Sennheiser HDB 630  Headphones Review

The Sennheiser HDB 630 aren't really designed for sports and fitness. While they're comfortable and feel pretty well-built, they lack an IP rating, so you won't want to get them wet. They can also get destabilized or fall off your head with only moderate movements, so we wouldn't recommend these for anything more intense than a brisk walk. For that purpose, though, they're great: their excellent ANC will block out the sound of traffic around you, and their balanced sound will keep all your favorite audio sounding natural and true-to-life. Just don't expect these to do a good job accompanying you on your next HIIT session.

The Sennheiser HDB 630 are very good for office work. They have amazing ANC that does an excellent job blocking out the sound of chatty coworkers and general office ambience. Their mic is also satisfactory: while it makes your voice does sound a bit thin, it separates it well from any noise around you, so whoever you're speaking to will hear you clearly. And their balanced sound impressively reproduces everything from techno thump to vocal clarity with ease; if you prefer a different sound, the 5-band parametric EQ lets you customize their tone to your heart's content. To top it off, a 54-hour battery life means you'll be able to get through a whole work week without recharging, though people with larger heads may wish to take listening breaks, as the top of the headband can push a little into the top of your skull.

The Sennheiser HDB630 are mediocre for wireless gaming. Even if you use the included dongle, they can only connect via Bluetooth, which limits how low the latency can get. Sennheiser claim you'll get latency as low as 30 ms, but we were barely able to achieve less than 100 ms of latency. Most people will find that figure too high for gaming. That said, if you're playing a simple RPG while on your phone or any game where timing isn't important, these cans will work. They have a very balanced sound that works well with all audio content, and while their mic makes your voice sound a bit thin, it does a good job of separating it from any surrounding noise. The 54-hour battery life also means you'll be able to enjoy several gaming sessions back-to-back without recharging. Finally, their companion app includes both a fully parametric EQ for tone shaping and a crossfeed option.

The Sennheiser HDB 630 are decent for wired gaming. Even if you use their analog connection, they have to be powered on to work, so you'll always experience around 30 ms of latency. That might not be low enough for competitive eSports players, but most people will find it low enough for their gaming sessions. While their mic does make your voice sound a little thin and lacking in detail, it effectively blocks out ambient noise around you. And their balanced sound ensures that explosions sound full and dialogue is accurate, while their amazingly well-matched drivers make it easy to locate objects, such as enemy fighters, in the stereo field. As is typical, if you use these cans via their analog connection, you won't get mic support, but their wired USB-C connection offers both audio and mic support for everyone save Xbox users, who are limited to the analog connection.

The Sennheiser HDB630 have impressive audio reproduction accuracy. They adhere closely to their balanced sound profile with minimal peaks and dips, ensuring instruments and voices alike are reproduced with clarity and accuracy. A gently boosted bass also adds thump and rumble to kick drums without overwhelming the mid-range. They have amazingly well-matched left and right drivers, so objects are correctly located in the stereo field, and low distortion ensures audio reproduction without timbral coloration even at high listening levels. As closed-backs, these don't make your audio sound like it's coming from two speakers in a room, but since the companion app has a crossfeed option, you can enhance the solidity of the phantom center, which can make your audio seem a little more like it's coming from in front of you.

The Sennheiser HDB 630 have amazing noise isolation. They can't block out the lowest rumbles of a train engine, but do a good job in the high-bass, so bass frequencies that would be more heard than felt are handily reduced. Their strong performance continues through the mid-range and treble, so fan whirr and office chatter are blocked out. Outside of the low-bass, their main weakness is in the mid-mids, so mid-range heavy sounds like people yelling or doors slamming may make their way into your audio. But for the most part, these are excellent headphones if noise isolation is a priority.

The Sennheiser HDB 630 have a decent microphone. It doesn't capture much low-end, so your voice sounds thin, and a roll-off in the treble range means you also lack sparkle. Still, the all-important mid-range and low-treble frequencies are present, so you sound comprehensible and clear. The mic also does a good job of separating your voice from any surrounding noise, even in fairly noisy environments like subway stations, which ensures they're usable, if imperfect, for calls in most situations.

The Sennheiser HDB 630 have poor frequency response consistency. Their sound can noticeably change based on how you position them on your head, so you'll want to position them in a similar way each time you wear them to ensure a consistent sound across wears. The amount of bass you experience will also vary with your head size, hair length, and whether you wear glasses or not. In general, these aren't headphones you want to throw on thoughtlessly, but take a little time positioning them correctly, and you should experience relatively consistent sound between wears.