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Sennheiser
Sennheiser HD 650
20 years later, this stone-cold classic still slaps.
Sound
3.7/ 5
SoundMDAQS Overall3.7
1.05.0
A 3.7 puts its audio quality in the bottom quarter of over-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 44 of the 240 we've cataloged.
Key specs
Connection Type
Wired 3.5mmMost commonWired-3.5mm48%Bluetooth44%Wired-usb-c7%Others1%
Wired-3.5mm is the most common — on 48% of the 215 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 240).
Weight
260gBelow average260 g
132 g420 g
below average for over-ear headphones — based on 195 of 240 we've cataloged.
Connectivity
- Connection Type
- Wired 3.5mm
- Headphone Jack
- Yes
Design
- Weight
- 260g
- Clamping Force
- 250-350 g
- Color Options
- Black
- Ear Pad Type
- Velour
- Foldable
- No
- Headband Type
- Adjustable over-head
Build
- Material Chassis Primary
- Plastic with grey metallic finish, metal headband frame
- Material Ear Cups
- Velour
Sound
- Acoustic Design
- Open-back
- Driver Count
- 1
- Driver Size
- 42 mm
- Driver Type
- Dynamic driver
- Frequency Response
- 10-41000 Hz
- Frequency Response High Hz
- 41000 Hz
- Frequency Response Low Hz
- 10 Hz
- Frequency Response Signature
- Warm
- Impedance
- 300 Ω
- Max Spl
- 103 dB SPL
- Passive Isolation
- 0 dB
- Sensitivity
- 103 dB/mW
Battery
- Battery
- No
Features
- Auto Pause
- No
Identity
- Model Number
- 508825
Microphone
- Microphone
- No
SoundGuys review
Read the full review ›Comfort & fit9.9
Connectivity6.5
Design9.0
Portability4.5
Features7.0
Value7.5
The verdict
The Sennheiser HD 650 is still an excellent choice for anyone looking for a reference quality open backed headphone that's comfortable and well designed. There's a reason it's been popular as long as it has.
✓What we like
✓Excellent sound quality
✓Very comfortable
✓User replaceable cable
✕What could be better
✕Sub-bass rolloff
Lab data
How we test ›Objective measurements from the SoundGuys test lab — overlay other models to see how this one compares.
Sennheiser HD 650SoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve
Measured frequency response (dB) against the SoundGuys house target — the dashed curve. The closer the measured line tracks the target, the more neutral the tuning; peaks ride above the target, dips fall below it.
Frequency response — measurement data
| Frequency (Hz) | Response (dB) |
|---|---|
| 20 | -9.4 |
| 25 | -7.6 |
| 32 | -5.9 |
| 40 | -4.3 |
| 50 | -3.1 |
| 63 | -2.1 |
| 80 | -1.8 |
| 100 | -0.8 |
| 125 | -0.5 |
| 160 | -0.6 |
| 200 | -0.8 |
| 250 | -1.0 |
| 315 | -1.2 |
| 400 | -1.5 |
| 500 | -1.5 |
| 630 | -1.1 |
| 800 | -0.3 |
| 1000 | 0.0 |
| 1250 | 1.4 |
| 1600 | 2.6 |
| 2000 | 4.2 |
| 2500 | 7.2 |
| 3150 | 10.1 |
| 4000 | 7.6 |
| 5000 | 6.2 |
| 6300 | 4.5 |
| 8000 | 7.5 |
| 10000 | 0.2 |
| 12500 | 0.1 |
| 16000 | -2.0 |
| 20000 | -15.5 |
Sennheiser HD 650
Passive isolation (dB) with ANC off — how much ambient noise the fit blocks on its own. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
Passive isolation — measurement data
| Frequency (Hz) | Attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | -1.9 |
| 26 | 0.7 |
| 33 | -0.1 |
| 41 | -0.1 |
| 52 | -0.1 |
| 65 | -0.1 |
| 82 | -0.3 |
| 103 | 0.0 |
| 130 | 0.0 |
| 163 | 0.1 |
| 205 | -0.1 |
| 259 | -0.1 |
| 325 | -0.1 |
| 410 | -0.2 |
| 516 | -0.1 |
| 613 | -0.6 |
| 772 | -1.1 |
| 972 | -0.8 |
| 1220 | -1.4 |
| 1540 | -0.6 |
| 1940 | 2.4 |
| 2440 | 5.2 |
| 3070 | 6.2 |
| 3870 | 6.8 |
| 4870 | 13.1 |
| 6130 | 12.7 |
| 7720 | 16.6 |
| 9720 | 19.6 |
| 12200 | 7.3 |
| 15400 | 11.0 |
| 19400 | 15.8 |
Sennheiser HD 650
4.1
3.5
2.9
3.7
Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (1–5), modeled from the measured response. Higher is better across timbre, distortion, and immersiveness — add other models to see where this one lands.
Features & Opinions
More from the team ›Commentary and deep dives from the SoundGuys editorial team.
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Christian ThomasEditor-at-large5 ways headphones are going to change in 2027Here's where things are headed.Christian ThomasEditor-at-largeWired vs wireless headphones: Which should you buy?Wired headphones do not automatically sound better.
Tom TriggsContributor
Christian ThomasEditor-at-large5 ways headphones are going to change in 2027Here's where things are headed.Christian ThomasEditor-at-largeWired vs wireless headphones: Which should you buy?Wired headphones do not automatically sound better.Tom TriggsContributorMore Over-Ear Headphones
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