Sennheiser HD650 headphones - $290 Amazon

[merlion]

These are some great headphones, and don't drop down to this price all that frequently.

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD...ef=sr_1_5?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1426458748&sr=1-5

 

[Kaido]

FWIW, these are so good that I returned them (years ago) & went back to my HD-280's. They provided so much detail that it kind of ruined a lot of my music collection (no joke). Also, the strong physical clamping effect really bothered me at the time, if that stuff bothers you then you have to break them in for awhile so the headband isn't so vise-like.

But they do sound gloriously good if that's what you're going for! :awe:

 

[zinfamous]

what the--those ain't got no Beats logo on them!

 

[Ayrahvon]

Great deal, I have the old HD 580s. I doubt I'll ever replace them (they'll have to die and cost more to repair than to replace).

 

[merlion]

what the--those ain't got no Beats logo on them!

You say that like it's a bad thing.

 

[merlion]

And that didn't last long. Still in stock, but back up to $328.88.

 

[dr150]

Great deal, I have the old HD 580s. I doubt I'll ever replace them (they'll have to die and cost more to repair than to replace).

580's are legendary. I'll never give up my set! :thumbsup:

 

[merlion]

Well, if the clamping force is a bit too much, might I recommend you gently work on pulling them outwards a bit at a time to relieve the tension? Careful though, as you don't want to get carried away.

Alternatively, check out the Beyerdynamic DT880 headphones for a set of nice open cans. I prefer the 600 ohm version, but the 250 ohm is a nice option too, primarily depending on what you're driving them with. Great velour pads without as much clamping force as the Senns.

 

[merlion]

These have been back at $290 for the last couple of days now.

 

[mikeford]

These REALLY need some kind of amp driving them, not just a typical headphone output.

As said, they are revealing, very good material sounds amazing, not so good and what you notice may be mostly defects.

 

[Kaido]

Well, if the clamping force is a bit too much, might I recommend you gently work on pulling them outwards a bit at a time to relieve the tension? Careful though, as you don't want to get carried away.

iirc the recommend initial storage & stretch-out suggestion was to use a basketball for the first couple weeks, fwiw.

 

[fleshconsumed]

Nice deal. Totally would have jumped on the deal if I didn't have a pair already. Can't believe these are still in stock at this price.

 

[dchristian]

what the--those ain't got no Beats logo on them!

I really with there was an upvote on here.

 

[fstime]

The past 6 months have been filled with Sennheiser's going for 30%-50% off. Are they going to blow all their stock and then release a whole new line of headphones or something. seems a little suspicious.

 

[mikeford]

The past 6 months have been filled with Sennheiser's going for 30%-50% off. Are they going to blow all their stock and then release a whole new line of headphones or something. seems a little suspicious.

I've done a fair amount of listening to all of the best headphones, with the exception of the canal phones, and I don't see where there is room for improvement, which is why I have the HD600 instead of the HD650 or electrostats etc. The very best do have some unique sonic character, but nothing that I would say made one better than another except for certain types of music.

 

[McLovin]

I really with there was an upvote on here.

MINE!!!

Also, very good cans. Wish I would have got them for that price

 

[fstime]

They are the same price on newegg, but it seems you need to invest atleast another ~$100 for an amp.

Some prefer the 598's sound for half the price and no amp requirement but like all things in this field, everyone has a different opinion.

I am pretty sure after the 598 you probably have already hit the point of diminishing returns for your $$$ but that's no surprise.

 

[fleshconsumed]

The point of diminishing returns is there, but it is somewhat subjective. It's subject to one's hearing and disposable income. That said, in my opinion HD600/HD650 are right there in the sweetest value for money price point. Cheaper headphones are not going to sound nowhere near as good and while better headphones might be slightly better, they will also cost at least twice as much.

What I want to point out though, if you're spending $300 on a set of headphones you should probably research to see which set of headphones match your sound preference the best. At the $300 range most of the headphones from reputable manufacturers (i.e. Sennheiser, AKG, Beyerdynamics, AudioTechnica, Grado, and even Sony) are going to sound really really good. The biggest difference will be in the sound signature. For example Grado is known for lively dynamic sound, Sony is known for putting emphasis on treble, Sennheiser's HD600/650 has a reputation of a very neutral sound. Beyerdynamics sound signature varies a lot with the model, the "DT770 Pro" model is known to be very bassy, however for my 2005 DT770 Consumer edition I had to use equalizer to tone down treble which in my opinion was too overpowering. So do your research guys.

 

[alcoholbob]

FWIW, these are so good that I returned them (years ago) & went back to my HD-280's. They provided so much detail that it kind of ruined a lot of my music collection (no joke). Also, the strong physical clamping effect really bothered me at the time, if that stuff bothers you then you have to break them in for awhile so the headband isn't so vise-like.

But they do sound gloriously good if that's what you're going for! :awe:

That's why I returned these when these dropped to around $300 a few years ago. The clamp was ridiculous on these and physically made my ears red after wearing these for half hour sessions. It's not made for people with larger heads.

 

[CP5670]

The point of diminishing returns is there, but it is somewhat subjective. It's subject to one's hearing and disposable income. That said, in my opinion HD600/HD650 are right there in the sweetest value for money price point. Cheaper headphones are not going to sound nowhere near as good and while better headphones might be slightly better, they will also cost at least twice as much.

What I want to point out though, if you're spending $300 on a set of headphones you should probably research to see which set of headphones match your sound preference the best. At the $300 range most of the headphones from reputable manufacturers (i.e. Sennheiser, AKG, Beyerdynamics, AudioTechnica, Grado, and even Sony) are going to sound really really good. The biggest difference will be in the sound signature. For example Grado is known for lively dynamic sound, Sony is known for putting emphasis on treble, Sennheiser's HD600/650 has a reputation of a very neutral sound. Beyerdynamics sound signature varies a lot with the model, the "DT770 Pro" model is known to be very bassy, however for my 2005 DT770 Consumer edition I had to use equalizer to tone down treble which in my opinion was too overpowering. So do your research guys.

I do the same thing on my DT990 using my X-fi's equalizer. I think all of the Beyers have a strong treble that brings out detail but becomes tiresome after listening for long periods. However, once that is toned down, they are particularly excellent for games and electronic game music, and have possibly the best ergonomics and comfort levels out there. The Pro models are supposed to be internally identical and cost much less but have a higher clamper force, so they sound a bit different. The 32/250/600 variants have very minor differences, but it's not clear if one is actually better than the others. I got the 32 one since the ability to use it on other devices seemed more useful than the miniscule differences.

All of these headphones fluctuate a lot in price on Amazon. I have seen the DTxx0 line anywhere between $250 to $330, so it's worth checking frequently. The Sennheisers are similar.

 

[gevorg]

The clamp force is easily adjustable, when I had these on my relatively large head, they were pretty comfortable (above average than typical hifi headphones). Instructions how to adjust here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/438898/hd650-hd600-hd580-comfortable-uncomfortable-or-fractured

 

[merlion]

Now at $287.00

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD...d=1428933826&sr=8-1&keywords=sennheiser+hd650

 

[pcslookout]

Just ordered one!

 

[bradley]

The gaining strength of the US dollar is doing some wacky things to import prices. I have the HD580 and it's the best headphone for the money. Going up another price bracket, my next favorite is the Hifiman HE-500.

If the HD800 ever comes down to earth (around $600,) I would literally wait in line all day for them.

BTW, the HD600, which are a more neutral headphone than the HD650 for $239 shipped.
http://www.adorama.com/als.MVC/nspc...TRn:yA4W5KXcM07HT9OUkVTVgSFu0:bwI0&utm_medium

 

[Thump553]

Sennheiser seems to have a sale like this once a year or so. I bought a pair of HD600 maybe five years ago and to my ears they are awesome. Very comfortable also, I can wear them for hours (but I have a small head size). The only complaint I could make is that the (detachable) headphone cables are a bit fragile-I've had to replace mine several times over the years.

A headphone amp is essential for either the HD600 or HD650.

Without getting into an audiophile war I don't know if it is a correct statement that the HD600 is "more neutral" than the HD650-from what I understand of them they are essentially the same except Senn went to extra length to match each of the pair of drivers in the HD650. I'm sure my hearing is damaged enough that I couldn't tell the difference.