[franz12]

Is there any particular reason why more than 50% cans from major manufacturers are not worth buying.

If quality engineers have spent 2-3 yrs on any headphone, it should turn out to be quality. As happens with most hps. And also with other stuff like cars and bikes. Hardly any cars from quality manufacturers like bmw, Mercedes and even honda are not worth buying. Cause these companies have enough knowhow and quality engineers.
Its only a matter of taste, preferences and value for money that plays any role in determining which one to buy.
I am yet to hear a bad hp from a quality manufacturer.

Yes, it is matter of taste. For the same reason, if you think in that way, you may follow reviewers who recommend everything.
My taste is to follow a reviewer who recommends less than 50 percent.
Keep in mind every reviewer does not need to recommend everything.

 

[franz12]

Is there any particular reason why more than 50% cans from major manufacturers are not worth buying.

If quality engineers have spent 2-3 yrs on any headphone, it should turn out to be quality. As happens with most hps. And also with other stuff like cars and bikes. Hardly any cars from quality manufacturers like bmw, Mercedes and even honda are not worth buying. Cause these companies have enough knowhow and quality engineers.
Its only a matter of taste, preferences and value for money that plays any role in determining which one to buy.
I am yet to hear a bad hp from a quality manufacturer.

Yes, it is matter of taste. For the same reason, if you think in that way, you may follow reviewers who recommend everything.
My taste is to follow a reviewer who recommends less than 50 percent.
Keep in mind every reviewer does not need to recommend everything.

 

[vaibhavp]

Yes, it is matter of taste. For the same reason, if you think in that way, you may follow reviewers who recommend everything.
My taste is to follow a reviewer who recommends less than 50 percent.
Keep in mind every reviewer does not need to recommend everything.

I would much appreciate if reviewer told me how an hp sounds and let me decide. instead of adding his own biases and influencing comments.

 

[franz12]

I would much appreciate if reviewer told me how an hp sounds and let me decide. instead of adding his own biases and influencing comments.

Every reviewer has his own taste and bias, as he is human being not machine. The purpose of a review is to help and perhaps influnce decisions of consumers ultimately.

 

[vaibhavp]

Every reviewer has his own taste and bias, as he is human being not machine. The purpose of a review is to help and perhaps influnce decisions of consumers ultimately.

Every reviewer has biases. Its ok to have some.

Just like hd660s should be a solid chioce in 500$ range. Thats the point I am trying to make.

Every reviewer has his own taste and bias, as he is human being not machine. The purpose of a review is to help and perhaps influnce decisions of consumers ultimately.

 

[markrich]

My new HD660s headphones arrived on Monday.
I bought them at the Sennheiser store in Berlin for my birthday and they were kind enough to post them home without extra cost to save me carrying them.
I have a pair of 380Pro headphones which I have always loved but these just blow them away. It's a different sound; closed vs open, flat response vs not, and the costs and technology slightly different so it's not fair to compare. They are both lovely with different sounds.
Tried with Bhams, 'Ein Deutsche Requiem' followed by a mix of rock, pop, jazz, whatever.
Most of the music I have is lossless or 24 bit and they shine with everything.

The store had offered me a pair of 650's with a free USB amp but that had no use for me. The sound of the 650's was darker and less enjoyable when I tried the same songs on both. I also liked the lower ohm requirements of the 660's to plug directly into my Fiio X5 3rd Gen without the need for an amp. They sounded great on that too.

There is enough sparkle in the top end for me and a concentration in the mid-range, which I like.
I'm not an expert in this area. I can't give you wave line graphs or show results for a multitude of high or low-end headphones which I can't afford. I am a listener first. I love music and I love it to sound great. Everyone's ears are different but for me these really are fantastic!

Thank you Sennheiser!

 

[amartignano]

Every reviewer has his own taste and bias, as he is human being not machine. The purpose of a review is to help and perhaps influnce decisions of consumers ultimately.

Help and influence are two different things. I appreciate more a review where the analysis of an headphone is made by means of comparison with at least another well known headphone, with different and declared music tracks, describing how the music, the instruments and their proportions differs between the two headphones. Let the music speak about the differences. Then the reviewer can say what he likes more. But permitting to the reader to try to estimate if he can like the headphone, despite the reviewer's tastes. Without saying hd660S is inferior to the hd600 and stop.

 

[amartignano]

The "problem" with the otherwise excellent Hertsens's reviews and WallOfFame, is that the "estimamated declared objective quality" of an headphone is a bit too much biased by reviewer tastes. To be more clear: how in hell is it possible that in the WoF there is not mention of the Beyer Dt880? It is at least at the same level of an Hd600, maybe a lot better for classical music lovers, it's also a lot cheaper nowadays, it only doesn't meet the tastes of the reviewer! Me too preferred in the end other headphones than the Dt880, but it's undeniable that is not worse than an hd600.
The same can be said I think for the T1, never mentioned, or the fact that an headphone like the HD800S is in the "retired from the list" section, while is clear that if they meet the tastes of the headfier (big soundstage, airy and still majestic), it's one of the best headphone around, with their peculiar characteristics (I can't part from them, even if I appreciated and loved very different headphones - read planars - that meets Hertsens' tastes), and should deserve their place on the list, in a an attempt of a list that can be useful for people with different preferences.

 

[Patrick1958]

The problem these days is there aren't many retailers nearby where you can listen to a headphone, everything seems to must go trough the internet.
A reviewer stating the HD 660s is brighter then the HD 600 and almost equal has no meaning to me if i didn't hear the HD 600. I own the HD 650 and am reluctant to sell it because it represents an emotional value for me, my first High End headphone ever. But to be honest, i have several cans that outperform the HD 650 - AKG K712 pro, Beyerdynamic DT 990, Beyerdynamic DT 880, Beyerdynamic Amiron home, Hifiman HE 440s, 440i, 560, edition s, shure srh 1840 - and OK they all need a bit of EQ'ing, but still all better to my ears than the HD 650 EQ"ed.
Next year i will do a 250 mile trip to have an actual listen to the HD 660s, i'm intrigued with the several contradicting reviews, so i form my own opinion and decision to buy or not.
ps : my current favorites are the beyerdynamic amiron home no EQ and on the True-Fi desktop app the Beyerdynamic DT 880.

 

[vaibhavp]

The "problem" with the otherwise excellent Hertsens's reviews and WallOfFame, is that the "estimamated declared objective quality" of an headphone is a bit too much biased by reviewer tastes. To be more clear: how in hell is it possible that in the WoF there is not mention of the Beyer Dt880? It is at least at the same level of an Hd600, maybe a lot better for classical music lovers, it's also a lot cheaper nowadays, it only doesn't meet the tastes of the reviewer! Me too preferred in the end other headphones than the Dt880, but it's undeniable that is not worse than an hd600.
The same can be said I think for the T1, never mentioned, or the fact that an headphone like the HD800S is in the "retired from the list" section, while is clear that if they meet the tastes of the headfier (big soundstage, airy and still majestic), it's one of the best headphone around, with their peculiar characteristics (I can't part from them, even if I appreciated and loved very different headphones - read planars - that meets Hertsens' tastes), and should deserve their place on the list, in a an attempt of a list that can be useful for people with different preferences.

I am a little puzzled that Tyll calls hd700 bright and screechy, while he used to recommend hd800 (non s model).

 

[amartignano]

I am a little puzzled that Tyll calls hd700 bright and screechy, while he used to recommend hd800 (non s model).

Perfect example: the hd700 has a peak on the mid-high region and on Innerfidelity is regarded as painfully bright for this reason only, while for my ears/brain they are overall warmer than an hd800 but with a peak on the mid-highs.

 

[franz12]

The "problem" with the otherwise excellent Hertsens's reviews and WallOfFame, is that the "estimamated declared objective quality" of an headphone is a bit too much biased by reviewer tastes. To be more clear: how in hell is it possible that in the WoF there is not mention of the Beyer Dt880? It is at least at the same level of an Hd600, maybe a lot better for classical music lovers, it's also a lot cheaper nowadays, it only doesn't meet the tastes of the reviewer! Me too preferred in the end other headphones than the Dt880, but it's undeniable that is not worse than an hd600.
The same can be said I think for the T1, never mentioned, or the fact that an headphone like the HD800S is in the "retired from the list" section, while is clear that if they meet the tastes of the headfier (big soundstage, airy and still majestic), it's one of the best headphone around, with their peculiar characteristics (I can't part from them, even if I appreciated and loved very different headphones - read planars - that meets Hertsens' tastes), and should deserve their place on the list, in a an attempt of a list that can be useful for people with different preferences.

Help and influence are two different things. I appreciate more a review where the analysis of an headphone is made by means of comparison with at least another well known headphone, with different and declared music tracks, describing how the music, the instruments and their proportions differs between the two headphones. Let the music speak about the differences. Then the reviewer can say what he likes more. But permitting to the reader to try to estimate if he can like the headphone, despite the reviewer's tastes. Without saying hd660S is inferior to the hd600 and stop.

Don't be confused with what 'professional' means. If you are an amateur reviewer, it is enough to help other people, and there are already plenty of them. Then what makes a 'professional' reviewer? He must be much more careful in his evaluations, so that he should be able to influence people both in short and long term. He must be able to convince enough people to make a living, which is of course much harder. The professional thing happens only if the person is talented enough, so people want him. If people think his review is a joke, he will be no longer to make a living out of it. This procedure is natural. A market will determine whether he is an asset or joke over time.

 

[amartignano]

Don't be confused with what 'professional' means. If you are an amateur reviewer, it is enough to help other people, and there are already plenty of them. Then what makes a 'professional' reviewer? He must be much more careful in his evaluations, so that he should be able to influence people both in short and long term. He must be able to convince enough people to make a living, which is of course much harder. The professional thing happens only if the person is talented enough, so people want him. If people think his review is a joke, he will be no longer than make a living out of it. This procedure is natural. A market will determine whether he is an asset or joke over time.

I'm not confused and I think we have an alarmingly very very very different idea about what is professional for a reviewer (not an advertiser, a *reviewer*)

And what is "ops I forgot to separate my tastes from my tentatively general judgement".

A professional doesn't guide you on his own preferred way, a professional show you the different ways and their characteristic and let you choose the best for you. If not, it is a stupid "bloggy influencer".

 

[franz12]

The "problem" with the otherwise excellent Hertsens's reviews and WallOfFame, is that the "estimamated declared objective quality" of an headphone is a bit too much biased by reviewer tastes. To be more clear: how in hell is it possible that in the WoF there is not mention of the Beyer Dt880? It is at least at the same level of an Hd600, maybe a lot better for classical music lovers, it's also a lot cheaper nowadays, it only doesn't meet the tastes of the reviewer! Me too preferred in the end other headphones than the Dt880, but it's undeniable that is not worse than an hd600.
The same can be said I think for the T1, never mentioned, or the fact that an headphone like the HD800S is in the "retired from the list" section, while is clear that if they meet the tastes of the headfier (big soundstage, airy and still majestic), it's one of the best headphone around, with their peculiar characteristics (I can't part from them, even if I appreciated and loved very different headphones - read planars - that meets Hertsens' tastes), and should deserve their place on the list, in a an attempt of a list that can be useful for people with different preferences.

I think you answered the question yourself. While the Beyer you mentioned may outperform when it comes to classical, it may not in other genre. These days, classical is just a small part of music universe. I owned hd800s for several months. I completely understand why hd800s retired. Many formidable cans have been introduced in terms of performance/price ratio.

 

[franz12]

I'm not confused and I think we have an alarmingly very very very different idea about what is professional for a reviewer (not an advertiser, a *reviewer*)

And what is "ops I forgot to separate my tastes from my tentatively general judgement".

A professional doesn't guide you on his own preferred way, a professional show you the different ways and their characteristic and let you choose the best for you. If not, it is a stupid "bloggy influencer".

I don't think we can win over others. A market ultimately will determine about this matter. It is just a natural process.