Sennheiser HD 650 Audiophile Open-Back Dynamic Headphones-Grey

Great sounding headphones!. As we know HP are subjective to ones listening taste. Wanted a pair that were not too clinical and flat, last thing i wanted was to come home after a hard day and start an analytical listening session. Went through a lot of pairs before these ranging from Senny RS165 blutooth, a pair of Sony MDR1 and another Sony blutooth , Audio Technica MSR 7 which were good but occasionaly peaked the higher frequencies too much for me at my age 40+, set of grados (couldn't justify the price). All these fell short apart from the Sennheiser HD650's which gave the best return on cost comfort and my listening signature. I did end up comparing these to a set of Audio Technica M50x's and you may laugh but for me there were many similarities with the sound signature even though right off hand i will state these are in another league compared to the M50x's depending on your music and listening signature. You will find the review for the AT M50x's here aswell as ive posted this review for the M50x's also. Let me start by saying for me the M50x are an excellent set of cans that hold the frequencies with integrity. Tops never peaked and sounded harsh, mids were separated and slightly pronounced and never sounded muffled once, and the lows are tight and controlled but ever so slightly pronounced for a more warm sounding experience exactly what i was wanting. A run of Yanni Rainmaker and Estas Tonne The Song of the Golden Dragon shone on these with a good soundstage but not as expansive as the HD650's, one was able to distinguish the instruments and the vocals more on the HD650's especially from the senorita in the Rainmaker which was nothing short of sublime and more of an epic journey to the heavens and back on the 650's. A few further tracks of Coldplay, George Benson, Randy Crawford, Qawalli Folk Music. Clannad Irish Folk, and finally some classic hip hop from the likes of Cool Herk, Afrika Bambata, Melle Mel, Grandmaster Flash etc and modern hip hop likes of Mobb Deep, CNN, Fat Joe, Big Pun etc let me say the M50's brought a smile to the face and made me listen more attentively to the HD650's. Please note i was running both headphones through a headphone amp/32 bit dac with 2 HP ports capable of running both pairs at the same time. Both sets of cans did an excellent job at lots of different genres. Very rarely do you come across a pair that can handle the above genres with authority, never once sounding uncontrolled or overwhelmed. Where the M50x's were like satin the HD650's were like silk, both handled speed with finesse but at times the M50x could get lost especially with a bit of rock whereas the HD650's had a vice like grip with excellent separation. Please do bear in mind the cost of the M50x's. "I also tried the headphones with my Nexus 6P through a quality HP amp and 32 bit DAC the M50x sound was further enhanced and now the smile had turned to a grin with a few audible affirming compliments, totally sublime and these were testing the waters of my HD650's which were more than twice the price of these." However let me state for the record these M50x are very good for the person who wants to disappear into the audio and doesn't want a totally flat response as monitors can provide but they are not as good as the HD650's which has hand picked drivers on the assembly line for uniformity. However after much consideration on the point of diminishing returns and the power hungry 'open back' HD650's i went with the M50x as they were also easier to drive and did not need a lengthy set up when you wanted a quick portable listen, but these are 'NOT' as good as the reference standard HD650's which are definitely a couple of notches above the M50x's. The reason the HD650's were better for me were 1) The comfort level of the velour pads. 2)The open back design also let your ears breath. The tops mids and bottoms never lost integrity once 'no matter how hard they were pushed' 3) You could hear the breath intake of vocalists and individual strike of the music instruments on the HD650's especially when listening to Estes Tonne the legendary guitarist. That's not to say these expressions were not noticeable on the M50x but their was a great soundstage on the HD650 which the M50x could not compete with, bear in mind the HD650s cost over twice the price of the M50x. Now youll be wondering why did i sell the HD650's, the choice was one of diminishing returns of how much one has to pay for the little improvement in sound in the world of hi-fi audio and the fact that i have kids that constantly disturb me and the HD650's being OB design became unsuitable. I may have possible kept them had it not have also been the set up procedure of the DAC and headphone amp being anchored to the listening room. This was one of the more difficult decisions i have ever made on a set of cans so ill finish by saying where the Audio Technica's were like Satin the Sennheiser HD650's were like silk. The choice is yours!

My Aim I have what could be described as a very entry-level computer-based audiophile set up. A dedicated Mac-Mini with Audirvana installed as the music library manager & playback program. This plays music directly to a USB Headphone DAC/Amplifier (I bought an AUNE X1s, made in China by a specialist manufacturer. Incidentally, high quality indeed at the price). This in turn has been driving a pair of Sennheiser HD558 headphones up till now. I was looking to upgrade the HD558's for headphones that would suit this set up better and my genres of music that I tend to listen to (mostly Acoustic, Rock, Popular & Jazz). They would need to be comfortable and capable of rendering music at high-resolution...so, detailed & accurate as possible for my budget. I wanted to avoid anything overly bright that in my experience can lead to listener fatigue. The AUNE amplifier is also reputed to make bright headphones sound slightly harsher. I decided on the HD650 based on the many positive reviews both on Amazon and other websites. The AUNE is optimised for the likes of the HD650, as well as the AKG701 and BeyerDynamic 770. However, I felt that the AKG & BeyerDynamic would be too bright. Anything else would be beyond my budget or taste. Delivery & Presentation The item arrived on time and as advertised...full marks to Amazon. Verification The first thing I did was verify that these were the genuine article, using Sennheiser's Verification VR code process. A useful authenticity check. Package It came in a larger box than I was expecting but then these are large headphones. The outer sleeve removed, revealing a good quality wooden presentation box covered in textured black vinyl, with metal hinges and foam inlay inside. I think over time this has improved over the previous presentation. This looks and feels a quality item although some may say it's austere looking. I'm perfectly happy with the quality & appearance...sound is more important to me. The lead is also of high quality...thickish but pliable and terminated in a 6.3mm jack at one end and Sennheiser individual connectors for each cup at the other. There is a 3.5mm adapter included and this is also a quality item, although I would question whether this would fit phones and tablets that have covers fitted... the adapter would probably be too big in many cases. It doesn't fit my phone with a Spigen case. That said, these are probably overkill for a phone or tablet and are designed more for home system listening. Comfort I agree with other commentators...they are on the tight-side. I have got used to that. I suspect that if the headband was looser, the cups may slip down onto the ears and that would be more uncomfortable. I have used them for many hours at a time and have no complaints. Sound - what to expect Straight out of the box these headphones do not impress. They sound like they are playing behind a thick curtain...rather dull and lifeless. As others have observed, these headphones need a 'running-in' period. I just played music rather than using pink-noise as others have suggested. The potential sound quality only starts after about 10 hours playing and improves greatly after that. After 40-50 hours, they open up as if that curtain has lifted. Give them time and they will realise their full potential. After running-in, the listening experience is fairly laid back, but full of detail and instruments sound like they should, thus fulfilling my original aim. The sound is not in the least harsh and I have been happy to listen for many hours at a stretch without suffering any fatigue. Bass is plentiful for my genres of music, deep and tight with plenty of 'punch'. They possibly may not suit other music genres that require yet more bass. Mids are nigh-on perfect. Treble possibly not 'zingy' enough for some tastes but in turn that can lead to harshness which is something I was trying to avoid....it's not evident with the HD650 and therefore perfect for me personally. The 'stage' and 'imaging' of players is excellent with plenty of depth...this is one of the HD650 top strengths. These headphones are detailed, meaning they sound excellent with good source recordings converted to FLAC or ALAC lossless digital formats. However, poorer quality recordings or lossy conversions (low MP3 or AAC) will be revealed for what they are. I personally feel that anything converted to below 320kbps on MP3 or below 256kbps on AAC bitrates would not be good enough to do justice to the HD650. I would also suggest that they do sound much better through a dedicated DAC/Headphone amplifier via USB. Doing the comparison, there is more detail, ambience and instrument accuracy. Quality DAC/Headphone amplifiers are plentiful at reasonable prices (e.g. SHIIT Modi2/Magni2 combination for $200 or AUNE X1s for $289). Conclusion I paid £232 for these headphones and at that price they are remarkable value for money. They have come down in price significantly over the years and still represent a first-class buy subject to the points made above. A worthwhile step up from the HD558's for me personally. I can see many years of listening with these headphones.

En primer lugar aclaro que soy entusiasta de la música y trato de disfrutarla con la mayor calidad posible pero no me considero audiófilo, por lo que mi comentario es muy simple. He estado utilizando los sennheiser hd 599 SE y es la referencia que tengo. La diferencia es bastante notable al actualizar a los HD 650, desde que me los puse y escuche algunos de los disco de referencia que utilizo se nota la mejora del sonido en general, agudos y medios bien definidos y graves controlados. hice pruebas conectados a un DAC CAMBRIDGE AUDIO modelo DAC MAGICPLUS, 24 bits 192 kHz, con trasmisión de TIDAL y archivos propios en HI-RES. Próximamente haré pruebas con un DAC- amplificador dedicado de mayor resolución.

This is one of the best headphones, but don't buy it if you don't know what this is for. 1. This is an open-back headphone. Meaning that, this headphone doesn't have Noise cancellation (active or passive). You can hear everything that's happening around you (you can even hear the fan or AC sounds) and everyone can hear what song you are playing. You need a quite place to perfectly enjoy this headphone. But what you get is awesome soundstage, crystal clear vocals and exact reproduction of the studio recording. 2. You don't get wireless/Bluetooth (because we know that wireless tech is not yet at par with the bitrate that a simple cable can transfer, in fact, Wireless is too far behind). And you get a very long, very wide and very heavy cable with this headphone. But don't take this the wrong way, the cable is strong and quite sturdy. 3. You don't get mic to use for calls. This headphone is not meant for that. 4. You can't use this directly with your mobile/PC/laptop (3.5mm jack or even the usb-to-3.5mm adapter). You can surely attach it, but without a proper AMP/DAC, the sound volume will be so feeble, low and lifeless that you would regret buying this 'expensive' headphone. You need something like a iFi AMP/DAC stack, or a Schiit Magni/Modi stack or something similar (I am suggesting budget options, of course you can opt for more expensive setup). This headphone NEEDS an AMP, and believe me when I say this, you need some powerful AMP to drive this headphone (meaning, utilize to it's full potential). 5. This headphone is not portable (of course you can take this anywhere, but that's not what I mean). You need a setup (desktop/laptop with a AMP/DAC setup, good Hi-Resolution files or Hi-Res streaming service like Apple lossless or Tidal and a quite place to enjoy this). This is not a headphone you take on the bus/train/flight/playground/to sleep/class etc. So, final words, if you don't know what the words "Studio monitors/Reference Class" on this headphone mean then it's not for you. Studio professionals/music producers/good youtubers will appreciate this headphone. And I am none, but I am enjoying this headphone so much that I wouldn't want to go back to anything else. I use this with an AudioQuest Dragonfly Red and the sound is simply out of this world.

Struttura solida, leggera molto comoda da indossare per svariate ore, materiali plastici che non vogliono essere di particolare pregio ma comunque molto affidabili e che hanno dimostrato di poter resistere a svarati anni di utilizzo intenso. La riproduzione resta concentrata sulla perfetta riproduzione delle frequenze medie ed alte, i bassi risultano tuttavia adeguati e soprattutto articolati ma senza occultare la scena sonora. _______________ » COSTRUZIONE Nessuna parte metallica se non l'anima dell'archetto che permette la regolazione, il resto dei materiali è costituito da plastica di ottima fattura trattata e verniciata in maniera gradevole. Probabilmente il trattamento superficiale rischia di essere delicato ma una minima cura nell'uso dovrebbe garantire durabilità negli anni. I padiglioni morbidi e vellutati risultano molto comodi e solidamente applicati. Molto semplice la rimozione e l' installazione, operazione che ci si troverà a considerare almeno una volta l'anno data la facilità con la quale i padiglioni si consumano andando a variare leggermente la magnifica firma sonora. Buona la regolazione dell'archetto che si adatta perfettamente, risulta inizialmente molto serrato ma sono sufficienti poche ore perchè si lasci andare andando quasi a "scomparire". » PRESTAZIONI L'impedenza, come per le HD600 e HD660S2, è di 300 ohm, di conseguenza per godere appieno delle prestazioni della cuffia è bene utilizzare un buon amplificatore cuffie, possibilmente dotato di uscite bilanciate. Le frequenze medie ed alte sono riprodotte in maniera perfetta e non risultano mai affaticanti neppure dopo svariate ore di ascolto. Frequenze basse sono precisione, presenti ma non eccessive per garantire un ascolto piacevole ma fedele e non colorato diversamente da come previsto dall'autore. La scena sonora è discretamente ampia e dettagliata, l'ascolto resta tuttavia intimo come per le HD660S2 cosa che non è necessariamente un difetto, garantisce infatti una buona rappresentazione dell'immagine sonora, ogni strumento e voce sono perfettamente individuabili nello spazio dall'ascoltatore. » CONCLUSIONI Ottimo dispositivo, solido concreto e resistente. Concentrato sulla riproduzione sonora della fascia medio alta delle frequenze con assoluta fedeltà, ma che allo stesso tempo non priva l'ascoltatore del divertimento derivante da una gestione colorata delle frequenze basse riprodotte in maniera articolata ma non enfatizzata. Sono garantite ore di ascolto soddisfacenti ed appaganti senza alcun tipo di affaticamento.

I think these headphones give you a pretty accurate sound, so there is no hype in them. You seem to get the straight studio sound to a large degree. You don't get boomy basses or sparkling highs.

Inimaginável a qualidade sonora. Você ouve as músicas que ouviu durante a vida inteira e as redescobre através deste fone. 5 estrelas!