[kman1211]

A carrying case would be nice.
Nowadays much cheaper headphones than the 660S2 come with high quality cases.

Yeah something like what the Tesla Beyers come with or like the Meze's. And it won't add much to the box size either.

 

[Ichos]

WORLD PREMIERE LISTENING IMPRESSIONS OF THE SENNHEISER HD660S2.

Disclaimer - The headphone is brand new with zero burning time and the following impressions are more like notes / thoughts after about 3-4 hours of listening.

The headphone is a loaned unit.

For this session I used the iBasso DX320 - AMP12 and FiiO M17 from their balanced outputs.
The stock cable was ditched for the @lavricables Ultimate, pure silver cable.

Read with caution and don't take everything as granted.


"Great sub-bass extension, extension not boost.
Can play all kinds of modern music but it doesn't reach bass-head levels.
The bass is balanced, not emphasized, no mid-bass coloring, and doesn't bleed into the mid-range.
Slightly warm and cozy sounding but not dark.
Dynamic and impactful, the best of all the HD6xx series and I think even better than the HD800S.
Very satisfying but it can't reach the power of the Focal Clear Mg suspended driver which is also unique in the reverberation qualities.
The bass is tight and controlled, excellent texture, excellent definition.
Fast, staccato, crystal clear and superb layering.
You can hear every last note, no masking or overlapping.
Full bodied and weighty, not too visceral but meaty for sure.
Mid-range is mildly forward, all types of voices (especially female) are always at the forefront.
The star of the show.
This is a vocals-centric headphone but I don't get fatigued as I did with the 650.
There is a hint of shouting at certain notes but too early to say for sure.
Some people might find it a bit tiring in the long run, especially if they don't like this kind of vocal emphasis - forwardness.
Treble is superb, extended and full of energy - light but smooth and controlled.
It is not bright, not harsh, not fatiguing or piercing.
Plenty of airiness, transparency and definition.
There is a hint of a metallic tint.
The texture remains weighty and full both at the mids and in the treble.
Decay is excellent, the timing is just perfect for every instrument to fade away in the most natural way.
Not rushed, not slow.
Transient speed is amazing, the headphone is fast and foot tapping.
Great sense of rhythm and timing.
It is highly resolving, the amount of detail retrieval is amazing, the headphone has the blackest background, you can hear every last sound in the recording but in a natural manner, it is not analytical or artificial sounding.
Great harmonic intensity and excellent articulation.
Shaded, with colorful overtones and plenty of chromatic variety.
Very transparent.
Timbre is extremely natural and tonality is very realistic and correct when we talk about the instruments of the symphony orchestra.
Every instrument has its correct pitch as in real life.
The headphone is very musical and organic sounding, extremely engaging, it connects the listener with the music in the most effortless way.
The soundstage is very intimate, the music feels like it is radiating from inside your head but in an enveloping and holographic way.
In large symphonic works you are placed on the conductor seat.
In smaller ensembles you are part of the action.
Very, very solid center image.
I wouldn't call the soundstage too narrow but it is not wide either.
Imaging and positioning are on masterclass level while there is plenty of satisfying layering - depth"

The above text is copyrighted and was issued by Petros Laskis on 02/02/2023.

 

[chesebert]

WORLD PREMIERE LISTENING IMPRESSIONS OF THE SENNHEISER HD660S2.

Disclaimer - The headphone is brand new with zero burning time and the following impressions are more like notes / thoughts after about 3-4 hours of listening.

The headphone is a loaned unit.

For this session I used the iBasso DX320 - AMP12 and FiiO M17 from their balanced outputs.
The stock cable was ditched for the @lavricables Ultimate, pure silver cable.

Read with caution and don't take everything as granted.


"Great sub-bass extension, extension not boost.
Can play all kinds of modern music but it doesn't reach bass-head levels.
The bass is balanced, not emphasized, no mid-bass coloring, and doesn't bleed into the mid-range.
Slightly warm and cozy sounding but not dark.
Dynamic and impactful, the best of all the HD6xx series and I think even better than the HD800S.
Very satisfying but it can't reach the power of the Focal Clear Mg suspended driver which is also unique in the reverberation qualities.
The bass is tight and controlled, excellent texture, excellent definition.
Fast, staccato, crystal clear and superb layering.
You can hear every last note, no masking or overlapping.
Full bodied and weighty, not too visceral but meaty for sure.
Mid-range is mildly forward, all types of voices (especially female) are always at the forefront.
The star of the show.
This is a vocals-centric headphone but I don't get fatigued as I did with the 650.
There is a hint of shouting at certain notes but too early to say for sure.
Some people might find it a bit tiring in the long run, especially if they don't like this kind of vocal emphasis - forwardness.
Treble is superb, extended and full of energy - light but smooth and controlled.
It is not bright, not harsh, not fatiguing or piercing.
Plenty of airiness, transparency and definition.
There is a hint of a metallic tint.
The texture remains weighty and full both at the mids and in the treble.
Decay is excellent, the timing is just perfect for every instrument to fade away in the most natural way.
Not rushed, not slow.
Transient speed is amazing, the headphone is fast and foot tapping.
Great sense of rhythm and timing.
It is highly resolving, the amount of detail retrieval is amazing, the headphone has the blackest background, you can hear every last sound in the recording but in a natural manner, it is not analytical or artificial sounding.
Great harmonic intensity and excellent articulation.
Shaded, with colorful overtones and plenty of chromatic variety.
Very transparent.
Timbre is extremely natural and tonality is very realistic and correct when we talk about the instruments of the symphony orchestra.
Every instrument has its correct pitch as in real life.
The headphone is very musical and organic sounding, extremely engaging, it connects the listener with the music in the most effortless way.
The soundstage is very intimate, the music feels like it is radiating from inside your head but in an enveloping and holographic way.
In large symphonic works you are placed on the conductor seat.
In smaller ensembles you are part of the action.
Very, very solid center image.
I wouldn't call the soundstage too narrow but it is not wide either.
Imaging and positioning are on masterclass level while there is plenty of satisfying layering - depth"

The above text is copyrighted and was issued by Petros Laskis on 02/02/2023.

Kind of useless without any comparison (other cans, speakers, real life instruments..I don't care what you use but need reference point). I can write a piece just like this for any audio equipment The only information I got from your impression is that 660S2 is not annoying and more dynamic than 650. I think you need a few days to get the hang of it.

 

[headstef]

Petros, congratulations for this world premiere mini review! It is full of useful information and hope that you will have the opportunity for many detailed comparisons later. For now it sounds very promising indeed!

 

[moriez]

Fun notes to read. Seems you really like it! But why listen with a aftermarket cable? Are you hearing things differently with the stock cable?

 

[alexeyi]

Fun notes to read. Seems you really like it! But why listen with a aftermarket cable? Are you hearing things differently with the stock cable?

I, for one use sometimes aftermarket cables for some headphone, especially the ones that I use the most mainly because of the comfort/design preference. Some of the stock cables are long or too stiff, so I go for the aftermarket to get to the desired length and materials to make it easier to handle and to reduce the microphonics.
In my own experience, cables do not make a drastic if at all a change of sound as the change of pads for example, but this (cables influence or not the sound) is a discussion that never ends.

 

[moriez]

cables do not make a drastic if at all a change of sound as the change of pads for example

Agreed agreed. Still to get impressions across as well as possible and so that our own listening experiences can be understood better I would've gone for stock config.

 

[alexeyi]

Agreed agreed. Still to get impressions across as well as possible and so that our own listening experiences can be understood better I would've gone for stock config.

Yes, for a review I totally agree with you, most sense would be to use the out of the box configuration, because most of the users will stick to the default components.
Nonetheless It’s not bad to provide feedback using custom components.

 

[Ichos]

Fun notes to read. Seems you really like it! But why listen with a aftermarket cable? Are you hearing things differently with the stock cable?

Yes, for a review I totally agree with you, most sense would be to use the out of the box configuration, because most of the users will stick to the default components.
Nonetheless It’s not bad to provide feedback using custom components.

In this case was mostly done because I hadn't the time to unpack the stock cable!
I always use stock accessories because most users will stick to them.
Then I do the final listening with my cables because I need the best possible quality and transparency to the source.

 

[SHAMuuu]

Sadly, the box was always the least-used item with its intended audience. Those that needed to transport high-end cans typically had a preferred hard case with gaskets, locks and handles anyways.

I'm sure i'm not the only one who uses the box to keep them stored safely. XD

I would rather have the case than just a plain cardboard box.

Its not the best box, but to me anyway, it's better than the regular soft pouches one usually gets. Perhaps not the best for travelling with though.

 

[Fegefeuer]

Send one to me, I'll compare vs my JAR660S and the whole other family, stock and not stock.

Also Sennheiser, HD 900 when?

 

[alexeyi]

Sadly, the box was always the least-used item with its intended audience. Those that needed to transport high-end cans typically had a preferred hard case with gaskets, locks and handles anyways.

I completely understand your point and it is valid to most of the users.
What I am concerned about is the transportation of the unit. If it is not packed inside another cardboard, there is a big chance that it can get damaged during handling/transport on the courier side.
I think that we all know/seen how packages are usually handled by couriers, just like the baggage in the airport during transportation from the terminal to the plane - thrown around and what not.

In my opinion it was just a ball-drop from Sennheiser at this point. Having owned multiple older Sennheiser headphones and thinking about their packaging, I am disappointed with this cost cutting decision.
While it is not hard to inspect the package when you get it and reject it if it is damaged, you have to think about your customers. Some of them might be expecting that package for weeks and when it finally arrives, they have to reject it because it is severely damaged. It happened to me multiple times and it is a complete waste of time and patience.

 

[IXOYE]

Seems like they need some EQ to get rid of shouting at certain notes, 660s has the same problem.

 

[Ichos]

Seems like they need some EQ to get rid of shouting at certain notes, 660s has the same problem.

Nothing is perfect but don't rush into early conclusions.
It is still very early.
They need more time and source matching.
Let's see how it goes.

 

[Plieb]

Fun notes to read. Seems you really like it! But why listen with a aftermarket cable? Are you hearing things differently with the stock cable?