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

Simply, wow.

I have the 598s and worried that these would be very similar sounding, just with a bit more base. Wow, what a difference. These have more bass for sure but they also have a wider soundstage and are crisper in the highs. Im using the same amp with a higher gain but thats it. There are sounds that I didnt hear with the same detail and clarity as I do now. I did have to get use to having a cord on each ear rather than the 598s single side, and the cord is noticeably thicker now, but the thing I liked on the 598s over the 650s would be the ear padding. The 605 has very stiff padding. This may loosen up over time I suppose. As for now I am enjoying them immensely and dont regret upgrading my 598s to these!

For a $500.00 set of headphones you would expect the quality to match the price, but in this case it does not. I have owned a pair of HD650s for almost five years and have had numerous problems. The paint began to chip and flake off after a year of use and small cracks developed in the headband a year later. Finally, after five years the headband broke in half. Superglue did not fix the smaller cracks because once you get them, the integrity of the headband is compromised and you will experience pressure and pinching. I have also had problems with having the sound disappear from the right or left channels and have replaced the cable. A month after that the twin tiny gold coils where the cord is put in the headphones came loose and I had to replace those also. A $500.00 headphone quickly became a $600.00+ headphone after a couple of years. The amount of maintenance on my other headphones dont even come close to the amount of time and money spent on fixing my HD650s. The look and feel of the HD650 screams cheapness, it doesnt even come close to its competitors. In my hands it feels like a childs toy compared to a high-end headphone.

There are so many headphones out there, the choices were overwhelming. I got these after reading article after article for about 3 weeks. My local Best Buy pushed Beats and Bose for high end, but no Sennheiser (600s on up). My town doesnt offer a store with high end headphones, so I was taking a risk when I pulled the trigger on these. Remember, everyones processing of noise is different and though these may be perfect for me it may not be perfect for you.

Fantastic.

These are wonderful; I use them at work and have had them since 2007. I decided to buy another pair of headphones for my home; I tried a few models that I hadnt tried out in 2007 - dr dre, skullcandy etc. Im sticking with these for a second pair.

I have sold high end audio for over 40 years and have heard the very best high end audio has to offer. If my budget permitted i would get a pair of Stax or Audeze with a good headphone amplifier but its just not in the budget. But that is my reference point to judge all other headphones by. I listened to a number of headphones in its price range at the time, there are a few models i would like to hear now but with that said I am very happy with the Sennheiser 650s. They are truly a excellent headphone, I dont feel they do anything wrong, tonally well balanced smooth and sweet across the bandwidth you can listen for long periods of time, both on comfort and sonics. The only area they fall short in comparison to the best is resolving power. Yes they do fall short in overall detail, but then again I have yet to find the best sounding amplifier with the 650s. Contrary to what some others say, your source material, DAC and amplifier do play a MAJOR role in the overall sound so understand that your playback is only as good as your weakest link in the chain. Even the headphone cables make a huge difference although i am currently using the stock headphone cables since i have not found the best cables with these headphones.

I owned a pair of these for over a decade now and this is my second pair. Theyre not bass monsters, if that is all you care about go buy some Beats, but if you want pure sonic goodness there is a reason these were the top of the Sennheiser heap for so long.

Everyone has different needs, different budgets. I can only say this is Sennheiser - excellent sound. Really like it - it was what I wanted and what I was willing to pay. What I can say to everyone is you can wear these puppies for hours and hours and they are still really comfortable. For people shooting/editing this alone makes them worth the money.

These are my favorite headphones that Ive owned so far. The make me very happy.. They do need power though. Come correct and these will handle whatever amount of power you throw at them. Theyre just great, not much else to say.. Sound is, I guess warm, but detailed, full bodied (Im not good at describing sound)? Theyre bassy when bass is called for. Treble is not bright. Its smooth, but the details are still there. Its a weird mix that just works, and well. I use these with the Jotunheim amp/dac and this has been a great pairing.