Sennheiser HD 650

...looking for and the other sennheiser headphones which I had which where the top of the "evolution" range model eH2270 which are designed for use in recording studios just didn't give me the results I was looking for, you are probably thinking this guys nuts at this point what are you looking for?

You must realise with a headphone amp and power supply built and designed by Naim the headphones have to up to the same standard.
...a replacement model for the sennheiser HD600 these are reference headphones and are used by hi-fi journalists to listen to new equipment for reviewing purposes.

I got to the home page of E-bay clicked down consumer electronics in the dialogue box and typed in sennheiser HD650 a couple of hits came up one of which included a "Buy it now" pair for £199.00 this was about the price I was thinking about, I read the sale a bit ... more

For years I have been frustrated by the sound of headphones so with that in mind I bought a power-amp pre-amp combo (Naim power amp NAP 90.3 and Naim pre-amp NAC 92) that didn't have a headphone socket, everything was going great until late one night I had the urge to listen to music. Whereas before I could just use the socket on the front of the amp too listen to music in the wee hours I no longer had that option.
Plan B just use the socket on the front of your cassette deck a Nagamichi DR-3 this worked but was not very satisfactory.

For to be able to listen to music using the Naim set-up I found out that I had to buy a headphone amp called a "headline" and on top of that the amp would require it's own power supply called a NAPSAC this wasn't affordable as the cost even me gulp, so I put that idea on hold, but I still had the problem of not being able to listen to music late at night one doesn't annoy the neighbours to much, was there a Plan C, I thought there has to another solution, then one day while trawling through E-bay I found an item called a Headphone socket it was made by a company called QED who make cables and accessories for hi-fi use.

The Headphone socket was genius in it's simplicity just wire in 2 equal lengths of speaker cables into it, so I placed a bid on the socket thinking I would never win the auction, low and behold I did win the item, I then E-mailed QED to see if they still had a wiring diagram for the socket as the socket was quite old I thought never happen, but no QED where very helpful one of their employees E-mailed me back with the diagram I had asked for, next problem where to get speaker cable that was up to the job?
For a while I had been up-grading the supplied cables with my NAIM hardware so I got in contact with that company Russ Andrews the sole supplier for KIMBER KABLE to see if they had any ideas after I explained what I was trying to do they suggested a solution buy 2 lengths of KIMBER 4PR speaker cable about a metre in length with KIMBER 4mm banana plugs to fit in the back of the NAIM power amp, I asked them on the phone how much?

The answer came back £49.00, another gulp from me, I thought about it for a couple days, this was a lot of money for 2 metres of cables and a set of plugs, well to heck I thought it was cheaper than Plan A which if you included the Headphone amp and required power supply came to about £515.

The ordered cable arrived about a week later, and armed with the wiring diagram from QED I wired up the socket myself the results where excellent, but I had forgotten in my enthusiasm the disadvantage to my cunning plan, every time I wanted to use the socket I would have to disconnect my speakers to plug in the socket in.

So this is what I would have to do for the next 2 years to listen to music late at night, so as you can imagine I didn't listen to music much on my headphones.
Then recently I reactivated Plan A so how do I cut the cost down!
E-Bay of course, first part of the Plan A headphone amp, now items such as a Naim headline don't come up for auction for often and when they do there is a bit of a bidding war for them.
After waiting for several months for a amp of the right age to come up one eventually came up I added it to my "Watch list" and on the last day of the auction placed a bid horrors outbid placed another bid same again I had gone past my bidding limit by quite a bit so I said goodbye to the amp, I had forgotten all about it when one day I received an E-mail from a seller on E-Bay was I still interested in the headphone amp?
The seller had been let down by the highest bidder and did I still want the amp for the last price I had bid? As he was going on holiday he needed a quick answer!
Now remember I had been after one of these amps for about 7 years so I think I took milliseconds to say yes.

I paid for the amp with my PAYPAL account that day, the amp arrived the next day well packed and it was immaculate not a mark no a scratch, oops problem again in my joy of finally getting the amp I had forgotten the need for a power supply.
As luck would have it my friend just happened to going to the local Naim dealer that day to trade in his speakers, had a word with the dealer told him what I had just got my hands on (at nearly half the price I might add) "oh" he said, you will need a NAPSAC 2 "a what" I said, so much time had passed Naim had up-dated the required power supply I waited in the shop as the dealer son went to the shops store room to get the power supply, I paid for it with my flexible friend, on the drive back home my friend asked what's "that for" I told him, he said at last you got one! It had been a standing joke between my friends and I about Milt's Headphone Amp, was this at last the audio nirvana I had been seeking?

In a word no life is never that easy the last part of the equation had never entered my head the headphones.
What I had was not up to the task my sennhesier PX200 headphones sounded ok and are great for when I DJ but where not the listening standard I was looking for and the other sennheiser headphones which I had which where the top of the "evolution" range model eH2270 which are designed for use in recording studios just didn't give me the results I was looking for, you are probably thinking this guys nuts at this point what are you looking for?

You must realise with a headphone amp and power supply built and designed by Naim the headphones have to up to the same standard.
Not quite there yet so back to E-Bay I had a list of headphones in my "wish list" which included a reference pairs by Grado model RS1 and the RS2 but both even on E-Bay are out of my pocket as they cost £750 and £550 respectively, I had heard of a replacement model for the sennheiser HD600 these are reference headphones and are used by hi-fi journalists to listen to new equipment for reviewing purposes.

I got to the home page of E-bay clicked down consumer electronics in the dialogue box and typed in sennheiser HD650 a couple of hits came up one of which included a "Buy it now" pair for £199.00 this was about the price I was thinking about, I read the sale a bit closer, small print stated UK customers please add 17.5% VAT and ten pounds delivery charge this is still cheaper than the £299.99 price tag for these headphones but I had already gone over budget with buying the power supply, so that suppler was no good, then second hit I couldn't believe £189.00 and that included the VAT and delivery and no bidding required just "But it now" and with the magic of PAYPAL the dream headphones where paid for, they arrived the next day by "Special delivery" at 9 am.

The headphones come in stiffened grey card box, which is lined with dark grey foam that is cut to fit the headphones exactly. The box also contains a 3.5 jack adaptor for use with walkmans Ipod's and other potable sound systems.
Inside a clear plastic pocket comes the manual and the 2-year warranty certificates which just like the manual is written in English German French Italian Spanish and Swedish. Which has a list of Sennheiser distribution centres.
The headphones are sliver titanium in colour.

This text is from the manual:

HD 650
With the HD 650, sennheiser has followed the changes in the listening habits of music- lovers and the way in which they experience sound. In spite of all purism and the highest demands on precise sound reproduction, a slight change n listening behaviour is detectable. Today many music-lovers want to feel the sound more instead of plainly analysing it. The HD 650 now captivates your senses where you used to be a mere observer. It allows total submersion into an ocean of music and lets you completely forget your surroundings.
Come and enjoy this unique listening experience.

Features
· Top of the range open, dynamic hi-fi stereo headphones
· Systems with narrow tolerances (± 1 dB), hand picked in pairs
· High-quality titanium finish
· Specially developed acoustic silk for precise, uniform attenuation over the entire area
· Detachable connecting cable made from highly conductive OFC copper, Kevlar-reinforced, with very low handling noise
· Extremely lightweight aluminium voice coils ensure excellent transient response
· Exceptionally comfortable to wear due to elliptical design adapted to the shape of the ears
· Can be directly connected to stationary hi-fi components of the highest quality, in particular SACD, DVD-A and CD players

The Sound

· Exceptionally natural, spatial and accurate sound
· Suitable for all types of music
· Balanced, contoured bass
· Real deep bass reproduction
· Exceeding authentic voice reproduction
· Unobtrusive, natural strings and wind instruments
· Pleasantly natural trebles
· Silvery. Clear cymbals

Technical Data

Frequency response 16 - 30,000 Hz (-3dB)
10 -39,000 Hz (-10dB)
Acoustic response dynamic "open aire"
Frequency curve diffuse-field loudness
equalization
Nominal impendence 300Ω
Sound pressure level at 1 kHz 103dB (1 v rms)
Long term max. input 500 mW as per EN60-268-7
THD < 0,05%
Sound coupling to the ear circumaural
Headphone caplier pressure approx. 3.4 ± 0.3 N
Weight (without cable) 260g
Plug 6.3 mm Ø stereo jack
Adapter 6.3 mm → 3.5 mm Ø stereo jack
Connecting cable OFC signal cable, 3m

All you tech heads out there I hope all that means something to you because it means nothing to me, all I know is that at last I have a pair of headphone that envelope in sound and are not painful to wear after a couple of hours wear and sound superb and create a true hi-fi experience with astonishing resolution and tone that is a joy to listen to, would you believe I am thinking about my next up-grade for these headphones, Russ Andrews do a KIMBER KABLE replacement cable will it ever end??
 

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