Product Description
Sennheiser HD650 Stereo Headphone is the child of the highly acclaimed HD600 that was hailed as the Product of the Year in 1998. Numerous enhancements have been added to accommodate new digital recordings including MP3 tracks. Superbly well balanced, with rock solid bass, excellent mid-range response and detailed yet natural upper frequency response, the new HD650 is poised to quickly become the "connoisseur's choice." Ultra soft velour ear cushions Improved signal cable terminates in 1/4 phono plug User-replaceable parts and a 2-year warranty
Amazon.com Hands-On Review
The Sennheiser HD 650 open-air dynamic headphone is a music lover's dream: easy to wear and downright intoxicating to listen to. Sennheiser is, hands-down, the number-one name in high-quality headphones, and for good reason. From the issue of its legendary HD 580 headphone in mid-'90s, the German company has cornered the market on ultimate over-ear sound coupled with ultimate comfort, an unbeatable combination.
With no need to reinvent the wheel year in and year out, 2004's titanium/silver-colored HD 650 is only the third top-of-the-line incarnation since the HD 580, following the classy HD 600 (and not counting Sennheiser's made-to-order $15,000 Orpheus electrostatic headphone). Is each issue better than the last? Fundamentally, yes, though they're also simply "different." Taking as a starting point that each is truly excellent, the 580 might be said to focus on glorious midrange; the 600 makes a point of delivering extended, exceptionally airy high frequencies; and the 650, fittingly enough, tackles the most difficult area of sound for small drivers to handle: deep bass.
The 650 offers appreciable bass well below 40 Hz, the region responsible for the deepest frequencies generated by kick drums, timpani, double bass, electric bass guitar, and all manner of electronic sounds. Further, the 650 reproduces its low frequencies with only minimal emphasis in the upper-bass region, between the areas we commonly call "bass" and "midrange", in which undue emphasis can destroy clarity both above and below.
If you listen mostly to classical, jazz, and acoustic music, you'll probably embrace the headphone's low-end authority without reservation. If you listen to contemporary pop/rock and electronica, however--genres subject to a fair amount of equalization and bass boosting over the course of recording, mixing, and mastering--then you might find yourself facing, at times, a bit too much bass. Of course, most rock demands excellent bass response, and the HD 650 delivers. It just isn't forgiving of a musical production's gross errors of judgment, which would makes it a great asset for sound engineers.
The 650's driver material is a specially fabricated "acoustic silk" that minimizes harmonic and intermodulation distortion while maintaining a natural timbre. These drivers start and stop on a dime, ensuring dynamic transient "snap" while minimizing subtle, unwanted resonances that a given sound can induce.
Its broad frequency response is rated at 16 to 30,000 Hz, -3 dB (that is: the point at which the frequency extremes are reproduced 3 dB quieter than the frequencies in between), and 10 to 39,500 Hz, -10 dB. This makes the headphone a brilliant way to fully appreciating high-resolution audio formats like SACD, DVD-Audio, and LP records. Comparatively lower-res compact discs also sound fabulous. For best results, listen through a high-quality headphone amplifier, such as a dedicated headphone amp or the headphone jack in a high-quality preamplifier, integrated amplifier, or surround receiver.
The 650 performs remarkably well with portable audio devices (your iPod will likely never have sounded better), but keep in mind that a) you'll need to crank the volume (sucking battery power), b) the 650 will probably make you uncomfortably aware of how amazingly far MP3s are from CD quality, especially below 160 kbps, and c) the open-air nature of the drivers means they block no outside noise whatsoever and broadcast their high frequencies to anyone within earshot.
The headphone's detachable, Kevlar-reinforced OFC copper cable is over 9 feet long. While unquestionably durable and free from motion noise over most of its length--that is, noises audible in the ear cups when the cable is moved or touched--we noticed that the top foot or so (where it meets the earcups) is far more susceptible to motion noise than, say, any part of the cord for the HD 600. It's not an issue when one is either motionless or rocking out.
A nice touch for nighttime use and for blind listeners is a trio of small bumps above the left earcup to assist in orienting the headset. Other features include hand-selected, matched transducers with tight (+/1 dB) tolerances, computer-optimized and highly efficient Neodymium ferrous magnet systems, extremely lightweight aluminum voice coils, and a gold-plated .25-inch jack plug with a separate adapter lead for connecting to minijack .125-inch plugs.
As to comfort, the 650's elliptical ear cups use thick felt pads which circle the ears completely. It's perfect for extended listening, putting no pressure on the ears themselves and fitting snugly across the head. The 650 is the tightest of the three models, an asset for those who want to listen while upright and moving about. --Michael Mikesell
Pros:
- Great sound overall
- Uncommonly comfy fit
- Deep bass response
- Extended overall frequency response
- Dynamic performance
- Extremely low distortion
- Long headphone cord
- Mercilessly revealing of a recording's deficiencies
Cons:
- Top 1 foot of cord is susceptible to motion noise
- Mercilessly revealing of a recording's deficiencies
- You may hate your speakers after hearing this headphone
What's in the Box
Headphone, a detachable headphone cable, a .125-inch minijack adapter, a hard-shell storage box (silver with embossed blue lettering), a user's manual, and warranty information.
Customer Reviews:
EXCELLENT.......2007-12-22
Best headphones i've heard.I know i've said that before,but i really mean it now.previously had a pair of great,but bass heavy beyerdynamics dt770.the senns are just so well balanced,i dont know what else to say.just a few quick words of advice.firstly, they have an impedance of 300ohms,so good amplification is a must, in order for them to sound their best.Secondly,you gotta let these babys burn in for a couple of days before you can really judge them,dont expect perfection straight out the box.
Great headphones, but not perfection........2007-12-21
Rumor has it that Sennheiser will be introducing a new top of the line headphone early next year, so if you're not in a huge hurry, you might wait to see if the HD 650s will be dropped from the product line. If they are, you'll probably be able to pick up a pair at a reduced price.
The HD650s are great headphones, but they are not perfect. However, neither is anything else. I've (at one time or another) owned the top offerings from the "Big 3" makers of dynamic headphones: Sennheiser, AKG, and Grado. I've also tried Ultrasones. Each brand has a distinctive "house sound." Translation: some recordings will sound better on one brand than the others and vice-versa.
The 650s have a warm, laid-back sound...with a bit of hump in the bass frequencies. This is a mixed blessing. It helps out some recordings, but leaves others sounding a bit too bassy. If you are using them on a portable amp (which will have less prodigious bass than a home unit due to power supply limitations), the slight bass hump may really help the sound. On the upside, the midrange and high frequencies on the HD 650s are totally smooth, the phones have a great soundstage, and they are fairly comfortable. To get the most from them though, you will need a separate headphone amplifier.
I use my pair with an aftermarket Cardas cable. To my ears, the difference (and improvement) in reproduction was there from the start. The Cardas cable opened up the mid and high ranges over what I got with the stock cable. However, I can't say you won't be happy with the HD 650s without a replacement cable. We all hear things a bit differently due to the shapes of our outer ears. To some people, the Sennheiser line has a slightly veiled sound. A Grado will sound like you are on the front row or on the stage itself. A Sennheiser will place you a few rows back in the hall.
A bit further down, someone recommends the HD 600s over the HD 650s. I say try them both out. I find the high ranges on the 650s to sound a bit smoother and they are perhaps a bit more extended. On the other hand, the HD 600s do not have a bass hump. The differences in sound are apparent, so try both out if you can before buying.
Even though this review may strike the reader as being a bit negative, it's really not. My hope is that it's a realistic assessment from a listener who is not a fanboy or a pimp for any brand. Is the HD 650 the best dynamic headphone out there? Maybe... maybe not. Let your own ears be the judge. I love my HD 650s and can't see myself selling them anytime soon. However, I also own two other pairs of headphones from other manufacturers and find myself rotating between them all periodically.
The best audio purchase I have ever made.......2007-11-08
These headphones sound absolutely incredible and I don't know what praise I can give them that hasn't already been said many times. The only downsides I can think of (open design, hard to drive properly, non-flat frequency response) are design decisions that given these cans their beautiful sound quality so they can't really be considered downsides. Every time I listen to these I am in my own world of musical bliss and find it hard to stop listening. It is always "just one more song" and "just one more..." until next thing I know it is 2:00am and I have to be up for work in a few hours!
The best advice I can give is to drive these properly, do not hook them directly up to the headphone jack on, well anything except for a quality receiver or amp. Actually I would highly recommend a headphone amp such as one from www.headphone.com. I am currently using a Headroom Total Bithead and the HD650s sound incredible and as I upgrade my amp, dac and source material in the future, the HD650s will only sound better and better.
If you can afford these, they are worth every penny. There hasn't been a second that I have regretted my purchase and these are one of my most prized possessions.
WAY OVERATED!!! Huge Dissapointment.......2007-11-05
I auditioned these headphones after reading some of the reviews and could not believe how disappointing they were. I have a background in audio engineering and production. But mostly I just enjoy listening to good music....accurately! Anything else is an insult to the recorded material and the listener for that matter. If the listener chooses to make eq adjustments at home to suit his or her tastes then that is a matter left for their individual decision making.
What Sennheiser has done with the HD 650 is grossly alter the natural balance of the source material in a way that makes these things useless for anyone serious about recorded music. Muddy, indistinct, boosted bass, severely rolled off highs and a midrange trying to peak through from behind all that bass. Serious reference quality transducers should not do this. Consumer gear throws that kind of stuff at you. For the price these cans are a joke!
Sennheiser's HD 595 offer a far more balanced sound at half the price.
If anyone is serious about a high end headphone purchase the AKG K701 get my highest recommendation. At least that's what I bought.......
Cheers,
Gregg
Good, hope they get better.......2007-06-15
Initially I was dissapointed as I found the sound sort of "opaque", when compared to my Grado 325's. I am etiher getting accustomed to the sound or they are improving as I use them more. One thing I must say is that if you want to listen to jazz, new age or similar music, the Grado 352's are much better because they deliver a brighter, more detailed sound. If you want to listen to classical music, the Senheiser HD650's are a very good choice. Again, I hope that they will keep improving overtime, as happens with speakers.
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