Sennheiser HD660S... Finally a successor for the HD650?

[Mike F]

Then again it's a new toy...so as we are all so painfully aware of once you spend a bit of time in this hobby...things change......

I think this statement is a testament to your wisdom and experience! A true statement if ever there was. It will be very interesting to see how you (and others) feel about this headphone in 3-6 months 1-2 years. The HD 600 and HD 650 have been around so long that everyone is so familiar with them, and even so they are still some of the most highly regarded cans of all time. The same is NOT true of the HD 700 from which the driver for the HD 660 S came. Let's see if the HD 660 S will continue to be universally loved like it's predecessors in some years from now.............

 

[Eldair]

Can anyone advise me how hd660s compare with hifiman edition x v2?
I might be able to get an used edition x v2?
thanks.

I did compare these 2 and X v2 have very large soundstage and when you listen them "normal" volume sound is really good, neutral i would say. With orchestral music X v2 shine imo. Louder volumes things change if you play like progressive rock/metal all you get is wall of sound. All goes one big mess.
HD660S sound brilliant with every music i have tried. Pretty intimite soundstage but there is so sweet balance in sound. I don´t know how to describe it, HD660S just got punch where it is needed and mids oh my... i love all electric guitars with this phone. I would say HD660S is genre master with prog rock/metal.
Sorry for bad english.

 

[donlin]

I think this statement is a testament to your wisdom and experience! A true statement if ever there was. It will be very interesting to see how you (and others) feel about this headphone in 3-6 months 1-2 years. The HD 600 and HD 650 have been around so long that everyone is so familiar with them, and even so they are still some of the most highly regarded cans of all time. The same is NOT true of the HD 700 from which the driver for the HD 660 S came. Let's see if the HD 660 S will continue to be universally loved like it's predecessors in some years from now.............

I don't think it would be possible today for a headphone to develop the kind of dedicated following that the HD600/650 have enjoyed. At the time those came out, they were about the only thing available (unless you could appreciate the Grado sound). There was no Audeze, HifiMan, Focal, Mr Speakers, etc. The HD600 was all by itself for around five years, then the HD650 came out and was in turn unchallenged for years until the HD800 came along. There was time to develop a deep appreciation and understanding of their sound. Today there is constantly something new and "better" so there isn't the focused attention on one headphone for a long time. I recall that I had been enjoying the HD600 for years and we knew the 650 was coming soon. I got an email at work from Music Direct that the HD650 was now available (2004 I think). I instantly called them to order, dropped what I was doing and went to their warehouse to pick it up. Because of the wide variety now available, there isn't that kind of excitement about a single product.

 

[amartignano]

HD600/650 have enjoyed. At the time those came out, they were about the only thing available

Only a minor correction: there were at least also Beyerdynamic, AKG and Sony with solid offerings with their specific sound signatures.

 

[pietcux]

I did compare these 2 and X v2 have very large soundstage and when you listen them "normal" volume sound is really good, neutral i would say. With orchestral music X v2 shine imo. Louder volumes things change if you play like progressive rock/metal all you get is wall of sound. All goes one big mess.
HD660S sound brilliant with every music i have tried. Pretty intimite soundstage but there is so sweet balance in sound. I don´t know how to describe it, HD660S just got punch where it is needed and mids oh my... i love all electric guitars with this phone. I would say HD660S is genre master with prog rock/metal.
Sorry for bad english.

Just listening to The Wall disc 2. Yes this headphone can do this kinda music, there is no doubt.

 

[Rob80b]

Just listening to The Wall disc 2. Yes this headphone can do this kinda music, there is no doubt.

Again...still early days for me...but my thoughts so far.

As I pointed out somewhere in this thread that the 800/S as good as they are, through no fault of their design, do not really accommodate all recordings as well as they should…sound-staging, image separation, depth are not necessarily attributes nor the first thing that comes to mind with most pop recordings and studio engineers, the 800/S out of the head presentation will somewhat alienate the listener as the initial intimacy and immediacy is lost.

And that brings up my love hate relationship starting with the HD580 – HD6xx series, light and comfortable to wear for extended periods, modular to easily accommodate home repairs or modifications and of course the sound which never appeared to offend which IMHO is/was their Achilles heel, sure jazz and classical were always somewhat fine but music that was intended to sound edgy and aggressive…wasn’t…. and for my preferences I always missed that little something that makes a recording alive.

The HD700s addressed this somewhat but for some a quirky polarizing headphone and the initial discovery that the 660S may have incorporated the 700 driver or a derivative of such perked my interest.

Well after a few days use I think I can safely say Sennheiser pulled the 600 series out of my personal doldrums….not only that.. but my other wish was that the 660 hopefully mirrored the 800S tonally…and as far as I can tell the pair do maintain a very similar palette (definitely not the case with the 600/650s) so that only the staging pyrotechnics have been addressed and one doesn’t have to adjust their ears when switching between the two.

So for 800/S owners I can whole-heartedly recommend the 600S as a worthwhile accoutrement and maybe even a necessity to getting the full enjoyment out ones music collection.

As for stick in mud 600/650 diehards the answer is not totally apparent as it comes down to preferences, music, listening habits etc, etc.

For those looking for a new headset that is IMHO faithful to the recording, a pleasure to listen to without any extra bells and whistles to distract, while staying lively and entertaining without being aggressive… the 660S should just be the ticket.

 

[Rob80b]

I don't think it would be possible today for a headphone to develop the kind of dedicated following that the HD600/650 have enjoyed. At the time those came out, they were about the only thing available (unless you could appreciate the Grado sound). .......

Ah...you're pulling me down memory lane...lol..
Anyway here's my take back in 2006 on the AKG K501s and HD580s and why they were still in the running after more than a few years on the market.

All this continuing interest in the K501’s and also the HD580’s only reminds us that both these cans were and appear (in hindsight) to be landmarks in quality headphones. Both have been out for a number of years and are still appreciated. Yes they can now be got for a reasonable price, but not to forget they were both flagships for the audiophile and at the time of release priced accordingly, outside the AKG K1000’s and the Sennheiser Orpheus.
Headphone research and development are probably not a high priority for either manufacturer and it is interesting neither have a representative on these forms, contrary to Grado and a lot of the amp designers from Meier-Audio, Headamp, Ray Samuels and HeadRoom to name a few.
The K501’s were my first choice after joining headfi and the HD580’s my second.
Both specialize in microphones and it only makes sense they that their transducers were further developed to give the listener the best monitoring devices at the end of the chain, “the Headphone”. Fashion was not what they had in mind although both have a plethora of lower end cans to fill the consumers needs, maybe too many.
Taking in their perspective sound the K501’s and HD580’s came out before the majority of folks got into Home Theatre augmented with subwoofers. So at that time the K501’s were developed their bass was more than adequate and probably correct for most, although the majority of headfiers now agree that the last part of the bottom octave appears to be missing, regardless of amplification.
The Senn house sound on the other hand is darker but with better bass extension.
So what I’m getting at is that manufactures are now catering to what’s in, more deeper bass (HD650’s) maybe extended highs (k601’s/K701’s?) but at the possible determent of neutrality, which I think leads us back to why there is a continuing interest in the K501’s and HD580’s, two honest cans representing the perspective designs of both manufactures.
What’s new is not necessarily better.
Just some thoughts!

Maybe just maybe...Sennheiser have put things back on track with the 660S. : )

 

[donlin]

Only a minor correction: there were at least also Beyerdynamic, AKG and Sony with solid offerings with their specific sound signatures.

That's true, I guess those brands had their followers but Sony and Beyer always seemed at a lower rung. AKG had the K1000 which was a different animal than a normal headphone and needed a power amp to drive.

 

[donlin]

Ah...you're pulling me down memory lane...lol..
Anyway here's my take back in 2006 on the AKG K501s and HD580s and why they were still in the running after more than a few years on the market.



Maybe just maybe...Sennheiser have put things back on track with 660S. : )

Interesting! In 2006, I was definitely totally devoted to the HD650. I tried the AKG 701 (the white one) and really hated that. Never heard an AKG 501 though.

 

[pietcux]

Again...still early days for me...but my thoughts so far.

As I pointed out somewhere in this thread that the 800/S as good as they are, through no fault of their design, do not really accommodate all recordings as well as they should…sound-staging, image separation, depth are not necessarily attributes nor the first thing that comes to mind with most pop recordings and studio engineers, the 800/S out of the head presentation will somewhat alienate the listener as the initial intimacy and immediacy is lost.

And that brings up my love hate relationship starting with the HD580 – HD6xx series, light and comfortable to wear for extended periods, modular to easily accommodate home repairs or modifications and of course the sound which never appeared to offend which IMHO is/was their Achilles heel, sure jazz and classical were always somewhat fine but music that was intended to sound edgy and aggressive…wasn’t…. and for my preferences I always missed that little something that makes a recording alive.

The HD700s addressed this somewhat but for some a quirky polarizing headphone and the initial discovery that the 660S may have incorporated the 700 driver or a derivative of such perked my interest.

Well after a few days use I think I can safely say Sennheiser pulled the 600 series out of my personal doldrums….not only that.. but my other wish was that the 660 hopefully mirrored the 800S tonally…and as far as I can tell the pair do maintain a very similar palette (definitely not the case with the 600/650s) so that only the staging pyrotechnics have been addressed and one doesn’t have to adjust their ears when switching between the two.

So for 800/S owners I can whole-heartedly recommend the 600S as a worthwhile accoutrement and maybe even a necessity to getting the full enjoyment out ones music collection.

As for stick in mud 600/650 diehards the answer is not totally apparent as it comes down to preferences, music, listening habits etc, etc.

For those looking for a new headset that is IMHO faithful to the recording, a pleasure to listen to without any extra bells and whistles to distract, while staying lively and entertaining without being aggressive… the 660S should just be the ticket.

TEAR DOWN THE VEIL!

 

[donlin]

It's interesting that a lot of the guys posting in this thread joined head-fi in the early 2000's. Must be made for true veterans.

 

[pietcux]

Ah...you're pulling me down memory lane...lol..
Anyway here's my take back in 2006 on the AKG K501s and HD580s and why they were still in the running after more than a few years on the market.



Maybe just maybe...Sennheiser have put things back on track with 660S. : )

Two year ago I shot a NOS AKG K501 FROM Ebay. The seller was from Vienna/Austria. It was an unused headphone plus 6.5 mm adaptor, no packaging. I imagine it was from original AKG factory scrap. Bought it because my first good can in the 2000th was the K401, quite similar to the K501. Still have it, never use it, as it misses a lot of capabilities compared to my other cans. I anyone is interested pm me I will give it for a very low price.

 

[trellus]

My interest in the HD 660S has grown reading impressions here on Head-Fi, as well as reading and watching some reviews on them, but being cheap (I already have the 600, 650, and 700), I'm hoping that the 58X (I just joined the current drop) will give me a taste of the 660S sound at a much cheaper price so I don't need the 660S.

 

[donlin]

My interest in the HD 660S has grown reading impressions here on Head-Fi, as well as reading and watching some reviews on them, but being cheap (I already have the 600, 650, and 700), I'm hoping that the 58X (I just joined the current drop) will give me a taste of the 660S sound at a much cheaper price so I don't need the 660S.

Good luck with that. For me, the lingering doubt wouldn't be worth it.

 

[amartignano]

That's true, I guess those brands had their followers but Sony and Beyer always seemed at a lower rung. AKG had the K1000 which was a different animal than a normal headphone and needed a power amp to drive.

I'm thinking about the Akg k501, the Beyers dt880/990 and the Sony Cd1000/Cd3000. Maybe they didn't remained so "legendary" but I think that noone can honestly deny that they were superb headphones on par with Sennheiser Hd600, although obviously different. (for the long discussed k501: they were designed to have to be driven with an IEC-idontrememberthenumber standard output impedance to sound more complete and balanced, which is about 120-150 ohms, I have to find the document for the exact value).