“Studio Headphones Are Exposing Many of My Favorite Music as Crap”, Says New Audiophile

The Sennheiser HD650 may have revealed too much about this new audiophile's favorite music.
The Sennheiser HD650 may have revealed too much about this new audiophile’s favorite music.

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Audiophile headphones can be a double-edged sword.

A Redditor, DumbNTough, recently shared their experience with the Sennheiser HD650 studio headphones on r/headphones. The post reveals how these audiophile-grade headphones exposed the flaws in many modern music recordings, ultimately making the listening experience more unpleasant than before.

The Emotional Rollercoaster of Using Audiophile Headphones

Redditor DumbNTough's original post detailing his discovery. (From: Reddit)
Redditor DumbNTough’s original post detailing his discovery. (From: Reddit)

In a detailed post, DumbNTough expressed a mix of admiration and disappointment after upgrading to high-quality headphones.

He shares how he was excited about getting his very first audiophile-grade studio headphones. This is especially since the HD650s are known for their exceptional clarity and detail. But, testing them out has unveiled troubling aspects on many of his beloved modern music tracks.

“Recently acquired HD650’s, my first pair of audiophile-grade studio headphones. I like them a lot, but am dejected about how terribly thin and small many of my favorite songs really sound when I pop the hood and listen.” the OP lamented.
The Sennheiser HD650 with the Topping A30 Pro amp used in our review (From: Simon Tompson)
The Sennheiser HD650 with the Topping A30 Pro amp used in our review (From: Simon Tompson)

This realization came as a shock to the user. He noted that the depth and fullness expected in many songs were glaringly absent, leaving a lot of “empty space” where rich sounds should have been.

“The overriding sense of sounds that should have been there are missing… Many instruments are also missing overtones and undertones, like they came out of a cheap synthesizer (and maybe many of them did, but I never knew).” he shares.

This observation was particularly striking for “every modern digital recording from mainstream genres”.

Playing Linkin Park's My December (From: Apple Music)
Playing Linkin Park’s “My December” (From: Apple Music)

For example, in a comment, he mentioned that Linkin Park’s “My December” from Reanimation sounded like half of the song was missing when using the HD650s.

However, it’s not all negative. The post also highlights a silver lining in this discovery.

The OP claims that listening to classical, orchestral, and choral music genres using the headphones has been a revelation.

“On the plus side, classical, orchestral, and choral music opens up so incredibly in these headphones that I am sometimes brought nearly to tears for what I’ve been missing.” says the OP.

He mentions that tracks like “Sanctus (London)” by Ola Gjeilo, which already “sounded good for everything,” almost moved him to tears, along with other old classical mixes.

Comment thread where the OP shared some songs he listened to. (From: Reddit)
Comment thread where the OP shared some songs he listened to. (From: Reddit)
For more insights on how these headphones sound along with other features, check out our full review of the Sennheiser HD650.

Do You Need Different Headphones for Different Genres?

The Reddit thread inspired a diverse range of responses from the audiophile community. This covers technical advice, shared experiences, and personal reflections on using high-fidelity headphones.

For one, thelazygamer tackled the nuanced issue of music compression and its impact on sound quality. He also shared a personal take on how the HD650s really don’t match some genres but are great for classical music.

User, thelazygamer's insights on the story. (From: Reddit)
User, thelazygamer’s insights on the story. (From: Reddit)

Many other users supported this.

One user pointed out that the HD650s may be lacking the sound signature that the OP is looking for in “modern” music.

Thread discussing how the HD650's sound profile may not be made to match the OP's preferences. (From: Reddit)
Thread discussing how the HD650’s sound profile may not be made to match the OP’s preferences. (From: Reddit)

Another user talked about how studio headphones are made to be uncolored. He clarifies that this is intentional and should have been considered when choosing the headphones.

Frequency response graph measurement of the Sennheiser HD650 and used pads captured by a miniDSP EARS device.
Frequency response graph measurement of the Sennheiser HD650 and used pads captured by a miniDSP EARS device.
“You’re using headphones that are designed to be flat. Buying a pair of open-back studio headphones designed for mixing or mastering is like buying a pair of studio monitors. They are intentionally uncolored. You should never get a bombastic sound out of them… They just won’t sound full, and that’s their intent.” says the user.

In response, the OP mused the probability that one may need different headphones to enjoy different genres.

“I’m starting to understand why people wind up with multiple pairs and switch among them. Could there ever be One Phone to rule them all? One set to find them…” says the OP.

This sentiment was echoed by other users who shared their observations on how different uses and genres dictate their headphone choices. Some even detailed their own headphone rotation strategy.

People talking about how different headphones excel in specific genres. (From: Reddit)
People talking about how different headphones excel in specific genres. (From: Reddit)

However, not everyone agreed, especially considering the practicality of this stance. To address this, others offered a solution to the OP to try equalizing the headphones to compensate for the HD650’s lack of color.

People offering practical advice for the OP to try and tweak the headphones' EQ settings. (From: Reddit)
People offering practical advice for the OP to try and tweak the headphones’ EQ settings. (From: Reddit)

💬 Conversation: 1 comment

  1. I have several expensive headphones(Stax, Hifiman, Sony, JBL, Metz) they all sound slightly different.
    Depending on the genre and quality of the recording some sound better as they may have a different tuning or emphasis on specific frequency increase or dip causing this effective sound to differ.

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