Sennheiser HD 650 Audiophile Hi-Res Open Back Dynamic Headphone, Titan

These are the first step. Like anyone looking to make this kind of investment for headphones I did a lot of reading before buying. That is only going to get you so far. You need to hear these. Ten years ago I listened to a pair of HD600 straight off a disc-man with NO amp. I was completely blown away, I set out to find the perfect headphones for one hundred dollars, that was a mistake. I kept buying headphones in that range over the years and nothing came close. I was torn between these and the 600's, but decided that I loved the look of these and a few reviews pushed me to get the 650's. I highly suggest going to Guitar Center or some place that you can compare them, I believe the 600's maybe the superior sounding ones (it's always the ugly ones). It's been said that a good set up is the Lehmann Audio Black Cube Linear amp/HD600 using a 650 headphone cable. But there is no way I'm paying that kind of money for an amp... I'm not an expert and I don't plan to collect anymore headphones (unless I end up with a pile of extra money). If you are just getting into quality sound, these will destroy what you thought was possible for home listening. Even without burn-in, and an expensive amp and listening to a 128kbps file in itunes, you will want to throw out your old headphones, you will look at them with disgust and you will start ripping everything you own at lossless. These only get better with everything you bring to them, they are hungry for better. More than likely I'll be getting a Schiit amp as my first amp. Currently running these from an Apogee One for digtial or a Technics SA-5170 for vinyl and happy with this setup. I'd love to understand why people think these should have a dedicated amp. Things that you will notice when you listen. The sound stage will be expanded, the clarity and richness will be improved, the separation: you will hear things you never noticed (one voice will clearly become 3 layered voices, one piano will become 4, fingers will slide on strings) everything will become a personal concert. If you are on the fence about these don't hesitate, it's like going from and old TV to a HUGE HD one with bluray. If you are an audio pro, you probably already own these. If you didn't like something about these and you think they need to be amped, you have more money than brains (or very good hearing). If you want to significantly improve your daily enjoyment of music, buy these now. Like everyone else says there are cons: The band is tight, they are open so you can hear everything in the room (ie keyboard clicks and talking) and people can hear the headphones. These are most likely for home use only. Good thing they look more comfortable than most of the furniture in my house. You should know by now what you are getting into with these. These come in a huge foam lined box, there was nothing to cut, no way to tell if it had ever been opened or not. The cord is kevlar (think bulletproof vests) and replaceable, one time I sucked them into the vacuum roller (not this pair), seemed bad but survived (HD 495). They are light and comfortable to wear for me (not as comfy as my HD 428). They look amazing, much better than the HD600's. I think there is a lot that could be improved about how they are built (comfort and usability), but I'm insane when it comes to small details. You will want a multi-disc player or good quality digital music (big hard drive). What I listened to so far: NIN, Tool, The Cinematic Orchestra, Sam Prekop, Zoe Keating, Underworld, Aphex Twin, Miles Davis, Amadeus Soundtrack, Kodo, Led Zeppelin, Billy McLaughlin, Doomtree, Yo-Yo Ma, Alice in Chains (unplugged), Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Nirvana and Jimi. And I'll go to bed after I listen to everything that exists... These shine with live and acoustic tracks. Don't wait 10 years like I did. Get them now and start hearing your music for the first time. So worth it. On a side note, I'd consider getting a second pair of these rather than spending the money for a nice surround sound system. I figure the audio is as good but much cheaper. If Schiit is reading consider making an amp for movie buffs and their girlfriends to share. Update: I'd suggest the wireless HDR 120 for TV and Movies. Update: I recently found the Monolith Liquid Platinum amp for a great price as an open box almost half price from their own site. I also found XLR cables to swap for the headphones and for my CD player to the amp. I am extremely happy with this upgrade and was skeptical that it would make any difference but I am glad I invested. No regrets. A friend had recommended the Monolith Liquid Spark (probably a good option if you aren’t changing out the cables or have a lower budget), but once I found the deal on the Platinum I was determined to get that as my end game amp. I admit I should have made the investment sooner but it took me a few years too save up the money. Don’t waste these headphones maximize their potential with an amp.

All my life I hate headphones, because I couldn't listen to them longer period of times in ear canal ones were piercing my brain over on ear ones were uncomfortable with side effects my ears were sweating itching. Experience made me refuse buy any headphones over the decade because I've always felt they not worth it. Other hands I have quite old vintage Pioneer Hi-Fi Speakers which is my uncle bought in 80's. They still sounds great but only goes to frequency response 28 KHZ max. I have approximately 105 SACD ripped them to DSD ( Sony DSF) format with my old PS3, sacd ripper, Also Around 203 Hi-Res albums ( 24 BIT) which my friends & I bought shared through different online stores like ( Hdtracks, Qobuz, Hiresaudio.com etc). Rest of my collection just Redbook 16 bit 44.1 khz lossless format ), I haven't decent DSD native decoding DAC I'm using Macbook Pro 15. ( 2016) this device Audio capabilities garbage it has Cirrus Logic DAC muddy which only goes 96 khz, line out from this device only limited 48 khz max feeding this device through line out to amp to speakers were awful experience everything sounds muddy instruments sound separation, soundstage nothing is presents Hi-Res Audio sounded worth than CD etc. I have before Sony SACD player it laser head malfunctioned after 8 years of Use & went bad 8 years ago. After this thing broken from different laptops even expensive Apple Macbook Pro audio experience was worst I've experienced so far. I knew I need some sort of USB Audio Advanced DAC something to convert my DSD files Natively & Hi-Res Audio max out of resolution doesn't make sense have 24 bit 192 khz lossless file when your device DAC only can reproduce 96 khz can only output 48 khz max so you got my point. I have proper DAC now which Capable Play DSD ( 64,128) natively PCM up to 384 khz & line out headphone out not limited to 48 khz anymore it is alo headphone amp which have specs 285 mv ( 32 Ohm) 2.9 volt. 1. Sennheiser HD 650 Comfort ----------- I would give 10/10 never used anything like this before, you can listen for longer periods without getting any fatigue or discomfort they also very well breathable, I'm using this about 5-6 hours without break I've never got tired this is so big advantage this headphones have over others & what make them so special best in their class ( Note they have little clamping force in beginning when they are new but this thing easily resolved after 4 days of Use I left them on position Clamping Box 10 cm distance from each drives 4 days all day & this clamping pressure has gone) 2. Sennheiser HD 650 Sound Quality & Resolution ----------- Second batch of this product which is currently Amazon.com selling have frequency response up to 10 - 41.000 hz ( Hi - Res Audio Certified By Japan Audio Society) it has sticker on box, Sound quality resolution everything crystal clear bass in there ( Mids Vocals I've never heard anything like this they are magical & very straight forward & intimidate this headphones only woth buying just for listening female vocals they sounds so precious nothing come close this kind of quality this cans providing in this regard), Highs many others would say veiled actually I'm not agree with that they very well represented they just not piercing this is one of the magic formula which makes listen to this headphones long listen sessions without getting tired. 3. Sennheiser HD 650 -Power Requirement DAC, Amplification, Source ------------- This headphones rated 300 ohm, Power requirement for this I'm not 100 % sure but checked online headfi.org other online 3 volt 500 mv - 32 ohm, everyone says they incredible scales with powerful amp. I'm currently using them with my 2.9 volt 285 mv on 30 ohm source they driving this in required level so they sounds incredible, I've not t feeding them all 500 mv by now I don't own so powerful headphone amp yet. I bet with powerful amp they even getting better. Of Course Source material DAC also matters it will help get better results in the end. Currently my source 1200 ( 16 bit 44.1 khz albums lossless format), 105 DSD SACDS, 203 Hi-Res 24 Bit ( 44.1 khz up to 192 khz files) 150 albums I have in ITunes format 256 kb/s ACC, In my listening best sounding is DSD, 2nd place 192 khz PCM, 3 rd place Redbook CD 16/44.1, worst sounding AAC 256 kb/s . During listening sessions I'm more often trying avoid this ACC albums. So source matters as well to get full more detailed refined experience. 4. Sennheiser HD 650 - value build quality --------------- This headphones lightweight for it own class so you couldn't expect this thing being build from any metal it have metal where durability matter Driver Grills made from metal headband clamping sides made from metal, rest of the Unit it is high quality plastic. If you take a good care about your equipment I didn't think it will be broken anytime soon some people using HD 600 now over 15 years & nothing got broken during this time except pads & cable this is normal. This thing Made In Europe Ireland how many items do you own last 2 decades made in Europe ? Trust me build quality it is top notch. For 374.99 $ this headphones is steal. This is 500 $ valued headphones for the resolution comfort this thing provide I don't think they overpriced, nowadays any sub par Sony or Other HI-RES headphones costing 250 $ forget about bluetooth other futures every other headphone have sound quality through wireless option worst indeed, still best option connection for optimal sound quality is wire. Audio Software Used for testing Audio Nirvana Plus full version only available by this moment only ON MAC OS costing 74.99 $, It is bitperfect software have Lots of Audio futures & excellent sound quality 10 times better what average ITUNES sounds like, Native DSD playback, advanced metadata editing etc. I'm usually not to keen write reviews about products but I then saw some people giving this item sub par scoring one star rating so I decide wrote one. Please don't listen to this people they don't using this headphone as intended. They generally bought it plugged into smartphone jack or laptop, in my experience this headphone I'm not tried my smartphone but from Macbook Pro 15 ( 2016) headphone jack they sound like some cheap 15 $ no name headphone. So Please note ( Source, DAC, proper amp, all this matters to get full out of this headphones)

HD 650 Heavenly sonic bliss. My favorite headphone. Full rich, lush sounding voices and instruments. Widest sound stage of my headsets with excellent clarity. Very easy to separate and follow various voices and instruments in the music I listen to. Very balanced across the entire range of frequencies without one range over powering another. Everything is very clear. No muddiness of sound. Cybals and chimes crisp and clear. Snare drums nice crisp sound. Bass pleasant with excellent sound decay and appropriate reverberation lasting longer than my other headsets. I can really feel the music around my ears with this headset. The sound envelopes my head instead of feeling like its between my ears. Now I can experience the music rather than just listen to it. Makes music much more enjoyable and realistic sounding. This can be driven by my iPod, iPad, MacBook Pro, Laptops and Desktop PCs without an amplifier. I have no doubt an amplifier will improve the sound, but the sound is already rich and clear without amplification and still better than my other headphones. I'm hearing/experiencing things that I never heard before with my other headsets ... the faint pops that occur from an old LP that has been digitally recorded ... just amazing (from an iPod without amplifier). This is my experience. Your mileage may vary depending upon what you want out of your headsets. Finding the “best headphone" is a very expensive and very subjective journey. Reading reviews can only take one so far. Opinions range far and wide depending upon the reviewers individual tastes, experience with music and what one primarily listens to. Descriptions of the sound in reviews don't always help due to differences in meaning. For example what is described as the veiled Sennheiser sound may be what I call a mellow laid back sound (not sure). My advise is listen to your music with a lot of different headphones and do your own comparisons to determine what you like. What you hear coming from each headphone is going to vary with the design of the headphone, but also modulated by a. the type of music you listen to b. how the recording was originally made (microphones converting analog to electrical then stored on magnetic tape or digitized) b. the quality of the recording you are listening to (especially if digitized, what was truncated if anything) c. the format in which it is recorded and sampling rate d. the equipment you play it on and how it translates the recording back to an electrical impulse to be sent to the headphone e. the headphones themselves (open, closed, type of diaphragm material, how many speakers (i.e. the Shure 500 series has 2 woofers and a tweeter in each ear piece to achieve its balanced sound presentation across its spectrum, I have a gaming headset with multiple speakers) Having said that, the music I listen to is classical to 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, pop, country, jazz, big bands, vocals, instrumentals. I don’t have a dedicated amplifier and play all my headphones on iPods, iPads, iPhones, Mac Book Pros, PCs, Pioneer Tuners. All my headphones sound just fine without an amplifier, but I have no doubt that an amplifier will improve the sound. My music is recorded in MP3 at 320 kbps, but I prefer M4A apple lossless or WAV at 1400 kbps for the best possible digital sound quality. I can hear the difference between 1400 kbps, 320 kbps, and the more compressed music at 192 and 128 which can be found on MP3 sites like the apple store. I convert my CD collection to both 1400 kbps and 320 kbps 44.1 MHz so it can be played at the best quality on whatever system I am using. All my headphones have been broken in with at least a 72 hour continuous play run. My headphones from most favorite to least favorite are Sennheiser HD 650 Shure 500PTH Sennheiser HD 598 AKG K550 Sennheiser HD 555 modified to 595 Sony DLP777 — bright Jaybird Spirit — midtones muffled due covering that prevents sweat getting into ear pieces Sennheiser HD 280 Noise cancellers: Bose QC2 — bass heavy, muddy midtones Bose QC3 — even more bass have, muddy midtones Dr. Dre Beats — too bass heavy, stick to rap and non-critical listening (rap) For me, the HD 650 is a 5 star headphone and by far my favorite of all my headphones. Allows me to truly feel and experience the music I like listening to using the devices I have. My iPods, iPhone, iPads and MacBook Pro can drive this 300 ohm just fine (of course the volume level has to be turned up compared to the lower ohm headphones), but the lush rich realistic sound still comes through better than the other headphones. By feel, I mean that the HD650 diaphragms move so much air around my ears I can feel and experience the music as opposed to just hearing it. The Shure PTH500 can do this in my ear canal. My HD598 does this much better than the HD 555 and has a more pleasant sound to me than the HD555. But none of these come close to the experience I get with my new HD650. It’s like standing in front of a speaker at a concert or DJ’d party except its around me ears instead of having my body feel the sound wave. The timbre, tone, character of the instruments from the HD650 is slightly better than my original reference PTH500. PTH500 and HD650 are better than my other headsets. With these two, I discovered things that I couldn’t hear with the other headsets. Sound stage of the HD650 is wider than the PTH500 which is wider than the other headphones. Both have much better separation of the instruments and vocals and much better clarity which gives the music a more 3 dimensional enjoyable sound. Much easier to pick out individual instruments and so I can more easily play along on piano, guitar etc. With other headsets I have to struggle to hear the individual parts. The Shure 500 has been my favorite reference headphone since 2008. With its sound isolation qualities, I use it when traveling and when I don't want to disturb others around me. The problem with it is that it can eventually be painful on the ear canals and sound quality (bass) is lost when the ear canal seal is lost when moving around or exercising. Additionally, hearing the crunch of food while eating and listening with the 500s is a consequence of in ear monitors. Both the HD650 and PTH500 have the best balance across all sound frequencies with the widest sound stage. The Bose QC2, QC3, and Beats have more emphasis on bass followed by treble at the expense of midtones, so if I want really loud bass, I’ll go with the Beats followed by QC3, then QC2 for lesser degrees of bass punch. The HD 598 was my favorite after the PTH500 because its open design moves a lot of air allowing me to kind of feel the music, but not the extent of the HD650. It has what I consider a more laid back and mellow sound than the HD 555 and PTH500. Kinda relaxing and pleasant. HD555 DLP777 place more emphasis on treble. If I want high energy treble, the HD555 and AKG K550 are my go to headsets. I prefer the open design over the closed headsets because they just move air better with a generally richer sound then my closed headphone Shure 500PTH — best overall balance and 3D clarity while physically blocking outside noise HD 598 -- open, good overall balance, mellow sound AKG 550 — closed, good overall balance. doesn't move air as well as HD598, but good second choice to the 598 HD 280 — closed thin; waste of my money. was never happy with it. Sony MDP 777 — closed, emphasis on treble Bose QC2 — closed moderate bass. muddy midtones Bose QC3 — closed heaviest on bass. muddy midtone So my choices for headsets boil down to Best overall sonic experience: HD650 Best outside noise reduction/isolation and overall sonic experience: Shure 500 series Best to minimize noise spill into the surrounding environment when I can’t use the Shure 500: AKG 550 Best for heavy bass emphasis: In order from least bass to intense bass: Bose QC2, QC3, Dr. Dre Beats Ultimately the “best” headset is a subjective opinion depending upon what you want to hear and/or experience out of your music. There is a huge sliding scale of perceived quality. I wouldn’t recommend spending much on an expensive headset if your music is 128 kbps compressed. But then again, it is cheaper to just buy 1 headset and grow into it rather than spend lots of money working ones way up to the holy grail of headsets. If I knew then what I know now, I would have just bought the HD650 and stopped there.

These are a part of “knights of the round table” headphones. Let me get something straight — there is no one perfect pair of headphones. It’s a curse to the wallet but yet it’s a blessing in the sense that headphones are a magical journey of taking two of your senses (hearing and touch) to whole new levels you may never experience by simply just by being in it. With so many headphones out there, there’s that many ways to explore audio and more! Exciting, right? I am an audiophile and have a room dedicated to my headphones as well as listening. Audio is an incredible passion of mine and I want to share my take on these 650s! 1: So, Sennheiser is among the crem-de-la-crem (pardon the spelling) of headphone producers. 2: Sennheiser is a great brand to get into headphones when you’re new to it. It’s also got great value for performance. You honestly can’t go wrong with them. 3: If you’re on a budget and can really only afford to just have that one or two pairs of headphones. The Sennheiser 650’s are a jack of all trades with its sound profile. They are a definite buy for sure! Paired with a Khadas Tone Board and JDS Labs Atom, you can have a pretty top tier, affordable setup. For real sides! 4: These work well with so many different types of DACS and amps. I personally pair them with THX789’s from Mass/Drop, Khadas Tone Board, or my Okto Research 8’s. The THX 788 made by Monoprice is a nice combo DAC/AMP. 5. In terms of the Sennheiser line, there’s the boss tier (not necessary at all to own) like 800 and 820s. There’s the studio recording line denoted by PRO. There’s the lower end with the 598 and below. The 600 range (where these headphones sit at) is the sweet spot of excellence. If you want a bass-y emphasized performance, go with the 58X from Drop.com. They’re the resurrected Jubilees which are an updated, updated version of the HD580s. These are super solid, great for listening for long periods. You can’t go wrong. You can plug these into a device without an amp and get great volume. If you want super duper separated sound with ridiculous detail with more revealing performance in the highs and mid/highs, the 600s are your go to headphones! They’re very objective (an audiophile term generally meaning “as-is” or “unemphasized” as possible). With the wrong setup, they can sometimes even be a little sibilant. The 650s are truly the Goldilocks of the HD600 line. These emphasize the mids much more than the others. It’s often considered a sin by some audiophiles to use EQ functionality to adjust the sound. I can say that the 650s are at that point where they can be lightly EQ-ed to offer more bass and treble response. Now, onto the last thing that I think is important to mention — these have been replaced and succeeded by the Sennheiser 660s. They’re a worthy successor to replace the 650s. They are pretty close in frequency response. However, the upgrade comes with the comfort (clamp force) and the consistency of the drivers to produce frequencies. What does that translate to? - The HD660s really do a good job of sounding good with vocals, slightly less warm, and sound good without a lot of readjustment on your ears. They’re on the brighter side than the HD650. The brightness is a personal preference kind of thing. For some, they might like this for classical music. For some, they may find themselves hitting user fatigue sooner than the 650. My opinion: The HD650 are still my go despite the update with the 660s. I think that the 660s is wonderful but I prefer to stick the HD650s because of their versatility. I can listen to them for hours! It’s a great starting spot for audiophile tier headphones that will always, always be my daily headphones for all kinds of music. They’re also a great starting spot as well as a great spot to end on. Additionally, I would check out the Sundara by Hifiman if you’re wanting to explore planars. They’re very much like the 650s of planar headphones. Enjoy and happy listening! :)

How is this so veiled and so detailed at the same time!?!?! The dark vocals are so smooth and nice, but at the same time I'm playing some jazzy slightly punch cello music and it's just *sexy*. I am new to open headphones, but I expected this to have slightly more soundstage. My regular headphone is my Audio Technica ATH-A700 which was very detailed and bright, with a bit of punch if you amp & eq it. However, the ATH-A700 seems to have a wider soundstage than the HD650. It's not bad, just a bit more closed than expected. Everything is smooth, and the piercing highs that I used to have to EQ out of everything else are no longer an issue. The only thing you might not like at first is this veiled sound to everything. The detail is there, just extremely smooth on everything. Almost like being in a club with high end speakers, and then sitting in the center with a curtain around you... Like listening to high end speakers through a curtain. Anyway, I really like it and I'm adjusting my amp for different music. The slow roll off is giving it a really sweet tone. I took 1 star off because the box had some industrial grease smeared all over it and leaked through a bit. The headphones are fine. The box is also a really basic presentation, and for the price I would have liked a bit more cable options.

If you are even a little bit interested in the world of headphones, you would have heard of Sennheiser HD600 and its evolved sister HD650. They are legendary headphones that even the most hardcore audiophiles won't knock. Situated at a price range of $300-400, they are expensive at first glance, but are actually middle of the road in terms of price. Sennheiser HD800, for example, retails for over $1600. However, as with anything to do with technology, there are diminishing returns in terms of how much more improvements in audio you would get out of the price you pay. For me and for a lot of others, at least right now, HD650 is that sweetspot. I graduated from a combo of FiiO E10K plus ATH-M50. Trust me when I say that my first time listening to the M50s, which are what I would call "actually decent" compared to what I've been listening before, my mind was blown away. Music was no longer a blur of sound, and I could hear individual instruments and nuances in vocals that I've never heard before. For $200, that combo was potent, and I feel like a lot of people who are reading this right now are coming from something similar: a beginner audiophile's kit. Why upgrade, you would ask? The thing is, if money is an issue, something like the M50s are plenty good enough. Nevertheless, would I say the $350+ upgrade is worth it? Absolutely. Keep in mind that these headphones are around $350, but they are also actually not. If you want to get the most out of them, you would need something like a $200 set of DAC/AMP at least. If you plug it in directly into your computer or iPhone, I doubt you would hear much. The 300 Ohms impedance on the HD650s means that you need a LOT of voltage to run them well. At first, I used the HD650s with the FiiO E10K, and even using that I was immediately struck by how much clearer and smoother everything was. You could heard the twang of the baselines, the smacking of lips before the vocals start, and the stick on membrane impact of the bass drums. I loved it, but was also a bit disappointed. People say that the HD600 had weak bass, while the HD650 improved on that. I didn't hear much bass at all; all the nuances were there, but there was no punch, no kick to it. The frequency range also felt off; some sounds would be ear piercingly loud while others dull. I then wondered if the E10K wasn't good enough, and decided to upgrade to a set of Schiit Magni/Modi. That upgrade made a world of difference. The bass punch was back, and the clarity was still there, but what's amazing was that the soundstage opened up. Almost every old track I listened to sounded entirely different. "Was that guitar always on the right side? Did that fade sound so far away? Was that bass so close to my ear before?" I was listening to music being performed, not being recorded. So, to break it down. The HD650s require a decent set of DAC/AMPs to sound good. That is good and bad. Bad that you have to spend more money, but good in that there's so much more room to improve. They are open back, which means that noise gets in and gets out. They are not good for listening in the public. However, the clarity is amazing, the soundstage is mind-bending, and unless you have $2000 to spend, it's hard to improve upon this further. At this price point and beyond, people are generally looking for "sound signatures" that they like instead of objective improvements. Talking about sound signatures, Sennheiser is famous for having flat frequency response curves and sound that are "analytical." What this means is that the HD650s do not generally emphasize any frequency on the sound spectrum. The bass won't rattle your head, and the trebles won't pierce your eardrums (although I think the HD600 and HD650s do cut off a bit on the treble side). What this also means is that they are great at presenting exactly what was recorded to you, which results in some not-so-well recorded/mastered songs sounding disappointing after you've had these. I personally don't find this problematic. However, one thing is for sure, and that is after listening to the improvements made possible by the HD650s, you would be hooked. Perhaps you find the sound signature too "cold," and want to add some variety with expensive tube amps. Perhaps you want to sample other manufacturers' cans within the same price range for differences. Or perhaps you would go crazy and eye those $1600 HD800s. That is the real tragedy of getting the HD650s.

I’ve been using Audio Technica AT50’s since 2004 and MSR7’s for about 3 years. The 50’s are great for bass heavy music and the MSR7’s are (I thought) great for detailed acoustic, vocal, percussion and other 1khz and higher audio. I don’t know what my expectations were with the Sennheiser HD650’s. All I knew for sure is that I have read countless reviews and articles where they are used as reference headphones. Whether as the focus of the written material, or in passing as the gear reviewers use when auditing or reviewing other equipment and music/media. The HD650’s are universally accepted as a reference headphone. So over the last several years they have sparked my curiosity. I ordered them and received them within 2 days. I am a classic rock aficionado, and have my own set of reference tracks that I use when trying out new equipment in my home studio. I’ve played guitar and drums for 35 years (not expertly, but passable?). I have a nice Roland Kit, a couple of nice Fender and Mesa Boogie Tube Amps, Fractal Axe FX III guitar processor and run it all through various digital I/O and microphones into an RME UFX+ Audio Interface. The RME interface has an excellent ADC/DAC configuration, with a very clean sound at the headphone jack that matches the outputs on the other analog outputs on the interface, but is also amplified. They didn’t cut corners. All of this is to say that I have great reference hardware, knowledge of good source media, and the headphone amplifier and DAC section from my audio interface surpasses most high end audio AVR’s. Now generally, like most folks these days, I listen to rather low end compressed MP3 audio. It’s readily available and doesn’t take up storage space. As storage space has become less expensive, I’ve started to record and save my audio in the highest quality format my interface will allow. Generally that is a minimum of 16bit 320kbps compressed, or as high as 24bit 96khz, with maximum playback capability of 24 bit/192kHz. All the detail. The things that you didn't even know were buried in the mix. The 3 second harmonies, the double tracks that are barely distinguishable, the finite exquisite breath of the vocalist as they prepare for the next line of the verse. All laid out in stunning depth and form. Strange things that you didn’t even know were in the mix, that add depth and character to the music, that are underneath the main harmony and melody of the music. Things that only an explorative and creative genius of a producer would include in the mix and final mastering. Dark Side of the Moon takes on a new landscape. Steely Dan Aja highlights perfection of studio recording at it's finest. You can get lost for hours in old recordings and hear the things that you didn't even know made the music that you enjoy so enjoyable. Edit: As an aside, I need to include something extra ordinary. Something that I would presume that maybe 1/10th of 1% of folks who actually purchased these headphones would pursue. An opportunity to audit the HD650’s via an RME ADI-2 PRO FS BE AD/DA. The RME unit is in the Top 3, or arguably is the best, mastering quality DAC and by far the best headphone amp that money can buy. Period. No exceptions. Numbers don’t lie and RME’s audio engineering team is among the finest on the planet and can back them up. The UFX+, as I mentioned, is no slouch at all. They perform tremendously in the studio, and the quality of the gear DOES shine through during headphone testing. Blissful. But…. When you listen to anything through the ADI-2, it’s clichéd to say, but it really is not just “next level”. It’s the very “top level”. That said. You have now reached a level of clarity that some people might actually find slightly uncomfortable believe it or not. The lack of distortion is unfamiliar and with poorly recorded or or media compressed with a bad encoder, the flaws shine. Too much so occasionally. On the other hand. With good to exceptional media, and phones like the HD650 that can convey expertly produced media, you will be sitting at the control desk, where the mastering engineer was sitting. Hearing everything (and maybe more) than they were hearing as they put the final touches on the song or album. I have yet to audition what are considered to be be “better” headphones. Maybe someday I’ll get a chance to A/B the HD650’s against another premium set. Until then I remain blown away by the Sennheisers. If you’re here trying to decide if you should pull the trigger on these. It is simply a resounding YES! Keep in mind that these are 300 Ohm headphones. They will require more power than your iPhone, or Android phone to fully appreciate their capabilities. You do not need a $1000 headphone amp to enjoy them. Their are several headphone amps/Pro level DAC’s from $200 to several thousand dollars that will all do the job. I highly recommend that you are able to drive them with an output of greater than 100mW minimum. Just my opinion. Do what you will. But you will not be able drive any kind of realistic bass below that threshold. Yes, people around you will hear them. But you are buying open back headphones for a reason. Your listening enjoyment. Find a place to disappear and enjoy them and turn it up. I highly recommend these headphones. They are simply incredible.

These headphones are slightly colored. Most people prefer that, but if you're using them for studio monitors, you won't find better than the HD800's. Trust me. But for everyday use, these can't be beat for dynamic open headphones. Combine them with a full tube amp and I highly doubt you'll find a better "stuck on an island the rest of your life" headphones. UPDATE: After having owned these for over a year now, let me elaborate on my thoughts on these INCREDIBLE headphones. Value: This is tough. If you like open headphones, and love lower model Sennheisers, like the HD595, HD598, HD600, etc, then you'll surely LOVE these. I owned a pair of HD595's for several years before I accidentally broken them due to the stupid long cable. These sound very similar to those, only with a slightly darker top end, and much much much better bass. And, they're just better overall, in soundstage, speed, bass depth, bass extension, resolution, etc. Some people just don't like the open headphone sound. That's perfectly fine, and if that's the case, you probably won't like these. But if you've owned open headphones and like the open airy spacious natural sound... then you'll ADORE these. Comfort: 4.5 stars. They're Sennheisers. Pretty much all Sennheisers are extremely comfortable. They're light. The pads are usually comfortable soft velour. They usually have medium light to light clamping force. They have really large oval cups that fit the largest of ears. If comfort is high on your list, these might fit your bill. Value: 5 stars. These headphones bat outside their league. Outside their price range. I've seem MANY people go from these headphones to new headphones in the 4 digit range, then go back to these. LOTS OF TIMES. It's for a good reason. These headphones are going to be a future classic. You can quote me on that. If you've never owned "audiophile" quality headphones before, this price might seem high, but trust me, to upgrade from these, you usually have to buy Planar Magnetic headphones like the Audeze LCD-2, LCD-3, LCD-X headphones or similar. Those are all $1500+. If you've never had good quality headphones, these might not be your best first choice. Not because they don't sound good. These sound incredible. It's because these headphones are 300 ohms and require a pretty decent amp. They scale well with good hardware upstream, so a good DAC helps a lot too. (and source audio, you'll want 320 KB/s mp3's and FLAC if possible) Soundstage: 5 stars. Do these have the best soundstage ever? No. HD800's have that title. Why do I give it 5 stars then? Because these headphones have a better soundstage than 98% of the headphones out there. Resolution: 4.5 stars. Great, but not to the level of Planar/Ortho headphones. If you've never heard $1500+ ortho headphones, you won't even know what I'm talking about anyways. Treble: 4.5 stars. I'd give it 5 stars, but the treble on these headphones are rolled a tiny bit. You may hear them described as "dark" or "veiled". That's relative. To me, I prefer darker headphones anyways. Bright headphones are fatiguing and give me a headache after a few minutes. These roll the highs just enough to make them easy to listen to for hours, yet leave enough treble there to leave the top end nice and sharp. No sparkle. Sparkle bad. (depends on who you ask lol) Mids: 5 stars. Sennheisers' bread and butter. These have incredible mids. Through tube amps, or hybrid tube amps, the mids are lush. Liquidy. Warm. Female vocals will give you the chills. The warmth of the mids on these cans will make you smile in aural ecstacy. Bass: 4.5 stars. These headphones are probably the only headphones from Sennheiser with really good bass. The bass isn't as tight or deep as on Ortho headphones, but for open cans, it's incredibly impressive. I give the bottom end a tiny tiny bit of EQ to boost the bass, but other than that, it's the best bass I've heard from open headphones yet. The punch is pretty solid. I'd rate punch 3.5 stars. Bass extension is really good. I'd rate it 4 stars. Overall though, I give it 4.5 stars considering these are open headphones. Scalability: 5 stars. These cans scale like crazy. Upgrade your DAC: you'll heard the difference. Upgrade your amp: you'll hear a difference. Upgrade your tubes: you'll hear a difference. These headphones just keep giving. I used to own HD595's. They blew my mind. The bass on those sucked. Worse than Bose Tri-Ports, which were aweful themselves in bass. But you know what? I loved the lush mids so much, as well as the airy soundstage, I didn't care about the lack of bass. Those headphones broke later (my fault, not theirs), and I was forced to upgrade. These headphones are an improvement in every way. (other than weight and clamping force, the HD595 was lighter in weight and clamped lighter, but not by a whole lot) What's the best amp to drive these? EASY. Bottlehead Crack with Speedball upgrade. They're hands down the best amp for these headphones. Ask around. You'll get the same answer. Any full tube amp will do. Even the hybrids sound good, but for some reason, these headphones come alive with a full tube amp like the Crack. DAC? Any external DAC will suffice. The $99 one from Schiit is fine. Bifrost Uber even better if you can afford it. O2. Lots of choices. Just don't drive these from the on-board audio on your motherboard. That's just wrong. The best part about these headphones? The headphones two to three times its price are only a marginal 10-20% better, if that. And those usually require another 4 digits worth of gear to be worth getting. These headphones are at that bang for buck price point where you really start to get diminishing returns when you try to upgrade from these. Pros: Lots. Value. Soundstage. Lush mids. Soft highs for long listening session with no fatigue. Awesome bass, in headphones that have open airy sound. Removable cable. Scalability. Cons: ONLY con: You will have one HELL of a time finding headphones to upgrade to from these headphones. Be warned! These are so awesome for their price that you'll have a really hard time finding headphones you'll like better. That's not really a con though, but since I can't think of any cons, I'll list it as one anyways! If you've heard other open headphones and like the huge soundstage and open sound, and want to upgrade: GET THESE. Don't even hesitate. You'll be blown away. Just make sure you have good source files (320 mp3's or FLAC) and a full tube amp like the Bottlehead Crack amp. Thank me later! Enjoy!

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.

Despite the numerous negative reviews for this seller, I still went ahead and ordered a pair of HD650 headphones for 200 euros. I have some issues with UPS for not providing the mailbox code upon the package’s arrival, so I had to request it from customer support. Just in case, I filmed myself unboxing the headphones, but in the end, it wasn’t necessary since the headphones arrived in perfect condition and with new ear pads. The box said “refurbished,” which is what I expected given the price. I’ve been using them for almost a month, and there are no issues with how they perform. There are some nuances about the model itself that are worth considering when buying. I work in mixing and production, and overall I liked these headphones, but I still think the HD600 would have suited me better because of their clearer high frequencies. That said, the HD650 is also a good option for music production. I tried adjusting the EQ on these headphones, and they started to sound a bit more accurate, but the difference isn't very significant. The clamping force on these headphones is quite strong, and at first it’s hard to wear them for more than two hours, but over time the fit becomes more comfortable. Overall, the HD650s have a “warm” sound and soft yet clear high frequencies. If you enjoy listening to music, you’ll surely like them - it’s no wonder they’re called audiophile headphones.

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.

Very happy with these, excellent detail and smooth bass well suited for writing progressive/techno. The bass could be a touch deeper right on the lower frequencies, it can be corrected using sonar works, or you can just get used to them and adjust accordingly as the bass is still detailed. I used sonarworks for a while but in the end chose to go without and my mixes are still translating really well.

Um clássico! Som com médios bem característicos, envolventes e naturais, graves muito bons (ao contrário do que se diz por aí) e agudos um tanto recuados, a fim de evitar a chamada fadiga auditiva. Fone muito bem construído, leve e por demais confortável. Vale cada centavo investido.