Sennheiser HD 650 Open Back Professional Over-Ear Headphones Review
PROS
- Lovely, musical sound
- Build to last
- Replaceable cables
- Extremely comfortable
- Fantastic bass response
CONS
- Their high price
VERDICT
To be completely honest, we were not expecting anything else other than perfection from these headphones. Sennheiser is best when they don’t have to spare any expenses and focus all their attention on delivering maximum audio performance. The Sennheiser HD 650 Open Back Professional Over-Ear Headphones are exceptional in all aspects. Just be aware that iPod won’t cut it when it comes to the quality of the audio source.
What are some common marks of audiophile headphones? Could it be the use of hand-picked components, special acoustic materials, and exceptional engineering? Sennheiser definitely seems to think so, because that’s exactly what they say about Sennheiser HD 650 Open Back Professional Over-Ear Headphones. With statements such as these, we are really anxious to see how they perform in real life.
Design and build
The Sennheiser HD 650 are built without any compromises. They work best at home, where their 9-foot Y cable terminated with a 1/4-inch plug doesn’t feel out of place. It can, however, be easily replaced with one of many aftermarket alternatives. The quality of their build is another step higher from the 5xx series of headphones. That says a lot because those headphones already offered a fantastic build quality and outstanding finish.
At 9 ounces, the HD 650s are moderately heavy, but they still are some of the most comfortable headphones that we have ever tested. That’s largely thanks to their super comfortable earpads and low clamping force. Once you get immersed in your music, you will quickly forget about wearing them.
Their design is dominated by a pair of large mesh metal pieces that cover large neodymium drivers. We believe that these look even better in real life than they do in pictures.
Sound quality
Sennheiser spared no expenses, and all components are hand-picked in pairs to deliver maximum possible sound quality. Neodymium ferrous magnet systems should ensure optimum sensitivity and an excellent dynamic response, and out testing only confirms this.
The HD 650 have a very smooth, natural sound presentation that essentially lacks any weak parts. The bass extends incredibly low, offering a remarkable sub-bass delivery. Other high-end headphones often sound too dry and analytical, but these are just perfect. They shift and change their character based on what kind of music you decide to play through them. They can be as well-mannered as the music demands, or they can unleash a fury of devastating bass and superbly accentuated mids.
These really are some of the best headphones that we have ever tested. Which is something when you consider that their price isn’t out of reach for us, mere mortals.
What is in the box?
For such high-end headphones as these, you get surprisingly few accessories. In fact, the big box they come in hides only 1 adaptor to 1/4″ (6.3 mm) and that’s it.
