Sennheiser HD660S... Finally a successor for the HD650?
Jan 15, 2018 at 10:14 PM Post #1,936 of 9,585
@Krypto98, curious as to what DAC/amp you used to listen to all three since I've found that this makes a difference in how I would rate/recommend between the HD660S, HD650 and HD598 (I really didn't care for it and gave it to an old GF who loves it out of her MBP)
 
Jan 15, 2018 at 11:26 PM Post #1,937 of 9,585
@Krypto98, curious as to what DAC/amp you used to listen to all three since I've found that this makes a difference in how I would rate/recommend between the HD660S, HD650 and HD598 (I really didn't care for it and gave it to an old GF who loves it out of her MBP)
Unfortunately, in my excitement i forgot to note which Amp they were using.

the chain was
Samsung S8(Spotify on extreme quality)>Aux>AMP>Headphones.
They had a pair of 598,650 and 660s there. Since i own the 598, I kinda saw the difference an amp made(tighter bass, cleaner mids), I don't own an amp at the moment since my desktop computer is enough to power the 598(for now). I tried the 650 with and without the amp used and without the amp it was more veiled and the bass was muddier.

If you have no amp/dac go for the 598, they sound about 70% as good as the 660s and 650.
I've heard the 650 scales better...
Between the 660s and the 650 its all down to preference in my opinion.
 
Jan 16, 2018 at 12:07 AM Post #1,938 of 9,585
Unfortunately, in my excitement i forgot to note which Amp they were using.

the chain was
Samsung S8(Spotify on extreme quality)>Aux>AMP>Headphones.
They had a pair of 598,650 and 660s there. Since i own the 598, I kinda saw the difference an amp made(tighter bass, cleaner mids), I don't own an amp at the moment since my desktop computer is enough to power the 598(for now). I tried the 650 with and without the amp used and without the amp it was more veiled and the bass was muddier.

If you have no amp/dac go for the 598, they sound about 70% as good as the 660s and 650.
I've heard the 650 scales better...
Between the 660s and the 650 its all down to preference in my opinion.
While an amp really makes a difference for the HD650 its also the type of amp that makes a difference such as a SS, OTL (best IMO), SET, or hybrid. The HD598 and HD660S are much easier to drive so while an amp will make a difference its not as important as it is with the HD650/600.

Also, the HD650 is not "veiled" but has the treble rolled off which not the same as what a veiled headphone will sound like. To get a better idea of what a "veiled" sound is put a few layer of cloth over the ear cups and take a listen, it affects all frequencies, not just the highs.
 
Jan 16, 2018 at 1:04 AM Post #1,939 of 9,585
While an amp really makes a difference for the HD650 its also the type of amp that makes a difference such as a SS, OTL (best IMO), SET, or hybrid. The HD598 and HD660S are much easier to drive so while an amp will make a difference its not as important as it is with the HD650/600.

Also, the HD650 is not "veiled" but has the treble rolled off which not the same as what a veiled headphone will sound like. To get a better idea of what a "veiled" sound is put a few layer of cloth over the ear cups and take a listen, it affects all frequencies, not just the highs.

That is true, I have found that the case with the HD 650 as well, it's very sensitive to the type of amp used. The HD 660 S isn't quite as sensitive as the HD 650 to the type of amp. I have found both the HD 650 and HD 660 S roughly equal in terms of sensitivity to the quality of the gear though.

I agree about the veil definition. Honestly the HD 600, HD 650, and HD 660 S are all rolled off in the treble response, this is likely caused by the dampening and housing of the headphones and is a characteristic of this family of headphones. The HD 600 and HD 660 S are brighter than the HD 650 in terms of upper midrange and lower/mid treble but honestly all roll-off at a similar point.

Honestly if I want treble extension that's what I use Tesla Beyers for, though I found both the DT 1770 and DT 1990 to roll-off a bit early in the treble compared to other Beyers. The Amiron extends quite high like the T1 does, not quite like the T1 but notably more than the DT 1770/1990 which don't actually extend much higher up than the HD 6xx family. I honestly find the sound signature of the HD 660 S a bit in-between the HD 600/650 and the DT 1990.
 
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Jan 16, 2018 at 3:43 AM Post #1,940 of 9,585
I went to a local headphone store(Bay and Bloor Radio) and went to try out the HD650, HD660s. I also have the 598.

Comfort: Nearly Identical however the HD660s clamped alot more because the guy said it just came in last week.
Sound
Im not a expert on anything so ill try to sum it up as quick as possible. Plus I only listened to 6 songs on them.
Genesis-Tonight Tonight Tonight
  • This is where the instrumental advantage of the 650 show. Near the middle of the song the instrumental section sounds great when the drums start kicking in. With the 650 they have a bit of oumf whereas with the 598 it sounds a bit weak. However the 598's and the 660 showcase Colin's vocals alot better as in the 650 they are a bit behind the instrumentals.
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
  • 650(Brian May's Guitar Can really roar)
  • 660s/598(Brian May's Guitar Can really scream)
  • Freddie Mercury sounds a bit distant again.. with the 650 but sounds up front with the 598/660s
Micheal Jackson - Remember the Time
  • I have to give this one to the 650, the drum and bass attack here is really good. The lower harmony really shine here
Beethoven Moonlight Sonata
Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight
  • 650- The drum section has nice bite here, you can feel the anger in the music.
  • 660/598 - The drums sound kinda weak(more on the 598) here but the vocals are forward.
Jean-Michel Jarre - Oxygene 4

650: Warmer, more bass, the vocals are a bit laid back.(is that the veil?) It doesnt bother me so much. Smoother sounding. Soundstage smaller than 598 but more accurate? My favorite of the three, i wish it had a slight more upper mids but other than that it is perfect. Bass Drums sound perfect on these. Instrumentals are more forward with this headphone.
660s: A little more bright. Bass has a bit more detail? But not as present so you don't hear it much compared to the 650. Imo it might be the more accurate headphone but i cant really tell for sure, since i spent only about 10 minutes with each.
598: Brightest of the three imo, Sound-stage is biggest on this one however. Vocals are really nice on this one.

Overall I think the 650 would be the best for me. I'm not too big on bright headphone since they tend to cause me hearing fatigue. I also tried the Grado Sr80... not my cup of tea at all. Way too bright. I also brought my friend who is a complete noob in headphones and he said the HD650 were his favorite.

DL: DR
650 > Instrumentals, warmer sound, easy listening. If you want to enjoy the music
660/598 > Vocals, Brighter sound. Might be fatiguing after a while(598) More analytical listening

Take my opinion with a grain of salt, by the way. The best way to know for sure what you would like is to listen to them both.
Could you please elaborate which gear was used, especially which amp? Not giving this information renders your post useless to me.
 
Jan 16, 2018 at 5:20 AM Post #1,943 of 9,585
Honestly if I want treble extension that's what I use Tesla Beyers for, though I found both the DT 1770 and DT 1990 to roll-off a bit early in the treble compared to other Beyers. The Amiron extends quite high like the T1 does, not quite like the T1 but notably more than the DT 1770/1990 which don't actually extend much higher up than the HD 6xx family. I honestly find the sound signature of the HD 660 S a bit in-between the HD 600/650 and the DT 1990.

That's weird. Frequency response graphs:
orange - Amiron
green - DT 1990
purple - DT 1770

That's with the 1990's B pads. A pads have more extension in the treble.
Mh2zCv5.png

source: https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/brands-a-i/dt-1990-pro/


REtHK8G.png

source: https://www.kopfhoerer.de
 
Jan 16, 2018 at 5:40 AM Post #1,944 of 9,585
That's weird. Frequency response graphs:
orange - Amiron
green - DT 1990
purple - DT 1770

That's with the 1990's B pads. A pads have more extension in the treble.

Treble measurements are by far the most iffy and hardest to measure properly. I find with treble extension and treble response, you often have to listen to the headphone. The A-pads do help the extension on the DT 1990 a bit though but I found they took away a bit from the sound overall, still never quite got the Amiron Home let alone T1.2 extension out of either DT 1990 I owned.
 
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Jan 16, 2018 at 6:03 AM Post #1,945 of 9,585
I went to a local headphone store(Bay and Bloor Radio) and went to try out the HD650, HD660s. I also have the 598.

Comfort: Nearly Identical however the HD660s clamped alot more because the guy said it just came in last week.
Sound
Im not a expert on anything so ill try to sum it up as quick as possible. Plus I only listened to 6 songs on them.
Genesis-Tonight Tonight Tonight
  • This is where the instrumental advantage of the 650 show. Near the middle of the song the instrumental section sounds great when the drums start kicking in. With the 650 they have a bit of oumf whereas with the 598 it sounds a bit weak. However the 598's and the 660 showcase Colin's vocals alot better as in the 650 they are a bit behind the instrumentals.
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
  • 650(Brian May's Guitar Can really roar)
  • 660s/598(Brian May's Guitar Can really scream)
  • Freddie Mercury sounds a bit distant again.. with the 650 but sounds up front with the 598/660s
Micheal Jackson - Remember the Time
  • I have to give this one to the 650, the drum and bass attack here is really good. The lower harmony really shine here
Beethoven Moonlight Sonata
Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight
  • 650- The drum section has nice bite here, you can feel the anger in the music.
  • 660/598 - The drums sound kinda weak(more on the 598) here but the vocals are forward.
Jean-Michel Jarre - Oxygene 4

650: Warmer, more bass, the vocals are a bit laid back.(is that the veil?) It doesnt bother me so much. Smoother sounding. Soundstage smaller than 598 but more accurate? My favorite of the three, i wish it had a slight more upper mids but other than that it is perfect. Bass Drums sound perfect on these. Instrumentals are more forward with this headphone.
660s: A little more bright. Bass has a bit more detail? But not as present so you don't hear it much compared to the 650. Imo it might be the more accurate headphone but i cant really tell for sure, since i spent only about 10 minutes with each.
598: Brightest of the three imo, Sound-stage is biggest on this one however. Vocals are really nice on this one.

Overall I think the 650 would be the best for me. I'm not too big on bright headphone since they tend to cause me hearing fatigue. I also tried the Grado Sr80... not my cup of tea at all. Way too bright. I also brought my friend who is a complete noob in headphones and he said the HD650 were his favorite.

DL: DR
650 > Instrumentals, warmer sound, easy listening. If you want to enjoy the music
660/598 > Vocals, Brighter sound. Might be fatiguing after a while(598) More analytical listening

Take my opinion with a grain of salt, by the way. The best way to know for sure what you would like is to listen to them both.

Cool. I want the hd650 só bad. Would you say that besides more bass, the hd650 also hits/punches harder than the hd660s? The 660 is noticeably brighter than the 650?

@DavidA

Did you felt that the hd660 was was brighter than the 600 when you tested?

Graphs seem to show the 660 has having a tiny bit more bass than the 600 but also a bit more treble.... Did the 660 screwed up your hearing as the 600?

Cheers david
 
Jan 16, 2018 at 7:26 AM Post #1,947 of 9,585
Hi Pedro,
If you want to run the respective can from a mobile device, the HD660S is your headphone of choice. If you plan to run it from a large stationary amp, the you can take the 650. Even though I still prefer the HD660S technical capabilities over the HD650's old fashioned soundfield. It simply lacks details and has a slow bass response. The money that you might save first-hand will only be needed for the amp.
 
Jan 16, 2018 at 7:46 AM Post #1,948 of 9,585
Hi Pedro,
If you want to run the respective can from a mobile device, the HD660S is your headphone of choice. If you plan to run it from a large stationary amp, the you can take the 650. Even though I still prefer the HD660S technical capabilities over the HD650's old fashioned soundfield. It simply lacks details and has a slow bass response. The money that you might save first-hand will only be needed for the amp.
Yes i mainly use my ipad, smartphone and spotify right now and only havê a e12.

But still i think the price diference is a bit steel and would like the 660s to drop a bit in price. Nowadays you can almost buy a new Fidélio x2 with the diference between the hd650 and 660. Its quite a diference....
 
Jan 16, 2018 at 7:52 AM Post #1,949 of 9,585
Yes i mainly use my ipad, smartphone and spotify right now and only havê a e12.

But still i think the price diference is a bit steel and would like the 660s to drop a bit in price. Nowadays you can almost buy a new Fidélio x2 with the diference between the hd650 and 660. Its quite a diference....

I have both the x2 and hd660S and will review both soon.
 

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