Sennheiser HD 650 Headphones

by Sennheiser

Product Details

• Item Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00018MSNI
• Item model number: HD 650
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (110 customer reviews)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The HD 650 has superbly low harmonic distortion and precision sound reproduction across the entire frequency range. The bass is well ballanced and crisp, with authentic deep bass reproduction. The trble and mid range are well ballanced and ensure superbly realistic voice reproduction. Instrumental music pleasantly natural and yet lower notes clear and vibrant.

Product Description

The audiophile HD 650 is the ultimate in open, dynamic headphone design. Developed from the award-winning HD 600, the HD 650s feature improved materials for even better sound reproduction. They captivate the listener with their expressiveness and emotion while maintaining absolute precision and lifelike reproduction. Enjoy sound in all its perfection.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

208 of 218 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, but what did you expect?, July 22, 2004

By 

Alex J. Avriette "Alex Avriette" (Arlington, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sennheiser HD 650 Headphones (Electronics)

So headphone.com calls them "simply the world's best headphone." I can't speak for the Grado or AKG contenders. I can say that they're better than my Sennheiser 590's, and that is shocking.

Which leads me to my first (and probably most important) point about this headphone. They cost a lot. A whole lot. Sennheiser has many units, including the 580, 590, 595, 600, and 650 (among many others), which could be construed as 'reference' quality. You'll spend about half as much on one of the 5xx models as you will on the 650. So if you were to ask me whether the 650 is *twice as good* (that is to say, it costs more in proportion to its increased capability), I'll tell you no, probably not. I might just not buy them, given the decision again. Perhaps if the price came down a bit.

At any rate, they are really a superb headphone. The sound is really incredible. You never really realize what you're missing in a recording until you've heard it through a set like this. You can hear the saliva in the back of a vocalist's throat. I'm not kidding. Everything is reproduced clearly, accurately, crisply, and I've yet to find any recording (Vocal, Classical, Electronic, etc) that can tax them. I suppose I'll stop trying to some day, but it's just wonderful to hear the headphones doing their job.

The construction is far more solid than the 590's are. Where there is plastic on the 590, you see metal and (no kidding) Kevlar. They are more attractive. They are also quite a bit heavier. They have a 1/4" connector instead of the more customary 1/8" mini connector -- this doesn't particularly bother me, I'll get to it in a minute.

Like the 590, they are an open headphone. That is, they are not "sealed" or "isolated". Sound from around you will seep in, and it is possible for others to hear what you are listening to (somewhat).

They are less comfortable. My guess is because of the metal band, the "spring" mechanism that keeps them round is tighter than the 590's, and it pinches. It really feels as though somebody is compressing your head. The ear cups are fine. They are almost identical to the 590's, but a little larger.

So, you probably wouldn't be here if you didn't know you needed an amplifier for these headphones (this is where the 1/4" plug comes in). However, it bears mentioning that you should not even consider buying these cans without first buying a capable amplifier. The PPA/PIMETA amps are cheapish, and Headphone.com has some that will work fine. To demonstrate this, you'll need another headphone and the 650. Connect the other headphone to your amplifier. Listen at a comfortable level. Then, relax a second, and attach the 650. The first thing you should notice is that the white noise is gone. The second thing -- other than the sound quality, of course -- is that it is much quieter. These cans need a lot of power to drive them effectively. Look at their specifications and you will understand (300 ohms of impedance!).

Buy em if you want the best and aren't afraid to spend the $$. Buy the 590's or 595's if what you need is a stellar headphone and you don't want to spend too much. Use the extra money to buy yourself an amp. You'll need it.

133 of 139 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quite an experience - but you need some patience at first, September 24, 2005

By 

MartinP "MartinP" (Nijmegen, The Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sennheiser HD 650 Headphones (Electronics)

As a lover of classical music I am a confirmed headphone listener. No set of speakers will offer the same amount of detail, most living rooms will add acoustic distortions, and many of us are not lucky enough to be able to play Mahler or Shostakovich at full power on a daily basis without getting into trouble with the neighbours.

For years I have been very happy with the Sony CD1700, an excellent headphone which is my point of reference for evaluating the HD650. The rest of my hifi set-up consists of a Marantz cd7300 CD player, PM7200 amplifier, and Musical Fidelity X-Can v3 headphone amplifier (a mandatory commodity if you intend to spend serious money on a headphone like this one). Also, I invested in the Cardas replacement cable for the HD650.

It is often said phones like this one need a 'break in' period. I used to regard this merely as snobbish audiophile technobabble - but found it to be actually true. Initially, I was less than pleased with the sound of the HD650, to put it mildly. Mid-range, mezzoforte strings (which make up a VERY large part of orchestral music!) sounded grey and weirdly disembodied. Stereo separation was exaggerated while the middle part of the soundstage seemed empty. Compared to the breezy, open sound of the Sony, the Sennheiser seemed compressed and less immediately involving.
Things were not helped by the fact that the wearing comfort of these cans is markedly inferior to that of the Sony. The HD650 has fairly small shells that are not ideal if your ears aren't quite that small. Also, they are clamped against the head rather tightly, which is not entirely pleasant. The Sony, by contrast, simply lets you forget you are wearing it.

But then, after about 50 hours of listening, things had changed rather much. Not with regard to the wearing comfort, obviously, though you do get used to the way the HD650 feels; - but soundwise. The sound had opened up completely; not only is it now as fresh and involving as that of the Sony, it is clearly superior. Everything is incredibly focused, tightly in place, resulting in a very clean sound picture. The bass is far superior to the Sony, and is noticeably warmer. Bass drum strokes or double bass pizzicati sound nothing short of sensational. Instrumental colours are marvellously defined throughout the orchestral ranges. The level of detail is quite simply stunning. I am not exagerrating when I say that I've heard new things in nearly every disc I played until now (in an old-time favourite, Bernstein's DG recording of Stravinsky's Les Noces, I was bowled over by the precision with which the four piano's, which had always sounded as a single instrument to me, were individually separated). Interestingly, a sense of underlying energy is retained even in the softest passages; I notice that with this headphone large scale symphonic works may sound completely satisfying even when played at fairly low volume.

All in all, I am now extremely pleased with this acquisition. It is hard to imagine that headphone sound can be much better. Listening to a well-recorded disc (and beware! these cans will mercilessly reveal which discs aren't so well recorded) you can easily imagine yourself to be sitting in the concert hall.

As a postscript: I am less sure about the cable issue. Many HD650 owners advise the replacement of Sennheiser's stock cable with a Cardas cable. Now, I always have the feeling that in these more esoteric regions of audiophilia, there is somewhere a point where actual sound improvements become extremely minimal, and myth or even madness set in. Yet, as I was splurging anyway, for once I went the whole hog and bought myself the Cardas cable, too. Frankly; you don't really need it. I will not go so far as to say it doesn't make a difference; it does. There is, at times, an extra sparkle to the sound. But it certainly is not a prerequisite to fully enjoy the wonders of the HD650 (quite apart from the fact that the Cardas cable is a hideously ugly thing to behold, makes the phones far more cumbersome to wear, and unlike the thinner, more supple stock cable causes contact noise).

129 of 137 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars NOT THE BEST CHOICE FOR CLASSICAL, May 10, 2006

By 

Paco Rivero "Henry" (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sennheiser HD 650 Headphones (Electronics)

COMFORT: (Grade, B). The earcups are relatively deep, but not deep enough for ultimate comfort. Even after years of use, they don't let me forget that I have headphones on. On the other hand, the 650 feels much better than headphones with shallow cups that squash your ears (and make them sweat). The velour earpads can be replaced, which is good because they do wear down and attract dust. The ultra-soft, velvetlike velour is much better than pleather.

BUILD QUALITY: (Grade A-). The interior of the padded bridge is made of a hard, flexible metal that won't be cracking or breaking any time soon. The plastic bridge will break if you stretch it too much, so if you want to make the 650 less tight adjust the flexible metal NOT the plastic. The phones are sturdy without being heavy. After dropping them hard three or four times, they finally did require repairing, though. (One of the drivers got dislodged.) Still, these are very sturdy phones and don't feel cheap.

SOUND: (Grade, A-) Does the 650 have a "dark veil," as is often claimed? The 650 user's guide says: "In spite of all purism and the highest demands on precise sound reproduction . . . [t]oday many music-lovers want to feel the sound more instead of plainly analyzing it. The HD now captivates your senses where you used to be a mere observer. It allows total submersion into an ocean of music." I take this to mean that the main difference between the 650 and its HD predecessor is that it favors balance over precision. Some music tends to sound too bright (i.e., bass-impoverished) on headphones, so maybe Sennheiser tried to balance things by reinforcing the low end. Some people claim there is no dark veil, but then why does Sennheiser say "in spite of all purism"? It seems to me that Sennheiser is admitting that the 650 isn't neutral. The sound signature is warm, slightly dark, silky-smooth, and very easy on the ears. (I can listen to them for hours with no hearing fatigue.) However, when I upgraded my headphone amplifier to the Lehmannaudio Black Cube Linear, the 650 did become less dark. On the best recordings I own Lookin' for Love and Live in Tokyo there is a clarity that verges on the miraculous. Maybe the "there is no dark veil" crowd is right after all? And yet it sounds like the treble is rolled off, which is one of the reasons why the 650 is not ideal for classical in my opinion. It is almost always with classical music that I perceive the dark veil. In extreme cases, the dark warm sound turns into congested sound. As for the low frequencies: I find the bass satisfying, but it's not the deepest bass I've heard on headphones.

TO AMP OR NOT TO AMP: As long as you have a high-end home system with a good headphone jack (and a good recording), these phones sound pretty good. According to popular observation, however, the 650 should be "juiced up." So I got a headphone amp. Did it make a difference? Sure did. Amping enlivens, brightens, and tightens the sound. Originally, I used a Headroom Micro Amp, which was pretty good. However, eventually I upgraded to the Lehmann and it made a noticeable difference.

WHAT SOUNDS GOOD ON THESE PHONES AND WHAT DOESN'T: These headphones can be finicky, but they are not altogether unforgiving. In general, however, the 650 sounds good OR bad depending on the quality of the recording, They are best judged on the basis of state-of-the-art recordings. You might listen to a favorite piece of music and be disappointed with it on the 650 (I know I was). You will be tempted to blame the headphones, but the fault will likely be in the recording. Pop and rock that has been well recorded sounds mindbogglingly good on the 650. Classical music lovers might want to take a look at the Sennheiser HD800. The latter's angled drivers create a better orchestral soundstage. Speaking of soundstage . . .

SOUNDSTAGE: For symphonic music, the 650's soundstage is just too narrow in my opinion. It sounds like the orchestra is being pushed in from the sides. Upgrading my amp added a greater sense of depth (given the right recording you WILL get a 3-D soundstage), but not much was added in terms of horizontal space. Classical music doesn't envelope you on the 650 as it does with other headphones. A nice thing about the soundstage, though, is that somtimes instruments and voices sound like they are behind me, a nice effect when it happens. There is also no lack of vertical space.

Another criticism of these phones is that they put you at a distance from the music, "a few rows back," but I find that it largely depends on the recording. For example, listening to Lookin' for Love, Marlena Shaw's voice could hardly be closer. Very often, these headphones puts things right in the center of my head. But they are also good at placing instruments some distance away. It all depends on how the music was recorded.

BREAK-IN TIME: What is this stuff about "burning the phones in"? Is there any truth to it? I asked somebody at the HeadRoom company, which deals specifically with headphones and headphone gear. He said yes, the diaphragm has to loosen up a little to sound its best. Lesson: don't judge the 650s overnight. Give them a little time.

LEAKY: Thanks to the wide open grills, these are the leaky phones. They are not to be worn if you need to keep noise in or out.

CARDAS CABLE: You can replace the factory cable that comes with the 650 (just pull out the old and plug in the new). I chose to upgrade to the Cardas. Is the difference between the stock and Cardas cables that huge? The Cardas brightens the sound and adds clarity, but it is more unwieldy than the factory cable, which is lighter and more supple, so if you move around a lot while listening to your headphones save yourself some money and stick with the stock cable. The Cardas always seems to be in my way when I move around. I keep stepping on it, and it has caused the phones to drop to the floor several times. I find contact noise not to be a problem, although another reviewer complained abou that. The Cardas is thick and gray. Its color-coded (black/red) wires make it lootk like something from workshop: unpretentious and functional. But if you don't mind the unwieldiness or barebonesness of the Cardas and don't expect to move around a lot, I do suggest ugrading because it brightens up the sound. (I have been told that it's just the placebo effect, but I find that hard to believe.)

BOTTOM LINE: (Final Grade, A-). The 650 doesn't make me hate my speakers, but it's still an excellent choice for people who are serious about their music. To really hear what the 650 is capable of, be prepared to spend more on the amp than on the actual headphones. Depending on what I'm listening to, I find that sometimes these phones can be somewhat uninvolving and analytical. This is especially true when they are unamped (or improperly amped). Properly amped, however, they take on a speed and energy that makes them quite involving. Particularly considering their excellent price (compared to other high quality headphones), these are a great buy.

WARNING: After mailing my headphones to Sennheiser for repair, I was called and told there was a problem because they were not purchased from an authorized dealer. I purchased them brand new here at Amazon from ELECTRONICA DIRECT, a seller often featured right on the product page. Sennheiser told me that I probably purchased stolen phones. Shoppers who want the warranty honored SHOULD NOT BUY FROM ELECTRONICA DIRECT or any unauthorized dealer. Verify that the seller you are buying from is recognized by Sennheiser. Sennheiser was finally kind enough to repair (actually they replaced) the phones after I complained up the chain, but it was a hassle.