Hajime
1000+ Head-Fier
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- Feb 20, 2003
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[size=medium]Sennheiser HD650 Review:[/size]
The Sennheiser HD650's have been the only headphone I have listened to since I received them from Jan Meier. They have been played for over a hundred and twenty hours. I would like to post a short review based on my listening experiences.
[size=small]Equipment used:[/size]
Sennheiser HD650 with Stock and Cardas replacement cables.
Emmeline HR-2 amplifier
Singlepower Audio MPX-3 amplifier
Magwire Ultra interconnects
Meridian 508.20 CD Player
For the majority of the time I used the Emmeline HR-2 amplifier and stock cable.
[size=small]Build:[/size]
First and foremost I will talk about the build quality of the HD650's.
The HD650's come in a sturdy box similar to the one included with the Sennheiser HD600's. I find it nice that Sennheiser provides a box for me to store the headphones in when I'm not using them.
The ear cups are very soft and I find the pads comfortable no matter how long I wear them. This comfort does not extend to the headband. If I have one gripe about the HD650 it is the headband. Right out of the box the headband can be likened to a large clamp placed on one's head and twisted two or three notches too tight. The headband loosens up through regular use. If you find yourself unable to wait until it does so, a number of people have recommended placing books between the ear cups in order to loosen up the headband. After the headband loosened up it became fine except for the new pad design at the top. For some unknown reason Sennheiser redesigned the headband so that it has two pads on either side with a hole in the middle. On my head this places pressure on either side of my head and can be uncomfortable after a while. The original Sennheiser HD600 headband is much more comfortable and I wish they hadn't changed it.
The new cable is an improvement over the old. If you own a pair of HD600's and wish to replace the stock cable, try buying the HD650's cable. I especially like the new plugs that fit in the ear cups which are a good deal more robust than the original adapters.
[size=small]Sound:[/size]
Now to what's most important; the sound! My general impressions will be made with the stock cable.
If I had to sum the sound of the HD650 up into one word it would be smooth. I am able to enjoy the sound from every recording I have heard through them. I am able to wear the HD650's for hours and simply listen due to their non-fatiguing nature.
The highs are very well pronounced. I find them to be perfectly clear without getting too grating as my Grados can sometimes be. This may be due to a very slight roll-off. By this I mean that while every note can be heard perfectly, the high end seems very, very slightly softer than the rest of the spectrum as it gets higher. I listen to a lot of music by Queen where synthesized music can be very fatiguing in the high end, but I am able to listen to the HD650's without that discomfort.
The mids are equally as pleasing. The majority of the music I listen to is focused on male singers, which causes me to pay close attention to the mids. I sing myself so I'm able to compare the sound of the HD650's to live music (which I hear daily). I feel the HD650's causes voices to sound extremely realistic. While listening to the Beatles or Dave Matthews I find myself absorbed in simply listening to the singers’ voices. When a singer starts singing it appears to come out of nowhere and is very captivating.
The bass on the HD650's sets itself apart from the HD600 in a few ways: it's more prominent, it sounds more natural and, in my opinion, it's more enjoyable. I haven't heard more enjoyable bass out of headphones than that of the HD650's.
[size=small]Cardas cable:[/size]
I listened to the HD650 through both the Cardas and stock cable. Initially I felt I preferred the sound of the Cardas more than the stock, but as I listened more to the Cardas this changed. The Cardas seemed to boost the high end of the HD650 up so that it was grating and unpleasant. It did, however, bring out the bass better than the stock cable. The stock cable sounds recessed in the bass in comparison to the Cardas cable. Still, the grating highs and overall unpleasant sound of the Cardas prompted me to sell it. I feel it's only fair to say that I found the Cardas cable to be very good on the Sennheiser HD600's.
[size=small]Conclusion:[/size]
As a conclusion I'd like to say that while I feel the HD650 is the most natural and enjoyable headphone I have ever heard, it is not the most neutral. I think that the HD600 is probably a more neutral headphone. That being said, the HD650 are currently my favorite headphone and it's going to be fun playing around with them in my system.
The Sennheiser HD650's have been the only headphone I have listened to since I received them from Jan Meier. They have been played for over a hundred and twenty hours. I would like to post a short review based on my listening experiences.
[size=small]Equipment used:[/size]
Sennheiser HD650 with Stock and Cardas replacement cables.
Emmeline HR-2 amplifier
Singlepower Audio MPX-3 amplifier
Magwire Ultra interconnects
Meridian 508.20 CD Player
For the majority of the time I used the Emmeline HR-2 amplifier and stock cable.
[size=small]Build:[/size]
First and foremost I will talk about the build quality of the HD650's.
The HD650's come in a sturdy box similar to the one included with the Sennheiser HD600's. I find it nice that Sennheiser provides a box for me to store the headphones in when I'm not using them.
The ear cups are very soft and I find the pads comfortable no matter how long I wear them. This comfort does not extend to the headband. If I have one gripe about the HD650 it is the headband. Right out of the box the headband can be likened to a large clamp placed on one's head and twisted two or three notches too tight. The headband loosens up through regular use. If you find yourself unable to wait until it does so, a number of people have recommended placing books between the ear cups in order to loosen up the headband. After the headband loosened up it became fine except for the new pad design at the top. For some unknown reason Sennheiser redesigned the headband so that it has two pads on either side with a hole in the middle. On my head this places pressure on either side of my head and can be uncomfortable after a while. The original Sennheiser HD600 headband is much more comfortable and I wish they hadn't changed it.
The new cable is an improvement over the old. If you own a pair of HD600's and wish to replace the stock cable, try buying the HD650's cable. I especially like the new plugs that fit in the ear cups which are a good deal more robust than the original adapters.
[size=small]Sound:[/size]
Now to what's most important; the sound! My general impressions will be made with the stock cable.
If I had to sum the sound of the HD650 up into one word it would be smooth. I am able to enjoy the sound from every recording I have heard through them. I am able to wear the HD650's for hours and simply listen due to their non-fatiguing nature.
The highs are very well pronounced. I find them to be perfectly clear without getting too grating as my Grados can sometimes be. This may be due to a very slight roll-off. By this I mean that while every note can be heard perfectly, the high end seems very, very slightly softer than the rest of the spectrum as it gets higher. I listen to a lot of music by Queen where synthesized music can be very fatiguing in the high end, but I am able to listen to the HD650's without that discomfort.
The mids are equally as pleasing. The majority of the music I listen to is focused on male singers, which causes me to pay close attention to the mids. I sing myself so I'm able to compare the sound of the HD650's to live music (which I hear daily). I feel the HD650's causes voices to sound extremely realistic. While listening to the Beatles or Dave Matthews I find myself absorbed in simply listening to the singers’ voices. When a singer starts singing it appears to come out of nowhere and is very captivating.
The bass on the HD650's sets itself apart from the HD600 in a few ways: it's more prominent, it sounds more natural and, in my opinion, it's more enjoyable. I haven't heard more enjoyable bass out of headphones than that of the HD650's.
[size=small]Cardas cable:[/size]
I listened to the HD650 through both the Cardas and stock cable. Initially I felt I preferred the sound of the Cardas more than the stock, but as I listened more to the Cardas this changed. The Cardas seemed to boost the high end of the HD650 up so that it was grating and unpleasant. It did, however, bring out the bass better than the stock cable. The stock cable sounds recessed in the bass in comparison to the Cardas cable. Still, the grating highs and overall unpleasant sound of the Cardas prompted me to sell it. I feel it's only fair to say that I found the Cardas cable to be very good on the Sennheiser HD600's.
[size=small]Conclusion:[/size]
As a conclusion I'd like to say that while I feel the HD650 is the most natural and enjoyable headphone I have ever heard, it is not the most neutral. I think that the HD600 is probably a more neutral headphone. That being said, the HD650 are currently my favorite headphone and it's going to be fun playing around with them in my system.
