Headphones

 

Sennheiser Electronics has always taken its time developing its audiophile reference headphone line. In fact, they've become renowned for blissfully ignoring the apparent audio industry demand to come out with "brand-new" products every single year. We think their patience and persistence researching and developing headphones has paid off very handsomely over the years. With the HD650, the music is so smooth and relaxed when it's supposed to be; so liquid-quick, so punchy on demand, so effortlessly competent you just fall worry-free into its lovely sonic embrace. Such a thing is the Sennheiser HD650. Its warm yet refined and impossibly seamless sound coupled with superb comfort has kept this can in the top echelon for years as one of the very best headphones available on the audiophile market.

Liveried in a slick, deep gold-grey and gloss black look, these cans are largely the same headphones as the HD600 with a few quite noteworthy improvements. First and foremost, Sennheiser improved the baffling damper for tighter acoustic control, and boy did that work nicely! The measurements of these headphones are phenomenally good, and the sound is probably as close to perfectly neutral as is available at this price. The renowned Sennheiser sonic 'warmth' has been coupled to a clarity of detail in the HD650 that is hard to beat by most other reference-grade audiophile headphones. Design-wise, the earcup grilles on the outside of the earpieces have been made sturdier; those who have suffered a dented housing on their HD600's will likely be appreciative. A new velour headband pad design improves on the already legendary comfort of the HD600 headphones, and a slightly tighter tension on the earcup adjusters makes for a more secure fit. The HD650 cord has also been much-improved with a thicker OFC cable design terminated to a full-sized 1/4" plug. A short cable-style adapter to a 1/8" (3.5mm) mini-plug jack is handily included in the HD650 package. Although it's a decent mini-adapter, we still highly recommend getting the superb Cardas Audio 1/4" to 1/8" adapter if plugging the HD650 into a source with small sensitive 3.5mm outputs. Overall, we definitely more than recommend these HD650 headphones. We say shell out big and cry once, but forever have world-class blissful audio at your ears!

NOTE: Though the HD650's re-designed Sennheiser cable is certainly better than the original HD600 stock cable, we continue to suggest the Cardas Audio upgrade cable for truly ultimate detail resolution, musical texture, instrumental separation and soundstage depth. The significant audio benefits of the Cardas Audio cable upgrade will be especially evident with 'reference quality' high-end audio sources. Please feel free to buy a Cardas Audio cord and compare versus the Sennheiser cord to determine for yourself the advantages. As always, our standard HeadRoom 30-day return/refund policy with zero re-stocking fees guarantees you'll like what you hear!

Winner of the 2004 Brutus Award!

2004 Brutus Awards: HeadRoom BlockHead Amp & Sennheiser HD650's

Average Customer Rating:
(based on 12 reviews)

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The former champion
by Doug from Edmonton, AB on 2010-01-15

Would you recommend this product: Yes

The best pair of Sennheiser headphones I've owned to date. After owning lower-tier Sennheiser models and having them crack, begin distorting, and lose the ability to maintain a reliable audio connection thanks to a short in the cable. I was absolutely bowled over by this pair.

Sound is clear, the headphones can be driven a lot without any noticeable distortion, and I can easily swap and upgrade the cables if they get a short. Fantastic headphones!

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Best Headphones
by svfoo123 from New York on 2010-02-01

Pros: Very Comfortable
Cons: Hard to Drive
Would you recommend this product: Yes

Make sure that you get a home desktop amp to run these otherwise you are not getting the full effect. The bass is a little bit emphasized but it makes the full audio spectrum more even. It is worth getting a replace chord for them as the original chord does not do them justice. Try cardas for enigma audio.They are very laid back and easy to listen to. The detail is definetly there as well.


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Perhaps the king of
by A HeadRoom Fan from washington, dc on 2010-01-25

Would you recommend this product: Yes

It's hard to say much about this headphone that has not been said already. This, the AKG K 702, the beyerdynamic DT 880 and the Denon AH-D2000 are the common places to look if you are seeking a first-rate headphone that does not have an MSRP nearing a grand. Of course, not everyone likes them, but of all the ones mentioned above, my own personal observation is that these are liked by more people than all the others. I have never done a poll, that's just my own assessment. Many characterize the K 702 as being too thin and uninvolving, the DT 880 as being too bright and analytical, and the AH-D2000 as being too bassy and spiky on the highs. Not that the HD 650 doesn't have its detractors for being too dark or "veiled," it's just that in the final analysis, people generally seem to like this headphone anyway. A classic, and perhaps the king of "reasonably-priced" headphones. Tends to clamp slightly hard, but I find that I can wear them for hours, and often do.

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Yum!
by Rocket Richard from San Diego, CA on 2010-01-21

Would you recommend this product: Yes

The first time I heard this headphone, I was seduced by its warm embrace. You just want to lie back, relax, and let it have its way with you....
Ok, I'm back from my cold shower. My Total Bithead amp is not powerful enough to drive this headphone (I tried it and it sounds lousy) so I won't buy it until I have a better amp.

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Don't think just buy.
by headphone addicted from Rochester MN on 2010-01-19

Pros: No headphones I've owned even come close to theHD 650's.
Cons: They made me spend hundreds of hours listening to my entire music collection (for the first time)
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I paid 650 plus tax for these gems. And spent another 500on a wooAudio 3 amplifier. My wife thought I was nuts. Until she listened to her favorite cd on them and fell in love with them just as much as I did. I have over ten thousand dollars into my home theater, but the sound can't even come close to the pure audio bliss I get with my headphones.

If you're even considering buying these, make sure you have enough money leftover for an amp. Without an amp.they just sound like good headphones. With proper amplification they will make anyone who listens to them envious. But l caution you. You will want to listen to every album you own. Witch may take you hundreds or even thousands of hours.

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These rock!
by bikeguy from Los Angeles on 2010-01-17

Pros: comfort, sound, metal construction
Cons: none
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I had HD 555's before these and had to replace as they were falling apart. They still sounded great, but were held together with tape. Got a great deal (yeah Headroom!) and spent more than I would normally, but these are worth it. The sound is better than the 555's and construction is much more solid with nary a plastic piece to break. I recommend!

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This one is about letting the music come to you
by aimlink from Kingston, JM on 2010-01-17

Pros: Very easy listening experience
Cons: May be unexciting/involving for some
Would you recommend this product: Yes

These headphones make for a great listening experience and deserves mention among headphones sold for a lot more money.

It's solidly built and is fully circumaural in that your ears will be floating untouched within the more than amply sized cups. The grip may be unnervingly or even annoyingly tight for some, but I found it to be fine as I grew accustomed to it. One's mileage definitely varies with the fit of these phones.

With the HD650's, be prepared for a very detailed, liquid and lush sound. They are very well balanced, though there is some warmth to them that adds to their characteristic sonic signature. There's nothing forward in presentation about these cans so one may get the impression of a veiled sound in the mids to highs if one is accustomed to listening to cans that are more forward sounding in this regard.

Though the HD650's may sound OK unamped, they do scale really well in that the better amp/source combo you use them with, the better they'll sound. You will be hearing only a shadow of its full glory unamp'd, so if you're already impressed, you need get some amp'ing setup to further deepen your appreciation.

They come with a detachable cable configuration which makes it very easy for exchanging cables - a big plus for those who wish to squeeze that extra performance out of them with a cable upgrade.

All, in all, a fine pair of cans.

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Outstanding
by WillDaddy from Seattle on 2010-01-16

Pros: A steal compared to speakers!
Cons: No ambient noise shielding whatsoever
Would you recommend this product: Yes

OK, so I can't review these in context of direct competitors like the AKG k701, but I can say that these headphones are better than any of the other small, sealed full-sized, and IEM headphones that I own (some of which cost nearly as much).

Also, Tyll Herstens (sorry if misspelled) is absolutely right about the value of headphones compared to speakers. They can't match the sound-stage of properly positioned speakers in an acoustically-friendly room, but what a listening experience for the money.

Get the Cardas upgrade cable and a dedicated headphone amp with plenty of power and you'll never regret your purchase.

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Best headphone for the price
by enigma from St Louis, MO on 2010-01-16

Pros: Great sound, size, comfort, looks
Cons: Sometimes makes a squeaking noise
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I prefer open headphones and these seem to be the perfect fit for me. I like their shape as well because I have semi-large ears and don't like when the earpads are on top of part of my ear. Great sound reproduction means I don't like my old low quality MP3s. I've been re-ripping them in VBR 256kbps or higher to alleviate this problem. I also am using these with a headphone amp, so I can't comment on how they are without it.

These headphones are definitely comfortable, but the earpads took a little getting used to. After about a week I didn't even notice them. Also, the clamping of the headphones either took some time to get used to or they opened up from enough use.

My one con is that they "squeak." What I mean by that is when I'm wearing them, if I yawn or move my cheek for some reason, some plastic parts rub together and make a squeaking noise. It's not something that happens often but I do notice it.

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Excellent Audio Standby
by Born2bwire from Hong Kong on 2010-01-15

Pros: Great sound and scalability. Classic reference phone.
Cons: Minor durability quibbles
Would you recommend this product: Yes

The HD650s carry the standard HD580/600 signature sound. A bit laid back in the presentation with a decently wide and airy soundstage. The have a detailed and warm sound that postively excells with classical, jazz, acoustic and big band. They still hold their own with rock, metal, pop and other electronica, but the warmer sound can lend a slower feel to the music, making some people prefer other headphones for these genres. For the money, these headphones can scale very well with the equipment. They sound good with a modest source and amplifier but still have room to improve with better amplifiers and sources.

The build quality overall is good but two problems still remain that plagued the HD600s. After owning this pair for over six years now, some of the paint is chipping off of the underside and side of the band. In addition, the cable makes contact by inserting metal prongs between the coils of a spring. This spring can weaken its contact over extended insertion and removal of the cable connectors. After many years the contact can crackle and needs a bit of readjustment every now and then. This can be fixed by the owner though it is not a very desirable procedure. In addition, the ear pads have probably compressed slightly over the years but headphone still remains very comfortable and has maintained an adequate clamp pressure. The initial pressure may be strong for some people but it does relax over use.

Overall, these headphones still remain excellent overall performers. They perform well over a variety of music and gear and remain a standard for comparison with other headphones. Even if you get other headphones, these are always worth keeping around.

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An Absolute Great
by Logwed from Wauwatosa, WI on 2010-01-14

Pros: Comfortable, clean sound, revealing
Cons: Not the most durable
Would you recommend this product: Yes

The Sennheiser HD650 is a great headphone, most likely the best in its price range. It is tonally balanced very well, though its soundstage leaves some things left to be desired. It requires a strong amplifier to drive it properly, but when proper synergy is achieved the results are very satisfying. The HD650 can be pretty revealing of other components 'upstream,' so I would recommend it only if you are prepared to dive head-in to this hobby. Also, the cable is removable, allowing for easy upgrades and fixes. It has problems with paint chipping off of the headband and ear-cups, so the aesthetic durability is not the best.

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Love my HD650
by Glen from Aspen CO on 2010-01-11

Pros: Most perfect sound
Cons: Back row sound stage but clear.
Would you recommend this product: Yes

Wow! Again the HeadRoom staff helped me make this choice. My second pair of pricy headphones. 1st. Dennon AH D2000. I wanted something to complerment them and the Senns are great. I use them for acustic music, soft rock and blues. I purchased the Cardos cables for them and it made a big diffrence. I use them with the Ultra Desk Amp & Ultra Desk DAC with a CD player or my i pod. Just a clean equal sound threw the range. Bass, Mids & Highs work well together. If you like classacal or Jazz this would be a good choice. The fit is just perfect. Very comfortable. the sound does leak a little as my wife can here the music when I wear in bed. So if you need a closed pair of headphones these might not work. Over all I would recomend them to any one.

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