Sennheiser HD 650

I have received the HD 650 aprox.2 weeks ago.Prior to buy them I've been researching /reading reviews for at least 2 weeks I have also tried to listen to them before buying but unsuccesfully.However after… reading hundreds of positive reviews/commentaries ...I really believed that they are one of the best headphones on earth among AKG 701/702, GRADO, etc... I had been listening aprox. 5 days, 6-8 hours per day and I could not believe that they sound a little bit better than my $19.99 Sony Headphones purchased back in 2003. I'm listening mostly everything ,from Jazz, Blues to Heavy Metal,Disco,Pop,New Age.I have tried everything. I paid $320.00(brand new) from an authorized reseller. I read already the break in MYTH(50-200 hrs.) and I really don't believe it, I have also read that you need a headphone amp.(that might be true) I'm not an AUDIOPHILE, I also don't believe that if you put a $2-300 cable it will significantly change anything unless the cable is damaged. That being said today I went to Best Buy and I bought : Bose QC 15 , Beats Studio Monster and Sony NC60. After only 30 minutes, I dropped Sennheiser HD650 and SONY NC60. Now I have to decide between Bose and Beats. CONCLUSION: If you are just a normal person not an AUDIOPHILE , I strongly recommend BOSE or BEATS ,you need no $2-400 Cardas cable, No $300-1500 headphone amplifier, You don't need a suit case if you're traveling, there is also a huge sound leakeage because they open headphone.

expand

collapse

Bought these about a year ago, so they're well worn in. Something I've noticed is that the sensitivity and articulation seems to increase over time. I'm sure it'll level off soon. The burn-in rumors are… true: you must with these. They open up after around 100 hours of full-spectrum use. And, boy, do they ever OPEN UP. Sennheiser has truly outdone themselves with these superb headphones. If you're thinking about buying these, stop thinking about it, and buy them! You won't be disappointed. Products of this quality come along once in a blue moon--fact is, Sennheiser did their homework, and they got it right.

expand

collapse

I had bad experience with Sennheiser's HD555, which is over priced for the sound quality, so I was a little bit concerned with the higher end HD650. I am a big fan of Grado and AKG 701, but HD650 is not… disappointing at all. It is very different in sound signature (darker, warmer) with strong bass and lower mid-range, while it doesn't lose treble much as HD555 does. It did sound very like inside a concert hall when I was watching Josh Groban's performance. Due to its high impedance and lower sensitivity, HD650 may require very strong amplifier to deliver higher level sound. My beloved Sansa Fuze could not drive it to high level, and some of the other computers I tried could not either. On the other hand, the high end Dell laptop my wife uses had no problem with HD650 at all. Highly recommend if you want to enjoy music and when you do have a good source to drive these headphones. Personally I would consider AKG 701 for their lower price and neutral sound, and Grado phones for their easiness in driving capability and fun sound signature as well. None of these provide sound isolation and none of these look very fashionable to match with your Apple or Sony gadgets. So these phones may not be suitable for you if you care more about the look than sound.

expand

collapse