These Sennheiser HD 650 cans are all about getting the most out of your vast record collection, even if your got tastes range from Bach to Blur. In fact, the whole idea of these open-backed beasts is to cater for all kinds of tunes. The question is, are they worth that hefty £270 price tag? Read our full Sennheiser HD 650 review now for our verdict.
Be under no illusion: if music isn’t the only thing you live for, than the Sennheiser HD 650s are not for you. These headphones are aimed squarely at those who pore over the pages over Mojo and reminisce about the days before music wasn’t all downloads and low quality streams. But that’s not to say that they’re absolutely awesome.
Plug the Sennheiser HD 650s into your stereo and you’ll soon realise that they’re as good an all-rounder as a fit Freddie Flintoff. We put every genre in our CD collection through them, from bleepy electronica or poseurish New York punk and the results were nothing short of outstanding. Bass heavy tunes were reassuringly thumping, while detailed folkie guitar parts stood out thanks to excellent mid-range and treble. The only thing better are Sennheiser’s one grand HD800s.
Read our Sennheiser HD800 review now
As we’ve said, though, these are cans very much for audio aficionados. To get the best out of the Sennheiser HD 650s you’ll have to be rocking a decent hi-fi set up. There is an adapter for MP3 players and mobiles, but to make them sing, you’ll want to feeding them CDS rather than shonky MP3s you grabbed while mooching about online.
It’s not the only niggle. The open backed style means these are very much for at home listening rather than for taking on long flights and train journeys. Crank the Sennheiser HD 650s on a plane and you’ll quickly be the least popular passenger.
Ultimately though, these are quibbles which ignore the Sennheiser HD 650s driving aim. To provide musos with the best quality sound at home. They’re cosy, look the business and sound the right side of amazing. At £270 they’re not cheap, but if you love records more than your family, it’s a price worth paying.
