0ur opinion:

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Sennheiser HD650 Stereo Headphone is the child of the highly acclaimed HD600 that was hailed as the Product of the Year in 1998. Numerous enhancements have been added to accommodate new digital recordings including MP3 tracks. Superbly well balanced, with rock solid bass, excellent mid-range response and detailed yet natural upper frequency response, the new HD650 is poised to quickly become the 'connoisseur's choice.' Ultra soft velour ear cushions lmproved signal cable terminates in 1/4 phono plug User-replaceable parts and a 2-year warranty

Hands-0n Review:
The Sennheiser HD 650 open-air dynamic headphone is a music lover's dream: easy to wear and downright intoxicating to listen to. Sennheiser is, hands-down, the number-one name in high-quality headphones, and for good reason. From the issue of its legendary HD 580 headphone in mid-'90s, the German company has cornered the market on ultimate over-ear sound coupled with ultimate comfort, an unbeatable combination.

With no need to reinvent the wheel year in and year out, 2004's titanium/silver-colored HD 650 is only the third top-of-the-line incarnation since the HD 580, following the classy HD 600 (and not counting Sennheiser's made-to-order $15,000 0rpheus electrostatic headphone). ls each issue better than the last? Fundamentally, yes, though they're also simply 'different.' Taking as a starting point that each is truly excellent, the 580 might be said to focus on glorious midrange; the 600 makes a point of delivering extended, exceptionally airy high frequencies; and the 650, fittingly enough, tackles the most difficult area of sound for small drivers to handle: deep bass.

The 650 offers appreciable bass well below 40 Hz, the region responsible for the deepest frequencies generated by kick drums, timpani, double bass, electric bass guitar, and all manner of electronic sounds. Further, the 650 reproduces its low frequencies with only minimal emphasis in the upper-bass region, between the areas we commonly call 'bass' and 'midrange', in which undue emphasis can destroy clarity both above and below.

lf you listen mostly to classical, jazz, and acoustic music, you'll probably embrace the headphone's low-end authority without reservation. lf you listen to contemporary pop/rock and electronica, however--genres subject to a fair amount of equalization and bass boosting over the course of recording, mixing, and mastering--then you might find yourself facing, at times, a bit too much bass. 0f course, most rock demands excellent bass response, and the HD 650 delivers. lt just isn't forgiving of a musical production's gross errors of judgment, which would makes it a great asset for sound engineers.

The 650's driver material is a specially fabricated 'acoustic silk' that minimizes harmonic and intermodulation distortion while maintaining a natural timbre. These drivers start and stop on a dime, ensuring dynamic transient 'snap' while minimizing subtle, unwanted resonances that a given sound can induce.

lts broad frequency response is rated at 16 to 30,000 Hz, -3 dB (that is: the point at which the frequency extremes are reproduced 3 dB quieter than the frequencies in between), and 10 to 39,500 Hz, -10 dB. This makes the headphone a brilliant way to fully appreciating high-resolution audio formats like SACD, DVD-Audio, and LP records. Comparatively lower-res compact discs also sound fabulous. For best results, listen through a high-quality headphone amplifier, such as a dedicated headphone amp or the headphone jack in a high-quality preamplifier, integrated amplifier, or surround receiver.

The 650 performs remarkably well with portable audio devices (your iPod will likely never have sounded better), but keep in mind that a) you'll need to crank the volume (sucking battery power), b) the 650 will probably make you uncomfortably aware of how amazingly far MP3s are from CD quality, especially below 160 kbps, and c) the open-air nature of the drivers means they block no outside noise whatsoever and broadcast their high frequencies to anyone within earshot.

The headphone's detachable, Kevlar-reinforced 0FC copper cable is over 9 feet long. While unquestionably durable and free from motion noise over most of its length--that is, noises audible in the ear cups when the cable is moved or touched--we noticed that the top foot or so (where it meets the earcups) is far more susceptible to motion noise than, say, any part of the cord for the HD 600. lt's not an issue when one is either motionless or rocking out.

A nice touch for nighttime use and for blind listeners is a trio of small bumps above the left earcup to assist in orienting the headset. 0ther features include hand-selected, matched transducers with tight (+/1 dB) tolerances, computer-optimized and highly efficient Neodymium ferrous magnet systems, extremely lightweight aluminum voice coils, and a gold-plated .25-inch jack plug with a separate adapter lead for connecting to minijack .125-inch plugs.

As to comfort, the 650's elliptical ear cups use thick felt pads which circle the ears completely. lt's perfect for extended listening, putting no pressure on the ears themselves and fitting snugly across the head. The 650 is the tightest of the three models, an asset for those who want to listen while upright and moving about. --Michael Mikesell

Pros:

• Great sound overall
• Uncommonly comfy fit
• Deep bass response
• Extended overall frequency response
• Dynamic performance
• Extremely low distortion
• Long headphone cord
• Mercilessly revealing of a recording's deficiencies

Cons:

• Top 1 foot of cord is susceptible to motion noise
• Mercilessly revealing of a recording's deficiencies
• You may hate your speakers after hearing this headphone

What's in the Box
Headphone, a detachable headphone cable, a .125-inch minijack adapter, a hard-shell storage box (silver with embossed blue lettering), a user's manual, and warranty information.


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Buyer's feedback: - * These are the real deal... ...
Reference quality (good enough for me anyway!). Prefer to AKG 701s and Beyer 880s. Well made. Similar to the 600s but slight improvements such as a thicker cord --- which actually does help the sound quality a bit. Accurate. Good bass. Excellent SQ but a bit veiled. It helps if you can try it first. I like punchy but like these, too, and find them worth the money. For 300 ohms, not that hard to drive --- but yes, use a headphone amp for portable devices.

Almost as good and a bit more upfront sound --- try the Senn 595s and save some money. Both are very comfortable.

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Buyer's feedback: - Fantastic headphones
Just received my HD650's. Picked them up manufacturer refurbished for some decent $$$ savings from an authorized re-seller. My headphone amp (headroom portable micro) is due in next week so my rating is without a headphone amp. I am a Senn fan and own a couple pairs on top of the 650's (HD590 and PCX250 noise reduction). Compared to my 590's these have a much bigger sound stage and as previous posters have said you hear things in high quality recordings I never heard before with the HD590. As far as coloration goes or veiled response, I think that has to be a source material issue or equipment issue. Plugging these into my Marantz 8500 receiver and listening to an SACD or DVD-A is true bliss, just a little taste of heaven. MP3s sound great too, either plugged into the receiver or piped thru my logitec PC system (their top o line with separate headphone amp). Bought the portable amp for my ipod, figured it should increase my satisfaction with both the 650 and 590 while on the go. First time I tried the 650 was on a 256k MP3. The sound difference between the 590s and the 650s literally gave me chills and this is before the recommended "burn in".
I am by no means an expert, but love all kinds of music. Unfortunately (or fortunately) due to small kids and wife can't play my music at levels on my old AR9s like I used to. These HD650s are an awesome substitute. Pull the trigger on these and you will not regret it. They live up to the hype. Just make sure you buy them from an authorized reseller (like Amazon, not a third party seller) or the warranty is no good.

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Buyer's feedback: - * Excellent Headphones ...
I have listened to my music for the last few years using Paradigm Studios including the Signature sub woofer. I have come to appreciate the effortless sound produced by this system, not only its accuracy, but an exceptional soundstage as well. Headphones weren't generally necessary, but if they were, I did have an older pair of Denons. Well, my friend said she wanted my old Denons for her iPod, so I had a chance to look for something newer. I purchased the 650s. Simply said, get ready to hear what you've never heard previously. Good and bad. You hear the entire recording. Clearly. Incredible subtle nuances. You don't miss anything. Play your favorite SACD and it's like you purchased another recording.

As far as coloration, well to me that's subjective. If I were the engineer mixing the recording, I might believe they warmed up the sound just a small, small bit, but if I were listening just for the enjoyment, I'd say Sennheiser nailed it. Open. Transparent. Natural.

The only weakness, and I hesitate to call it that, is the sound stage. Although very accurate in their placement, the 650's don't match the depth and overall spatial presence of the Studios. But then again, with the 650s, I can turn my head or shift my seat and the soundstage doesn't float.

Folks, I'd say the Sennheiser 650s are a great investment !

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Buyer's feedback: - Simply Amazing
The sound is far from muddy or boring.... it is luscious and warm. Colored? I feel so... but nothing is completely transparent. I started hearing so many things I've missed in the tracks I listen to every day on my infinity car audio system.

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Buyer's feedback: - * Fantastic headphones with a WARNING!!! ...
Don't get me wrong, these are excellent sounding headphones. They have good soundstage, very musical and warm sounding like you're in a concert hall. Only thing is I wish it had a bit tighter bass. I've had them for over a year now (bought these babies over eBay, its cheaper). BUT, they are extremely PICKY. Over the year i've spent big $ upgrading the cable, purchasing a number of amps just to get rid of that nasty veil. All along thinking that my amps weren't giving it enough power, but I was wrong. It was my source all along. These headphones will not sound good when you play mp3s though them. They will sound bloated, muddy, and veiled. I learned that the hard way. Well except for some, they sound decent. Most of my music collection is mp3. Most VBR or at least 192 kbps. But if you want to hear the best from these headphones expect to play only actual CD, vinyl, wav, flac, alac, or other lossless codec. Also I recommend a good DAC and headphone amplifier. So expect to spend at least 1k on your equipment to bring out the best of these headphones. Yeah, they are pretty cheap in comparison and a good value but they come with a price!!!

edit 9/27/08: mp3s actually do sound decent to good through these headphones but that will all depend on your DAC. a high quality DAC is HIGHLY recommended. none of those cheap $200 DACs. those will not cut it. get a good one and you will be rewarded. i recommend getting an Oritek modded zhaolu. those make CDs sound very close to vinyl. it's world class and no more of that digital harshness.

but of course, you can always get some Grados, those make anything sound good. even straight through an ipod. :)

oh yeah, and don't forget to upgrade the stock cable. it's crap. get the zu cable or the cardas. i had the cardas first and then i upgraded to the zu's. and i kept the zu's because they help bring out the highs more.