[pietcux]

You really smart guy and we all others dumb guys... I know, since many years, probably well before you. I've done this several times but didn't help.

My first headphone was the HD414 in 1977. My fist experience with bending the HD650 was 5 years ago. It was successful. I am not smarter than anyone around HeadFi. I just wanted to help. No offense taken, I am ok.

 

[amartignano]

My first headphone was the HD414 in 1977. My fist experience with bending the HD650 was 5 years ago. It was successful. I am not smarter than anyone around HeadFi. I just wanted to help. No offense taken, I am ok.

Maybe I'm too gentle in bending, even if not seems to me. Anyway, I wonder why HD650 and 660S are stiffer than HD600.

 

[pietcux]

Maybe I'm too gentle in bending, even if not seems to me. Anyway, I wonder why HD650 and 660S are stiffer than HD600.

I think it is because these are used by professionals a lot. Same goes for Bayers DT line. They just must not slip off the head in hectic environments. Just bend harder and do it several times until it's good for you.

 

[amartignano]

I think it is because these are used by professionals a lot. Same goes for Bayers DT line. They just must not slip off the head in hectic environments. Just bend harder and do it several times until it's good for you.

Ok, maybe I've understood my error: I'm stretching the part that I see in my personal extension position, while I have to stretch the full extended metal.

 

[Caruryn]

I have to agree with pietcux here.Why this notion that is perpetuated here and among other sites that HD660S do not scale well,just because of the 150 ohm impedance?I first connected the 660S to LG V20(4 dacs) and although it could drive them at 50/75 vol,the sound was thin,the dynamics were lacking and bass was anemic although listenable in a bind.Then i connected to DX90/Cayin N6,the treble was more detailed and bass improved slightly but nowhere near its potential and sound still lacked overall dynamics/bland.

.Only when i added mojo did the sound become full and dynamic,mids became multilayered with sufficient space between instruments,treble was smooth but extended and sparkly and the lows much more detailed and hitting with authority,almost speaker like.Strings sounded full and thick and vocals became organic,clear and warm/sweet and sound overall much more engaging.

I have no doubt that the guys that add high quality tube amps or even better dacs like Hugo 2 will further improve sonics.Let's give 660S some more time to open up,i found this true with most sennheisers,they do need some run time especially for the highs.The German engineers know what they're doing,they improved the HD650 in key areas while retaining the overall signature of the HD6XX series.The competition as well as critics are to fierce nowdays to just be lazy and do nothing and put Sennheiser brand on the line.

 

[Rob80b]

The 660s sounds digital. 650 is more analog-like.

Yet to hear them but I can imagine you're right as the newer 660s drivers should be more capable (I hope) of revealing more detail or unfortunately "digital nastiness" from poorer sources or recordings, all previous reiterations of the 600 series over the last twenty years were/are always rather forgiving of less than stellar recordings.

 

[Rob80b]

I have to agree with pietcux here.Why this notion that is perpetuated here and among other sites that HD660S do not scale well,just because of the 150 ohm impedance?...............

It’s just that the 600/650s 300 ohms are happier with more powerful amps, so yes if you go up the line...better amps should have more output but more importantly also “lower distortion” and improved linearity, so it’s not that they just scale better they’re just feed a cleaner, better signal.

With regards to the 150ohm driver I always found my HD700s a poorer performer on anything but my dedicated head-amp (Bryston BHA-1) and source (Bryston BCD-1) in comparison lets say to a pair of HD598s for example plugged directly into an iMac or phone for example, but the HD598s did not appear to gain much when powered by the Brystons but the 700s "shone" so possibly the 660 perform in a similar manner.

 

[DavidA]

It’s just that the 600/650s 300 ohms are happier with more powerful amps, so yes if you go up the line better amps should have more output but more importantly “lower distortion” and linearity, so it’s not that they just scale better they’re just feed a cleaner, better signal.

With regards to the 150ohm driver I always found my HD700s a poorer performer on anything but my dedicated head-amp (Bryston BHA-1) and source (Bryston BCD-1) in comparison lets say to a pair of HD598s for example plugged directly to an iMac or phone for example, but the HD598s did not appear to gain much when powered by the Brystons but the 700s "shone" so possibly the 660 perform in a similar manner.

I think its a personal opinion as to how the HD700 or HD660S at 150 ohms will sound on lesser gear. My old GF loved the pairing of her HD700 + Fiio X3, its what she used almost every day when she walked her dog and to her my choice of the BH Crack was just a different sound, neither better or worst than the X3. The 300 ohm impedance of the HD600/650/800 make them seem to react to amps a little differently from what I've experienced with my setup and easy to notice with the Ember since I can change the output impedance on the fly and the changes in sound are noticeable, subtle, but noticeable to me.

 

[Carcara]

Old amplifiers (70s, 80s like the Pioneer SX-737 amplifier) have enough power for the sennheiser HD6x0?

 

[Rob80b]

I think its a personal opinion as to how the HD700 or HD660S at 150 ohms will sound on lesser gear. .......

It all depends on what ones references and expectations are, it is not so much as how they will sound as we hope there will be some qualitative differences when running them either from $5000 of equipment as opposed to $500, although price does not necessarily dictate quality. My 700s sounded fine off my Filo X3II but but didn't show their full potential until hooked up to the Bryston combo where dynamics, naturalness and sense of air was greatly improved and quite often gave the sensation of having a direct feed off the mastering console.

 

[Bengkia369]

My Headamp Pico can drive HD660S nice and sweet, surprised that such a old amp still sounds so good with modern gears!

 

[WNBC]

At the time I was using it to power HE-500 and it didn't break a sweat. Straight from the headphone jack, no need to speaker tap it. It is a low impedance ortho vs high impedance dynamic though so I could see your point. In the vintage receiver thread I think people have posted using it with HD-800 and other Senns. Might be a nice pickup to try when I get around to having some free time to scour Craigslist ads.

Old amplifiers (70s, 80s like the Pioneer SX-737 amplifier) have enough power for the sennheiser HD6x0?

 

[Carcara]

At the time I was using it to power HE-500 and it didn't break a sweat. Straight from the headphone jack, no need to speaker tap it. It is a low impedance ortho vs high impedance dynamic though so I could see your point. In the vintage receiver thread I think people have posted using it with HD-800 and other Senns. Might be a nice pickup to try when I get around to having some free time to scour Craigslist ads.

@WNBC,

I am budgeting, and I am in doubt between the HD650s and the HD660s, there I was thinking if an old amplifier of these solved the question of the power that these headphones need

 

[Rob80b]

@WNBC,

I am budgeting, and I am in doubt between the HD650s and the HD660s, there I was thinking if an old amplifier of these solved the question of the power that these headphones need

Quite often the headphone out on older receivers is accomplished by just having a resistor in line from the speaker outputs, most modern receivers have a dedicated circuit on the pre-amp section and no where as powerful, so yes more than enough power for demanding phones and a reason many older headphones have a higher impedance like the 600 series, but not the only reason.
So...you should be fine..... now which one?....the 650s 300 ohms may mask some inherent noise from the older electronics but on the other hand the 660s may add a bit of needed sparkle but could be more susceptible to system noise.

Pioneer SX-737 schematics

 

[Carcara]

Quite often the headphone out on older receivers is accomplished by just having a resistor in line from the speaker outputs, most modern receivers have a dedicated circuit on the pre-amp section and no where as powerful, so yes more than enough power for demanding phones and a reason many older headphones have a higher impedance like the 600 series, but not the only reason.
So...you should be fine..... now which one?....the 650s 300 ohms may mask some inherent noise from the older electronics but on the other hand the 660s may add a bit of needed sparkle but could be more susceptible to system noise.

Pioneer SX-737 schematics

Thanks for the explanation and for helping. In the case of the old amplifier would I just use the headphone output located in front of it and nothing else?

At the moment I'm using HD599 and I want to go to HD6x0 line. On the part of the sound, I'm already satisfied with the treble levels of the 599, I would just like more general body in the sound and more bass, (My ears are more sensitive to high frequencies). I do not know if the hd660 is brighter than the 650, and with that in the general hearing would lose a bit of bass. I'm looking for a softer, warmer sound, a sound that sounds damped and round, like the old speakers of the 90s. That's why I got the 650's attention. If I went for the HD660s I do not know if I would buy the old amplifier since they are stating that it does not need as much power as the 650, would use something more portable.