[sebek]

I really like Sennheiser headphones, I have the 600 and 660S. I also had the 6XX, but it felt weaker than the other two.

Since I am often seeing used 800S at a good price, even under € 500, I am thinking about it seriously.

For those who have heard both: do the 600 or 660S something better than the 800S? Or are we just on another level of performance?

I don't care the last word in terms of resolution, I hate tinny or too harsh sound.

I particularly appreciate the naturalness of the sound and the realism, the authentic timbre of the instruments, the beautiful voices. I'm not really a basshead, I prefer tight and clean bass, in the right amount but not too much.

I like the soundstage, but in truth I find that of the 660S is already very good, also facilitated by the stellar imaging.

I listen to a lot of extreme metal - thrash, death, black, doom - rock from Nirvana, Alice in Chains to Interpol, Arcade Fire, songwriters and acoustic music - Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake, Van Morrison, Elliott Smith, Nick Cave etc - and often also jazz and classical music, from symphonies to piano sonatas.

* I also had Hifiman Ananda - I really liked the wide, relaxed sound, but not too much timbre, a bit artificial - and Focal Clear - again, a little metallic in timbre for me and maybe too much ... energy, excitement? I prefer something more relaxed.

 

[pbui44]

The HD600 has better mids than the HD800S and the HD660S probably has better bass than the HD800S, but the HD800S has better treble, wider soundstaging, cleaner imaging, more details throughout the sound spectrum with the source itself and/or your equipment, and much better for genre-fused-performers, like Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Just make sure to get or save up for an amp with at least this type of power to match the capabilities of the HD800S:

https://www.amazon.it/Topping-Amplificatore-auricolari-NFAC-nero/dp/B09N1N4GFH/ref=sr_1_2?__mk_it_IT=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=2TN6DNL4F2N20&keywords=topping+a30+pro&qid=1659055003&sprefix=topping+a30+pr,aps,302&sr=8-2&th=1

 

[tomb]

I'm going to go against the grain here and recommend that you change paths to better amplification.

Just an FYI, but the HD600 is noticeably harsher and has more distortion than the 6XX. If you are hearing the 6XX as "weaker," it means your amplification is not sufficient. If you are happy with the HD660S, perhaps you should continue with that phone, upgrading amplification until you notice the 660S shortcomings. You might begin to prefer the 6XX after that.

The HD800 is an entirely different headphone and you will need to enter the same path as both: the search for better/best amplification. Many people do it, unfortunately, but the worst thing you can do is to purchase a $1500 headphone and then pair it with a $100-$200 amp.

 

[DeweyCH]

I don't have a HD800S, but I have a HD8XX that I modded, and it's worlds better than the HD6XX I used to have. So, so, so much more comfortable, with massive soundstage and much better resolution. I've read about the HD800S being lacking in bass, but the 8XX has, to my ear, pretty decent bass. You will have to mod it, but the mod is very simple - just removing two stickers from behind each pad - and the result is a really, really nice set of cans. The 8XX seems to be available at better prices than the 800S, at least from what I've seen around here.

 

[sebek]

Sorry, but I absolutely don't believe in the amplifiers and the thousand watts of power needed to drive a simple and banal headphone. And I did my many tests before I even realized it.

A neutral, transparent and reference sound is just that, whether a device has 80mw or 6W. Power is volume, as Crinacle says - and I'm not even a fan of his, but he's right about that.

If a headphone sounds better on a more expensive and more powerful device, it is because that amplifier adds its own color, which can be more pleasant to listen to.

And as for more musical and colorful devices, nothing has ever sounded better to my ears than a simple Dragonfly Cobalt, even with headphones of 300 ohm or 94db sensitivity I always preferred it to the Micro IDSD Black Label and Signature and even to Topping desktop stack.

 

[tomb]

Sorry, but I absolutely don't believe in the amplifiers and the thousand watts of power needed to drive a simple and banal headphone. And I did my many tests before I even realized it.

A neutral, transparent and reference sound is just that, whether a device has 80mw or 6W. Power is volume, as Crinacle says - and I'm not even a fan of his, but he's right about that.

If a headphone sounds better on a more expensive and more powerful device, it is because that amplifier adds its own color, which can be more pleasant to listen to.

And as for more musical and colorful devices, nothing has ever sounded better to my ears than a simple Dragonfly Cobalt, even with headphones of 300 ohm or 94db sensitivity I always preferred it to the Micro IDSD Black Label and Signature and even to Topping desktop stack.

No one said anything about power, far from it. The best amplifiers control, not pump out giant watts. And ... what's the result of being able to "control?" A neutral, transparent, reference sound. On that much, we agree. You also won't catch me even coming close to a Topping. For the rest of it, no.

 

[pbui44]

You do realize that the OP is getting a HD800 anyways, right? Okay, he is still on the fence. You need control to stay on the fence, but you need power to get off of it.

 

[DuncanDirkDick]

For those who have heard both: do the 600 or 660S something better than the 800S? Or are we just on another level of performance?

They have more agreeable mids and 6k region than hd800s. If you're comfortable with EQ hd800s are a step up in every way. If not I wouldn't go for it if metal is a huge part of your library.