This was one of the best headphone comparisons I have heard on KZfaq. You describe the differences very well with terminology that is better designed for understanding than impressing.

A nicely done video. I liked the way you held the headphones you were talking about. Excellent production values and an excellent review.

Nice review mate. Id just add that although I've always loved my 650's they really came into their own when I bought my Project Ember tube hybrid amp. They sound simply superb now.

I like your analytical style very much.

Thanks for your reviews Lachlan. Very helpful!

Thank to your review, I've ordered my pair of HD650. Can't wait to put my hands on this headphones. Thank you very much, dear @lachlanlikesathing

Great Review lachlan. have been waiting for this review. didnt think it would come this early. considering a pair of these to replace my 10 year old + Senn HD598 which have never been boring nor steller.

Great review of these classic headplhones, subscribed!

Loved this review. Great job. I owned a pair of the 650's about a year ago but didn't have an AMP and felt it really needed it. Since then I bought a pair of AKG K545 and Fiio Mont Blanc amp I love the combo but I think I'm going to give the 650's one more go.

Subbed... Ive seen quite a few of your reviews, top notch, and all around 10 min mark..perfect. Looking for some 650's in the future, enjoying my AKG 7xx for now.

Good video Lachlan Love my 650s , 880s and 702s ...classic trio FTW

Decent review. Good clarity of comparison of headphones.

Awesome video! Extremely helpful!

Yeeeiii, Happy Reviewing! :D

Nice review on the HD 650! Could you also check out the SoundMAGIC HP200 some time in the future? I have read some thoughts of those and some have said that they sound cleaner than the HD 650 and goes for less but I would like to hear your thoughts on them.

Just got these a few days ago and I'm mad I didn't buy them sooner, such a magical headphone.

I really can't wrap my head around your claims that the iPhone 5 can drive the HD650s just fine. When I connect my AKG K612s to my iPod Touch 5G, I have to turn it up to full blast to get a satisfying volume, and that is 120 ohms vs. 300 for the HD650s. The audio world is so bizarre, not to mention dark and full of terrors.

Hey lachlanlikesathing, thanks for that review! Do you have a good headphone amp recommendation in the price range of about 300-1000 for the HD650? Thanks!

Awesome review. I currently have a pair of PC360's I've been using for many years now but am wanting to step it up a notch and make the most of the ZxR sound card I have - so was considering these. I'd be using it for editing, music and gaming, so will be pairing it with a ModMic. Would you say it'd be a noticeable and worthwhile improvement over the 360's which are more like a 598?

Great video! I've been watching some of your videos lately, one more sub here =). Do you plan on doing a fidelio x1 review? Really like the way you review the headphones, would be nice to hear what you think about it.

Hi, love your reviews. Very clear, at least on which one is more fit in with my style of listening. One question though, how is the Sony ma900 compare to HD598?

Hey lachlan, will you ever be willing to review the hifiman he-400? Im intrested in your opinions on that headphone. :)

HD650 is my favourite pair of headphones. It sounds so musical and unfatiguing. I agree with you on what you said about the amplification: it sounds surprisingly good even from a cheap CMOY-type headphone amplifier. I don't own an iPhone but when driven from my mobile devices the sound lacks some bass and it's also hard to get enough volume. So I think a headphone amp of some kind is kinda must have with these headphones. But it doesn't have to be an expensive one!

Awesome review! I was just wondering if you've compared this with the HD600. I've heard that the 600 is more neutral, but I want to hear your thoughts about it. I've been trying to decide between the two as I want one to use at home - once I am able to afford one. =)

Hi Lachlan. Love your reviews. Would appreciate if you can review Sennheiser HD660S and compare with AKG-K712.

cool review, what about connecting HD650 through a focusrite scarlet 2i2 on my laptop? Does it perform better? Or can I replace it instead of a regular amplifier? I´m not an expert so I appreciate your thoughts.

Great video, someday I would like to own it.

7:49 "more resolution and bass" I agree completely and that is a good summation of these headphones and why I really like them. Given the chance listen to stax SR-009 (has a lingering presence to the sound that i didn't find with any others), audeze lcd-3/2 (sounded kind of average), HD 800 (out of a schiit lyr tubed amp, not sure what tubes but I wasn't blown away and noticed they lacked the body of sound of the HD650) and the audeze EL-8 open back (in the middle of the HD-650 and everything else in terms of sound body). I completely agree with you on that statement.

great review!!!

pretty good review!!!

A nice and concise review Lachlan. But, I have to comment on amplification part of the review! I have an O2 and often drive my HD650 with the O2, it is good, though nothing special. On my desk, the 650 is driven by the Burson HA160 & or BH Crack (SB) and those two amps take the 650 to a whole new level!!!. Frankly, I could notice the (night & day) change that those two amps brought to the game but after listening to setups like LCD2/Auralic, HD800/BH Crack(SB) I have developed a whole new appreciation for the pairing. I have also tried the 650 on a Violectric V200 and the Bakoon amps and can assure the "scaling" character of the headphone. Ofcourse, the O2 is a neutral flavoured amp where as the other two amps show enough character making them more appealing and provide that synergy with the HD650.

I can't wait to see the day when you review the v moda m100's

Hi Lachlan. It'd be good to see you review the V-Moda M100 Crossfade :).

How does the bass and soundstage compare to the AKG K701/Q701? The only open backed headphone I've owned is the Q701? I liked the sound stage but they lacked enough bass impact for me. But I definitely don't want too much bass either because that seems to fatigue my ears pretty quick (I had this problem with the Audio technica M50s)

Do a review of the HD6XX when that comes out

Awesome reviews. I enjoy watching your reviews. Your approach is "no non-sense" and there are no claims of superior audio quality files and high end cables and amps. I have the Beyerdynamic DT880 and was looking to purchase the HD650. Do you think they will make a good companion pair to have or are there more similarities than differences? Thanks!

Nice review, where I live I can get HD 650 or fidelio X2 for similar prices, and I've herd very good things about both, which would you recommend ?

Just noticed the Bowers & Wilkins MM-1's in the background are they recently new? Bought the Z2 iPod/airplay dock from Bowers & Wilkins a few weeks ago really enjoying the sound they produce.

Nice one. thx for the clip :)

Darvoice336SE and Bottlehead Crack was made for the HD650, I have the former, and it's a sound to die for, organic, warm, and detailed. and the signature changes when and if you decide to mix and match tubes, aka Tube Rolling. And after further watching this video I'm now interested in the MA900...lol..wow, those are hard to find!

Review the LCD-2 please :D I just bought some not to long ago, just curious as to what you'll think of them.

The iPhone 5's pretty damn impressive in terms of output power! My poor Nexus 4 only plays nicely with super-efficient earphones and portable headphones. Even something like the Sennheiser Momentum I have to crank the volume up to 60-70% to get my normal listening volume! Shame nobody on the Android side can make a smartphone with the same audio chops as Apple does. :(

HD600 might be a cool review next!

I know this is a slightly older video but I'm a bit lost as to what to pair up with my DT880s (which I'm using for my linear phones, and love), what should I go for a warmer sound - Sony MA900 or Sennheiser HD650? I can audition the latter one but can't audition the MA900.

Pretty much agree with everything you said. I own the MA-900, HD650, Senn Amperior, Hifiman HE-400, Bose QC25 and DT770 (600ohm). Running them all thru Asgard 2 amp. My favorite is the HD650 simply because vocals have the most presence on these without sounding hyped. Totally agree the MA-900 is similar to the HD-650 and also agree that for casual listening I always reach for the Sony's. More comfortable, bigger soundstage but for sure less critical. So, when doing the dishes around the house etc, the MA-900 gets a lot of wear time. Having said that, when I want to be blown away by the music and really listen I've found nothing better than the HD-650 for me. One other thing you said I've also found true. I've read so much about how the HD-650 scales well and sounds like garbage without an amp and I don't agree. I use the 650's with phones, a Fiio X3 and so on and it still sounds like HD-650's. The character does NOT change that much when I listen to them thru the Asgard 2. Having said that, I did get a change one time to listen to them thru the bottlehead crack amp and I don't know what was going on but they sounded amazing there. Anyway, as usual, great reviews!

Would the audioengine d1 be able to run the 650?

I've had the Denon D2000 and the DT880 600 Ohm in the past, and had to part with both due to issues I've had with them (bass looseness and weight/comfort of the former, and the dry, analytical and moderately bright sound of the latter) and it looks like I'm finally going to try the classic Senn 600 line in the hope I can finally have my endgame headphone. I listen primarily with speakers now, but I'd like a good hifi headphone under $500 for certain uses. I have been considering the Fidelio X2 but I think they might be more v shaped than I'd really like, and without the awesome availability of spare parts that sennheiser have. Regarding comfort, the clamp force, I am aware that you can lightly bend the metal arms that connect the cups to the plastic headband to lower the clamp force, so I'm not worried about it being too clampy. That's pretty routine for me with full sized headphones, most of them I've had to bend something to get the clamp force down. I also find the light weight of the 600 series quite appealing. I must say I am tempted by this Massdrop HD6XX. However, the lack of steady availability of it is pretty inconvenient and I really dislike the plain dark blue paint job on it. I actually like the look of the 650, due in no small part to it's nice speckled silver-grey paint job. So, I think what I'll do is go to Addicted to Audio here in Melbourne to audition the 600 and 650 side by side and walk out the door with one of them, just for the sake of convenience and supporting local business. I'm expecting to like the 650 more, but we'll see. If either of them sound like a full sized, hi-fi version of my little Senn PX100ii's then I think I'll be in love. Thanks for the review, man!

Found that the HD650 plugged into an RCA NOS tubed EAR HP4 sounded good but when switching to the SS Bakoon Amp11-R, which is actually a loudspeaker amp with an excellent headphone section, these cans really came to life. The headphone scales very well so forget amping with an iphone. That is silliness. One hears that the 650 is "veiled" from many reviewers. Not in this audiophile's system. While not the reference can in house, once in awhile it's fun to go back and listen to the headphone that served well for a few years. Best bang for your buck in today's market IMHO.

Super important, would you buy the HD650s or the ATH R70X for an all around open back headphone?

great review

Great review as allways! :) I'm looking for a pair of headphones for watching movies and tv-series. Which headphone do you think suits best for this purpose? Thanks in advance.

You don't understand how excited I am about you doing this review. The HD650 is my favourite headphone. Driving the headphone with a amp that has a really wide and deep soundstage is amazing and they don't have to be super expensive. I was using it with the Topping NX1 a $40 portable headphone amp and it was an absolutely amazing experience. I hope to own a pair of the HD650s one day.

VERY well done review! The way you compared things and spoke about the overall experience of using them is great. (I'm just now finding this as I'm just now getting around to being tempted by these.)

It would be cool if you did an update on this review on a balanced setup.

how does the hd650 compare to the hd6 mix? i've always bought sennheiser for music production mixing mastering and can't decide between the two ??

What is that album background display/screensaver you have?

Did you use the HD650 with a headphone amp? If not, when and why would one want to use a "headphone amp"? And, another great review! :)

would the audioengine d1 be able to power this at decent levels?

if i get the hd 650 would i be able to use it with my iphone 6s plus for at least a couple months before i can afford a nice amp? or should i just use my cheap iems until i can get them together?

So I tried these out at Best Buy which I was surprised to see them there on demo. I intentionally went to see the Momentums. The Momentums sounded nice, but when I tried the 650's, wow so much nicer. I did have to up the volume some when switching to the 650's but not much, both were not amp'd. I don't hear music really loud usually at about 50-65% on a laptop/iphone.

Hey Lachlan. Which headphone do you prefer; HD650 or R70x? Why?

Hey Lach is this good for producing electronic music?

Out of the dt 880 and these which has more bass and a larger/wider soundstage ?

Can we all just take a moment to appreciate your buttery skin AND the fact that you dropped the word "triumvirate" so casually?

I had the HD600 for 2 years. When people mention that it really scales with better amps they mostly mean that OTL Tube amps turn the HD6xx series into a world class headphone. The Bottlehead Crack with either the HD600 or HD650 is one of the most revered/best pairings one can find in the audio world. Pair it with either a Modi or an Odac and you have a reasonable end-game set up for under $1000. If your friend still hast it, let him know. He'll thank you for it if he ever gets it.

just like my experience building a top tier hifi system, lower priced gear will usually sound just slightly different. i can completely understand that you could not discern a great difference between the o2 and the iPhone. But as you go much higher up in priced and quality there is a big difference in sound. My SHL5 PLUS Harbeth speakers sounded ok on an 1000 pound integrated but when i put 5k amplification behind them they came to life and sounded like a completely different speaker. Ive experienced the same in headphones. i ended up selling headphones in the past because i thought there is no difference but my problem was amplification. in my experience amplification and source is as important as the transducer.

I would love if you did a review of the dt990pro's! By the way Zeff style! (Album artwork in the screensaver)

I need advice. So i currently have a sennheiser hd 558 and i use a fiio x1 music player, which supoosedly has a built in amp. I mostly listen to hiphop, r&b, some classical/orchestral, and jazz. I was looking to upgrade soon and i was thinking about the hd 700 or hd 650. I mostly travel so i try to carry just my music player and headphone. Im not really looking to carrying an amp with me, even though i have a fiio e06 that i used to use with a zune hd. What would be the better option of the two? The hd 700 seems like it would be easier to drive but i heard people bashing it's sound signature.

You should also review the sennheiser HD 600.

Lachlan, do you plan on doing any reviews of some of the "elite" headphones? (HD800, BeyerT1, Hifiman, Audeze etc) I've always wondered what the diminishing returns are like for spending $700+ on headphones.

can you use him direct connect to a pc? basic sound card in it...

Any PORTABLE amp you would recommend for these? Oppo HA 2se ?? DEAFidelity Trasam HA 2 ?? Creative e5 ??

I'd be really interested to hear your take on the Sennheiser HD598's, if you can get your hands on a pair. I've had a chance to compare them to the HD800's, and I actually prefer the HD598's to the HD800's for half the stuff I was listening to. I've never had the chance to listen to the HD650's though, so I'm wondering how the 598 compares to these.

Hi bro, can I ask what amp and dac are u using

I guess some people call them "veiled" because they comparing them with the HD600 or HD700. I bet they are awesome headphones (i use the HD600). Also the clamping force was crazy at the first day but after 2 months are almost perfect. I left them to stretch out for 2-3 nights though...

Lachlan, what's your fav pair of earphones?

I'm looking to pick up the sennheiser game one with astro mixamp to use with my ps4. Should I stick with that or should I get the hd 650 with a amplifier? Honestly I can't decide between gaming headset and audiophile headphones. Mainly im looking for awareness footsteps in gaming headset. Much appreciate your help thank you.

Sir; I would like to run 320 kbps, mp3 and flac files on an HTC one, m9, through a fiio e-17k, to either, The momentum. 2.0, or the sennheiser HD 650. Considering sound quality only, which would absolutely, Sound the best for the jazz and concert music that I listen to?

can u recommend a portable dac amp for the HD 650?

How would you say the hd650's compare to the hd600's? ^^ so far I don't hear the need to get a new pair but if they're that much better Iill consider it~

About the clamping force: Yes, the force is strong with this one (hirrhirr), but people extend to the maximum and bend slightly (it will not damage them in any way, and I think it is intended to be that way to give a good fit). This makes them disappear. :) Had the exact same take as you on the clamping before that simple mod. As for the performance with and without amp, I'm going to measure it using O2 vs HTC One [which might not be good, due to beats audio off mode EQ] (or HTC Desire HD) vs iPad Mini 1st gen. Personally, I do think they sound better with the o2, but curious to see some measurements, so I will revisit both the HD650 and HD600 in a more "objective manner". I did run them through the insanely high priced Auralic Taurus a lot, and even built a balanced 4-pin XLR cable for them. And truth be told, when running the HD650's balanced out of that (which is extremely powerful) they sounded more like the HD600's in single ended mode, haha. When the impedance varies so much, it really puts a strain on the amp. The voltage is constant, but as the impedance changes so does the current, and the amp need to be able to supply the current. Would I buy an amp for the 650's? Yes. Which one? The O2. As for subjective impressions. I feel that they don't have good low frequency extension, but they do have a lot of midbass (a good impact even, considering they're closed). This is not a problem with most music but with some genres it is. I do love them, and am more of a HD650 guy than a HD600 guy, even though I own both. Remember that a lot of people who review gear and write they're veiled are old chaps, and old people lose sensitivity in the upper octaves, so when something is as dark sounding (ie, not elevated treble) those guys will perceive that as veiled, as they can't hear any details. Try Beyerdynamic T1 or Fostex TH-900. Those are so ear piercing to a young person with intact hearing that you can hardly believe what people are saying about them. When they say HD 650 is veiled, I think it is due to these reasons. Myself don't find them veiled but smooth. Their like an oil painting, whereas something like the T1 is laser cut.

Hey Iachlan, I was wondering how these compare with the SoundMAGIC HP200? Particularly the soundstage between these two headphones. If anyone else has any input on this, I would love to hear from you.

Is that a 27 inch iMac? I got a gaming pc with a 24 inch screen, thinking of getting a 27 inch screen.

when a fidelio X2 review?

I'm just here to hear Lachlan say "haych dee six fifty" - because of his accent. Nice video and trustworthy info as always.

did you try out the HD700?

Did you say u didnt need an amp? is that true Im getting really mixed information about whether of not i need an amp for this pls help

What reasonably priced DAC & AMP setup will bring out the best in the HD 650 in your opinion? I am currently running my pair with an ASUS Essence STX II PC soundcard and I feel like they aren't really running at their best this way.

As compared with the Momentum? I once read a comment about the sound of Momentum is quite similiar, but keeping the differences in soundstage and detail. Almost as a portable HD 650.

Would you get the philips fidelo x2's or Sennheiser HD650's?

So was it a permanent swap?

Awesome review, I personally didn't like the hd650s sound. Too laid back and warm for me, very good for classical music though and the bass was very tight too. Of course I will always prefer my dt770s with a more involving and bass oriented sound signature. Everyone has different taste in sound I guess lol.

What amp would be the best for the HD650s under $250? I will mostly be listening to hip hop. Please let me know!

Can somebody please provide any links of iPhone 5s measurements?

How does the hd 650 compare to your ad1000x

On hd 600/650, the 1/4 jack unscrews to reveal a 1/8. Just a heads up!

How the HD650 compare to ATH r70x?

Also idk about the 650 but with the 600 there's a drastic difference in sound quality with a proper source. I can hear every detail in FLAC files and it's beautiful;likewise, they really expose how crappy file quality is with an insufficient source and file.

i think they may actually win beauty contests, something about them just, they just ... mmhh

Been thinking about selling off my ATH-M50 to get either a K612 or a Beyerdynamic DT880 Premium, both of which are on Massdrop. Although it doesn't look like the K612 is gonna make it. Regretfully I've yet to see a top of the line Sennheiser product on that site.