which makes the combo more "Fun", but the 600 with silver cables is also my favorite.

 

[pataburd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shopper /img/forum/go_quote.gif A side note - why do people on this forum only seem to like "female vocals" ? Hmmmm.

If this helps, one of my all-time favorite reference recordings for auditioning vocals is the (all male) King's Singers' "Annie Laurie." : )

 

[Canuck57]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pataburd /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've owned both (the HD650 three times and the HD600 twice) and invariably have preferred the HD600. The HD650, to me, sound unnnaturally bassy, and their highs too distant. Overall, the HD600 sound (IMHO) clearer and slightly more forward, which is more to my liking. Truthfully, w/my current sale of the HD600, I am waving a more-or-less "permanent" (well, as permanent as a head-fier's resolve can be) good-bye to Sennheiser HD6xx. My longstanding headphones of choice being the RAL re-cabled K701. In addition, I've just begun auditioning Grados, which I also find (much) more to my liking than Sennheiser, too. In the years long process of discovery, I have emerged w/a decided preference for something other than Sennheiser HD.

So our bi-annual 650/600 swap is off eh! Dang!

I owned the 650, sold them, bought 600s, bought 650s again and sold the 600s. To me, they're quite similar sounding headphones as the Headroom frequency chart would suggest. It was tough deciding which cans to keep, at the end of the day I preferred the fuller bass of the 650s and found the sound "fuller" overall than the 600s (if that makes any sense).

They're both great headphones, and it's a matter of personal taste as to which one would prefer. I find that I listen to my 650s most out of all my headphones.