New Cans

I recently hit my 20th anniversary (!!!) at the company where I'm employed. Instead of a gold watch, I got what amounts to about $400 in a foreign currency they call “Spotlight points.” Thought I didn’t pull the trigger right away, my immediate thought was to blow the lot on a pair of Sennheiser HD 650 headphones. I’ve been researching these cans for some time now, but even at a consistent 38% off, a price point of nearly 400 bones meant I wouldn’t just impulse buy these things.

It may be the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, but I feel like I’m constantly seeing references to this particular model of headphones. Just this week, there was a thread on the Qobuz Club forum about albums to listen to with the Sennheiser’s. If I read reviews of a new DAP or DAC, it seems they often test with these headphones. While writing this post, I looked for a portable DAC with a 4.4mm headphone jack, and guess what headphones the first one I came across were connected to in the supporting image?

My impressions so far are commensurate with my expectations. These things are buttery smooth and rich with detail.

High points:

• Comfort: This was a key selling point for me. I had two sets of headphones. The Sony WH-1000XM5’s, a closed-back noise-cancelling set that is plenty comfortable. I use those primarily for work calls. The other pair, my primary music listening set, was a pair of the Grado SR80x’s. These are open-back and sound immediate and spacious. However, they get uncomfortable after about 15 minutes. All the reviews I read mentioned the Sennheisers as the most comfortable headphones the reviewers have ever worn. This is a big incentive to someone like me who sometimes listens to music hours on end.
• Build Quality: Solid, stocky, without being too heavy, and well-padded, the Sennheier’s are the nice blend of durability and ergonomics. I do wish they were made with aluminum like the Apple AirPods Max, though.
• Sound: The open-back design gives you a great soundstage, with music sounding like it fills up the space. I love my Sony’s, but the closed-back architecture adds a bit of a claustrophobic feeling to the experience. The Sennheisers have even more precision without sacrificing warmth.

I’m very pleased with the purchase. One of the most exciting things about getting new audio hardware is being able to listen to our collection of music in a brand-new light. It will take me a while to get through the many listening sessions to get to the end of my stack. I’ve started with my reference album, Mazzy Star’s So Tonight That I Might See, and the results are similarly impressive with other albums that I’ve sampled.

This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.