Sennheiser's HD650 headphones are legendary. It should be no surprise Headfonia has offered a new review of the old classics.
I finally held them in my hand. I shook with anticipation. As I set up my system, I did notice that the build quality, although certainly a step up from the HD202, wasn't quite at the level of the K550. It felt slightly more flimsy. As a paranoid measure, I gave the HD650 its own bed of feathers on which it still spends its nights.
As always with Sennheiser, the first time I put these headphones on, the death grip was in full effect, but after a few hours, the clamping force lightened up, and I found them to be very comfortable. My set-up here consisted of a HP laptop running jRiver media Center, a Dacport LX (which I had gotten as a Christmas gift) and a JDSlabs cMoy. I immediately recognized an upgraded HD202 sound signature. The sound has the same dark tonality, but with much more detail (I'll take it), a more three dimensional sound (I love it), and a much stronger bass impact (YES!!!).
I bought a pair of HD650s worried my HD580s (a similarly revered, earlier version) might some day wear out. I still listen with both, regularly. I've had the HD580s since the 1990s, and have replaced the cable once, and the headband padding, once. The HD650s have never needed a thing. I pair them with a Schiit Lyr/BiFrost set, or a Peachtree Audio Nova. Rock, classical, jazz, blues, funk, every style of music sounds great on these open ear wonders.
THE DARK SENNHEISER HD650: ALL FOR THE MUSIC, via Headfonia
You can still buy Sennheiser HD650s via Amazon.
