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0:00 Heat. Heat.
0:31 As a sound enthusiast and especially a fan of studio gear, I have to admit that I've always had a great deal of respect for the Sennheiser name, even though I've never personally owned any of their products. That said, the legendary HD 600 and 650 headphones have always been on my wish list, but since I already own several high-end headphones, they remained more of a temptation and an occasional itch. Well, maybe one day. A company that celebrated its 80th anniversary last year is truly a legendary name in audio. Arguably one of the biggest and also one of the rare examples of a long-standing brand that has managed to remain just as relevant in the age of digital and portable audio. Many of its competitors got lost during that transition and many new names took their place, but Sanheiser is still here consistently releasing very compelling new products. Thanks to For a Audio, we had the opportunity to try out a very recent model that for many demanding audio enthusiasts could easily become the only pair of headphones they'll ever need. These are the Sennheiser HDB 630. A remarkably versatile model that genuinely surprised us both in terms of sound quality, even though we more or less expected that, and with plethora of additional features that make them extremely relevant today in a modern lifestyle where headphones are expected to fulfill many different roles equally well. If someone told me I had to give up all the headphones and speakers I own and choose just one device to cover everything, I think I'd have no trouble picking the Sennheiser HDB 630. Let's take a closer look at why. First of all, these are very elegant headphones with a simple yet striking design. With a combination of black and metallic gray surfaces and an absence of unnecessary detail, they strike an excellent visual balance between everyday wear and the impression of a professional audio product. The all black ear cups with Sennheiser's characteristic tilt, the black headband with discrete logos on the sides, and the ear cup mounting mechanism that resembles aluminum all look universally appealing. What appears to be aluminum is actually plastic, but unless you pay very close attention, you probably won't notice the difference. In terms of appearance, solidity, and mechanical precision, it feels convincingly metallic. In our view, this is a smart compromise, especially considering the excellent execution, as it helps reduce weight, an important factor for something you wear on your head. Total weight is 311 g, though due to the way they sit, they feel lighter in use. The mounting mechanism allows each ear cup to rotate 90° in both directions, enabling the headphones to fold flat and fit neatly into the included carrying case. The case itself is excellent, rigid enough to protect the headphones during transport, and featuring internal compartments for all the cables and accessories included in the box. These include a 3.5 mm audio cable, a USBC cable for charging and audio, an airplane adapter, and a dedicated Bluetooth adapter. We'll discuss later.
3:44 In terms of comfort, the HDB 630 sit very nicely on the head with well balanced clamping force that ensures a secure fit and good isolation without compromising long-term comfort. This is further aided by the shape and tilt of the ear cups which follow the natural position of the ears as well as a flexible joint that helps adapt to different head shapes. Although the ear cups aren't oversized, after all, this is a portable model. They fully enclose the ears and combined with the soft padding, they feel pleasant even during extended sessions. The ear pads along with a lightly padded top section of the headband are covered in synthetic leather. Sanheiser states that this is Japanese Ideatex material which is supposed to offer significantly greater durability than the synthetic leather commonly found on consumer electronics.
4:35 It also feels different to the touch, very soft and pleasant, reinforcing the impression of a premium class product. Speaking of class, although the HDB 630, like the Momentum series they're based on, doesn't represent the very top of Sennheiser's hierarchy, they certainly don't sound like it. Sennheiser clearly isn't willing to put its name on anything that doesn't live up to its reputation, and considerable effort has gone into design choices and fine details that elevate the sound to a very high level, well beyond what we typically expect from Bluetooth headphones, even good ones. The Sennheiser HDB 630 sound exceptionally refined and precise for closedback headphones with an evidently carefully designed internal structure that minimizes reflections and resonances inside the ear cups. The result is outstanding time domain performance which in our opinion sets this model above most if not all headphones of this type in its class and even above many closedback studio and audio file models.
5:37 In addition, the combination of 42mm drivers and the built-in DAC delivers exceptionally clean bass and subbase reproduction, arguably the best we've heard so far from headphones with an internal DAC. Low frequencies remain clear and consistent all the way down to 20 Hz without noticeable emphasis or resonances, which is generally impressive. Bass is reportedly extended down to six Hz, though my ears personally tap out around 14. The frequency response isn't perfectly flat with slightly emphasized bass and some variation in the upper mids and highs, but in most cases, we're talking about just a few decibb. Very good performance for headphones overall. For those who like to fine-tune every last detail, the excellent Smart Control Plus offers a full parametric equalizer with up to five bands, allowing you to adjust central frequency, bandwidth, and gain for each band, making it possible to dial in exactly the sound you want.
6:36 There's also a five band graphic EQ as well as sound check feature that helps less experienced users shape the sound through a series of simple ABC choices. Predefined profiles for different music genres are available along with a bass boost feature that's subtle and tasteful, not overdone, but just enough to add a bit of extra warmth for bass lovers without overwhelming the rest of the spectrum. All in all, the tuning options are flexible enough to suit virtually any taste. A particularly valuable audio feature is the crossfeed option, which blends left and right channels to create a listening experience closer to speakers placed in front of you rather than the traditional left ear, right ear, and nothing in between headphone presentation.
7:21 Personally, I really enjoy the sound with this feature set to low as it provides a more natural sound stage without compromising quality or response. Seheiser goes a step further by allowing you to assign different sound profiles and settings to specific locations via so-called sound zones. These profiles activate automatically when you arrive at work, return home, go to the gym, and so on. Naturally, this also applies to active noise cancellation. That is a very useful feature for a wireless model. And in our opinion, just as valuable at work or at home if your environment is even moderately noisy.
7:58 Thanks to the strong passive isolation provided by the closedback design and wellsealing ear pads, ANC feels more like a bonus, but it's implemented very well. Combined, they deliver an impressively high level of isolation when you want to disconnect from your surroundings. Sudden sounds are significantly reduced, while steady background noise is almost completely eliminated. >> >> We were particularly pleased that the active noise cancellation has no negative impact on sound quality or tonal balance. It's transparent and simply helps you hear your content more clearly. What I personally liked most about this model is its connectivity, specifically the wide range of ways you can connect it to audio sources. There's Bluetooth, of course, but also USB with 24bit 96 kHz lossless audio as well as a 3.5 mm analog connection if you have a good audio interface or a headphone amplifier and want to extract the maximum performance from these headphones.
8:57 Bluetooth deserves a special mention. In addition to standard AAC and SBC, the HDB 630 supports APX, APX adaptive, and APX HD codex that make much better use of headphones excellent acoustic capabilities. It's not 100% of what the headphones are capable of as the most demanding listeners will still notice a slight advantage in favor of the lossless USB connection, but it's absolutely appropriate for a model of this caliber. Those more technically inclined will now ask, "What happens if you own a phone that doesn't support APX Codex or an iPhone that's still stuck with AAC in 2026?"
9:37 Well, Sennheiser thought of that, too. The HDB 630 comes with a tiny USBC adapter that you can connect to a phone or computer to gain a PTX support and with it higher sound quality without the increased battery drain that a fully wireless lossless solution would entail. The only real compromise is slightly higher latency when using the adapter, whereas direct Bluetooth connection offers latency low enough for watching videos without noticeable audio video desynchronization. Wireless use of course means relying on the battery and the promised battery life is around 60 hours of playback depending on volume level and C usage and other factors. to keep you from constantly reaching for your phone while on the move. The entire outer surface of the right ear cup is touch sensitive and allows full control over playback and calls. Swiping up or down adjusts volume. Swiping forward or backward changes tracks. Holding the swipe fast forwards or revides, and double tap activates transparency mode, so you can hear your surroundings. You can even use two fingers to pinch or spread to adjust the level of transparency, making this a remarkably practical and flexible control system.
10:50 All things considered, the Sennheiser HDB 630 are truly outstanding wireless headphones that do so many things right. They're practically in a category of their own. Exceptional sound quality, excellent noise cancellation, highly flexible connectivity, and a superb app packed with useful features. For all these reasons, they are very easy to recommend, and we believe the Sennheiser HDB 630 fully deserves our highly recommended award. If this model has caught your interest, its current price is around $500 on Amazon. That concludes our impressions, but let us know in the comments what kind of impression these headphones have made on you. If you enjoyed this video, hit the like button and maybe consider subscribing to our channel for more interesting tech content. You're watching Bench House. My name is Ian and I'll see you next time.