[thelonious58]

I am about to buy this, but reading up the comments again, I am getting the impression that the DT 660's build quality is so flimsy it is sure to break sometime soon. Can someone comment on that? Is it a far cry from its older brothers DT 770, 880, 990 in terms of build quality?

They look flimsy but I have used mine just about every day and they haven't suffered any damage at all. Let's remember that these are really for home use, one would look weird wearing these in the street or on public transport as they are pretty big! They sound incredibly good with classical and jazz thanks to the high level of detail and clarity, not to mention the very open soundstage which is not at all typical of a closed back design. I know that here in the UK they are hard to find and the remaining ones sell for £160, so if you are going to pull the trigger, do it soon before they become too rare and even more expensive! The bass does deepen with age, the treble and midrange are superb straight out of the box. Good luck!

 

[MorrisL]

They look flimsy but I have used mine just about every day and they haven't suffered any damage at all. Let's remember that these are really for home use, one would look weird wearing these in the street or on public transport as they are pretty big! They sound incredibly good with classical and jazz thanks to the high level of detail and clarity, not to mention the very open soundstage which is not at all typical of a closed back design. I know that here in the UK they are hard to find and the remaining ones sell for £160, so if you are going to pull the trigger, do it soon before they become too rare and even more expensive! The bass does deepen with age, the treble and midrange are superb straight out of the box. Good luck!

Thank you!
 
It's just the amazon reviews look a bit scary. Over there, it seems it's the lowest rated Beyer product I'd ever seen, with most of the one-star reviews complaining about the same thing - the headphone predictably breaking at the same exact spot. I don't know if this is much like the over-hyped Sennheiser PX 100 ii, which is basically designed to go dead before long due to its unprotected jack, but I'm happy you had a good experience after such long daily use.
 
An interesting thought occurred to me while writing. Since this is the same size as the DT 770, do you think it's possible to take a non-functional 770 and put the DT 660 cups into it, making a DT 660 of superior build quality? I wonder if the 660 sound will still be possible after a mod like this.

 

[Mad Max]

  Thank you!
 
It's just the amazon reviews look a bit scary. Over there, it seems it's the lowest rated Beyer product I'd ever seen, with most of the one-star reviews complaining about the same thing - the headphone predictably breaking at the same exact spot. I don't know if this is much like the over-hyped Sennheiser PX 100 ii, which is basically designed to go dead before long due to its unprotected jack, but I'm happy you had a good experience after such long daily use.
 
An interesting thought occurred to me while writing. Since this is the same size as the DT 770, do you think it's possible to take a non-functional 770 and put the DT 660 cups into it, making a DT 660 of superior build quality? I wonder if the 660 sound will still be possible after a mod like this.

 
Quite doable, you just have to bend the steel forks/gimbals of the DT770 headband to fit the DT660 cups.  It's not that much.  Alternatively, you could buy a non-working Ultrasone (older, more common models, not the latest "i" versions), and replace the Beyer parts that break with Ultrasone ones and they should last longer.  DT440, 660, and 860 are using Ultrasone-like headbands.

 

[SHAMuuu]

These badboys are back on sale @79.99 FocusCamera on ebay and i think free shipping!
Though uncomfy at first with that horrible headband on some Ultrasone, it does soften up and get somewhat comfy.
 
 
 
They are amazing for Indian Classical!
 

 
daughter of Ravi Shankar and sister of Norah Jones!
 
Good modern twist. I'm totally into Underground Rap music  and all, but i can also dig this when it sounds right.
 
Though the 660 has its flaws like in bass as it so FLAT ,  enjoy the sounds of violin soloists as well.
 
Any other cans better than this for violin? Or in other words, what's best for violin solos. I want it to slice through my soul.

 

[thelonious58]

These badboys are back on sale @79.99 FocusCamera on ebay and i think free shipping!
Though uncomfy at first with that horrible headband on some Ultrasone, it does soften up and get somewhat comfy.



They are amazing for Indian Classical!




daughter of Ravi Shankar and sister of Norah Jones!

Good modern twist. I'm totally into Underground Rap music  and all, but i can also dig this when it sounds right.

Though the 660 has its flaws like in bass as it so FLAT ,  enjoy the sounds of violin soloists as well.

Any other cans better than this for violin? Or in other words, what's best for violin solos. I want it to slice through my soul.

I also have the DT 660 and I agree with your assessment. I recently bought the AKG K612 and it is just as neutral but has the bass missing from the 660. They are currently only £87.95 on Amazon.co.uk but you need to factor in an amplifier unless you already have one. They do sound pretty good with my little Topping Nx-1 from my iPod classic's line out via LOD L9. Tablas should sound great on these, and they also have a great soundstage with excellent imaging. Treble is clear and smooth

 

[SHAMuuu]

I also have the DT 660 and I agree with your assessment. I recently bought the AKG K612 and it is just as neutral but has the bass missing from the 660. They are currently only £87.95 on Amazon.co.uk but you need to factor in an amplifier unless you already have one. They do sound pretty good with my little Topping Nx-1 from my iPod classic's line out via LOD L9. Tablas should sound great on these, and they also have a great soundstage with excellent imaging. Treble is clear and smooth

There are times i switch from 880.250 to 660.32 on live performed songs and my jaw opens. Of course specific genres not heavy on bass. Its funny because it has less bass than 880 but its flatness is beyond belief. 770.80 has its advantages over it for bassy genres, but the 660.32 holds its own for certain bass free (not focal point) genres
 
So many audiophiles love that neutral flat sound, and i bet some havn't heard this cheapie gem.
 
and Made in German to boot.
 
It seems so peak free, colorless, BORING and LIFEless
 
which is surprisingly delightful

 

[Mad Max]

  ...
So many audiophiles love that neutral flat sound, and i bet some havn't heard this cheapie gem.
 
and Made in German to boot.
 
It seems so peak free, colorless, BORING and LIFEless
 
which is surprisingly delightful

 
The "BORING LIFElessness" delivered by DT660 would be considered "ideal audiophile" by many.
 
Just to be clear for anyone else reading later on, DT660 sports no dynamic compression (can give a "sterile" impression), or any "dullness" to its sound (this one's harder to describe, Pro750 sure sounded dull with its pleather instead of velour pads, and when the T50RP modding craze started, that version of T50RP had an impossible-to-fix bass dullness that got on my nerves, among other issues).  DT660 isn't devoid of an energetic sound - it is still a Beyerdynamic in that aspect, no less than the rest of the full-sized Beyers.

Nice and veil-less, unlike DT440.
Never organic like the open-back, full-sized Sennheisers or SRH840 - this is still a Beyer after all.
 
 
I'll add that too much bass boost can hurt some people, so DT660 is likely suitable for those kinds of music without causing fatigue to such users, and of course it fits when said music was made on a speaker rig tuned to a flat sound to begin with.
Also, the cushion on the headband meant for the top of the head is a little too narrow for best comfort, especially for some people.  For me, it is  barely passable.
A replacement like this one may be the solution for those who find it uncomfortable: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Generic-New-Headband-Cushion-Foam-Pads-For-Sennheiser-HD-HMD-280-281-Headphones-/261901300024
When I had an AKG K545, I replaced the headband cushion with one of those.  Worked like a charm, very comfy.

 

[SHAMuuu]

I thought 440.32 would be like 660.32 in terms of identical drivers but I was mistaken. That would be 860.32
The pads on 440.32 are horrible and when I slapped on some 990v was better but bested by 880.250. However nothing stood out as much as 660 when I was listening to Indian classical. I NEVER thought I'd get into that growing up into punk rock and rap but yeah.

Also it's speed to my ears is impressive or possibly more noticeable due to lack of bass

 

[thelonious58]

A very interesting post but what has it got to do with the AKG K612, which is the headphone I described in my post which you then quoted?

 
There are times i switch from 880.250 to 660.32 on live performed songs and my jaw opens. Of course specific genres not heavy on bass. Its funny because it has less bass than 880 but its flatness is beyond belief. 770.80 has its advantages over it for bassy genres, but the 660.32 holds its own for certain bass free (not focal point) genres
 
So many audiophiles love that neutral flat sound, and i bet some havn't heard this cheapie gem.
 
and Made in German to boot.
 
It seems so peak free, colorless, BORING and LIFEless
 
which is surprisingly delightful

A very interesting post but why did you quote my post, which was mainly about the K612, a quite similar headphone to the DT660 but with much better bass for those genres which require it? I thought you were going to give your thoughts on the K612

 

[SHAMuuu]

A very interesting post but what has it got to do with the AKG K612, which is the headphone I described in my post which you then quoted?
A very interesting post but why did you quote my post, which was mainly about the K612, a quite similar headphone to the DT660 but with much better bass for those genres which require it? I thought you were going to give your thoughts on the K612

I must have forgot to add I thought the 880 was similar to what you're saying with k612. Even though them is open reference cans. That even though it's considered neutralish yet has more bass than 660.32. sometimes i feel 660 is more detailed than it's open brother. The lack of bass relatively speaking ofc is what makes it so strange but delightful on the right tracks and so painful on others.

Sorry about Confusion.

 

[thelonious58]

I must have forgot to add I thought the 880 was similar to what you're saying with k612. Even though them is open reference cans. That even though it's considered neutralish yet has more bass than 660.32. sometimes i feel 660 is more detailed than it's open brother. The lack of bass relatively speaking ofc is what makes it so strange but delightful on the right tracks and so painful on others.

Sorry about Confusion.

No need to apologise! I remember David Maher commenting on how very detailed the 660 seemed at first. Like you, I would go further and claim that they still sound very detailed after a couple of years! The bass does grow over time, but it is still bass- light. Great for string quartets, string orchestral music etc.For classical orchestral, solo piano, cello etc I prefer my K612. In my opinion the K612 are currently the best bang for the buck quality headphones out there. Very detailed, fairly flat, similar to K702 but not sterile or with a diffuse soundstage, but with really solid bass, which goes very deep and rumbles beautifully if it's in the recording. Many experienced head-fi, for instance Brooko, have said that K612 comes quite close to the HD600, but with a wider soundstage and a bit less refinement and warmth. Well worth a listen, and don't be put off by claims that they are very hard to drive. They do need amplification, but I find that my little Topping Nx-1 on high gain combines well with them

 

[SHAMuuu]

i dont have an AKG in my line up and always figured a 701 or QJ version would make it to my head. But I will definitely keep the 612 in mind the way you describe it. I need to read more about that one, or better yet hear one.

 

[thelonious58]

i dont have an AKG in my line up and always figured a 701 or QJ version would make it to my head. But I will definitely keep the 612 in mind the way you describe it. I need to read more about that one, or better yet hear one.

It seems that most of the QJ and Q series are expensive tweaked versions of the original K701/702, whereas the K612 is a slightly warmer and definitely more coherent and versatile version which represents excellent value. You might want to have a look at Brooko's thread "AKG K612 (the upstart) versus K702" as he gives a very thorough and balanced review of both headphones and avoids exaggeration. As Charlie Parker said "Now's the time"!

 

[gardibolt]

How does the DT660 compare to the Oppo PM-3, which is my main go-to for closed-back headphones for classical music? I'm assuming at 1/3 of the price it's not quite as good, but I'm interested in hearing opinions.

 

[thelonious58]

How does the DT660 compare to the Oppo PM-3, which is my main go-to for closed-back headphones for classical music? I'm assuming at 1/3 of the price it's not quite as good, but I'm interested in hearing opinions.

I've never heard the Oppo PM-3 but from what I have read it is a smooth sounding and obviously high quality headphone. The DT660 might be a nice partner for it because I would assume that it sounds quite different. Make no mistake, the DT660 sounds far better than it looks. It has a very good soundstage for a closed back design and a very flat and extremely clear sound signature. The only area where it could be said to fall short is the bass, which is there but never goes very deep. DT660 is a polar opposite to something like the Sennheiser HD518 or even HD650, in other words, not very warm sounding. If you can buy one at a good price, or even buy one at all, because they are not around in large numbers, you might have done yourself a massive favour. And the OP David Maher is right when he says that they sound great directly from an iPod without any amping. Good luck!