Sennheiser HD650 Review

20 years after its release, the Sennheiser HD650 is still awesome.
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[@marco83]

Got myself the HD650 a few weeks ago as I am professionalizing my music production skills. What an incredible difference they make to everything I had before! You can listen to a track and hear subtle details that you did not even know they existed. Wow!

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

Nice!

[@carminedesanto6746]

My 650’d still kicking ass!! Especially on a nice tube amp 👍. Best of the Christmas season to you and yours..and Frank!

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

Same to you. Happy holidays!

[@caocao45590]

I've owned my HD 650's since 2010, used at least once a week, replaced the cushions last year and still working. Incredible value!!

[@NO_SIMP_ZONE]

Their midrange timbre, clarity and ability to scale with high end tube amps is legendary. People sell Multi thousand dollar planars to retire with these and hd 600

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

Absolutely. These things are stoopid good!

[@colinvannbohemen11]

Yep, I won't deny there's a small improvement with a Planar when it comes to detail and bass extension, but I still prefer the smoothness and comfort of a HD650. I use them daily with a tube headphone amp.

[@CoffeeGameMovie]

@@colinvannbohemen11 Try the fiio FT5, its the natural upgrade of the HD650: better soundstage in every direction + better bass and more detail, although the same warm, soft, non fatiguing experience.

[@BigTacious]

I got the HD6XX along with the JDS labs atom stack and they still impress me. It's my first 'audiophile' setup, so I don't really know what to compare them too, but I can still definitely appreciate the detail, instrument separateion, bass extension, imaging and intimate soundstage. They are just so comfortable to listen to for a long period of time, and with all that around $450 for the entire setup, it's just so amazing what you can get for under $500. I do want to try out some planar magnetic headphone, but honestly I don't really feel the need to "upgrade" just because my hd6xx is very good (or at least good) at so much. After having them for three years, no scratches or damage at all. It's really a jack of all trades, I definitely recommend my setup to anyone who wants to get into audio but doesn't want to spend like a thousand bucks.

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

I agree, that is a great setup!

[@qgp]

planar magnetics are so good. i have a pair of sundara and I also have the atom stack, amazing. beware of hifiman though, their quality control is a bit iffy...

[@m.shahmi839]

New here, surprises me that he sounds likes DankPods 😅 Great content

[@kjellg.7576]

I still use my Sennheiser hd 475 from 1998. Very good sound.

[@TomlinsonHolman52583]

I have used the HD650 for years now with all kinds of music, Blu-ray movies, and gaming and have always been happy with their mid and high frequencies - however, I would characterize their bass as nearly non-existent. I run them balanced with an AAA THX amp, so lack of power is not the issue. I have heard good, well-defined bass with the HD650 before, but 99% of my listening with them is nearly devoid of adequate bass output.

[@midorihibiki]

Hey I used to pair my Sennheiser HD650 with THX Triple A then I bought a Violectric V550 non pro. This combo does produces better bass than THX Triple AAA and other things like soundstage, clarity, details are more musical than THX. I recommend V280 or V550 depends on DAC you use. My current dac now is Weiss 205 with Melco N100, S100 + USB regeneration + DDC. The sound is likely the best I could afford now. Still thinking about cables and more linear power supply units but my gears are so expensive now and I am already broke. The scale of this headphone is incredible.

[@Tripokaridos22]

I have all the HD 6 line , I love all of them. 600 for clarity, 650 for smoothness , 660s for Imaging and Speed. My favorite until i have the S2 are the HD660s

[@michaelpastoral3957]

Which is best

[@bren4973]

@@michaelpastoral3957 depends what you like, imo I would only buy the 650 out of the bunch for the smoothness factor, makes for a good forgiving headphone for work, but if you want that 1 end game headphone that ticks the boxes similarly to the 600 series, I would get an elex or clears depending on how big your pockets are

[@rhodey2952]

@@michaelpastoral3957 there is no best. It’s preference and system synergy. You should try them and figure out which one you like best.

[@NO_SIMP_ZONE]

​@@michaelpastoral3957 650

[@tonierbuckle0202]

These headphone are my first and currently only high end headphones of this caliber. Man i cant believe how amazing these are in comparison to what ive used in the past. The best part was i managed to get my pair if damn near new condition for $50usd in september of 2022. I just couldn't pass them up for that price. Yes these are real too

[@mistersurrealist]

50 dollars?!?? The person who sold them to you was smoking crack.

[@danielsamson9505]

Mine are also over 20 years old, I replaced the cushions, I use a Cardas cable. Still faithful, not like my LCD 3 which just broke down after 4 years of use.

[@cado64]

Wtf? Is this Dankpods?

[@soundchecked123]

ooo doppelganger alert

[@pedigree98]

This is Dankpods when he's sober

[@Trinket_Master]

Dude I was looking away from my screen and actually had to do a double take on what channel I was on

[@zhen86]

Bottleg one

[@SaimYilmaz]

He uses a different name here right?

[@wickedawesomeo]

Have had my HD650's for 12years now paired with the same soundcard "asus xonar essence stx" that I just install into every new PC build, bought a new cable after 8 years and changed out the padding (it got disgusting after many years of use) The best investment I have ever done I'd say (I am not a home owner).. Love them, love music, love sound!

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

Yep, totally agree. 🎧

[@robinenbernhard]

My are now 15+yrs old love them with game on pc.

[@Omar_ZX]

There'# a reason why this is my 3rd favourite headphone of all time, it's just natural and smooth though I prefer the og hd600 for the job (which is my favourite headphone of all time)

[@Vanxiety12]

Hey I’m looking for a step up from these headphones although I do like them. What would you suggest?

[@trybeingakr]

Over the years I have owned some incredible headphones including the zmf caldera and tried even more headphones like Susvara, utopia, d8000 pro, different LCDs and more. These are the headphones that are just magical to me when paired with the right tube amp. Other headphones certainly do different aspects better, but in terms of timbre nothing sounds as correct as HD650 (to me). I never found solid state amplifiers to be a good match for them; they all somehow managed to spoil the timbre one way or the other. Similarly, if these headphone don't sound relaxed and gives a sluggish, overdamped sound it's an indication it's perhaps not being powered well. The best tube amp I have used to drive them are the apex Teton, Pete millett menace, Eddie current zds.

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

Yeah, 100%. Despite improvements and driver innovations with newer headphones these are still epic and can go toe to toe.

[@williamcodywinter]

For more bass on HD600 I would consider the reversible copper mod by Custom Cans UK

[@Grrrr3FKAGrrrrGrrrrGrrrr]

These were my first serious headphones, they had only been released a year or so before and the headphone market was nothing like it is now. Other than Stax, there was no such thing as a high-end headphone, these were the most expensive ones in the hifi shops. My HD650s have been stowed away and forgotten for the last 4 or 5 years, until I dug them out today, so this video was perfect for me, thanks! I have been researching neutral open-back headphones to add to my collection and then I remembered these old things, I've been really enjoying them and I've saved myself a load of dosh. The top cushion has worn away to nothing and the paint is flaking off the headband (that's why they were retired), but I found that a beyerdynamic pad (Custom One Pro) sorted them out.

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

Glad you pulled them out of retirement!

[@carlos2004]

honestly, out of all my iem's and headphones, the 6xx (drop version of the 650) is the one i actually regret buying. more than anything because i had high expectations for them due to their reputation and the hype around them. ironically, they are extremely close to how my home system is eq'ed so i was actually pretty excited when i first got them, but the two problems i had with them simply bothered me more and more until i ended not wanting to use them anymore. first problem for me was the bass. while i do prefer thicker, warmer tunings, the curve on this was just a tad higher than i prefer and the more i listen to music on them, the more distracting it became. the second (no surprise here) was the "veil". same as with the bass, at first it sound ok and not really noticeable, but the more i used them, the more the problem bothered me. best way i can describe it is if you take a speaker set up, and put a thin blanket between yourself and the speakers. however, to give credit where credit is due, their build is top notch. not because they use expensive materials, but because they use the perfect materials to make them extremely comfortable, durable, functional, and lightweight. in that regard, they are truly amazing.

[@JayAR_YT]

@@ROCKSTAR3291 I lowkey bought these Sennheiser because my HD598s just have taken over 100s of drops on the floor.

[@mistersurrealist]

Love the 6XX. Truly wonderful headphones, you just need to EQ them to add a little bit of treble to make them perfect.

[@repoman5581]

​@@mistersurrealistwhen I used these with the sound id demo they were amazing..didn't mix on them but soind id and these for youtube music videos sounded extra amazing..clarity and balance was amazing. Startiäed enjoying music much more

[@Vanxiety12]

Had these for some years now, but I’m trying to figure out what I could get that’s a set up?

[@0nemoa]

The 650/6XX are really not so great. They are far too dark and veiled which is just a nice way to say distorted. But a lot of people like that distorted sound hence the reason you would go with a tube amp. The 650/6XX lack far to many basic necessities such as soundstage, image and detail in the low and high end of the spectrum. They are easy to listen to if you dont mind the sound signature of the 650/6XX which is basically as I said above, dark, veiled and overly warm. And with the 650/6XX lacking soundstage andwith its nearly non existent image. They just dont cut it. They are fine for audiophiles who enjoy that sound signature but definitely not for professionals or anyone that wants a neutral reference. I do love Sennheiser though as the HD 490 Pros are amazing and they basically check all of the boxes in which the 650/6XX fall short, very short. Plus the HD 490 Pro are so much more comfortable its actually unbelievable. The 650/6XX are far too overhyped and there is too much fanboyism associated with them. Its actually crazy to think how butthurt some people get if you speak honestly about the 650/6XX.

[@stevesargent8731]

What were your settings on your EQ and what were you using to drive them?

[@emjay9733]

These play fine with a BTR 5 and balanced cable.

[@AlienEnjoyer]

any plans on doing the 660s2's? (still newish to your channel, sorry if you've mentioned it somewhere and I haven't caught it yet)

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

If Sennheiser Thailand weren't such jerks I would hehe. 😅

[@AlienEnjoyer]

@@PrimeAudioReviews😭friiiiiiicc, sorry to hear that man. I'm excited for you to hear them if/when you do get them!

[@Vanxiety12]

Help, are the Schiit stack good with these? I have the 3 stack and I like it. But I feel like bass is lacking. Should I try different amp set up or try a different headphone. I want to try something new and maybe a step up.

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

The Schiit stack should be more than sufficient for these. If you feel the bass is lacking, you probably need to consider some different headphones. Check out the FiiO FT3.

[@SmokingCrop]

wow, the headband on mine has really diminished when I see this... It's been 7,5 years though..

[@HexBeatz]

what are the bass like on these ? I was using the HD25's for music producing and they're more DJ headphones, looking to get some serious headphones as I'm currently not in environment to use monitors, would you recommend these for producing Rap/hip-hop beats ? or if not what would you recommend I don't really want to spend more than 200-250

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

Yes, I think these would be great for producing hip-hop. The bass is slightly enhanced but still controlled. If you want something even more neutral, consider the HD600.

[@newchangeunlisted_viewer5594]

Thinking of getting these for my girlfriend Music is safe and important for her so I figured a great gift would be something to take her experience to the next level

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

Absolutely! Just make sure she has a powerful enough source i.e. An amplifier or at the least a dongle DAC.

[@wanaboed]

Why don't give her a Chi-fi product instead?

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

doesnt look elegant though lul

[@BLVCKSCORP]

6:10 Hey, would you say that a quad capture ua-55 would do be enough power for the hd650? The impedance in quad capture is 48 ohms so I'm not sure if it fits well with 300ohm headphones and sorry if this doesn't make sense, I'm new to this and trying to learn this technical world of audio.

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

Yes, the ua-55 should work fine with these.

[@blowfishes]

Muted in the soundstage. The bass is slightly out of control, and voices can be distant. If you EQ then these can be great, but out of the box - and even with a dedicated amp - then these can be bettered.

[@minglingli7097]

where is the 1 grit

[@alexhofmann5844]

I had the 650 and I must say, I did not like it. Sound signature was excellent, but soundstage was way too claustrophobic for me. Got the 660s instead - very much the same type of sound and much(!) better soundstage.

[@soulfulfool]

I had 600 and kind of miss them, I also think about 660 to try something new yet from the family

[@Tripokaridos22]

i also have 600 and 650 , and i have to say i only listen my 660s , its not only the Soundstage its the imaging and speed that is way better than the other 2 .

[@Tripokaridos22]

@@soulfulfool Compare to 600, 660s have better speed, bass,imaging, but u have to know that 600 are the most (clear sound) from all of them. 660s are warmer, not 650 warm but sure warmer than 600.

[@ObamaWuzHere]

@@Tripokaridos22”speed”??

[@Tripokaridos22]

@@ObamaWuzHere Speed Fast Headphones , Like for Example Sundara and HD660s, Mostly Planars have great Speed. What Speed means ? Its how fast the membrane moves around the voice coil. And why that matters ? Because on complicated tracks that a lot happens with a lot of instruments for example Infected Mushroom tracks...when bass hit the mebrane must be fast back to the normal position so when the next note hit it could move again . On headphones that is Only One Way its harder for all the bass mids highs to produced , On Speakers its easy because most of them are 2 Way or 3Way speaker using woofer , tweeter and midrange, so every note hit different speaker, on Headphones its only 1 way membrane to produce all the notes and imagine that on heavy track how fast must be the movement of the membrane so it can follow the notes and not lose them .

[@ur-dad]

im sorry but all i can hear is DankPods

[@jarrrrred]

Anyone know how these compare to the Shure SRH1840?

[@Tripokaridos22]

I had the 1840 , i liked the build and pads at first , but compared to my 650 they had something unnatural on sound and also they was heavier , I sold them after 6-8 months.

[@TheArc_KC]

Got a used 650 for $150, more than happy.

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

Great price!

[@AlienFrog648]

Huh-Duh six hungos by old mate Senny

[@AlienFrog648]

six hung-50s actually

[@FuzzWoof]

@@AlienFrog648 Huh duh six fiddies.

[@quantumchang4410]

Could a typical smartphone provide enough power for it?

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

It would be sub-optimal.

[@Tripokaridos22]

No way No Way , The only phone that can do that is something like LG V series or an external USB dongle like THX Onyx. They need a lot of power .

[@mousely76]

hmmmm where have i heard you before

[@kcsi1]

Check the Ozzy Man Review.

[@randomrandle9141]

Is this dankpods?

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

Mum?

[@glennclayton9900]

Deffo not

[@RX-rd4sc]

hd 650 vs Audeze Mobius for sound quality?

[@RX-rd4sc]

Mobius with 3d on

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

I wish I had one available to test!

[@londontrada]

Will they work through an audio interface?

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

Yes, they will work but I can't say whether the audio interface output power will be sufficient to get the best performance.

[@londontrada]

@@PrimeAudioReviews ok thanks

[@am.ankitmon]

Why should i not buy momentum 4 but these? 🤔

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

These are wired and wired has better sound quality than wireless (although the gap is closing). These are open back and have a larger, more natural soundstage. But if you want something portable to use outside the house then Momentum 4 is better.

[@sasakijung]

Wait, you live in Thailand? Well, สวัสดีครับ

[@oversteer_9339]

It's definitely still awesome because oh boy the demand is high. You can pick one if these up in my country for a juicy 550 bucks 🥹

[@CocoKoi321]

I SWEAR to god is this dank pods?

[@saviorx5615]

Would an AVR suffice for an amp for these?

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

Yes, most of them have enough power output. However, the headphone amp circuit on many of them is only average quality.

[@ulicesvilla6995]

Which amp would you say is ideal?​@@PrimeAudioReviews

[@beehype46and2]

Comment for da algorithm Streak count: 208

[@a2raya772]

20 years? Yeah pass.. rather get something like Focal focal celestee and already owning a pair of the R70x which are amazing and very comfortable

[@soulfulfool]

Dont cut the costs just wait a bit longer make more money and buy Stellia, from my experience is not worth to buy lower tier headphones. When you hear good high end headphones suddenly you can stop looking for more and stop wasting money. Try used market even if somehow you dont like it always is a chance to resell it and not loose much

[@a2raya772]

@@soulfulfool I'm actually thinking about getting hifiman XS

[@Tripokaridos22]

The Known Focal that are Very Heavy, They drivers failing , The mismatched loudness , The different sound profile with just a small movement in the head, that Iron cables , Etch etch ? Those Focal Headphones ? Maybe u should buy a Focal Headphone or make some search first. About R70X yeah these are AMAZING light comfortable great sound and NO PROBLEMS .

[@Tripokaridos22]

@@a2raya772 Try Sundara first , if u like those then u gone like this type of sound , Its fast its tight with the planar type of bass, but on some songs most planars sound Metallic not Organic like HD6 series or R70X. In my opinion if u already have r70x then get something a bit different like the 650 that are warmer , smoother, and in your head soundstage and lyrics. So u have r70x and 650 2 great headphones that sound different.

[@a2raya772]

@@Tripokaridos22 I'm happy with my r70x, I ended buying Zen can and Zen dac v2. Waiting for the balance cable and headphone replacement cable, it already sounds allot better now until the cables arrive

[@HiFiASMR]

No treble no problem

[@qgp]

bro you gotta replace those earpads 😂is that blood on them? (dt990)

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

Not sure what it is. I think it's some discoloration from sweat but then why is it spotty? I have no idea but since the pads are still good I see no need to replace them. Besides, I barely have time to use them nowadays!

[@qgp]

@@PrimeAudioReviews "still good"? hmm, whatever you say

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

lul

[@dcr630]

Hey-chhh Dee 6 fih-eee

[@marchatesyou1]

sorry...do these not operate as wireless?

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

No, they do not.

[@d204b207]

is there a volume knob on it?

[@PrimeAudioReviews]

On the headphones?

[@davidkelly4933]

Had a pair of them. Think they're overated. Zero soundstage, and crap bass. Got the Shure 1840 for £150. Blow the sennheiser out the water. Still scratching my head, why people, think they're great

[@Tripokaridos22]

U know bigger Soundstage is not always good, for example HD6 line is known to have in your head soundstage and have those lyrics close to you, they have HD 5 HD7 and HD8 line if u want big soundstage, But u see that a lot of people like this small soundstage . To me its nice to have big soundstage for Movies or Orchestra but i like Small for vocals songs. Other than That Bass is also something that its about taste some people dont like.. And Honestly it looks like u Never had HD650 because HD 650 has MORE BASS than SHure 1840 ... For god shake even hd600 has ore bass... If u dont bealive me just Check the DIY Aydio Heaven measurements. SO no in the end U never Had a HD 650 .

[@mistersurrealist]

They have perfectly adequate and accurate bass. It's simply not a headphone for everyone.

[@Tripokaridos22]

@@mistersurrealist Agree HD6 line is by far the best in class.

[@NO_SIMP_ZONE]

And better mid range to treble performance than 99% of headphones out there

[@VaporEG]

Muddy

[@Foxingban]

no way are they still boss lol they are 0 soundstage muffled muddy and lacklustre bass the fact their fans say you need a 1k tube amp then they are good says it all really something like the fidelio x1 or x2hr blow them out of the water in every department