[eswng679]

Well, I'm in. Found a like new pair second hand. They should arrive Wednesday.

Congratulations and welcome to the club! Curious to know what the used prices are now - if you don't mind me asking, how much did you buying it for?

 

[OkPsychology]

Congratulations and welcome to the club! Curious to know what the used prices are now - if you don't mind me asking, how much did you buying it for?

FWIW I jumped on the refurbished offers on amazon when another head-fi'er posted about it a few days ago. The pair I'm getting this week cost me $541.02 after tax

 

[OkPsychology]

Looks as though there are still 2 pairs remaining: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BYTNMHG3

 

[equalspeace]

Congratulations and welcome to the club! Curious to know what the used prices are now - if you don't mind me asking, how much did you buying it for?

Thanks! Got em for 515.75$

 

[Sonic Defender]

Me too! I was using my 660S last night, really enjoying the sound of Porcupine Tree's 2017 remastered In Absentia, and reading reviews and looking at comparisons between them and the 660S2 I feel sure I'll end up with them eventually as the descriptions of their audio quality and the sub bass extension are certainly appealing. I am a little concerned that I'll miss the 660S upper frequency profile as they seem to have changed that... I'm one of the people that likes Beyer treble (but not Grado treble), and the 6602S seems a bit darker than the 660S from what I've seen. Then I think "yeah but you don't listen to a frequency sweep with your eyes on a graph - it's about how it handles audio reproduction for the duration of whole songs." Because I am clearly trying to talk myself into it, hah.

I so feel that. I have many techniques for talking myself into such purchases. I liked the DT880 when I had it and eventually also grew to not be able to tolerate the Grado presentation of treble. I'm just going to lurk and see if I can resist the urge, but having owned the 600/650 and 800S I really have a hankering to try this family member out.

 

[Sonic Defender]

Had a close call last night, the 660S2 were in my cart, all I had to do was hit order and they would have been here by weeks end! If only I was actually listening to headphones more I don't think there would have been any hesitation. In Canada these are $799 and with tax I think it was $903 so for that kind of money I would have to be using headphones more consistently than I am currently. I'll see how things transpire on that front.

I like the impressions that I am reading here, it sounds like the 660S2 may be a very good match for me.

 

[MattTCG]

It's been quite a while since I've been active here, but the 660s2 had me curious enough to follow the impressions on this thread. After reading through the thread and not having purchased the 660s2, I have a few questions for those who have made the purchase.

Would it be fair to draw the following conclusions:

1. Although the 660s2 is in the same family as the 650, you might call them cousins rather than siblings. Meaning, they don't really compete directly against each other. You could go as far to say the same about the 660s2 vs 600 (cousins). But the most direct comparison will always be the OG 660. And in terms of tuning, if the 660s2 and the 58x got married and had a baby...660s2 could be the result. (I'm stretching here I know)

2. The 660s2 would more directly compare with the original 660s, with the most obvious difference in the tuning being more accomplished bass response with the 660s2. Other differences between these two will be more subtle will some hearing clear differences and some won't hear it all at.

3. The 660s2 might be considered overpriced given the history of the introductory retail price of the other headphones in the line (I do recognize inflation and supply chain issues come into play here).

4. The 650 is historically known to "scale impressively" with better amps and particularly tube amps. Could the same be said of the 660s2?

Ultimately, I'm deliberating like most of us do..."do I spend the money and will I get the experience I'm hoping for if I lay out the cash?" For me, I'm still deliberating. But I appreciate those who've offered there 2 cents, having spent their own money. Kindly....Matt

 

[listen4joy]

A Review.

 

[funkymartyn]

A very interesting review here , thanks for posting up. I had already decided to stick with my ,
Hd 580, Hd 600, and Hd 660s. And I still am.

 

[erics75]

It's been quite a while since I've been active here, but the 660s2 had me curious enough to follow the impressions on this thread. After reading through the thread and not having purchased the 660s2, I have a few questions for those who have made the purchase.

Would it be fair to draw the following conclusions:

1. Although the 660s2 is in the same family as the 650, you might call them cousins rather than siblings. Meaning, they don't really compete directly against each other. You could go as far to say the same about the 660s2 vs 600 (cousins). But the most direct comparison will always be the OG 660. And in terms of tuning, if the 660s2 and the 58x got married and had a baby...660s2 could be the result. (I'm stretching here I know) - This one is tough as how to compare and to which models is going to vary wildly based on everyone's subjective opinions. I didn't like the S1 and returned it, but love the S2 and will be keeping it. I also adore the 600 and 650, and hence gravitated towards comparing the S2 to those vs the S1. The technical performance of the S2 is more in line with the S1, both of which are a clear step up from the older 600/650. But tone/timbre of the S2 IMO is more in line with the 600/650. It's like you melded the two older models and upped their technical abilities all in one.

2. The 660s2 would more directly compare with the original 660s, with the most obvious difference in the tuning being more accomplished bass response with the 660s2. Other differences between these two will be more subtle will some hearing clear differences and some won't hear it all at. - IMO the S2's advancements over the S1 goes beyond bass. I found the S1 anemic up top. It sounded both rolled off and slightly brittle/hollow. The S2's treble is very prominent in comparison, but not harsh or irritating. I love how the S2 renders guitars and female vocals. The added presence up top over the S1 makes it much more balanced and enjoyable to listen to. The S2 seems to have a slight dip in the mids IMO (an area of contention, not all users agree), which the S1 does not. This gives male vocals a bit less presence, but only when directly A/B'ing it to other more mid forward sets (like HD600/650). So it's fairly different sounding from the S1 beyond the bass regions.

3. The 660s2 might be considered overpriced given the history of the introductory retail price of the other headphones in the line (I do recognize inflation and supply chain issues come into play here). - This one is very subjective. Some will think the current price is ok, others will think overpriced. I paid full price, and though steep, I was ok with it for the performance. There's now refurb units on Amazon going for around $500, and of course I like the price more, especially if the refurb is well done and the unit in like new condition.

4. The 650 is historically known to "scale impressively" with better amps and particularly tube amps. Could the same be said of the 660s2? - The S2 scales as well as the 600/650, and IMO a bit better only because of it's increased resolution and technical ability. It is able to flesh out subtle gear change differences better than the fuzzier sounding older units. And like the other 300ohm sets, it really takes to tubes. I found the S1 and tubes wasn't as synergistic.

Ultimately, I'm deliberating like most of us do..."do I spend the money and will I get the experience I'm hoping for if I lay out the cash?" For me, I'm still deliberating. But I appreciate those who've offered there 2 cents, having spent their own money. Kindly....Matt

I'll take a stab at this, answers in red above.

And to add some color commentary, the S2 is a pretty meaningful evolution of the 6 series. But how one perceives that evolution is key. I'm a musicality over technicality person. And there are times I'd rather listen to the 600/650 because they're not as technically adept. There's times I don't want a microscope for my music, where every subtle sound and nuance is resolved and highlighted. I just want to listen to the music on a macro level, not micro. And that's where the older models shine. Just my preferences at play though. But all in all i'm quite happy with the S2. It takes the classic 6 series sound and modernizes it, while retaining the soul of the originals.

 

[Sonic Defender]

I actually found the review linked above quite well done and less anchored in audiophile mythology language. Assuming that this reviewer has conducted a well balanced review, the Edition XS would be a better fit for me. I have owned the Edition X V2 so I do have a frame of reference there. I would, however, point out that build quality considerations are not insignificant and if somebody was purchasing a headphone they needed to keep for several years, given the variability in quality outcomes we know can be a factor with HiFi man, and much, much less with Sennheiser, I think the higher costs becomes much less of a problem. I will pay more if the money is put into things that matter, and clearly build quality is not a minor thing to consider.

 

[Rob80b]

Answered a few of the above elsewhere....

3. The 660s2 might be considered overpriced given the history of the introductory retail price of the other headphones in the line (I do recognize inflation and supply chain issues come into play here).

We are talking audio equipment here, almost all my equipment, amps, speakers, sources have all more than doubled, a 100% in replacement value in less than 10 years..meanwhile here in Canada the HD650 were released at $649 and almost 20 years later the newest model is on for $799 (and will drop), so only a 23% increase.
Now Sennheiser may have shot themselves in the foot with the Drop stuff as now everyone wants something for nothing but the design and engineering still IMHO beats a lot of the stuff out even the over priced Focal.
Not to mention music itself if you're not streaming, dropping into a record shop the other day I was shocked at what my 1000 plus albums would cost today, some albums at $129 a pop but averaging between $35-$60.

Considering the costs of goods and labour the S2 IMHO are competitively priced.

4. The 650 is historically known to "scale impressively" with better amps and particularly tube amps. Could the same be said of the 660s2?

So far that is the case with the S2 also. Going from my super clean and very affordable SMSL HO100 which appeared to have more than enough power, the S2 didn't really pull up their socks up until plugged into the Bryston BHA-1 which produced better finesse, air and deeper fuller bass, same goes for the HDVD800.

 

[menuki]

Quick question, am I crazy or are the pads on the 660S2 a new model? They seem thicker and more dense, but maybe I've just worn in my 58x over the years? Would be great if someone knows, as I really like them and in the future I do not want to buy the previous model pads or such as a replacement. Cheers!

 

[artvandelay9]

1. Although the 660s2 is in the same family as the 650, you might call them cousins rather than siblings. Meaning, they don't really compete directly against each other. You could go as far to say the same about the 660s2 vs 600 (cousins). But the most direct comparison will always be the OG 660. And in terms of tuning, if the 660s2 and the 58x got married and had a baby...660s2 could be the result. (I'm stretching here I know)

I think this is actually a good way to describe it. The 660S2 and 650 are certainly related, in that they are both unmistakably Sennheiser headphones, however I find that they have just as much not in common. The S2 is a more engaging and dynamic sound than the 650 while still retaining that ease of listening, for lack of a better description. The 650 is smoother in every single way top to bottom to my ear. Thus far I've had no desire to keep one and sell the other; they both coexist for me and have been the only headphones I've used for just over a month now.

3. The 660s2 might be considered overpriced given the history of the introductory retail price of the other headphones in the line (I do recognize inflation and supply chain issues come into play here).

The pricing is the toughest part of the S2. As @Rob80b mentioned above, the 6XX has been such a revelation that I can see why it's hard for anyone to accept another 6X0 series headphone for 3x the price, or whatever it is. I mentioned this earlier as well, but I snagged these for $680CAD (~$500USD) when there was a pricing error on the Sennheiser site and haven't thought twice. I personally enjoy them enough and will get the usage out of them to justify their actual $800CAD retail price, but whether I would've taken the chance on them at that price in the first place is another question altogether.

4. The 650 is historically known to "scale impressively" with better amps and particularly tube amps. Could the same be said of the 660s2?

As others have also said, absolutely. My take as been that amplification isn't quite as big of a deal as it is with the 600/650, but there are still notable improvements as you go up. I suspect it's more to do with the 300ohm situation than anything else, but either way, while they might not absolutely require juice like the 650 do, they do benefit from it.

 

[Rob80b]

the 6XX has been such a revelation that I can see why it's hard for anyone to accept another 6X0 series headphone for 3x the price, or whatever it is. I mentioned this earlier as well, but I snagged these for $680CAD (~$500USD) when there was a pricing error on the Sennheiser site and haven't thought twice

Not with Drop even but with the Focal Elegia dropping for awhile from $899 to $299 makes it a think twice on spending full pop on the other models.

ps...Not too sure it was a Sennheiser pricing error, lets call it an incentive, but I also snagged the same deal and with an additional 10% off.
Would I have payed full price... probably but would not have jumped in right away.