Sennheiser HD650 Review (Headphone)

[Robbo99999]

Yeah I plan to use sonarworks most likely to flatten the response just because it integrates so nicely systemwide for me.

I don't know if I can recommend the use of sonarworks, last time I heard they are not using GRAS / Harman, so I question the validity and accuracy of their EQ's.......so on that basis I couldn't recommend the HD560s when EQ'd via sonarworks as I doubt the result of that EQ. I can recommend Oratory EQ of HD560s, and then using his customisation filters to tweak the sound to your own liking from that point - particularly the bass and possibly the area above 10kHz and maybe the 1-2kHz area.....all of which have user customisation filters in those areas. HD560s will not be as smooth as HD650 in the treble, unless you EQ it, but otherwise HD560s is close to Harman at stock. And the HD560s has that better soundstage that we were talking about.

 

[BressonWang]

Do different versions of HD650 sound different? I think the last version was made in Ireland and the newest one is made in Romania, and I heard that the newest one has a treble closer to HD600 compared with the last version.

 

[solderdude]

Do different versions of HD650 sound different? I think the last version was made in Ireland and the newest one is made in Romania, and I heard that the newest one has a treble closer to HD600 compared with the last version.

It depends on when they are made not where they were assembled and how worn the pads are and whether or not the new or older pads were fitted.
There have been some years where the FR clearly deviated and there is some production spread as well.
All of them sound like HD650.

 

[BressonWang]

It depends on when they are made not where they were assembled and how worn the pads are and whether or not the new or older pads were fitted.
There have been some years where the FR clearly deviated and there is some production spread as well.
All of them sound like HD650.

Thanks!

 

[half_dog]

Do different versions of HD650 sound different? I think the last version was made in Ireland and the newest one is made in Romania, and I heard that the newest one has a treble closer to HD600 compared with the last version.

I had 2 pair from 2017 and one pair has a little audible dip at mids and a little more bass extension. The other pair, has no dip (a similar curve to HD600) but its bass response was between the "dip" pair and a HD600. This dip in the mids seemed to be a batch deviation which hit some headphone assembled in that period.
My current HD650 (2019 batch) has a good bass extension and no dip. Note, this is assembled with the "oval" shaped pads ("old" model).

 

[BressonWang]

Oh, I see. And I saw in other forums that pads do bring a little change in HD650. Maybe worn pads bring more bass and new pads bring more clarity. But I didn't do this experiment and don't know how audible this change could be. Nevermind. They all sound beautiful to me.

 

[Ilkless]

HD650s are on sale direct from Sennheiser for about $270 local to me. No-brainer after getting burnt in a trade of my LNIB DCA Aeon 2 with an Ether CX that was in awful condition (dank smell of turmeric and sweat that I suspected a pad change wouldn't remove). Offloaded the Ether CX at a loss. Figured I wouldn't need more than a HD650 for listening as I'm going in deep with my speaker setup.

Ultra smooth. But lacks a bit of bite in the upper midrange from about 500Hz to 1.5kHz is my sense. Especially clear when singers are belting. Doesn't seem that apparent from the measurements but we are talking low-Q phenomena with a low threshold of perception. 1.5-6kHz is as good as it gets. Seems that strings also lack a bit of bite as well. The Aeon 2s excelled in that but the sharp 6kHz peak can get fatiguing quickly. Not quite high-Q enough to be unobjectionable with its magnitude. Aeon 2s were also notably better in separating massed strings and vocal harmonies. It's not that I can't perceive these in the HD650s, but definitely more subliminal.

Also, HD650 has a general lack of air above 10kHz. Generally excellent for bright, poppy recordings with not much below 70ish hz. might swap pads to something like the Dekoni fenestrated and then flatten the midbass hump.

Spatially unimpressive at first listen, but I suspect it's partly because the HD650s don't exaggerate certain frequencies that provide a corresponding sense of space (at the expense of tonal fidelity) relative to most other headphones. This is of course, mediated by one's individual HRTF, so YMMV.

 

[as labs]

I dusted off my HD650's that i bought for audio engineering projects, but wound up never using. i always found the bass to be tight and clear, but lacking in level - APO is helping with that!

here's what i'm finding to be a fun listen while still maintaining the spirit of the 650s. everybody's ears are different, especially in headphones, but here it is in case anyone would like to try:

Low shelf, 78 Hz, +8dB, .77 Q
Parametric, 80 Hz, -2.5dB, 2.5 Q
Parametric, 176 Hz, -1.5 dB, 1.1 Q
High Shelf, 9.9kHz, +0.9 dB, 1.2 Q
Parametric, 12k, -1.5 dB, 6 Q

edit after a lot of listening and bypassing the eq: i feel that this setting better serves the spirit of the headphone while giving me a bit more of what i'd expect to hear from my reference tracks. i've stopped thinking and am enjoying listening to the music now. what a musical, fun set of cans.

High-pass filter, 20 Hz, .71 Q
Low shelf, 78 Hz, +5.5dB, .77 Q
Parametric, 80 Hz, -2.0dB, 2.5 Q
Parametric, 176 Hz, -1.2 dB, 1.1 Q
High Shelf, 10.9kHz, +0.8 dB, 1.2 Q
Parametric, 12k, -1.5 dB, 6.7 Q

 

[jeffbook]

I dusted off my HD650's that i bought for audio engineering projects, but wound up never using. i always found the bass to be tight and clear, but lacking in level - APO is helping with that!

here's what i'm finding to be a fun listen while still maintaining the spirit of the 650s. everybody's ears are different, especially in headphones, but here it is in case anyone would like to try:

Low shelf, 78 Hz, +8dB, .77 Q
Parametric, 80 Hz, -2.5dB, 2.5 Q
Parametric, 176 Hz, -1.5 dB, 1.1 Q
High Shelf, 9.9kHz, +0.9 dB, 1.2 Q
Parametric, 12k, -1.5 dB, 6 Q

edit after a lot of listening and bypassing the eq: i feel that this setting better serves the spirit of the headphone while giving me a bit more of what i'd expect to hear from my reference tracks. i've stopped thinking and am enjoying listening to the music now. what a musical, fun set of cans.

High-pass filter, 20 Hz, .71 Q
Low shelf, 78 Hz, +5.5dB, .77 Q
Parametric, 80 Hz, -2.0dB, 2.5 Q
Parametric, 176 Hz, -1.2 dB, 1.1 Q
High Shelf, 10.9kHz, +0.8 dB, 1.2 Q
Parametric, 12k, -1.5 dB, 6.7 Q

I assume that when you say "Parametric" you are referring to a Peak filter at that frequency, gain and Q value.

 

[Robin L]

I assume that when you say "Parametric" you are referring to a Peak filter at that frequency, gain and Q value.

Here, let me offer up my weird ASO parametric settings for my Drop 6XXs, a very smooth rise in the deep bass, a slight cut in the upper bass, a very gradual overall rise in the treble, and a bump in a region of the treble the HD650/6XX lacks. Didn't bother with Arim's 13khz filter, knowing I can't hear up there anyway:

High Pass filter: 18hz, Q = 3.0
High Pass filter: 21hz, Q = 0.9
Low-Shelf filter: 60hz, +4db, Q = 0.9
Peaking filter: 190hz, -2db, Q = 1.0
Peaking Filter: 7.6khz, +2db, Q + 3.0
High Shelf filter: 1khz, +3db, Q = 0.5

 

[as labs]

I assume that when you say "Parametric" you are referring to a Peak filter at that frequency, gain and Q value.

correct

 

[as labs]

Here, let me offer up my weird ASO parametric settings for my Drop 6XXs, a very smooth rise in the deep bass, a slight cut in the upper bass, a very gradual overall rise in the treble, and a bump in a region of the treble the HD650/6XX lacks. Didn't bother with Arim's 13khz filter, knowing I can't hear up there anyway:

High Pass filter: 18hz, Q = 3.0
High Pass filter: 21hz, Q = 0.9
Low-Shelf filter: 60hz, +4db, Q = 0.9
Peaking filter: 190hz, -2db, Q = 1.0
Peaking Filter: 7.6khz, +2db, Q + 3.0
High Shelf filter: 1khz, +3db, Q = 0.5

i'm trying it now, nice! it's a totally new voicing with the high shelf, but i like it... sounds hyper-clear
it's kind of like wearing someone else's pants... or maybe glasses...

 

[Robin L]

i'm trying it now, nice! it's a totally new voicing with the high shelf, but i like it... sounds hyper-clear
it's kind of like wearing someone else's pants... or maybe glasses...

I was previously used to Stax earspeakers. This has more bass than anything Stax has cooked up, but that residual murk in the lower mids is taken out with the broad cut centered at 170hz. The EQ-ed 650 isn't quite as piercing in detail as the Stax, making it overall easier to listen to than the Stax, but similarly focused on top.

 

[Ilkless]

There's a slight squeaking from the bow rubbing against the string of a violin in play. These little details contribute a lot to a sense of realism with violins IME - and really make for moments of delight when using headphones. Anyone know why a headphone like the HD650 could obscure these? My working theory is that it is uncommonly smooth and slightly reticent in treble, almost a victim of its own success.

 

[solderdude]

Anyone know why a headphone like the HD650 could obscure these?

Consider the possibility that the HD650 does not obscure these sounds but rather that most other headphones have elevated treble in specific frequency band(s) which highlights these aspects in other headphones.
Try some EQ in the higher frequency regions.

 

[as labs]

There's a slight squeaking from the bow rubbing against the string of a violin in play. These little details contribute a lot to a sense of realism with violins IME - and really make for moments of delight when using headphones. Anyone know why a headphone like the HD650 could obscure these? My working theory is that it is uncommonly smooth and slightly reticent in treble, almost a victim of its own success.

Not sure. i believe that the physical characteristics of the driver plays a big role. I'm playing with the high end eq as i'm typing, and while there is room for boost to my taste, many elements of sound eq alone cannot cover--the 650 will never sound like a planar driver for example. i'm wondering what would happen if i kicked up the 2nd order harmonic at 6-10k...

 

[Robin L]

I have continued to tweak the EQ for my Drop 6XX 'phones. I'm attempting to get a pure inversion of the frequency response and a boost in the bottom octave. This the most evenly balanced of my numerous attempts.

High Pass Filter: 13hz, Q = 1.4
High Pass Filter: 20hz, Q = 1.5
Low Shelf Filter: 40hz, + 5db, Q = 0.9
High Shelf Filter: 1,000hz, + 1db, Q = 0.5
Peaking Filter: 2,000hz, + 2db, Q = 1.0
High Shelf Filter: 6,000hz, + 1.5db, Q = 1.3
Peaking Filter: 10,000hz, + 1.0db, Q = 1.0

Anybody trying this out, let me know what you think.

 

[192kbps]

@amirm, so going forward are you just positing the 1 channel target deviation and not the 2 channel raws? Would help to know in order to setup my spreadsheets to be streamlined.

Preference Rating
SCORE: 73

Again, the huge 10kHz dip (-20dB, Oratory’s is -10dB) is reducing the score a lot.

Why only the HD 650 has a Preference Rating? Other headphones don't.

 

[MZKM]

Why only the HD 650 has a Preference Rating? Other headphones don't.

I think others still calculate it; I stopped doing it as the score could change drastically depending on the position Amir chose, even using one ear side over the other would result in a decent change.

 

[Jimbob54]

There's a slight squeaking from the bow rubbing against the string of a violin in play. These little details contribute a lot to a sense of realism with violins IME - and really make for moments of delight when using headphones. Anyone know why a headphone like the HD650 could obscure these? My working theory is that it is uncommonly smooth and slightly reticent in treble, almost a victim of its own success.

The veil. The veil!