[jonathan c]

What about a headphone you REALLY enjoy and you know will be going out of production soon, or already has? Would you buy a backup pair then?

Definitely yes.

 

[jonathan c]

I do. I find them better than stock in every way, but it's all very subjective. IMHO they do what the graph on the Dekoni website indicates and are 100% worth it.

Verbatim: in my case with HD600 (with Custom Cans UK mods).

 

[Evshrug]

The passive sound stage of hd660s maybe is smaller. You can check such as rtings, they have some subjective criteria to decribe passive sound stage and imaging. They give low score of soundstage of 660s, while imaging is exellent, even higher than hd800s. The imaging of hd660s probably one of the best in dynamic headphone.

You have to figure that some people will always think older is better. The HD 650 and even the HD 800 (S) have been with us for many years, and people are used to them and love them dearly.

It’s just as fair to say some people have a bias to believe newer is better.

In my case, I got an HD 650 and first heard the HD 660S around the same time. Detail cues that help you hear how far away something is, those cues are easier to hear on the HD 660S. I like the HD 650, but once I got the HD 660S it became my default headphone to go to for all around use.

The HD 800 I have is clearer, and has better soundstage depth and imaging placement of where sounds come from on that stage. Part of that is due to the extremely articulate ring drivers on the HD 800, but also because the angled drivers allow the sound waves to interact with the outer ear more, and the reflections from that are a natural filter our brains are used to using to determine angle and distance for acoustic locational imaging.

If Rtings publicly wrote that the HD 660S has better positional performance (imaging) than the HD 800, then I have to whole heartedly disagree. The HD 660S is better than the HD 650 in this regard, but the HD 800 and HD 800S specialty is their imaging performance and it is easier to pick out imaging with the flagships.

The HD 660S, for me, is a 50/50 blend of the HD 650 and HD 800 tone and performance, and performs halfway between the two models.

 

[Zifeng]

You have to figure that some people will always think older is better. The HD 650 and even the HD 800 (S) have been with us for many years, and people are used to them and love them dearly.

It’s just as fair to say some people have a bias to believe newer is better.

In my case, I got an HD 650 and first heard the HD 660S around the same time. Detail cues that help you hear how far away something is, those cues are easier to hear on the HD 660S. I like the HD 650, but once I got the HD 660S it became my default headphone to go to for all around use.

The HD 800 I have is clearer, and has better soundstage depth and imaging placement of where sounds come from on that stage. Part of that is due to the extremely articulate ring drivers on the HD 800, but also because the angled drivers allow the sound waves to interact with the outer ear more, and the reflections from that are a natural filter our brains are used to using to determine angle and distance for acoustic locational imaging.

The HD 660S, for me, is a 50/50 blend of the HD 650 and HD 800 tone and performance, and performs halfway between the two models.

Thanks for your reply. I really agree that you need to get rid of your mental suggestion first before listening to something new. It is really a bias in wide range of headphone community, in my thought.

 

[Evshrug]

Thanks for your reply. I really agree that you need to get rid of your mental suggestion first before listening to something new. It is really a bias in wide range of Chinese headphone community, in my thought.

It happens around the world, my friend

The first time I heard the HD 650, it really surprised me! I thought it would be this really syrupy, dark, slow, colored... bad headphone. The reality was much more balanced and clear than I expected. My mental suggestion before I heard it was hyperbole (an exaggeration) compared to reality.

Same thing with the HD 800, the original one. I thought it would be all treble and upper mids, but I was blown away by the first song I heard, “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes” by Paul Simon, because the baritone voices were so rich and washed over me with enough energy to give me shivers. The HD 800 doesn’t have the boosted bass that is expected for “modern pop” music, but I don’t find it deficient and below neutral either.

 

[linuxspot]

I do. I find them better than stock in every way, but it's all very subjective. IMHO they do what the graph on the Dekoni website indicates and are 100% worth it.

nice one thank you

 

[Evshrug]

I do. I find them better than stock in every way, but it's all very subjective. IMHO they do what the graph on the Dekoni website indicates and are 100% worth it.

Thanks for reminding me: Dekoni sent me a pair of their new “standard” velour pads, which were changed to sound as close to stock pads as possible. Personally, I have been using the Elite Velour on my HD 660S for years, because I liked the softness of the memory foam and I quickly adjust to the small changes in tuning. However, that also has allowed me to save a pristine pair of stock Sennheiser pads for critical comparisons, as well as a second almost fresh pair of Sennheiser pads (I have all the Dekoni’s, plus an HD 660S, HD 650, and HD 58X Jubilee, which all use the same pads).

 

[Zifeng]

You have to figure that some people will always think older is better. The HD 650 and even the HD 800 (S) have been with us for many years, and people are used to them and love them dearly.

It’s just as fair to say some people have a bias to believe newer is better.

In my case, I got an HD 650 and first heard the HD 660S around the same time. Detail cues that help you hear how far away something is, those cues are easier to hear on the HD 660S. I like the HD 650, but once I got the HD 660S it became my default headphone to go to for all around use.

The HD 800 I have is clearer, and has better soundstage depth and imaging placement of where sounds come from on that stage. Part of that is due to the extremely articulate ring drivers on the HD 800, but also because the angled drivers allow the sound waves to interact with the outer ear more, and the reflections from that are a natural filter our brains are used to using to determine angle and distance for acoustic locational imaging.

If Rtings publicly wrote that the HD 660S has better positional performance (imaging) than the HD 800, then I have to whole heartedly disagree. The HD 660S is better than the HD 650 in this regard, but the HD 800 and HD 800S specialty is their imaging performance and it is easier to pick out imaging with the flagships.

The HD 660S, for me, is a 50/50 blend of the HD 650 and HD 800 tone and performance, and performs halfway between the two models.

The scientific HIFI, which bases on some parameters measurment, sometimes could not properly reveal what people really feel. HD660s may get a higher score in imaging, but not REALLY mean its imaging is better, especially when they own a simmilar score, 9.2 to 9.1. I just plug my hd660s into my MSI laptop or Ibasso DC04, I think the sound is pretty good enough. Again, I regard the price as the biggest defect of HD660s compare to HD600/650/6xx (Well, I cant buy a 6xx with warranty in China)

 

[Zifeng]

Thanks for reminding me: Dekoni sent me a pair of their new “standard” velour pads, which were changed to sound as close to stock pads as possible. Personally, I have been using the Elite Velour on my HD 660S for years, because I liked the softness of the memory foam and I quickly adjust to the small changes in tuning. However, that also has allowed me to save a pristine pair of stock Sennheiser pads for critical comparisons, as well as a second almost fresh pair of Sennheiser pads (I have all the Dekoni’s, plus an HD 660S, HD 650, and HD 58X Jubilee, which all use the same pads).

I have another question on HD660s. What I own is made in Romania, with 108db. It is totally the same compare to the Ireland one?

 

[cel4145]

Is there anybody following this thread who is using the Dekoni Fenestrated Sheepskin Ear Pads with their HD660s headphones?
Thanks

Yes. And I like them a lot.

But I have not directly compared them against stock because I moved from the elite velour to the fenestrated.

 

[kman1211]

You have to figure that some people will always think older is better. The HD 650 and even the HD 800 (S) have been with us for many years, and people are used to them and love them dearly.

It’s just as fair to say some people have a bias to believe newer is better.

In my case, I got an HD 650 and first heard the HD 660S around the same time. Detail cues that help you hear how far away something is, those cues are easier to hear on the HD 660S. I like the HD 650, but once I got the HD 660S it became my default headphone to go to for all around use.

The HD 800 I have is clearer, and has better soundstage depth and imaging placement of where sounds come from on that stage. Part of that is due to the extremely articulate ring drivers on the HD 800, but also because the angled drivers allow the sound waves to interact with the outer ear more, and the reflections from that are a natural filter our brains are used to using to determine angle and distance for acoustic locational imaging.

If Rtings publicly wrote that the HD 660S has better positional performance (imaging) than the HD 800, then I have to whole heartedly disagree. The HD 660S is better than the HD 650 in this regard, but the HD 800 and HD 800S specialty is their imaging performance and it is easier to pick out imaging with the flagships.

The HD 660S, for me, is a 50/50 blend of the HD 650 and HD 800 tone and performance, and performs halfway between the two models.

In regards to headphones older isn’t usually better, sometimes there are oddball old headphones that are exceptional and have better drivers than many new ones, but and even those can sometimes be a bit lacking and may need some tweaking to fix some problems with the tuning, housing resonances, etc. Out of the numerous older/vintage headphones I’ve heard only a handful were exceptional. My experience it’s often the newer stuff that sounds better even though there are some oldies that sound better than most new stuff, but those are the exception not the rule.

I think part of the reason the HD 600/650 is so cemented as being better than the HD 660 S is due to those headphones influence on the community and many amp/system pairings being figured out and amps tailored for those particular headphones. Many people may have amps tailored for the HD 650 that may not pair particularly well with the HD 660 S for instance.

I’m not super familiar with the HD 800/S as I’ve only auditioned them but the imaging always stood out on them to me and don't ever recall the HD 660 S being that good in terms of imaging. Many dynamic headphones with exceptional imaging are usually angled at least slightly in either pads, driver, or both. In terms of non-angled dynamics in the $400-600 range I have to say the best ones I've heard in terms of imaging would have to be the HD 660 S, Amiron Home, and DT 1990 Pro.

 

[Ichos]

The HD 660S, for me, is a 50/50 blend of the HD 650 and HD 800 tone and performance, and performs halfway between the two models.

That is exactly the case.
Keep writing it from day one.

 

[Evshrug]

I have another question on HD660s. What I own is made in Romania, with 108db. It is totally the same compare to the Ireland one?

Yes. Sennheiser literally shipped the enclosure tooling from Ireland to Romania, so that’s the same, and they have the same quality checks in place (it’s checked like three times before being shipped out). When it comes to the drivers, they’re all made in Ireland or Germany (the HD 660S drivers are made in Ireland), that hasn’t changed, and the HD 660S drivers are hand selected for matched pairs before being inserted into the enclosures in Romania (and then tested again).

That is exactly the case.
Keep writing it from day one.

Sometimes I feel like a broken record, but it’s worth repeating for people new to the thread

 

[Zifeng]

Yes. Sennheiser literally shipped the enclosure tooling from Ireland to Romania, so that’s the same, and they have the same quality checks in place (it’s checked like three times before being shipped out). When it comes to the drivers, they’re all made in Ireland or Germany (the HD 660S drivers are made in Ireland), that hasn’t changed, and the HD 660S drivers are hand selected for matched pairs before being inserted into the enclosures in Romania (and then tested again).



Sometimes I feel like a broken record, but it’s worth repeating for people new to the thread

just more easier to drive, sounds great to me. from 104db ->108dB

 

[Rob80b]

Well, the HD 58X Jubilee, 600, 650/6XX, and 660S ..........
...........I do still perceive the HD 660S as the highest technical performer of the series.

Those were my assertions when I first acquired my first 660s shortly after their release, but the honeymoon with my HD800S wasn't quite over and with the HD650/6XXs still on hand I felt they wouldn't get enough ear time so off they went.
Anyway fast forward, still really like my HD800S but my newly acquired HD660S have been really appreciated even more, the HD650/6XX along with the HD58X are now gone and I do not honestly ever seeing myself returning to them. For me the HD660S is a much appreciated and fresher reiteration of the HD6xx series and a far more enjoyable listen, taking me deeper into to music and keeping my attention, the 600/650 are still a fine phone but IMHO technically and acoustically dated compared to the more nimble and articulate 660 driver.
Overall a very fine phone and even a nice compliment to have on hand to accompany the HD800S.