Sennheiser HD 650 EQ settings for Mac
Measured EQ correction for the Sennheiser HD 650, the specs that matter, and what changes when you use them with a Mac. Copy the settings and apply them in one click.
The short answer
- Lifts the sub-bass and bass from 31 to 62 Hz by about 3 to 7 dB, where the HD 650 roll off.
- Leaves the mids close to flat.
- Adds about 5 dB around 8 to 9 kHz for air and sparkle.
HD 650 at a glance
Open-back over-ear wired headphones, known for their warm, smooth sound, released in 2003. Official specifications from Sennheiser:
- Connection
- Wired (6.35 mm jack, 3 m cable)
- Impedance
- 300 Ω
- Driver
- Dynamic open-back, hand-selected matched driver pairs
- Frequency response
- 10 Hz to 41 kHz (−10 dB)
- Sensitivity
- 103 dB SPL at 1 kHz / 1 V RMS
- Total harmonic distortion
- < 0.05%
- Weight
- 260 g (without cable)
- Ear coupling
- Over-ear, open-back, circumaural, velour pads
Sources: Sennheiser: HD 650 specifications.
Using the HD 650 with a Mac
Codec: AAC. The HD 650 support , and a Mac picks AAC, the better of the two. It carries the full 20 Hz to 20 kHz range at standard sample rates (44.1 or 48 kHz).
Calls sound worse than music. As soon as an app uses the headphones' microphone (Zoom, FaceTime, a dictation shortcut), Bluetooth switches to hands-free mode, which has much lower audio quality. Pick your Mac's built-in microphone as the input to keep the HD 650 in stereo music mode.
High impedance. At 300 Ω, the HD 650 need a USB DAC with a proper headphone amp to sound their best on a Mac. A MacBook's built-in headphone jack or a USB-C dongle may not drive them loud enough.
What the measurements show
This correction comes from AutoEQ, based on oratory1990's measurements of the HD 650. It shows how much to boost or cut at each frequency to bring the headphones closer to AutoEQ's neutral target:
- Lifts the sub-bass and bass from 31 to 62 Hz by about 3 to 7 dB, where the HD 650 roll off.
- Leaves the mids close to flat.
- Adds about 5 dB around 8 to 9 kHz for air and sparkle.
Fit, ear pads and your own ears all change what you hear, and neutral isn't everyone's favourite sound. Use this as a starting point, then adjust by ear.
Apply it in TuningMac (parametric EQ)
TuningMac's Advanced EQ imports this format directly. Copy the settings, then:
- Open TuningMac ▸ Settings ▸ Advanced EQ with your HD 650 connected.
- Turn on Use Advanced EQ for HD 650 (or whatever you've named them on your Mac).
- Choose More ▸ Paste from Clipboard.
TuningMac saves it for your HD 650 and loads it whenever they connect.
Preamp: -6.1 dB Filter 1: ON LSC Fc 105 Hz Gain 6.4 dB Q 0.70 Filter 2: ON PK Fc 8800 Hz Gain 5.1 dB Q 1.42 Filter 3: ON PK Fc 118 Hz Gain -3.1 dB Q 0.50 Filter 4: ON PK Fc 37 Hz Gain 0.7 dB Q 3.96 Filter 5: ON PK Fc 3169 Hz Gain -1.7 dB Q 3.89 Filter 6: ON HSC Fc 10000 Hz Gain -2.1 dB Q 0.70 Filter 7: ON PK Fc 1227 Hz Gain -1.2 dB Q 2.53 Filter 8: ON PK Fc 2055 Hz Gain 1.2 dB Q 3.23 Filter 9: ON PK Fc 587 Hz Gain 0.4 dB Q 1.19 Filter 10: ON PK Fc 5332 Hz Gain -1.1 dB Q 5.75
| # | Type | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low Shelf | 105 Hz | +6.4 dB | 0.70 |
| 2 | Bell | 8.8 kHz | +5.1 dB | 1.42 |
| 3 | Bell | 118 Hz | −3.1 dB | 0.50 |
| 4 | Bell | 37 Hz | +0.7 dB | 3.96 |
| 5 | Bell | 3.17 kHz | −1.7 dB | 3.89 |
| 6 | High Shelf | 10 kHz | −2.1 dB | 0.70 |
| 7 | Bell | 1.23 kHz | −1.2 dB | 2.53 |
| 8 | Bell | 2.06 kHz | +1.2 dB | 3.23 |
| 9 | Bell | 587 Hz | +0.4 dB | 1.19 |
| 10 | Bell | 5.33 kHz | −1.1 dB | 5.75 |
Preamp: −6.1 dB. It lowers the overall level so the boosts don't clip.
Prefer simple sliders? The 10-band version
No Advanced EQ needed: AutoEQ also gives values for a standard 10-band equalizer, the same bands as TuningMac's main EQ. In the menu bar popover choose Custom, set each slider, and set the preamp to about −7.0 dB.
Values in dB, at 31 Hz to 16 kHz. The parametric version above is more precise.
Questions
Which codec do the Sennheiser HD 650 use on a Mac?+
AAC. The HD 650 support , and a Mac picks AAC, the better of the two. It carries the full 20 Hz to 20 kHz range at standard sample rates.
What are the best EQ settings for the Sennheiser HD 650?+
AutoEQ's correction, based on oratory1990's measurements, lifts the sub-bass by about 7 dB, leaves the mids close to flat, adds about 5 dB around 8 to 9 kHz for air, with a preamp of -6.1 dB. The exact values are on this page, ready to copy. Treat it as a neutral starting point and adjust to taste.
Why do my Sennheiser HD 650 sound bad on calls on a Mac?+
When an app uses the headphones' microphone, Bluetooth switches from stereo music mode to a hands-free call mode with much lower audio quality. To keep music quality during calls, choose your Mac's built-in microphone as the input instead. TuningMac's Input list does this in one click, and its Device Info shows which mode you're in.
Should I turn off the EQ in Sennheiser's app?+
For the most accurate result, yes. An equalizer set in Sennheiser's app is applied inside the headphones, so it also affects your Mac and would add to this correction. TuningMac's EQ only changes sound from your Mac, so it won't affect your phone.
Tune your HD 650 on your Mac
Parametric and 10-band EQ, noise control and battery in the menu bar.
EQ data from AutoEQ by Jaakko Pasanen (MIT licence), measurement by oratory1990. Specifications from Sennheiser's published specifications. Sennheiser HD 650 is a trademark of Sennheiser; TuningMac is not affiliated with Sennheiser.