Well guys I'm going to say it and I'm going to mean it. The 660s2 are simply one of the best cans I've ever heard.
I think they're just about perfect in their tonal presentation, the dynamics are fantastic, the frequency response is excellent and these have some of the best imaging I've ever heard. I got my pair for $300 and I'm not going to say anything short of it being the biggest headphone steal I've ever had.
I don't even really know where to begin separating things. The level of detail manages to rival the Arya I recently sold and from what I can remember of the HD800s, it's sitting right up there too. I love my 1990s as a keyboard headphone but for listening to music it's way too hot. Sure it has tons of detail as well, but it's metallic in nature and burns your eardrums out of your head in comparison. I would say the S2 is just on the cusp of being hot at times. Even with the sharpest female vocals or synth screams it's just teetering under the feeling that it's hot to my ears.
While the bass isn't on level with some nice planars, it's IMO perfectly balanced with the rest of the tone and not in any way or shape lacking. Along with the lower mids you get detailed, textured and a thick tone. Guitar strings pluck and feel full, bass strings slap and flap around. You get a full bodied resonance from violas and such.
The mids are really interesting because your lower mids are thick and full while upper mids blend into full detail. What results is a really detailed mid section with warm tasty leads going over thicker more ambient tones without blending together and becoming a mushy mess.
The timbre itself is something to note here. I'm constantly admiring the feel of different instruments and how unique each one is.
Dynamics on this thing are a joy. I've fallen in love with drums on this pair due to how snappy and tight they are. Distorted guitars sound incredible and powerful, synth can rip leads before melting into a tasty pad.
Alright enough let's talk about the imaging and I'll say this because I haven't heard enough headphones to say otherwise. The S2 rival the Arya V2 for imaging which imo is one of the best out there at what it does. While the soundstage is not large, it's not nearly as claustrophobic feeling as the 660s1. You sit in the middle of several instruments. The vocals are so beautifully in your face almost as if someone is in front of you serenading you. With the Lyr+/Bifrost 2/64 combo you get a really nice holographic taste which is lost in the s1. The S2 however are back in full force. Drums are laid out all over the canvas, each tom and cymbal having its own dedicated space. Imaging width, depth and even height are all present for me here. As said it's a smaller soundstage so it's not super exaggerated but it's all there, and by no means do I think I wish I had a larger stage. Panning instruments are easy to follow across the entire plane. I'm frequently enjoying cymbals crashing up above while a tasty bass lick flaps around me lower to the floor.
All of these things combined create such an enjoyable headphone experience. You combine that with their lightweight and easily adjustable clamp force. They're just it.
Of course it's a love at first sight for me. I'd like to do some comparisons to the 660s but honestly I have nothing good to say about them. They have a tight, claustrophobic presentation with weak imaging and a soft boring presentation in comparison. I don't hate the 660s I never did quite love them though. The S2 aren't just better, they're beating just about everything I've heard up until the Arya and HD800s. And those two headphones have some pretty major flaws that the S2 just doesn't have. The Arya are thinner sounding and have some really harsh sibilance going on along with some big comfort issues. The HD 800s is too thin in the bass and that makes them somewhat boring if you want some excitement.
Obviously this is based off my preferences but I'm just having a hard time not saying they're just about perfect. They don't need anything, they don't leave me wanting anything they're just fantastic.
