[chesebert]

Have you heard the OG HD 660S?

No, I have not. Sorry can't be more helpful there.

 

[Plieb]

As I recall, because I almost always test for this and it's most important to me, the vocals didn't transmit the emotion I look for. And I don't need an "intimate" sound stage for that too happen; I own the ZMF Verite and Atrium, which have two very different ways of presenting vocals compared to the HD-600. Definitely worth an audition with your favorite tracks before a purchase.

I love the ndh30 for its general tonality. But i do agree that vocals are its weak point. Not enough detail and crispness and yes not as engaging. Ths 660s excels in vocals as does my focal elex. They just sound more realistic with vocals.

 

[Earbones]

There are almost infinite ways to apply and tune drivers. Just because the NDH 30 and the 560 share drivers doesn't mean they sound anything alike.

It means they share a certain "tier" of driver within the Sennheiser ecosystem, one that Sennheiser deems a step down from the driver used in the S2. I imagine the largest dividing factor between the two being the material used.

I don't read too much into that... For instance, I vastly prefer the Focal Clear (og) to the Utopia/Stellia, but the Clear's aluminum drivers are a tier down from the beryllium used in the other two.

Everybody has different ears, but I would definitely agree that there is a placebo effect going on if you're saying you can distinguish and dislike the same driver applied and tuned in vastly different ways between two very different headphones.

To put it in perspective, literally every DAC that uses the same chip should sound identical to you as well, since the differing applications and tunings of two identical drivers will affect the overall sound far more than that of two identical chips.

 

[chesebert]

I love the ndh30 for its general tonality. But i do agree that vocals are its weak point. Not enough detail and crispness and yes not as engaging. Ths 660s excels in vocals as does my focal elex. They just sound more realistic with vocals.

You may not believe me but NDH30 > 650/660S2 for vocals with the right chain.

 

[xSDMx]

You may not believe me but NDH30 > 650/660S2 for vocals with the right chain.

You should hear the 660S with new pads, they beat all of the above for vocals.

 

[csch92]

i am kinda wondering how the other 6** are. which sennheiser should i get if i want more soundstage, but want to keep the good vocal perfomance?

 

[Earbones]

For the HD6-- series, there is no proper "> = <" chain, because they are all essentially identical, just tuned very slightly differently.

If you absolutely refuse to EQ, then I guess there is some value to ranking them, although we're talking pure subjectivity with such a list.

Personally, I guess I'd prefer the HD600S to the HD600S2, but if I only had the S2, I'd be happy bc I'd just EQ it to be the S.

 

[chesebert]

Nothing in Sennheiser's portfolio.

 

[csch92]

wait you can eq more soundstage?

 

[Plieb]

i am kinda wondering how the other 6** are. which sennheiser should i get if i want more soundstage, but want to keep the good vocal perfomance?

660s if your not a bass freak. However the bass quality is very detailed and tight , and hits with excellent punch. Soundstage and imaging is superior to 650.

 

[xSDMx]

i am kinda wondering how the other 6** are. which sennheiser should i get if i want more soundstage, but want to keep the good vocal perfomance?

All the 6xx are pretty intimate by design. The 8xx have phenomenal soundstage, but not as much vocal presence.

Nothing in Sennheiser's portfolio.

+1

 

[chesebert]

wait you can eq more soundstage?

Yes, the key range is somewhere around 1-2khz; you can google the default EQ setting for a greater soundstage; I found it once browsing an audio engineering forum. The effect is slight and not night and day...

 

[Earbones]

wait you can eq more soundstage?

All the HD6-- series are so close that yes, you can. Reduce the upper bass and lower mids of the 650 for instance, and the uppers will open up a bit more, some better separation, and you'll get a larger soundstage, like a 660S. Although to be clear, soundstage is not exactly a forte of any HD6-- series headphone.

 

[chesebert]

I do find 660S2 has slightly more micro detail in the mid range than 650. My second pair of 660S2 didn't suffer the recessed upper mid to the same extent as the first pair - shows up more on some songs than others. Pleasant but unremarkable is my sentiment so far.

 

[haasaaroni]

HD6xx < HD650/HD600 < or = HD660S2 <<<< Clear < NDH30/Auteur Classic

This seems like the right pecking order to me.

800S has a completely different sound profile and cannot be reliably compared with the 6xxish sound profile without taking into account personal preference

Daaaang I gotta try an NDH 30