Jon Sonne
Member of the Trade: Lucky Ears
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- Dec 9, 2014
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I went down to KT radio today to try the 660S again. Unfortunately, they did not have the Sennheiser HD 600 nor the 650 in stock. Instead, the seller suggested me to try and compare it with the Focal Elear, so that’s what I did.
Sorry for the poor picture quality.
660S vs. Elear
To start with, I think these two are very close in overall performance. They also sound quite alike, except for two main differences, the midrange and the soundstage/instrument separation. The latter is where they diverge the most. The Elear is very good at separating instruments, and has a wide but less deep soundstage than the 660S. The more depth on the 660S gives it a more layered soundstage, but instruments tend to blend a bit more. Moving on to the second major difference, the midrange, the most apparent difference is that the Elear is a bit more nasal than the 660S, but other than that they are very close in performance.
I only noticed minor differences in bass and treble, but I need more listening time before I can confidently tell the difference. The Elear might have a bit more details in the bass and the 660S may have slightly more energy in the treble.
Also worth noting is the huge difference in build quaility. The Elear is build like a tank and also looks the part. The 660S feels “cheap” in comparison, but is also much lighter, and thus may be better suited for long listening sessions. The Elear, nevertheless, felt more comfortable in the short term, with larger and softer pads.
I also tried the Hifiman HE-1000 again, and I found that the angle and fitting of the headphone does alter the sound quite a lot. Therefore, please disregard my previous post about the 660S vs. the HEK.
660S vs. HEK
There is definitely much bigger audible differences between the 660S and the HEK than the 660S and the Elear. The HEK presents the music in a very “open” way. There is more space for instruments to take up compared to the 660S more intimate soundstage. In a way, if it were not for the minor flaws of the frequency response of the HEK, I would propably quickly forget I was wearing headphones, as the sound is so airy. This is a very special quality, and I can understand why so many find the HEK worth the hefty price tag. Other than the presentation, the largest difference again lies with the midrange. Although the midrange of the HEK is very clear, and well-balanced with the rest of the audio spectrum, there is a coloration in the sound that makes vocals sound less natural in comparison to the 660S. The HEK also has a slight coloration in the mid to upper-treble, making some metallic instruments sound a little tissy. The 660S on the other hand has a very smooth treble while still having some sparkle. Dynamics, on the other hand, is better on the HEK than the 660S. Horns a more powerful, so are snares and sub-bass. Talking about the bass, although the 660S has very good bass control, it lacks sub-bass in comparison to the HEK.
Final notes for people considering upgrading from HD 650:
I have owned the 650 for +10 years, and I think Sennheiser has done a very good job at updating the HD 6** line with the new 660S. The new 660S retains what was good about the 650 and improves upon it, especially in bass and treble. The bass has much better control, and the treble has more energy and is also more well defined. The 660S may also be clearer in the midrange, but I think I would need a direct comparison to be sure.
I hope you will find my notes helpful.
Sincerely,
Jon
Sorry for the poor picture quality.
660S vs. Elear
To start with, I think these two are very close in overall performance. They also sound quite alike, except for two main differences, the midrange and the soundstage/instrument separation. The latter is where they diverge the most. The Elear is very good at separating instruments, and has a wide but less deep soundstage than the 660S. The more depth on the 660S gives it a more layered soundstage, but instruments tend to blend a bit more. Moving on to the second major difference, the midrange, the most apparent difference is that the Elear is a bit more nasal than the 660S, but other than that they are very close in performance.
I only noticed minor differences in bass and treble, but I need more listening time before I can confidently tell the difference. The Elear might have a bit more details in the bass and the 660S may have slightly more energy in the treble.
Also worth noting is the huge difference in build quaility. The Elear is build like a tank and also looks the part. The 660S feels “cheap” in comparison, but is also much lighter, and thus may be better suited for long listening sessions. The Elear, nevertheless, felt more comfortable in the short term, with larger and softer pads.
I also tried the Hifiman HE-1000 again, and I found that the angle and fitting of the headphone does alter the sound quite a lot. Therefore, please disregard my previous post about the 660S vs. the HEK.
660S vs. HEK
There is definitely much bigger audible differences between the 660S and the HEK than the 660S and the Elear. The HEK presents the music in a very “open” way. There is more space for instruments to take up compared to the 660S more intimate soundstage. In a way, if it were not for the minor flaws of the frequency response of the HEK, I would propably quickly forget I was wearing headphones, as the sound is so airy. This is a very special quality, and I can understand why so many find the HEK worth the hefty price tag. Other than the presentation, the largest difference again lies with the midrange. Although the midrange of the HEK is very clear, and well-balanced with the rest of the audio spectrum, there is a coloration in the sound that makes vocals sound less natural in comparison to the 660S. The HEK also has a slight coloration in the mid to upper-treble, making some metallic instruments sound a little tissy. The 660S on the other hand has a very smooth treble while still having some sparkle. Dynamics, on the other hand, is better on the HEK than the 660S. Horns a more powerful, so are snares and sub-bass. Talking about the bass, although the 660S has very good bass control, it lacks sub-bass in comparison to the HEK.
Final notes for people considering upgrading from HD 650:
I have owned the 650 for +10 years, and I think Sennheiser has done a very good job at updating the HD 6** line with the new 660S. The new 660S retains what was good about the 650 and improves upon it, especially in bass and treble. The bass has much better control, and the treble has more energy and is also more well defined. The 660S may also be clearer in the midrange, but I think I would need a direct comparison to be sure.
I hope you will find my notes helpful.
Sincerely,
Jon
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