Sennheiser HD 620S Overview: Closed-back, however with stunningly open sound

Sennheiser’s HD600 collection is famous for serving up among the greatest headphones for audiophiles. The vary, which matches all the way in which again to the OG HD600 launched in 1997, is understood for its extraordinarily excessive audio high quality and extensive soundstage, courtesy of its typically open-back design. This open-back design, nevertheless, comes with a headache – sound from the headphones usually leaks out from the openings within the headphones, and exterior sound additionally tends to return in, proscribing their use to studios and making them very unsuitable to be used in public locations.

With its new HD 620S, Sennheiser has tried to return out with a pair of headphones that ship the most effective of each worlds – a very private audio expertise in addition to a large soundstage. All this with out compromising on audio high quality.

The Sennheiser HD 620S are closed-back headphones (a rarity within the collection) however declare to return with a extremely extensive soundstage. That sounds contradictory, as closed-back headphones have a tendency to have a barely hotter, bassy sound resulting from their restricted house. Has Sennheiser managed to tug off this audio miracle of types? Let’s discover out on this Sennheiser HD 620S evaluate.

Sennheiser HD 620S design: Good, properly padded and cozy

Sennheiser are masters of understated but elegant headphone design, and the HD 620S are a fantastic instance. Their design appears to be impressed by the Sennheiser HD 560S, with the scarf curving to mix into the earcups on both facet. The headphones are largely product of plastic, however the earcup covers and the scarf are each steel-reinforced. There’s ample padding on the earcups and in addition on the scarf, utilizing particular synthetic leather-based with polyurethane, which doesn’t crease. The Sennheiser branding is minimal, with simply two tiny logos on the outer a part of every earcup.

The earcups don’t rotate – they barely transfer just a little backwards and forwards – which implies that the headphones can’t be folded right into a extra compact bundle. This makes them just a little cumbersome to hold. The appropriate and left cups are marked clearly on the within of the scarf, and the left earcup has a single 1.8-meter cable that ends with a 3.5 mm audio jack and a 3.5 mm to six.3 mm adapter on high of it. There’s a very fundamental skinny material carry bag within the field. Whereas it’s useful, we do want Sennheiser had given us one thing extra substantial, because it does for its extra mainstream Momentum collection of headphones.

Not like many Audiophile headphones, the HD 620S don’t look geeky or massive and might truly cross off for mainstream headphones. They weigh about 320 grams with out the wire, which isn’t tremendous gentle however not loopy heavy, both. It’s only while you peer throughout the earcups that you just get a touch of the audio sorcery that these can ship. The cups are barely deeper than ordinary, giving the sound a bit extra “air.” Sennheiser additionally says that the 42 mm transducers (roughly, the drivers) are specifically angled.

We discovered the Sennheiser HD 620S fairly comfy to put on. The closely padded earcups can get just a little heat and sweaty in Indian summers, and the scarf clamping is just a little on the upper facet (maybe it’s going to loosen with time). All mentioned and accomplished, the HD 620S are that tremendous uncommon pair of audiophile headphones that may look excellent at house, whether or not in an workplace, a restaurant, or in a studio. They’ve an air of relaxed class, with their metallic parts including some strong feels as properly.

Sennheiser HD 620S Efficiency: Delivering that extensive soundstage with superb sound (get a DAC for it, although)

Like all audiophile headphones, the Sennheiser HD 620S are primarily about sound. There isn’t a battery life, name high quality, ANC, contact or button controls, or multi-device connections to muck round with. You merely plug the headphones into your audio supply, place the headphones in your ears, and pay attention. Earlier than you accomplish that, keep in mind to get a fairly highly effective digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that may ship the type of energy that the HD 620S demand. These headphones include an impedance of 150 ohms. To get an concept of simply how a lot energy that’s, properly, most smartphones can’t deal with headphones with an impedance of greater than 32-50 Ohms, and even most notebooks would wrestle to ship 150 ohms (even MacBooks previous to 2022 can’t). So our recommendation can be to spend money on a superb high quality DAC, ideally one with a impartial sound signature, to actually get essentially the most out of those headphones. Sure, the HD 620S can work with smartphones, tablets, and notebooks, too, and can sound fairly good even then, however their output will likely be of markedly decrease high quality, and you’ll usually find yourself with decrease quantity.

As soon as arrange with a superb DAC (we used the iFi Zen DAC V2) that may assist it, the Sennheiser HD 620S ship an impressive efficiency. The massive query, after all, is whether or not they truly present a large soundstage regardless of being closed again? The reply to that’s: sure, they do. The HD 620S ship the widest soundstage we now have received from a closed-back headphone. We received very near the basic feeling of being in a room with sound coming from totally different elements of it. The sheer readability of the audio and wonderful instrument separation usually allowed us to truly visualize mentally the place every instrument was taking part in. To be truthful, it was not as expansive a soundstage as one will get from basic open-back headphones, together with Sennheiser’s personal HD 660 or the high-end headphones from BeyerDynamic, however it’s nonetheless very spectacular.

The signature of the HD 620S is basically impartial, making them superb for listening to only about each style of audio. Nonetheless, they excel notably at jazz, nation, and classical. Their closed-back design ensures that it has even barely higher bass than you get on most open-backed headphones (which are usually weak in that division and higher at treble). Sennheiser’s mid-mastery may be very a lot evidenced right here, with vocals coming to the fore with unbelievable readability. These are the type of headphones the place you’ll be able to hear each small tinkle in an orchestra and even the vibration of a guitar chord in a rustic quantity. And with the precise DAC, you get very spectacular volumes. You will get misplaced within the sound of those headphones, particularly in case you are watching exhibits or movies with vivid landscapes – even podcasts and audiobooks sound fantastic, supplied they’re well-produced. Their readability makes them a superb choice for professionals, too.

Better of all, their closed-back design implies that the folks round you can not hear what you’re listening to – there is no such thing as a sound leakage, not like open-back headphones. We suspect the higher-than-usual clamping pressure of the scarf may truly be a part of an try to enhance passive noise cancellation. However all mentioned and accomplished, the Sennheiser HD 620S ship on their promise of delivering a large soundstage even inside a private closed house. That basically places them in a zone of their very own within the Indian market.

Sennheiser HD 620S Overview Verdict: A terrific choice for audiophiles on the transfer

The Sennheiser HD 600 collection nearly at all times comes with premium pricing, and the HD 620S isn’t any exception. The HD 620S include a price ticket of $300/Rs 32,990. That truly places them proper alongside their open-back sibling, the HD 660S2, that are retailing for Rs 29,990 and truly have a barely wider soundstage however will not be actually nice for outside use.

These wanting premium-level closed-back headphones may additionally be tempted by the wood-infused Meze – 99 Classics, which can also be priced at near $300/Rs 30,000, appears to be like lovely and ship wonderful sound, however like most closed-back headphones, have a heat, bass-accented audio signature. Nonetheless, the closest factor we now have truly seen to the Sennheiser HD 620S is the Beyerdynamic DT1770 professional, which can also be closed again however packs in wonderful readability and a surprisingly good soundstage. Nonetheless, it’s not solely considerably costlier at $430/Rs 39,990, however can also be extra cumbersome.

What makes the HD 620S particular is the truth that they’re designed for normal in addition to studio use. These are the right headphones for the one that values high-quality audio and needs it in every single place, not simply in studio or skilled situations. We aren’t going to say that these exchange open-back headphones – those who stay in a particular zone – however these show you could get a large soundstage and nice sound even in comfy, closed-back headphones. These are excellent for audiophiles who need nice audio wherever they go with out being disturbed, be it within the workplace, studio, and even in a restaurant. Simply pair these with a superb DAC, and regardless of the place you’re. Let your ears get some superior audio, whilst your senses take a stroll within the widest soundstage closed headphones can ship, with out worrying about anybody listening to you otherwise you listening to anybody.

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