Sennheiser HD 650 vs Sennheiser HD 800 S

107 facts in comparison

Based on 4,643 Reddit opinions. Close raceβ€”HD 650 edges ahead.

4.6K opinions
HD 650 leads by 4pts
Reddit's Pick
Sennheiser HD 650
85%
A-
Based on
3,900 Redditors
Winner

Sennheiser HD 650

~$354
1,777 opinions

tldr; HD600's warmer sibling. Slightly more bass, same magic. Pick your flavor.

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VS
Sennheiser HD 800 S
81%
B+
Based on
5,711 Redditors

Sennheiser HD 800 S

~$1,899
2,866 opinions

tldr; Soundstage monster. Legendary imaging, treble spike bothers some. Detail retrieval god.

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Sound QualityComfortValueBuild QualityFeatures
🎡SOU
😌COM
πŸ’°VAL
πŸ”§BUI
⚑FEA
64
Points
61
Points

Score by Category

Sound Quality
69%82%
Comfort
70%77%
Value
70%49%
Build Quality
84%69%
Features
44%58%

Why is HD 800 S better than Sennheiser HD 650?

  • Better comfort (77% vs 70%)
  • Better sound quality (82% vs 69%)
  • Better features (58% vs 44%)
  • Legendary soundstage
  • Precise imaging
  • Treble spike
Based on 9,611 Reddit opinions
Too Close to Call

Reddit prefers the HD 650

Winning by 4 points (85% vs 81%)

Better bass
Better value
Better build quality
High confidence (9,611 mentions)

πŸ’¬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 9,611 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

HD 650
8.5/10
3,900 mentions
800 S
8.1/10
5,711 mentions
SOUND QUALITY
HD 6506.9/10
800 S8.2/10
BASS
HD 6504.4/10
800 S2.9/10
VALUE
HD 6507.0/10
800 S4.9/10
BUILD QUALITY
HD 6508.4/10
800 S6.9/10
COMFORT
HD 6507.0/10
800 S7.7/10
FEATURES
HD 6504.4/10
800 S5.8/10
βš”οΈ

Head to Head

Head to Head

HD 650: 3|800 S: 3
Sound Quality800 S
HD 65069%
800 S82%
BassHD 650
HD 65044%
800 S29%
ValueHD 650
HD 65070%
800 S49%
Build QualityHD 650
HD 65084%
800 S69%
Comfort800 S
HD 65070%
800 S77%
Features800 S
HD 65044%
800 S58%
HD 65085%
800 S81%
Close race - HD 650 edges ahead by 4 points

Key Specs

SpecSennheiser HD 650Sennheiser HD 800 S
Transducer Principle
Dynamic, open
β€”
Impedance
300 ohms
300 ohms
Frequency Response
10-41,000 Hz
4-51,000 Hz (-10 dB)
Sound Pressure Level
103 dB (1 V)
102 dB (1 V)
Thd
< 0.05% (1 kHz, 1 V)
< 0.02% (1 kHz 1 Vrms)

Key Highlights

Sennheiser HD 650
🎡 Warmer than 600
πŸ“ Still reference-ish
πŸ’° Great value
😌 Comfortable
Sennheiser HD 800 SWinner
🌌 Legendary soundstage
🎯 Precise imaging
⚠️ Treble spike
πŸ’° Used value now

Topic Battles

HD 650: 2|Tied: 0|800 S: 3
🎡Sound Quality
800 S wins
HD 650
69%
800 S
82%
😌Comfort
800 S wins
HD 650
70%
800 S
77%
πŸ’°Value
HD 650 wins
HD 650
70%
800 S
49%
πŸ”§Build Quality
HD 650 wins
HD 650
84%
800 S
69%
⚑Features
800 S wins
HD 650
44%
800 S
58%

Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories

πŸ“ˆWhere They Rank

πŸ’¬What Redditors Actually Say

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Sennheiser HD 650

Best Praise
+85 pts
β€œWelcome to the QC of what's supposed to be premium luxury products. Was a big part of what relieved me of the illusion of this hobby. Extreme high prices, low quality. HD650 for 10+ years strong”
r/headphones
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Top Criticism
+115 pts
β€œNo offense, mate.. but you have both the bass and the treble boosted.. No wonder those boring headphones suddenly sound better. They lack both bass and treble.. and can really use some EQ: [https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?attachments/sennheiser-hd650-measurements-frequency-response-png.101560/](https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?attachments/sennheiser-hd650-measurements-frequency-response-png.101560/) [https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?attachments/sennheiser-hd650-measurements-frequency-response-deviation-from-preference-png.101561/](https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?attachments/sennheiser-hd650-measurements-frequency-response-deviation-from-preference-png.101561/) I have the same amp, and it's an amazing piece of technology, but it doesn't have any magic sauce to improve headphones. What you need is headphones that you actually like.. or an equaliser that lets you play around with the FR of your HD650.”
r/headphones
View
3 more quotes available below

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Sennheiser HD 800 S

Best Praise
+206 pts
β€œOnly price fixing they did was honouring our $399 HD 800s BestBuy orders πŸ€£β€
r/headphones
View
Top Criticism
+85 pts
β€œIs this the same company who did that 800S abomination posted the other day”
r/headphones
View
3 more quotes available below

πŸ“ˆHistorical Price Data

Sennheiser HD 650
Sennheiser HD 800 S
$800$1600$2400$3200Jul '25Sep '25Oct '25Nov '25Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Low: $310.88Low: $1899Current: $358Current: $1999.95
Sennheiser HD 650
All-time low: $273(2022-01)
$18 below 90-day avg
Sennheiser HD 800 S
All-time low: $799(2020-07)
$171 below 90-day avg

Which is Better?

Sennheiser HD 650 Wins
85%
650
vs
81%
S

Close race, but Sennheiser HD 650 edges ahead by 4 points based on 9,611 Reddit opinions.

Why HD 650Winner
  • Better Value for Money (70% vs 49%)
Why 800 S
  • Better Features (58% vs 44%)
  • More discussed (5,711 vs 3,900)

❀️The Love/Hate Breakdown

Sentiment Breakdown

39%Positive
Positive
39%
Neutral
54%
Negative
7%
Based on 3,900 Reddit opinions

Sentiment Breakdown

41%Positive
Positive
41%
Neutral
50%
Negative
9%
Based on 5,711 Reddit opinions

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Sennheiser HD 650 or Sennheiser HD 800 S?
Based on 9,611 Reddit comments, Sennheiser HD 650 has a slight edge with 85% positive sentiment vs Sennheiser HD 800 S's 81%. The difference is small, so both are solid choices.
Should I buy Sennheiser HD 650 or Sennheiser HD 800 S?
Both have similar approval ratings (85% vs 81%), so focus on specific features, pricing, and what matters most to you.
What do Redditors love about Sennheiser HD 650?
Reddit users highlight: Warmer than 600. Still reference-ish. Great value. With 3,900 mentions and 85% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.
What do Redditors say about Sennheiser HD 800 S?
Reddit users highlight: Legendary soundstage. Precise imaging. Treble spike. With 5,711 mentions and 81% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 9,611 Reddit comments: 3,900 about Sennheiser HD 650 and 5,711 about Sennheiser HD 800 S. Data was sourced from headphones community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.

4,643 Reddit opinions analyzed Β· Last updated 7/26/2026