[Shane D]

Back on the S2's today. Just like last time, I appreciate them much more on day 2. Today I have been playing my Top 2010's and Top 80's playlists.
Everything seems great and the bass is sounding pretty good on the songs that have it. I was Really impressed with the iFi amp using bass boost. But then I was loving the Violectric and right now I am using a Little Dot MK9.

These are So different from anything else that I own, that it seems like it takes me several hours to get in sync with them. But once you're in the groove, they are great.

 

[Mhog55]

If you felt fatigue from 660S' Treble, then better just scratch Meze 109 Pro from your list

Not the upper treble, which is where I've read and heard the extension is on the 109. That doesn't bug me, plus reviews and statements regarding the 109 treble are all over the place.
What I find fatiguing is in the upper mids and lower treble.

 

[Edon]

HD660S2 + Earmen Angel is a great duet. Lot of air, details, natural highs. Great bass and wonderfull imaging. Stunning dynamics. Finally I found my end game if we speak about headphones

 

[Cdog]

I owned a pair of the original 660S cans that I after a while found somewhat fatiguing to my senses. Not that they were bad, just not as warm and friendly as the 650 signature. If I want a more 660S sound I simply plug in HD 58's. I'm struggling with even trying the S2. Of all the mid tier cans I've tried the warm 650's just fit. A couple of months back I won another pair of HD 58's from Drop. Haven't opened the box. May make a gift of them or something.

Still, the S2 temptation is great!

 

[Mhog55]

I owned a pair of the original 660S cans that I after a while found somewhat fatiguing to my senses. Not that they were bad, just not as warm and friendly as the 650 signature. If I want a more 660S sound I simply plug in HD 58's. I'm struggling with even trying the S2. Of all the mid tier cans I've tried the warm 650's just fit. A couple of months back I won another pair of HD 58's from Drop. Haven't opened the box. May make a gift of them or something.

Still, the S2 temptation is great!

Out of the three you mentioned, the 660s was the least musical to my ears, but I also prefer a slightly warm and relaxed signature. I've been using the 58X for a long time, it's what I wear when I'm lifting weights in my home garage gym. I didn't think the 660s sounded much like the 58X myself. The 58X has more substance in the bass region, but it also has quite a bit more grain. I've been debating myself, but I think I'm gonna pass on the S2.

 

[Cdog]

Out of the three you mentioned, the 660s was the least musical to my ears, but I also prefer a slightly warm and relaxed signature. I've been using the 58X for a long time, it's what I wear when I'm lifting weights in my home garage gym. I didn't think the 660s sounded much like the 58X myself. The 58X has more substance in the bass region, but it also has quite a bit more grain. I've been debating myself, but I think I'm gonna pass on the S2.

Your description is fairly close to my perception. I think the 660s I owned were more grainy like the 58X. The bass did seem better controlled, but to my ears mine were more similar than not to the 58X. I think the 58X are an exceptional value. If I didn't already have a well broken in set, I'd been thrilled to win the new ones.

My 63 year old ears have developed some extreme sensitivity to frequencies in 1 Khz range, dropped like a rock in 7 khz range, then back up at higher frequencies. I've had my hearing tested twice in the last year. Strange looking graphs.

 

[kman1211]

Out of the three you mentioned, the 660s was the least musical to my ears, but I also prefer a slightly warm and relaxed signature. I've been using the 58X for a long time, it's what I wear when I'm lifting weights in my home garage gym. I didn't think the 660s sounded much like the 58X myself. The 58X has more substance in the bass region, but it also has quite a bit more grain. I've been debating myself, but I think I'm gonna pass on the S2.

Did you listen to an older or newer HD 660S? Because they sound a bit different to me, I was able to directly compare a new and old pair. New ones are more mellow in the upper regions and far less fatiguing to my ears. Old ones had too much upper midrange energy and fatigued me quite a bit. This applies to all of the HD 6xx series after a certain year as they changed the pads on them, while they keep the general sound signature, I found the new pads alter the presentation slightly, the new pads made the upper mids more tolerable to my ears, they’re not near as ‘hard’ sounding in the upper mids to my ears as they used to be. The new pads also improved the comfort as well especially as the pads get some wear.

 

[rafaelo]

I have placed brand new version original pads to my 58X and sounds really good and improved. I do not listen any grain with my 58X especially with these pads.

Recently, I have listened to my brand new and new version HD600 and although I find it astonishing in some very few moments I have found the treble aggressive something I have never found with my 58x. I admit that my hd600 is not burned in fully yet as having only 3 hours of playing but still.

I used the same pads with my 58X for many years, the original pads became completely flat and as result the sound deteriorated gradually throughout these years and I only realised that by changing to new pads. (Aftermarket and original)

Of course, I also find the 58x incredible value but I also find it a special headphone on its own merit.

I currently have 58X, 6XX, 600 , 660s and elex and I have not found the 58X redundant in my collection yet.

For house/dance music is simply the best among all my 6 series headphones and also it suited better for playing with dongles for people like me that at the moment can not use proper desktop headphone amplifiers and systems.

And something that is easily is forgotten is that yes 58X looks cheap (personally I do not like the looks and the plastic do not have the same quality I believe), the driver was maybe kind of slaughtered/downgraded in order not to cannabilise sales from the 660s but nevertheless was developed by the same man that developed the 600/650 and most importantly it got codeveloped and benefited tremendously by getting a lot of feedback from the community. The first version that was developed was much different than the last as it is claimed. And this is for me the main source of the success of this particular headphone.

It is a value king and probably the inspirational predecessor of the headphone that is the topic of this thread.

 

[Mhog55]

Did you listen to an older or newer HD 660S? Because they sound a bit different to me, I was able to directly compare a new and old pair. New ones are more mellow in the upper regions and far less fatiguing to my ears. Old ones had too much upper midrange energy and fatigued me quite a bit. This applies to all of the HD 6xx series after a certain year as they changed the pads on them, while they keep the general sound signature, I found the new pads alter the presentation slightly, the new pads made the upper mids more tolerable to my ears, they’re not near as ‘hard’ sounding in the upper mids to my ears as they used to be. The new pads also improved the comfort as well especially as the pads get some wear.

I honestly have no idea. I purchased it used.

 

[kman1211]

I honestly have no idea. I purchased it used.

Old HD 660S's had the round edges on the mold and new ones have the beveled edges on the mold. If it had the round mold it was likely one with the old version of the pads, but later ones of the old mold may have the revised pads. The new mold HD 6xx series should have the new pads.

 

[Rob80b]

Sennheiser Canada has their price reduction on again.
https://www.sennheiser-hearing.com/en-CA/p/hd-660s2/clcrij55r0b570bw9bubufphu/

 

[Butter123]

I got the HD660s when it first came out and immediately sold my HD6xx bc it sounded much faster and I enjoy the upper mid with female vocals. From the reviews, the HD660S2 sounds more like the HD650.

 

[Rurouni]

I have the HD580 and I find the 660s2 more versatile for a lot of music genres.

Also It’s party piece is the amazing levels of ‘blackness’ with the s2. Gives even iems like the IER-M9s a run for the money in this department.

 

[erics75]

I got the HD660s when it first came out and immediately sold my HD6xx bc it sounded much faster and I enjoy the upper mid with female vocals. From the reviews, the HD660S2 sounds more like the HD650.

From a speed and technical prowess standpoint the S2 is like the original S and even better. It's only in tonality that it's more like the 650, as it's darker than the OG 2. But speed-wise it's nothing like the 650, it's much faster and more dynamic. It's basically a marriage of the 650's tonality and the OG S's technical ability.

 

[KaiFi]

Not the upper treble, which is where I've read and heard the extension is on the 109. That doesn't bug me, plus reviews and statements regarding the 109 treble are all over the place.
What I find fatiguing is in the upper mids and lower treble.

To me the HD 660S is just about perfect, so I'm concerned that the S2 might be too bright for me.