[donunus]

The 580 was though

 

[Drumonron]

I think there will be an HD700 someday and it will be about 800.00 -1000.00...maybe a mini HD800, you know!

However, I can only imagine an HD900!!

 

[thechungster]

Ah bugger forgot about the HD580

 

[Rude Dog]

Sennheiser HD 650 are selling for 350.00 at J&R Music/ Audio, and can also be had for around 325.00 should you bargain with Woodwind and Brass out of Indiana I think.

 

[gugguson]

Thanks for the replies.

Is J&R located in Boston? My friend is going there next week and I was thinking about asking him to buy HD650 for me there. Are there any suggestions of stores there which have the headphones and good prices?

Regards,
Johann

 

[Ruffle]

Hey there. The HD650 before the HD800 was Sennheiser's reference headphone, meaning their best to offer. But just cause it's a few years old doesn't mean it's not good or bad. The HD600 which was replaced by the HD650 is preferred by some.

The K501 was discontinued by AKG, yet you can still see posts, even from today, recommending people to look for a used pair.

Just give the HD650 decide, and you decide if it's worth the $350-499, wherever you buy them.

But as always don't judge by price. The most expensive may not be the best to YOU, which is all that matters.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gugguson /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hello guys. I know that it is hard to answer if the Sennheiser HD650 headphones will be replaced soon with a new model, but what do you guys think? I'm thinking about buying these headphones and I see that the 650 model is a few years old and Amazon is selling them at $399 instead of $640 which is the full price. Could it be because there is a new model on the way? Regards, Johann

Nopes. There are only a few authorized dealers in Boston, you can give Sennheiser USA a call. I believe they sell the HD650 for $499, which is still $150 below MSRP price. I am amazed at how cheap HD650 is at JR Audio, HeadRoom and few other places.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gugguson /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the replies. Is J&R located in Boston? My friend is going there next week and I was thinking about asking him to buy HD650 for me there. Are there any suggestions of stores there which have the headphones and good prices? Regards, Johann

 

[aimlink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruffle /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey there. The HD650 before the HD800 was Sennheiser's reference headphone, meaning their best to offer. But just cause it's a few years old doesn't mean it's not good or bad. The HD600 which was replaced by the HD650 is preferred by some. The K501 was discontinued by AKG, yet you can still see posts, even from today, recommending people to look for a used pair. Just give the HD650 decide, and you decide if it's worth the $350-499, wherever you buy them. But as always don't judge by price. The most expensive may not be the best to YOU, which is all that matters.

The major economies are consumer driven. The typical large electronics/computer manufacturing company would be in serious problems if their customers didn't feel inclined to upgrade every so often. It's therefore up to them to convince the consumer that it's time to get their new latest and greatest. There are many a great headphones like the HD650 that are thought to be not so good because of the collective feeling that since it's been around for so long that it can't be really good anymore. Despite the music being the same and in many cases worse in terms of the quality of the recordings.

Quite often, the small changes that constitute an upgrade may be minimal and worse, not actually to one's personal liking. The HD600 to 650 is a very good example with many preferring the 600's sound. OTOH, the consumer reviews promoted by companies and sales outlets will almost always say that the new flagship is better.

Another thing is the 'flagship is best' mentality. Though this may be the case at times, it often isn't. A glaring example is the Grado RS2i being lost and not really heard of, while the RS1/i are revered. The RS2i is quite similar in sound and it could either way which one is preferred. I do look at these uber high end headphones and often think that the presentation, i.e., the care taken in ensuring a nice appearance (leather stitched finish), shiny surfaces, wonderful carrying cases must contribute heavily to the added cost for each unit.

With all this, I can't help but admit that I've been personally influenced by this wave of influential inflow of praise/hype for the new and disinterest in the old. Though there are definitely breakthroughs in sound with new stuff definitely improving on the old, the challenge is to maintain that balance and it all boils down to genuinely trusting your own ears.

I wonder if J&R are selling the HD650's without the case?

 

[Funky-kun]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aimlink /img/forum/go_quote.gif I wonder if J&R are selling the HD650's without the case?

I got mine half a year ago for 320$ shipped with a case.

 

[MikoLayer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif IIRC, the Sennheiser rep said that no "baby" HD-800 was coming. Given the amount of time the HD-600 has been on the market, I don't see the HD-650 going anywhere any time soon. Further, the R&D, tooling, etc. for the HD-650 should be fully amortized now. Sennheiser will likely kick back and let the profits accumulate, as corporations are wont to do. The only Sennheiser rumor I've caught lately is that they're not done with electrostats. If Sennheiser cooks up something on par with the HD-800, I'd immediately preorder.

Speaking of all their costs having been amortized, I just received some replacement drivers for my HD650 and HD580 (shares the same driver with HD600 as you would already know). Surprisingly, the former had the lower cost on the driver. One might be inclined to reason they might have relatively more resources to produce the HD650 version, but then HD650s retail for more than HD580/600s do. Who knows what goes on behind the scenes

 

[paaj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif The only Sennheiser rumor I've caught lately is that they're not done with electrostats. If Sennheiser cooks up something on par with the HD-800, I'd immediately preorder.

that would be exciting

 

[carledwards]

I doubt the 650 will be going out of production in the next few years. But one never knows, these days!

 

[TheDeliveryMan]

Both the HD 650 and HD 800 are here to stay.

 

[JaZZ]

I don't know about a HD 650 substitute, but the HD 800 is just the start and the lowest model of a series of dynamic high-end headphones using the ring-membrane transducer technology.

[size=xx-small](According to rumors produced on the German HiFi Forum a few weeks ago)[/size].