Sennheiser HD650 - The classic beauty in a grey dress Appreciation thread!
- Thread starter Ryanr1987
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I've noticed tiny tiny differences in music, Not better just different, As I've been using the 650's for nearly a week now but the X2's have much better bass to my ears and in games I much prefer the sound of the X2's, I'll keep the 650's for when I'm in the mood for classical music
The X2 has a rather large mid bass hump while the 650 is more linear(still has a hump though too) I think the HD650's will give you a better idea of what the recording is about while the X2 is all fun fun fun. The X2 does have a nice sparkle.
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There is definitely space in one's collection for both. They are my main two now.
For pure music the 650's win hands down though.
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Really temped to grab a pair of 600/650's just to at least experience them but at the moment I'm still loving the Grado SR225e's that I nabbed from /\ PapaLazaru /\, they just throw the music at you! they are not laid back at all and I love that, the only thing is I think the pacing/timing could be a bit better.
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Just out of interest what didn't you like about it? too aggressive?
Everyone has their taste but I can not for the life of me, understand how anyone can like the typical Grado sound. Zero low bass, all treble! It's not just elevated treble; I'm talking stupid peaks of the stuff. The prestige line for example all soun the same...might as well grab an SR60i, change the pads rather than spend on the upper models.
If you are a crazy metal head 24/7 with insensitive ears I can see them being loved but those looking for a nice tone that performs in all areas noo way. I used to like the Grado sound about 5 years ago but when I revisited the line I didn't know what I was thinking haha
The 650 will sound much more mellow in comparison as would any headphone. It's a more even sound, vocals will have a charm about them, bass will become an important part of the music and you will hear more treble detail, lower distortion(Grado distortion is horrendous)
The music will sound more real, take you to a different place. Coming from a Grado to a 650 will take time though, so spend over a week just listening to the 650.
If you are a crazy metal head 24/7 with insensitive ears I can see them being loved but those looking for a nice tone that performs in all areas noo way. I used to like the Grado sound about 5 years ago but when I revisited the line I didn't know what I was thinking haha
The 650 will sound much more mellow in comparison as would any headphone. It's a more even sound, vocals will have a charm about them, bass will become an important part of the music and you will hear more treble detail, lower distortion(Grado distortion is horrendous)
The music will sound more real, take you to a different place. Coming from a Grado to a 650 will take time though, so spend over a week just listening to the 650.
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Ryan has way expressed it way more eloquently than I could ever do but essentially I didn't like the aggressiveness of the treble teamed with the actual fit of them - it was like the music was directly on my ears. There was no gap between my ear holes and the pads, I guess I'm used to a more recessed driver
The Witcher 3 soundtrack is so good on the 650's! such a shame they couldn't put Wolven Storm(Pricillas song) on the soundtrack that song is magical I can never listen to it all the way through :'( haha even if it's not particularly sad.
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I think it must be a combination of my age (near 40) and maybe even damaged hearing due to headphone abuse over the years, because to me my Grado's sound very smooth and have nice deep bass, they definitely have a mid range hump but I like that, I know the 'i' series of Grado's was supposed to be a lot more aggressive on the treble, I think they warmed up the sound signature a little on the 'e' series but still have that Grado mid-range.
I will definitely grab a pair of 650's just to see what all the fuss is about though, I can always sell them on.
40 isn't that old don't be hard on yourself Haha
Some people are insensitive or sensitive to certain ranges. An example is the HE-500 sounds smooth to me with a sparkle yet some hear it as bright and harsh. The HD700 kills my ears and sucks but some on here really like it.
A lot of it is also just getting used to the sound. Sometimes I hear the 650 as having and edge to the sound but going to the HD800 or LCD-2 then back to the 650 reveals it as more relaxed. I always have at least 3 pairs of headphones that have a different sound as it's easier to get an idea of a signature.
I personally find it much easier to get used to a warmer/darker headphone than a brighter one though. Chances are you won't like the 650 at first, Grado fans are too far gone
Some people are insensitive or sensitive to certain ranges. An example is the HE-500 sounds smooth to me with a sparkle yet some hear it as bright and harsh. The HD700 kills my ears and sucks but some on here really like it.
A lot of it is also just getting used to the sound. Sometimes I hear the 650 as having and edge to the sound but going to the HD800 or LCD-2 then back to the 650 reveals it as more relaxed. I always have at least 3 pairs of headphones that have a different sound as it's easier to get an idea of a signature.
I personally find it much easier to get used to a warmer/darker headphone than a brighter one though. Chances are you won't like the 650 at first, Grado fans are too far gone
If you're coming from Grados then the most important thing to do is give your brain enough time to adjust to the wildly different signature. I came from AKG K702s to HD650s and my initial thoughts were that I had just wasted £230 because they sounded as though I had cotton wool in my ears compared to what I was used to with the AKGs. After an hour or so details began to appear, the realistic sound of the drums was the first thing I noticed and from there it just got better. After two or three hours I was hooked and my first session with them eventually turned into an all nighter and I was head over heels in love. 
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Age is honestly a very small part when it comes to sound but sadly it's blamed on everything.
My father is 70 in a few days and still has perfect hearing.
You just need to get use to the sound.
I'm 59 and can't hear anything above about 12kHz but as pretty much all musical information lies below this it doesn't affect my enjoyment one little bit. If anything, frequencies above 12kHz may affect how "airy" the music may sound but even then the difference will not be huge.
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/GradoSR225i.pdf
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/SennheiserHD650.pdf
The HD650 will show a technical improvement over the Grado. The distortion in the drivers is high and the 300hz square waves are pretty crazy.
Minus the bass, the HD650 has very low distortion throughout the mids and treble I'm sure you will be impressed by them. It will take time though!
Tylls frequency response measurements always look off though, Purrins measurements seem to reflect more how a headphone sounds IMO
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/SennheiserHD650.pdf
The HD650 will show a technical improvement over the Grado. The distortion in the drivers is high and the 300hz square waves are pretty crazy.
Minus the bass, the HD650 has very low distortion throughout the mids and treble I'm sure you will be impressed by them. It will take time though!
Tylls frequency response measurements always look off though, Purrins measurements seem to reflect more how a headphone sounds IMO
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Well my 650s turned up today to add to my collection. Got to burn them in now . Hate the vice like grip at the start but the 700 had that as well. Getting a very slight vibration on initial listening. Almost like standing really close to a loudspeaker in a nightclub. Hopefully just a bedding in issue.
The clamp will ease up after a week or so. Not sure what the vibration thing is :s is this on all recordings? Mine don't have any odd rattles with the 650 bass. It will take time to get used to them coming from the HD700 though I wouldn't recommend touching your HD700 for a good week or so unless it's for games so you can get used to the 650. I warn you though, a lot of headphones just sound wrong once you get used to the 650.
I have to disagree here. I've chucked on low pass filters over songs to see how they sound and even at 13kHz it sounds like the song just went underwater or through a sponge. I'm 23 and can still hear to at least 20-21kHz, so at least I've got a bit of a buffer for the years to come.
Pretty much all I'll be missing are the ringing tones of cymbals, a lot of which are ultrasonic (20kHz+). I hear the fundamentals (the crash) just fine, so won't be missing too much.
One thing that I won't be hearing too much of is sibilance and that is no loss at all.
One thing that I won't be hearing too much of is sibilance and that is no loss at all.