Sennheiser has a new set of wired audiophile headphones, and while they may look a lot like the brand’s famous open-back cans, the HD 620S are completely enclosed. They can be preordered starting May 7 for $350, with shipping beginning on June 6.
The HD 620S are something of a departure for Sennheiser, which has traditionally stuck with open-back headphone designs. The move was prompted by customer feedback, according to the company. “The hi-fi community has clamored for a headphone with the best traits from our 600 series,” said Jermo Koehnke, audiophile product manager, “yet isolates them from distractions at work, home, or in-between.”
The HD 620S is an attempt at doing just that: preserving the airy sense of openness and natural sound that have been the hallmarks of Sennheiser’s open-backs, while bringing in the sound-isolating properties of a traditional closed-back design.
The cans use a custom-tuned 42mm dynamic transducer mounted within an angled baffle. This apparently encourages the free movement of air, mimicking the behavior of open-back transducers, “while recreating the triangular imaging of a great loudspeaker setup in an expertly tuned room,” Sennheiser claims.
The chassis bears a strong resemblance to the HD 560S and HD 569, with a smooth, integrated headband and generous ear cushions. The big difference are the metal shells that form the outside of the earcups. They aren’t just for looks — Sennheiser claims they’re also efficient isolators that manage any internal reflections that could otherwise cloud the purity of the acoustic signal.
The HD 620S have an impedance of 150 ohms, which should be easily drive by most integrated amplifiers. They come with a storage pouch and 6-foot, single-sided, detachable, twist-lock 3.5mm cable, but you’ll also be able to buy a 4.4mm balanced cable this summer for those with DAC/amps that sport this increasingly popular connection.
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