[caracara08]

Which room is the Sennheiser addicts meeting?

HD600, HD650, HD660s. Definitely going to get the 660s2 when the price comes down some. I don’t want to sell any of its brothers to fund the high price. Also going to add a 800 series at some point for classical. I got issues.

 

[chesebert]

I am not sure I like the "auto tune" sound signature of 660S2. Anyone else hearing this?

I can definitely hear the upper mid range veil and that slight compression feeling when you do a high Q cut.

 

[Slackaveli]

Not sure if any of you do any gaming, but the 660S2 kick major behind in games. The imaging is crazy accurate, and that added low end extension and treble really makes for an enjoyable experience.

Warzone footsteps??

 

[Smugsie]

Live impressions with the Drop + THX 789 with the HD660S2:

I bought a THX 789, it's reviews were linear and clinical like getting your teeth cleaned.

If anything I was just expecting the THX 789 and ODAC to sound like my JDS Atom stack, if they did, I'd sell them.
Okay cool. Whatever. I took the most basic DAC I had which is my JDS ODAC and hooked it up to the THX 789.
Played the windows left/right channel check to make sure I had everything in check.

Good lord the first thing I heard was bass extension and extra extended treble. What the heck? Umm, hello? Excuse me?
Well the ODAC is relatively grainy, I plugged it into the JDS Atom DAC.
Treble not grainy, midrange is liquid smooth... is bass supposed to smack my eardrums?

Why does my HD660S2 sound like an HD600 on steroids? Duuuude the HD660S2 is not supposed to sound this good...

Grabbing the HD600, I need to try this on that lol. Walking downstairs with a puzzled face the entire way to grab my HD600's.
Hawh, no wonder gear freaks listen to their gear instead of their music. What a weird discovery.
...
Oh ok, now I can definitely see the HD600's frequency response. Yep, definitely a rolled off bass extension and sparkly treble, I definitely hear that upper mid peak and it's more of a touch than a whole mountain.

I can't unhear the lower resolution of the HD600 now. Switching back to the HD660S2, I like its' tonal response much better.
Ooo yeahh... The HD660S2's are definitely smoother, slam harder, much more satisfying treble response, the defined layering is so nice.

The THX789 are definitely on the flatter side, but you know what, I'm okay with this. Very satisfied, easy listening. I'm so glad the HD660S2's are so sensitive to amping, I think

 

[Smugsie]

@ericpalonen
My dude, I need to redo my gear review on the HD660S2. Everytime I upgrade sources the 660S2 just becomes a new character.

 

[chesebert]

660S2's midrange is not the same as HD600 or HD650. You take HD650, dial up the "clarity" slider on the vocal and then dial down "sibilance" slider all the way and you get this wonky midrange. If you listen to this FR long enough you will probably feel smooth sound initially but will get fatigued eventually because too much "clarity" is not natural. I am not sure burn in will help.

 

[kman1211]

660S2's midrange is not the same as HD600 or HD650. You take HD650, dial up the "clarity" slider on the vocal and then dial down "sibilance" slider all the way and you get this wonky midrange. If you listen to this FR long enough you will probably feel smooth sound initially but will get fatigued eventually because too much "clarity" is not natural. I am not sure burn in will help.

I gather it’s midrange is supposed to more akin to the HD 660 S’s, if so not surprised at all the HD 660 S2 midrange is different than the HD 600/650’s considering how different the OG HD 660 S midrange presentation sounds to me.

 

[Audiowood]

660S2's midrange is not the same as HD600 or HD650. You take HD650, dial up the "clarity" slider on the vocal and then dial down "sibilance" slider all the way and you get this wonky midrange. If you listen to this FR long enough you will probably feel smooth sound initially but will get fatigued eventually because too much "clarity" is not natural. I am not sure burn in will help.

I just compared it again. I may have different findings. The Vocal is pretty similar except, and yes agree on the dial-up on the clarity but not so sure about dialing down the sibilance - cause the HD650 has no sibilance at all, to begin with. In fact, the treble got dial-up and extended better than the HD650. I feel its even more natural than the HD650 as its lacks some clarity.

The main diff besides the vocal (Both is super awesome) is the soundstage, the HD660s2 opens up with better layering, and the width extends wider than the HD650. And the bass goes deeper, more pronounced, and slams harder. I did not find the HD660S2 vocal midrange wonky. I can understand the wonky part as the mid-range is, even more, pronounced than the HD650 due to clarity - I see this as a good thing. Its slight - More like the vocalist remove the foam on the mic and sing straight to it. - To my ears.

 

[chesebert]

I just compared it again. I may have different findings. The Vocal is pretty similar except, and yes agree on the dial-up on the clarity but not so sure about dialing down the sibilance - cause the HD650 has no sibilance at all, to begin with. In fact, the treble got dial-up and extended better than the HD650. I feel its even more natural than the HD650 as its lacks some clarity.

The main diff besides the vocal (Both is super awesome) is the soundstage, the HD660s2 opens up with better layering, and the width extends wider than the HD650. And the bass goes deeper, more pronounced, and slams harder. I did not find the HD660S2 vocal midrange wonky. I can understand the wonky part as the mid-range is, even more, pronounced than the HD650 due to clarity - I see this as a good thing. Its slight - More like the vocalist remove the foam on the mic and sing straight to it. - To my ears.

It's not dialed down sibilance; perhaps that's not accurate. It's the cut you make in EQ when you have highly sibilant track and then you overdo it and you get that slightly muffled/veiled feeling. That's what I am hearing with 660S2's upper mid range/lower treble.

I also note that we may like different mid range presentation. I like natural, smooth and flowing mid range, like I am listening to a voice in real life without any enhancement. Any kind of electronic glare or enhancement (like autotune) tires me out after a while.

 

[Audiowood]

Do u mean certain frequency in the upper mid range /lower treble is cut off? I will listen again

 

[chesebert]

Do u mean certain frequency in the upper mid range /lower treble is cut off? I will listen again

Yes. It's a high Q deep cut. Listen to female vocals - it should be obvious.

 

[Audiowood]

Is the cut around 3K - 5k region - yes. It's pretty slight. That is, if only the vocal is played with no instrument. But on the whole, if I play Jazz with all instrument- It makes for it in the whole treble region as anything from 6K onwards, the treble, it "brighten" the overall music as compared to HD650.

Interesting now that you mention it, I start to notice it more. lol

 

[Audiowood]

OK - Its very slight. I think I may have more issues trying to volume-match them between the HD650 and Hd660S2. But based on ear volume matching - It's pretty slight. - does not veil at all - it smoothens the edge of the notes.

 

[chesebert]

OK - Its very slight. I think I may have more issues trying to volume-match them between the HD650 and Hd660S2. But based on ear volume matching - It's pretty slight. - does not veil at all - it smoothens the edge of the notes.

Is your HD650 stock or with the quarter mod? I have mine with the quarter mod, which made the different more obvious. In any case, I think 660S2 has a defective midrange for my purposes. I will let the cans burn in for a bit and reevaluate in a couple of days.

 

[Audiowood]

Its stock - I change the pad back to its original form.

Good idea to let run for a few days (although I am not a strong believer of burning in) but still give a shot and see what happens. In my experience, burning will sound smoother and its really slight. - base on ear power - no measurement tool.