Sennheiser HD 650 Audiophile Open-Back Dynamic Headphones-Grey

I have been using these for a few days now and I have to say they exceeded my expectations. I have been using the HD 598s almost daily for three years now. The reason I got these is because I was dissatisfied with the low end on the 598s.Just some background; I have owned the 280 pro, HD 518, HD 598, and now made the jump to the HD 650. I will be comparing these mostly with the 598s and the 518s.As far as comfort goes they compress the head a bit more than the 598s and the 518s, but they are not uncomfortable. The only noticeable discomfort would be below the ear where the bottom of the can presses against my jawbone. After a few hours this starts to annoy me, but simply moving them around provides relief so this is nothing. I would definitely say the 598s are more comfortable for extended periods, but the 650s feel more solid on the head. I haven't experienced any major warm spots even after long periods of use. The cans do keep my ears warmer than the 598s, but nowhere near as bad as the 518s used to. My main complaint about the 518s was how hot they would make my head due to the lower quality material and padding used. The 650s are nowhere near the 518s in this regard. Also, the headband on the 650s is narrower than both the 598 and 518. I found this to be a very noticeable difference since the compression is higher and have had to adjust it often. It just feels weird, but this is something I'll get used to with time since I've been using the 598s for so long.The build quality is extremely solid, but the plastic feels cheaper than I would like. It doesn't make me feel uneasy about breaking though. This is mostly the outside of the cans and top of the headband. The outside grills are metal and the cushions are high quality. The included cord is nicer than what comes with both the 598 and 518, but is special since the 650 uses one input per can. The included 1/4 to 3.5 adapter is way better in my opinion since it has cord length. The included adopters with the 528s and 598s were a single adapter piece which looked like a freakishly long Frankenstein plug when used with a portable device. This adapter keeps the cable end at the typical 3.5 size so it looks normal and doesn't cause unneeded stress on the contact or the output jacks. The old adapter actually caused me to break a couple laptop outputs while being careless. I wish this adapter was included with all the other models.I'm no experienced audiophile so I'm probably going to sound like a child explaining the sound. These have been described in other reviews as being "dark" sounding. I'm not sure what that means, but after using them I think I kind of get it. My 598s were very bright and almost airy sounding. The treble was very distinct, the soundstage was amazing, but the bass was very low key and had little impact which is good in some cases. The 650s definitely have more bass impact and I can concur that it is "punchy". I can enjoy electronic and hard rock on these much better. While the bass is heavier on these it is still crisp and accurate, not boomy or overpowering. The treble is still very present, but does seem a bit rolled off to me. The sound is not what I would call bright at all, and the soundstage is definitely smaller than the 598s. The overall sound seems more focused and impactful in comparison. I am amazed at how much more detail I was able to pick out in some of my favourite songs which I thought was impossible at this point. These really surprised me at how clear the entire range was. Now for web videos or Skype calls these were not as enjoyable to me. These made me well aware that I was not listening to high quality sources and since the sound is more focused and narrow when compared to the 598s voice calls can actually annoy me. This was something the 598s do extremely well, but this wasn't the reason I purchased these.I guess it should be mentioned that the sound leakage on these is much higher even when compared with the 598s and 518s.These headphones are hard to drive. It's been said everywhere and should be expected given these are 300ohm cans. I haven't had much experience with high resistance headphones so this is venturing into new territory for me. I had a small fiio amp with my 598s which increased the quality, but wasn't really needed for my main application so I got rid of it. I can DEFINITELY see where I would want that back now. Forget about using these with something like an iPhone. At max volume these were so quiet I couldn't enjoy them at all. On my 15" MacBook running boot camp I was only able to achieve a moderate volume with a few software tweaks that I would never use daily and hindered the overall sound. Now, my MacBook running OSX was actually able to push these fairly well. This is the only way I have to actually enjoy them right now. The sound is great and depending on the track, the volume could go above my comfort level with OSX. I will be purchasing a dac/amp combo for my system very soon and I feel like this will really open these up and sound even better. I should have factored this into my price, but luckily I have my Mac that can push these decently until I save up more.The price on these is very reasonable. I'm a little mad because I payed the same for these as I did for my 598s at the time. Also, I think this is the only time ive seen UK Amazon have a better price than the US on these. I was able to save about 100 usd on these even with the VAT and shipping.Overview: I really like my decision to "upgrade" to these. I quoted upgrade because it really can't be said that these are better than my 598s. Each has a noticeably different personality and I'd say it all depends on the application. The 598s excel in acoustic listening, voice calls, and movies due to its wide soundstage and crystal clear upper range. I wanted to move from the 598s because my heavier bass heavy music was lacklustre and the highs would get fatiguing to me when listening to the majority of my music (rock). The 650s definitely excel in the music department with a more focused sound and deep, quick, bass with some punch without sacrificing quality of the rest. They do not do well with lower quality sources or voices using Skype. I am very satisfied with these though since I bought them to relieve the bass situation I was having with some of my favourite music.

My AimI have what could be described as a very entry-level computer-based audiophile set up. A dedicated Mac-Mini with Audirvana installed as the music library manager & playback program. This plays music directly to a USB Headphone DAC/Amplifier (I bought an AUNE X1s, made in China by a specialist manufacturer. Incidentally, high quality indeed at the price). This in turn has been driving a pair of Sennheiser HD558 headphones up till now.I was looking to upgrade the HD558's for headphones that would suit this set up better and my genres of music that I tend to listen to (mostly Acoustic, Rock, Popular & Jazz). They would need to be comfortable and capable of rendering music at high-resolution...so, detailed & accurate as possible for my budget. I wanted to avoid anything overly bright that in my experience can lead to listener fatigue. The AUNE amplifier is also reputed to make bright headphones sound slightly harsher.I decided on the HD650 based on the many positive reviews both on Amazon and other websites. The AUNE is optimised for the likes of the HD650, as well as the AKG701 and BeyerDynamic 770. However, I felt that the AKG & BeyerDynamic would be too bright. Anything else would be beyond my budget or taste.Delivery & PresentationThe item arrived on time and as advertised...full marks to Amazon.VerificationThe first thing I did was verify that these were the genuine article, using Sennheiser's Verification VR code process. A useful authenticity check.PackageIt came in a larger box than I was expecting but then these are large headphones. The outer sleeve removed, revealing a good quality wooden presentation box covered in textured black vinyl, with metal hinges and foam inlay inside. I think over time this has improved over the previous presentation. This looks and feels a quality item although some may say it's austere looking. I'm perfectly happy with the quality & appearance...sound is more important to me. The lead is also of high quality...thickish but pliable and terminated in a 6.3mm jack at one end and Sennheiser individual connectors for each cup at the other. There is a 3.5mm adapter included and this is also a quality item, although I would question whether this would fit phones and tablets that have covers fitted... the adapter would probably be too big in many cases. It doesn't fit my phone with a Spigen case. That said, these are probably overkill for a phone or tablet and are designed more for home system listening.ComfortI agree with other commentators...they are on the tight-side. I have got used to that. I suspect that if the headband was looser, the cups may slip down onto the ears and that would be more uncomfortable. I have used them for many hours at a time and have no complaints.Sound - what to expectStraight out of the box these headphones do not impress. They sound like they are playing behind a thick curtain...rather dull and lifeless. As others have observed, these headphones need a 'running-in' period. I just played music rather than using pink-noise as others have suggested. The potential sound quality only starts after about 10 hours playing and improves greatly after that. After 40-50 hours, they open up as if that curtain has lifted. Give them time and they will realise their full potential.After running-in, the listening experience is fairly laid back, but full of detail and instruments sound like they should, thus fulfilling my original aim. The sound is not in the least harsh and I have been happy to listen for many hours at a stretch without suffering any fatigue.Bass is plentiful for my genres of music, deep and tight with plenty of 'punch'. They possibly may not suit other music genres that require yet more bass.Mids are nigh-on perfect. Treble possibly not 'zingy' enough for some tastes but in turn that can lead to harshness which is something I was trying to avoid....it's not evident with the HD650 and therefore perfect for me personally.The 'stage' and 'imaging' of players is excellent with plenty of depth...this is one of the HD650 top strengths.These headphones are detailed, meaning they sound excellent with good source recordings converted to FLAC or ALAC lossless digital formats. However, poorer quality recordings or lossy conversions (low MP3 or AAC) will be revealed for what they are. I personally feel that anything converted to below 320kbps on MP3 or below 256kbps on AAC bitrates would not be good enough to do justice to the HD650.I would also suggest that they do sound much better through a dedicated DAC/Headphone amplifier via USB. Doing the comparison, there is more detail, ambience and instrument accuracy. Quality DAC/Headphone amplifiers are plentiful at reasonable prices (e.g. SHIIT Modi2/Magni2 combination for $200 or AUNE X1s for $289).ConclusionI paid £232 for these headphones and at that price they are remarkable value for money. They have come down in price significantly over the years and still represent a first-class buy subject to the points made above.A worthwhile step up from the HD558's for me personally.I can see many years of listening with these headphones.