Sennheiser HD 650 Review
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- čas přidán 6. 05. 2014
- Full review of the HD 650 over ear headphones from Sennheiser.
One of the truly legendary headphones on the market - they've been around for YEARS and are still considered one of the best audiophile cans especially in their price range. If you crave a soundstage that will just immerse you in the music, then you MUST try these headphones! With a quality recording, it's truly a treat. As far as genres - these headphones can work well with pretty much anything out there. Hip Hop, trance, etc. would definitely work better on other cans, but don't get me wrong - you can definitely enjoy those genres on these headphones. The fact that they roll off right around 30Hz definitely takes a way from some of the harder hitting music, but honestly, to really experience these headphones, you'll be looking at listening to genres like Jazz, Singer/Songwriter, etc to get that sense of involvement and and depth. A truly fantastic set of headphones.
Pros:
- SOUNDSTAGE!!!
- Full, controlled, detailed bass
- Cool, relaxed but full midrange
- Detailed, smooth highs
- Scales well with equipment - sounds great with inexpensive equipment - sounds phenomenal with high end equipment
Cons:
- Melon crushing clamping pressure
- Bass roll off around 30Hz
- Depending on equipment, sound can be a bit too dark
- Styling? A lot of plastic for 5 bills
Brian Larson at RazorDog! Audio:
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www.headphonereviewhq.com/ - Věda a technologie
I wish you'd do more reviews. Always enjoy your videos. I have the HD650s and I still enjoyed your video. Your review was one of the reasons why I got the T1 :D
Thanks for the detailed review; has been quite informative.
I really loved this review, Awesome slow pan of the headphones with excellent narration over the top! Really makes me want these headphones even more!! Keep up the great work!
LOL Yeah...this headphone thing is a curse!
This is probably the most thorough review I've really enjoyed.
just ordered these..can't wait to get them!!
Just stumbled across this...
Good review man! 👍🏻
I just bought the 650's. They are simply amazing. Sublime sonic purity!
This was very helpful and you watch alot of these review before you make a decision atleast when spending this much cash. You made me understand whats good and whats not good even tho i dont understand the numbers in the back of the box (does anyone?)
More then that it came from the heart and that is what made me order these as i type this. Thanks mate, hope you are well.
Alan, great review, as always! I want to know if you had the opportunity to choose only one of the two, and knowing that you have tried both which would you choose, Beyerdynamic DT990 Premium, or these? I had the DT990 and kept me captivated a long time, I guess it's time to try other, and I have them in sight ... I will miss the extreme delicacy of the 990? Thanks!
Good review mate
Thanks for the great review. Nice one. I was wondering if you could describe the benefit of getting the HD650 instead of the HD558.
I've chosen the 558 over the 598 because I've heard 558 has a darker less bright sound, nearly identical soundstage to 598 and that the 558 can be modded with removal of the rubber piece over the driver.
As far as open-back cans, for me it's down to either HD558, HD650, ATH-A700 or Audeze LCD2 (financing). Would like to decide soon.
For closed-back it will be either SRH440, DT990 or ATH-M50x.
I'm ready to start ASAP with the 558's just need to do a compare against the 650's and A700 ' s and possibly test drive something planar magnetic to hear it's soundstage.
Thanks for the review! I really like the look of these headphones but they've been on the market for such a long time now, do you still think they're worth buying because they seem slightly outdated!? Thanks
Nice Review HQ ! :)
Thanks!
Which can you recommend me to buy ? The HD 600 or HD 650? Can i use the Dragonfly Red with them?
Thank you. Nice video.
Thanks for the great review. I recently bought these after listening to them at BB though I had originally gone to buy the Momentums. I bought a FiiO e17 amp based on recommendation but I have not noticed much of a difference between amp vs no amp. I can tell the sound can get louder when connected to my iPhone 6plus but on my computer not much. A bit more research has led me to these need something like 400-500 quality amp to do them justice. I'm thinking the momentums might be a better fit for me I didn't want to spend over 700 on headphone music. What do you think about these between the momentums, obvious things aside. Thanks!
because they have 300 ohms !
Hello there... Could someone tell me what would be the best pick for blues(rock), classic rock, acoustic, folk, and some jazzy tunes? HD600, HD650, HiFiman 400SE, or... sth else entirely?
I was thinking of getting the HD 650s, but all I have is a fiio e11 amp right now. Was planning on getting a much better DAC and amp later since you said the 650 scale well. Is it worth buying now or waiting for better gear first?
Are there any "closed back" headphones that can produce the quality of these HD 650s??
How about for classical music? Would it sound like I'm in the concert hall?
I am looking to buy my first set of high quality headphones and I think it is important to get a set that will last a long time and give me an ultimate sound experience, so I am willing to pay quite a bit. I was wandering whether you would recommend the HD 600 earphones? Also, I suppose I will need an amp for these high quality headphones...do you have any amp in mind that will suit these headphones, but which wont hurt my wallet too much?
Oh and btw, I think you have the "warm" and "cold" sound descriptions mixed up. :P
After pretty much 20 years on the market, this design and concept is still the best for the price on the market. That's what happens when someone who knows what they're doing go all out and design a reference product. Won't find many headphones that come out today that will still be considered excellent in the year 2035.
I still use them the most even though I have Beyerdynamic T1's.
Can you review the HD 660S?
The clamp was really noticeable when my pair was brand new, almost to a point of being uncomfortable. But they do ease up on it pretty fast, by a lot. These days I could wear them for hours on end without a problem. After over a year of active use, I can feel a bit of clamp on them if I haven't used them for a few days.
I think a comparison between the K712 is in order...
my goodness what a review..pretty much everytime i wanna buy some gear u land up like a great soul with your review and make me want these even more...i bought pretty much all my stuff after ur stamp reviews and the latest one being momentums which are fantastic and just about when i was checking out the 650s ur review sold these to me..fantastic review..keep it up..but please do focus yourself on the camera as i just love your smile and the way u take us through the review time...thums up
Thanks man! Yeah, the problem is I accidentally lost my video of the review! So I had to settle for panning shots of the headphones this time! :-)
the clamping pressure goes away after a few weeks of listening and then they feel like they were made for you :)
Can these be powered decently with an E17 Alpen? In the next two weeks Ill be getting my first open back pair. Id like to make the right decision, the first around. Thank you!
+Norman Zealand Malana Get a Valhalla 2 or Bottlehead Crack. FiiO won't do them much justice.
What amp would be the best for the HD650s under $250? I will mostly be listening to hip hop. Please let me know!
+Tom Moore Anything by Schiit or an Objective 2 would be fine. You don't need to drop $250 on an amp unless you want to.
Although I would like to disagree about the transition comment you made , I think they have one of the best transitions in any dynamic out there and I don't know how you talked about female vocals there , the presence region is way above that ....the unique thing about them is that although the frequency balance is a bit uneven they have the ability to resolve very very well which I haven't seen in any headphone right now , sure it's different with planars but for a dynamic it's one of a kind , any ways great review Alan !
Which transition are you talking about - the bass to the midrange?
Yes Alan .
My dream setup is something like hd600/650, bottlehead crack + speedball mod, schiit modi 2 DAC and silver cables. That combo has ultimate synergy from what I'm reading.
The hd 600s are often used as a benchmark by high-end equipment manufacturers to evaluate their product performance.
Hey, so I produce experimental electronic music. I have 15 years of sound design and mastering experience, so feel free to answer this question as technically as you need: Why do you say in the description that genres traditionally produced with mostly electronic techniques would sound better on other headphones? And what would you recommend for this? I know the internet is vast, but the most useful and technical discussions/reviews I find on the cans I'm looking into are usually either from the perspective of audiophile _listeners_, or producers who most only work with more conventional genres like rock, jazz, country, pop, etc.; basically genres which are always centered around vocals. Thanks in advance.
Surripere, (my opinion) Electronic music offers very clearly defined waveforms by its nature, sometimes bypassing even the microphone stage in recording. Square waves and triangle waves for example, are difficult to reproduce without the fastest transducers. Just as planar magnetic or electrostatic speakers will do more justice to detail-laden electronic music than cone speakers, so too planar magnetic headphones will do them more justice. Having said that, the hd 600, hd 650, and hd 660S are all very fast... faster than just about any other dynamic headphone out there. But the newer (and more expensive) planar magnetic headphones can track the detail much faster.
Good review , Those are the standard in Hi Fidelity great headphones , I would like you to review some Grado`s headphones , Like 325i , or the p500, Rs1i etc if you come across them in your travels and Shure 1840`s and 1540`s
Yeah, I need to try out some of the upper range ones like the ones you mentioned. I have the original SR-80's and love them...
Well listen to the rsi`s after break in m , They have become my favorite ....good review
can u recommend a portable dac and amp that best drives the HD 650?
Krautch Sochara did u find one im also searching
Krautch Sochara I drive mine with a dragonfly red by audioquest. They drive pretty well with that
Excellent review. I'm wondering how strong the bass is in these headphones. Sennheiser usually goes a little lighter on the bass as compared to other brands. I typically favor heavier (but not distorted) bass headphones. The ATH M50's have the perfect amount of bass for me. If anyone knows if the bass is a little heavier in these headphones compared to other Sennheiser's, please let me know.
Completely agree on them typically taking the "lighter" approach to bass, but rest assured, that's not the case with the HD 650's. They, and the Beyerdynamic T90's, from my experience, have the best bass of any open, dynamic headphone I've tried. And by best I mean both volume and accuracy. It'd be hard to imagine anyone being disappointed, unless you just want nothing but bass, and in that scenario you should be looking at a completely different type of headphone anyways. The HD 650's actually have a touch more bass than the M50's and it's excellent stuff - and not distorted at all.
HeadphoneReviewHQ
Thank you. Excellent information. I've been considering these headphones for a while now. I have the Sennheiser HD 518 as well as a few other Sennheiser's and they sound great with most of the music I listen to, but I think the HD 650's are going to be a better fit for me. Thanks again.
They definitely have more bass than M50's, but a totally different kind of bass. M50's get boomy and loose quickly, HD650's always stay controlled. It's like a blanket of bass that surrounds you, you feel it clearly, but it never overpowers you.
Hi Alen! I've a very simple question but i really do need your point of view and your answer definately would be an End to my despirate and pointless searching ! 'cause i believe in your ears , taste and knowlage! I have a X3 FiiO which i'm listening to it with Parrot Zik but am going to buy another HeadPhone (non-BT)so please gimme a hint between let's say HD650 , DT880 , HE500,Momentum or whatever around 500/600 $ ?thankx so much for every one of your very honest and so different review ! it's so nice of you to sharing your time and experience for free , keep up the very nice work!
Oh man, you're playing in the big arena now! Ok, so I hope you saw my comparison video of the HE-500's and the HD-650. I prefer the HE-500's, but it might be more of a personal taste type thing, although I can vouch for everyone else who listens to planar magnetics that the midrange is simply unrivaled. Comfort is a different story - the HE-500's are big and heavy. Nowhere near as comfortable as some of the others. Some of my very favorites at or below the price you mentioned: HiFiMan HE-500, Beyerdynamic T90, Beyerdynamic DT-880 Premium. The 880 Premium sounds very similar to the T90 without the same levels of bass extension. The T90's are an excellent set of headphones. I hope this helps!
You should review the Bowers and Wilkins p7
I most definitely want to!
I bought the e17 amp/dac for these, i can't buy the E09k (some day i will), due to my lack of cash, i took importance of the dac over the more power from the other amp. I hope this decision was the right one... i do realize the recommended phone impedance peaks at 150 ohms, but the dac just seems necessary.
How's it working out for you?
Should of just saved up.
Will a focusrite scarlett 2i2 drive these well?
im wondering the same thing! you have much say on this situation now 11 months later lol?
Even if it did the sound comming out wouldnt make them sound the best possible, but doubt theyd be bad at all.
The Beyerdynamic T90 have a treble Peak, so i doubt they are warmer than these. Bot such a cmoparision? The HD 650 goes for 350€ here, and was at 240€~ before Sennheiser raised their prices by a good bunch. And the HD 650 was a part of the "big 3", AKG K701, DT 880 and HD 650, so that these 3 are kinda at the same level of soundquality. But due to the HD 650's laid back treble, the Detailresolution was below AKG K701/DT880 (and so of corse far below the T90). Can you anyhow confirm that?
Also, More direct comparisons would be very awesome. Especially here, where Hifiman reduced their price of the HE 400 (which is also a slightly darker, bassy headphone), and should be at a similar pricerange as the HD 650.
Yeah, I've actually recorded a comparison of the HE-500's and the HD 650's. I hope to get that out within the week. As far as the T90's, it's been so long since I've listened to them that I don't remember exactly how they sounded, I just remember being impressed. And yes, the DT-880 is one of my very favorites, although they are much more neutral than the HD 650's. The HD 650's are much darker/cooler in their presentation.
If i wanted a bassy headphone should i pick these up or the vmoda m-100s i have a 300 ohm amp so i can power these if need be
+MrMADD987 Closed back headphones generally have a much deeper bass response. If that's really your only concern go with the V-Moda, but the HD-650s will sound better in every other scenario.
+SimpleSock thank you for the response, now that i have looked around i rekon im gonna get the fostex th-600s w/ the fiio e12 mont blanc because they are nice quality and closed back so i get the bass aswell.
+SimpleSock deeper implies extended, which tends to be the opposite. Closed headphones have emphasized bass with a generally larger midbass hump. Open headphones have less impact usually, but better extension. The 650 actually has a midbass hump, and they are head and shoulders above an M100 on even a basic system. Upgrade and they are world class.
Braden Olszewski yeah i decided to go with the 650HD for christmas HYPEEEE!!!
Can these be used for Music Production?
Definitely.
Of course... an excellent choice... but... remember these are ‘open’ headphones, and as such, you will hear any external sounds in the room, and others in the room will have the potential for hearing the phones. So... in a dead silent room, these are fantastic because of thier detail. In a noisier environment, it may be harder to focus on just the music. Hope this helps.
Would these work well from PC sound card?
get an amp + dac.
Will sasso?
What amp/dac would you recommend for these?
Graham Slee Solo
In general the higher the current a headphone amp can put out(assuming all other things remain constant. Ie distortion) the better. These are 300 ohm headphones that require much more power than 8 ohm traditional headphones. Chances are, any amp that is usb powered will never be satisfying... they just don’t have enough electricity to work with. They may(or may not) give you the volume you want, but they will lack the extra headroom to recreate the dynamics that make these phones special, and therefore making them sound... average.
Why does this review sound exactly like the Hifi Heaven review?
Hi how does these compared to Momentum
Momentum is amazing for portable use, I have the HD600 but use my Momentums more.
Musical Fidelity X-Can V2
Hey what happened??? You stopped doing reviews. Everything ok?
With sonarworks it's the best, without not much
Just ordered off Amazon...not cheap ..but limited availability .
Seems most senns have insane head band pressure - otherwise they're quite neutral.
So would these sound better on the HTC 10 or the LG V10 ??
You don't want these for any smartphone. You'll want an amplifier to get good sound out of these. (300 Ohms)
Orry Bennett get a schiit stack
the LG V10 has a sabre dac and amplifier installed on the phone for up to 600 omhs
You might be right, try it, I heard the iphone was good at driving them
do i need an amp for this i want this for gaming?
you don't need one, but they are power hungry. A bottlehead crack or schiit magni+modi are perfect for these. I personally use a nuforce ha-200 which is an awesome, well priced amp that you can put on blocks to effectively quadruple the power.
Reignerific are these recommended for a gamer or should i get the sennheiser game one?
Depends. They sound great for gaming! They don't have a mic though and remember they are open so if you do have a seperate open mic, you can hear game sounds in it. Also best to have an amp and dac for the headphones to operate at their best!
+Reignerific i would get the audio technica at2020 is the difference in quality of sennheiser 650 hd with amp and dac vs sennheiser game one worth the price difference tho?
Yes.
These are like 290 on slickdeals.
Oh god the swallows
dark?? aren't sennheiser tune always dark~ it was their unique.
my friend said the weakness of hd600 and 650 was their cables
they say "the cables cant show the fang of hd600 and 650, they said minimum must use Alo sxc 24 cables and try it with some amplifier that have same class with burson". and i only can say "f*** you" to my friend
lmao
Hd 700 with a tube amp is far better than these.The best you can get under 1000$.
Well, they do cost a lot more, so that is to be expected.
the msrp for 650 is 500, hd 700 are 500 and hd 660s (has the driver of the hd700 but is tweaked) are 500.
Katy Perry??? Your review just went down the crapper!
shut up stupid and go listen to music you like instead of judging others for what they listen too
+Ronnie B. Goode He only mentioned it to point out a detail on the bass, not that he was a fan.
Dude u gotta stop swallowing so much in ur video , I had to stop watching cuz I started getting disgusted by that , pretty gross wen u got a good set of headphones