Question 1

Are they better than beats?

Accepted Answer

For all the Beats haters out there, they're not the overworked, bass heavy, poorly made headphones the other snobby answers seem to make them out to be.

I own these Sennheiser 650 cans. I also own the Audio Technica 50 that many others seem to drop in the answers to this question.

Truly the answer is to each his own. To be fair, it's important to compare Beats and these while hard wired, ideally into a headphone amplifier.

Once you listen to Beats hard wired like these or other high quality headphones, you'll quickly realize Beats are no dollar store wannabes.

Funny, but if you like listening to Dr. See or Snoop, you may like the Beats more, I know I do on occasion.

These are reference quality headphones that really aren't for everyone. They do not hit the bass very hard, the highs are not accentuated, and for those audiophiles reading this, the sound stage is wide open on this Sennheiser 650, while the Beats is tighter, more enclosed, tuned to rap or metal or electronic music.

You may find these lacking if you're used to headphones tuned for more emphasis as opposed to replicating audio as recorded in the studio.

These are amazing headphones no doubt, but you must have the right equipment, starting with a solid headphone amplifier. Beats simply need a Bluetooth connection.

I hope this more balanced answer helps those trying to decide on their next headphones.

Question 2

how do these compare to the hd 598's

Accepted Answer

I just did a back-to-back test of these two headphones today (I own the 598's). The 650's sound better. They have an incredibly natural-sounding reproduction. It's.... perfect. The problem with the 598's is an over-emphasized mid-low area which in layman's terms would seem muddy. Also, the high's have a bit of sizzle, which is common among dynamic headphones, especially AKG's (also tested out their whole range today). The 598 holds it's own amongst other headphones in the 200-500 dollar range, but the HD 650 is in a class by itself.

Question 3

Does it support/ us it on android phone?

Accepted Answer

The 650-s have 300 ohm impedance. This  makes them not the best option for an Android or Iphone  handheld. 
For that application, you are better off with a lower impedance headset, e.g: the HD 585  is 150 ohms, the 280/300 series  is 62 ohms.   The 280-s are closed back, and excellent for listening using a mobile device.  The HD-650 will be rather quiet directly connected to an Android phone. 
The 650 maybe overkill listening to compressed content, as it is common on mobile devices.   The typical use scenario for these is connecting them to a high quality source (often, driven by a hi-resolution player, playing Flac or Dsd or some other high resolution material), using a headphone amp.   I own the MassDrop version (the HD6XX), and I also have an older HD-555, and the HD-555 is a better experience plugged into my LG android phone, streaming "high quality" spotify.

Question 4

Can they be used effecively on an airplane?

Accepted Answer

The 650's are not noise cancellation headphones and inferior to Bose, for instance, when using on a plane. In addition the 650's can be heard by others because of the open design. They are superior to everything else for solo listening when you are not on a plane.

ASIN	B00018MSNI
Additional Features	Lightweight
Age Range Description	Adult
Antenna Location	Music
Audio Driver Size	42 millimeters
Audio Driver Type	Dynamic Driver
Best Sellers Rank	#13,144 in Electronics ( See Top 100 in Electronics ) #453 in Over-Ear Headphones
Bluetooth Version	2
Brand	Sennheiser Pro Audio
Brand Name	Sennheiser Pro Audio
Built-In Media	3.5 MM Jack and 1/4" connector
Cable Features	Jack plug, 3.5mm
Color	Gray
Compatible Devices	Laptops, Desktops, Tablets, Cellphones, Music Production Equipment, Car Audio Systems
Connectivity Technology	Wired
Control Method	Touch
Control Type	Noise Control
Controller Type	Wired
Customer Package Type	Standard Packaging
Customer Reviews	4.6 out of 5 stars 3,143 Reviews
EU Spare Part Availability Duration	2 years
Ear Placement	Over Ear
Earpiece Shape	Rounded
Enclosure Material	Aluminum
Form Factor	Over Ear
Frequency Range	10 Hz - 41,000 Hz
Frequency Response	41000 hertz
Global Trade Identification Number	00615104099692, 00615104340497, 05054230087060
Headphone Folding Features	Over Ear
Headphone Jack	3.5 mm Jack
Headphones Ear Placement	Over Ear
Item Type Name	headphones
Item Weight	9.12 ounces
Manufacturer	Sennheiser
Model Name	HD 650
Model Number	508825
Noise Control	Passive Noise Cancellation
Number of Items	1
Sensitivity	103 db
Series Number	508825
Specific Uses For Product	Home
Style Name	HD 650
UPC	700615305605 658700901129 615104099692 615104340497
Unit Count	1 Count
Warranty Description	2 years
Water Resistance Level	Not Water Resistant
Wireless Technology	Bluetooth

Sennheiser HD 650 - Audiophile Hi-Res Open Back Dynamic Headphone

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