[meringo]

I'm going to have an even more detailed review up on Head-Fi soon, but here's a draft of sorts that I posted to Reddit: HD660S Review: Everything the HD700 Should Have Been

 

[L0rdGwyn]

I've been focused on comparing the 660S and the AFO powered by the HA-1, so I haven't had a chance to listed to the Senns on Crack yet. Hopefully this week!

No worries, do your thang!

 

[Okonkwo]

I'm going to have an even more detailed review up on Head-Fi soon, but here's a draft of sorts that I posted to Reddit: HD660S Review: Everything the HD700 Should Have Been

Nice review. I'm looking forward to trying out the new 660s.
Like you, I had the Sennheiser / Audeze thing going for a while, but I never really cared for the sound of my LCD-2s. I gave them a fair chance. I tried to like them for 3 years before unloading them. Don't get me wrong, Audeze makes a fine headphone, and a lot of people love them. Although, when you strip away the Italian leather lambskin headband and the imported Caribbean rosewood earcups, you're left with a couple of Mylar diaphragms that can be pretty sketchy. Inconsistent quality control has put Audeze in a weird trajectory where they redesign their drivers every 6 months. Which brings me back to the Sennheiser 6xx family - where, reassuringly, it's a completely different story. Sennheiser has kept the design of these headphones simple and consistent for decades. Quality control is impeccable. Durability and parts availability is also very good. Don't know about anyone else, but I like having that kind of confidence before pulling the trigger on a $500 headphone.

 

[amartignano]

I'm going to have an even more detailed review up on Head-Fi soon, but here's a draft of sorts that I posted to Reddit: HD660S Review: Everything the HD700 Should Have Been

Great sound impressions thanks I'm curious to verify the "makes the hd700 obsolete thing". Peculiar as this headphone is (I love it for the detail combined with the surrounding warmness and soundstage, for the unique soundfield they create with an orchestra), I wonder if that idea it's more a taste than a fact. Can't wait for my Hd660s and be surprised

 

[Hifivoice]

No, it can't be, it would mean that almost every other headphone exaggerates everything. If you were to compare, HD650 to 100 headphones, maybe 2-3 are as smooth and about 1-2 are smoother than it. It can't be that other headphones exaggerate things.

Anyways, there are very harsh and congested songs that sound relaxed and coherent on the HD650 because it smoothens them. They are good for relaxed listening. Sometimes I like it, but other times I would like to hear the authentic edge and harshness of the guitar, the aggressiveness of the sound.

There are hardly any loudspeakers that sound neutral and have a flat response. Why would that be the case with headphones? Number counting is not a proof of exaggeration or harshness of a component. There is no proof that the HD650 smoothens (and also not the other way around).

To me, the HD650 (and HD6x0) are amongst the headphones that are most neutral for the type of music that I like. It was the design targets of Sennheiser to make a flat-response curve headphone closely resembling aa diffuse field curve(**) (whether they succeeded is another thing; such a curve is different per human being). The difference between the HD600 and HD650, is that for the latter they tried to mimic the bass-fundamental response of flat measuring speakers in a living room, to resemble the situation how most good-quality records are mastered; with loudspeakers.

Which brings me to the point "what is neutral?". My claim: it doesn't exist. Imagine an acoustic instrument like a guitar or cello in a large room. If you record such an instrument close-by (50cm) or far away (> 3 meter), the timbre picked up by a (directive) microphone will be very very different. Close-by there will be a relative higher amount of bass. It is the choice of the record engineer what timbre he chooses. On the other way around, take electronic music, all mixed without ambient information that is post-processed into a recording, and even often mixed on headphones. Can you imagine that for both recordings, another headphone may reveal the intent of the recording engineer or artist more accurately? And not related to the fact whether an headphone is more neutral or not?

I.e., it may be less important whether an headphone is neutral or not, what matters is if it appeals to you most with the majority of your music collection. I prefer acoustic music, pop, jazz and classical. Typically, I find that classical recordings are made with more care, and selecting my headphone based on that makes most sense to me. As most pop is highly processed anyway, I have difficulties in finding "the" headphone for that sort of records, hence it matters less which headphone you choose. Getting good sound out of a Placebo record, and at the same time a realistic reproduction of a string quartet is not what I find in one pair of headphones, no matter how it is tuned. For the rock band Placebo you'll need an excess of treble to get some openness, but it will kill your Mozart Requiem or a harsh pop record like Adele's 19. This is the reason why so many different headphones exist, and so many people think their choice is the best. And the funny thing is, in practice they are all right!

(**) E.g. see:
- Theile, On the Standardization of the Frequency Response of High-Quality Studio Headphones, J. of the AES, vol. 34, no. 12, December 1986, 956-969.
- Moller et.al., Design Criteria for headphones, J. of the AES, vol. 42, no. 4, April 1995, 218-232.
- Mehrgardt, Meller, Transformation characteristics of the external human ear, J. Acoust. Soc. Am, Vol. 61, No. 6, June 1977, 1567-1576.

 

[Sigmaaa]

Great sound impressions thanks I'm curious to verify the "makes the hd700 obsolete thing". Peculiar as this headphone is (I love it for the detail combined with the surrounding warmness and soundstage, for the unique soundfield they create with an orchestra), I wonder if that idea it's more a taste than a fact. Can't wait for my Hd660s and be surprised

It may make them obsolete in terms of detail retreival (since is about the same driver), but they can't replicate the soundstage of the hd700 in the HD650 housing. Still, if you don't care that much about the soundstage (like I do) and want that stupid mid-treble peak gone (like I really really do), yeah, the make them absolutely obsolete.

 

[DavidA]

I'm going to have an even more detailed review up on Head-Fi soon, but here's a draft of sorts that I posted to Reddit: HD660S Review: Everything the HD700 Should Have Been

Interesting review but I have to disagree with the title since the HD700 is not a good match with the ODAC/02, one of the worst pairings IMO and I would hate the HD700 also if that is the only way I heard them but since I've heard the HD700 on gear that pairs better they are above the HD600/HD650 to me. From what I read your review the title should read "what the HD600/650 should have been" but I take it that you when with the HD700 since many seem to think its a modified HD700 driver being used.

 

[amartignano]

It may make them obsolete in terms of detail retreival (since is about the same driver), but they can't replicate the soundstage of the hd700 in the HD650 housing. Still, if you don't care that much about the soundstage (like I do) and want that stupid mid-treble peak gone (like I really really do), yeah, the make them absolutely obsolete.

Yes, a matter of taste

 

[meringo]

I'm keeping the title! The 660S has the same driver of the 700. It's basically a re-tuning. You get that magical resolution without the peaks, which to me, very much makes it a replacement for the 700. With that said, I'm holding out on my head-fi review until I can A/B it (hopefully in the next few days.) I hope to speak to the 700 a lot more. Also, some people criticized me on Reddit for not actually owning the 600/650. I did the comparisons since I've been in the hobby for a long long time and have spent extensive time with each (with meetup notes.) I will gladly compare them less if the head-fi community agrees that I don't/shouldn't have a say without actually owning. I'd make the change if a lot of folks have a problem with that.

 

[Tro95]

Sennheiser apparently offer 20% for students, anyone know how to get the code to work online? I got a code from a student but it enters but does nothing.

I believe the student code only works on selected products, as opposed to everything. As a general rule of thumb, if the voucher code doesn't complain about not being valid but you don't receive any discount, it means the code has no effect on the product(s) currently in your cart.

 

[Hifivoice]

Also, some people criticized me on Reddit for not actually owning the 600/650. I did the comparisons since I've been in the hobby for a long long time and have spent extensive time with each (with meetup notes.) I will gladly compare them less if the head-fi community agrees that I don't/shouldn't have a say without actually owning. I'd make the change if a lot of folks have a problem with that.

Please keep on sharing your experiences, I appreciate it! Whether you own a headphone or not, it remains a personal experience.

Up to the reader to take some writing serious or ignore it. Not up to the reader to silence people that don't advocate their opinion in their writings.

 

[Thesonofkrypton]

I believe the student code only works on selected products, as opposed to everything. As a general rule of thumb, if the voucher code doesn't complain about not being valid but you don't receive any discount, it means the code has no effect on the product(s) currently in your cart.

You're right. I reached out to Sennheiser who confirmed that. Kind of sucks, as the 10% code works, you'd think other codes would work too. Was hoping to grab the ie 80 s with 20% off but settled for 10%. Still a good deal.

 

[Pedro Oliveira]

I'm keeping the title! The 660S has the same driver of the 700. It's basically a re-tuning. You get that magical resolution without the peaks, which to me, very much makes it a replacement for the 700. With that said, I'm holding out on my head-fi review until I can A/B it (hopefully in the next few days.) I hope to speak to the 700 a lot more. Also, some people criticized me on Reddit for not actually owning the 600/650. I did the comparisons since I've been in the hobby for a long long time and have spent extensive time with each (with meetup notes.) I will gladly compare them less if the head-fi community agrees that I don't/shouldn't have a say without actually owning. I'd make the change if a lot of folks have a problem with that.

I just havê a couple of questions.... Wich hás more bass quantity and impact? Wich hás more body and a more authorative sound signature? Wich would you choose if you wanted to headbang (although sennheiser are not very suitable for max rock out....) to some edm or listen to metal?

Given that hd660s and hd700 are priced similarly now i havê to discover a bit more about the hd700.... Although i havent completely rulled out the hd650 as well....

On the other hand i think i may parte with my hd600.... Admite they are more resolving and high end but even só i prefer the sound SIG of the Fidélio x2s...

Thank you

 

[meringo]

I just havê a couple of questions.... Wich hás more bass quantity and impact? Wich hás more body and a more authorative sound signature? Wich would you choose if you wanted to headbang (although sennheiser are not very suitable for max rock out....) to some edm or listen to metal?

Given that hd660s and hd700 are priced similarly now i havê to discover a bit more about the hd700.... Although i havent completely rulled out the hd650 as well....

On the other hand i think i may parte with my hd600.... Admite they are more resolving and high end but even só i prefer the sound SIG of the Fidélio x2s...

Thank you

The 660s adds a bit of low end compared to a 700, but takes away a little bit of that treble energy the 700 has. This is really a nice in-between for the 650 and 700. It’s like their R&D department smashed the two together really hard to create an awesome new model.

In terms of the X2, it’s a very different sound signature. The X2 has a lot of low end for an open-back. You will not get that quantity with the 660S. I find the 660S to be both more resolving and natural.

 

[chimney189]

I've listened to the 660S for a few days now, even though it was mainly through gaming.
These headphones are a great compliment to my Audeze LCD-2 Pre-fazor Rev 2.2.

Everything seems a bit more forward, lively and energetic when compared to the LCD-2. It's like looking at a vibrant color -- It grabs you and doesn't want to let go.
I'd like to add that finding a sweet spot for volume listening levels is more of an issue with the 660S than the LCD-2. I attribute this to not only the DAC and AMP that I used (Burson Soloist SL and DA-160 -- maybe too much power?), but also the energetic, forward sounding characteristics of the 660S.

I gave a listen to Nujabes and I'm pleasantly surprised by the sub-bass of the 660S. There is definitely a balanced punchiness to the 660S sound that allows it to retain a meaty character. The upper-mids are fairly prominent, and the taming of the mid-bass is a pleasant change because it allowed me to hear more details in the songs. I don't know how else to describe the 660S sound other than 'Yeah, I'm definitely hearing this song and nothing else will distract me from it'. It's definitely a 'head-bobbing' type of listening engagement -- this is huge considering that the LCD-2 doesn't allow for much 'head-bobbing' unless you want them to fall off of your head.

I also found the clamp force to be much more comforting when compared to my brief experience with the Massdrop HD6XX.
Comfort is king with the 660S!

I would definitely recommend the 660S to anyone who's interested in having an jack-of-all-trades headphone.