Sennheiser HD 650 vs Sennheiser HD 6XX

Short answer: a tie on sound quality. Both are rated 4.1/5 (#65 and #70 of 429 over-ear headphones), so choose on features and fit.

Why pick the Sennheiser HD 650: A preference score of 84 and a warm tilt of minus 0.27 give a relaxed, smooth sound, with bass from 60 to 200 Hz, mids and presence all within about 0.6 dB of target. The catch: Sub-bass is about 7 dB under target and the 6 to 10 kHz treble is nearly 5 dB low, with a 9 dB dip near 9.3 kHz, so cymbals and air sound dull and rumble is missing.

The case for the Sennheiser HD 6XX: Measured response gives it an excellent Harman preference score of 84 with a 2.10 dB spread, and its mids sit within about 0.5 dB of target, so vocals and instruments sound natural. The tradeoff: Sub-bass is 7.9 dB short at 30 Hz, so deep bass lacks rumble.

Buy the Sennheiser HD 650 or the Sennheiser HD 6XX on features: they are rated the same for sound quality at close to the same price.

Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.

Specifications Side By Side

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How Sennheiser HD 650 compares with other leading options:

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• Sennheiser HD 600 vs Sennheiser HD 650
• Sennheiser HD 505 vs Sennheiser HD 650
• Audio-Technica ATH-M70x vs Sennheiser HD 650
• Audio-Technica ATH-R70xa vs Sennheiser HD 650

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The Two Headphones In Full

Sennheiser HD 650: $326.70 Amazon $326.70 eBay

Pros: A preference score of 84 and a warm tilt of minus 0.27 give a relaxed, smooth sound, with bass from 60 to 200 Hz, mids and presence all within about 0.6 dB of target. The largest peak in the upper range is just 1.1 dB, so it avoids harshness on vocals and guitars. At 260 g it is fairly light, and it is a good match for listeners who like a warm tonality.

Cons: Sub-bass is about 7 dB under target and the 6 to 10 kHz treble is nearly 5 dB low, with a 9 dB dip near 9.3 kHz, so cymbals and air sound dull and rumble is missing. At 300 ohms it wants a dedicated headphone amp to reach its potential, and the open back leaks sound. See headphone amps and DACs with enough power to drive it.

Full Sennheiser HD 650 review and specifications →

Released	2003 (23 years ago)
Back	Open
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	2.10 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Drivers	1 x 42mm dynamic
Form Factor	Over-ear
Frequency Response	10Hz - 41kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	84 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	300 ohms
Sensitivity	103 dB SPL/V
Sub-bass Extension	Falls 6 dB below target at 40 Hz (-7.9 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	-0.27 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)
Weight	0.6 lbs (260 g)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.1 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	+6.4 dB	0.70
Peak	8,800 Hz	+5.1 dB	1.42
Peak	118 Hz	-3.1 dB	0.50
Peak	37 Hz	+0.7 dB	3.96
Peak	3,169 Hz	-1.7 dB	3.89
High shelf	10,000 Hz	-2.1 dB	0.70
Peak	1,227 Hz	-1.2 dB	2.53
Peak	2,055 Hz	+1.2 dB	3.23
Peak	587 Hz	+0.4 dB	1.19
Peak	5,332 Hz	-1.1 dB	5.75

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Sennheiser HD 650 (oratory1990 measurement)
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  • Sennheiser HD 650 vs Audio-Technica ATH-M70x
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Sennheiser HD 6XX eBay

Pros: Measured response gives it an excellent Harman preference score of 84 with a 2.10 dB spread, and its mids sit within about 0.5 dB of target, so vocals and instruments sound natural. It uses 1 x 42mm dynamic.

Cons: Sub-bass is 7.9 dB short at 30 Hz, so deep bass lacks rumble. Treble sits about 4.9 dB low, so it sounds a little dark.

Full Sennheiser HD 6XX review and specifications →

Released	Nov 2016 (9 years ago)
Back	Open
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	2.10 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Drivers	1 x 42mm dynamic
Form Factor	Over-ear
Frequency Response	10Hz - 41kHz
Harman Preference Score	84 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	300 ohms
Sensitivity	103 dB/Vrms
Sub-bass Extension	Falls 6 dB below target at 40 Hz (-7.9 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	-0.27 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)
Weight	0.6 lbs (260g)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.1 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	+6.4 dB	0.70
Peak	8,800 Hz	+5.1 dB	1.42
Peak	118 Hz	-3.1 dB	0.50
Peak	37 Hz	+0.7 dB	3.96
Peak	3,169 Hz	-1.7 dB	3.89
High shelf	10,000 Hz	-2.1 dB	0.70
Peak	1,227 Hz	-1.2 dB	2.53
Peak	2,055 Hz	+1.2 dB	3.23
Peak	587 Hz	+0.4 dB	1.19
Peak	5,332 Hz	-1.1 dB	5.75

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Sennheiser HD 6XX (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
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  • Sennheiser HD 6XX vs Sennheiser HD 600
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