[dan_can]

I used to have HD600/HD650/HD800 and I sold all of them long time ago. I just received a new copy of HD660s I bought last week. Wow, what a headphone. I don't remember 100% how HD600/650 sounded like but I really enjoy HD660s. I would say it's a better phone than HD600/HD650, especially the vocals so realistic/sweet. By the way I'm just driving it out of pico power since I sold all my other amps as well.

 

[Smugsie]

I used to have HD600/HD650/HD800 and I sold all of them long time ago. I just received a new copy of HD660s I bought last week. Wow, what a headphone. I don't remember 100% how HD600/650 sounded like but I really enjoy HD660s. I would say it's a better phone than HD600/HD650, especially the vocals so sweet. By the way I'm just driving it out of pico power since I sold all my other amps as well.

It's a shame you sold the HD600.
They're very different even when compared to the HD660s.
The HD600's present music a lot more clearly than the HD660s after being accustomed to the upper mid peak, they're a headphone that makes all music float. The treble peaks in the right spots too in comparison to the HD660s that pulls back the majority of treble.
The HD660's are technically superior than the HD600, except for bass performance in which I perceive them to extend a tiny bit more than the HD660. They also retract the upper mid spike which helps with separating busy vocal tracks. Although when paired with a clean source like a JDS Atom, the HD660 I feel are better daily drivers, I use them for gaming first and music on the side.

 

[kinkling]

I hadn't taken my 660s out for quite some time, but I am auditioning a new amp, so I tried various headphones, and I found myself really enjoying them all over again. They don't bring anything "special", like the planar bass, but as far as doing everything decently, I quite like them, though I generally prefer the 600s as well.

 

[CaptainFantastic]

I used to have HD600/HD650/HD800 and I sold all of them long time ago. I just received a new copy of HD660s I bought last week. Wow, what a headphone. I don't remember 100% how HD600/650 sounded like but I really enjoy HD660s. I would say it's a better phone than HD600/HD650, especially the vocals so realistic/sweet. By the way I'm just driving it out of pico power since I sold all my other amps as well.

I enjoy the 660S, but if you acknowledge that you sold your HD-600 a "long time ago", are you sure you can say that the 660S is "a better phone ... especially the vocals"? That would be a remarkable auditory memory.

I say this because I own the 600 and 660S and I find the vocals on the 600 better by a good margin. Is it possible that you also changed your audio chain in this time and that your old HD-600 was being underpowered back in the day? I would encourage you to give it another shot if you're enjoying the 660S.

 

[sebek]

A curiosity, did the 660S drive you crazy to stabilize too?

Crazy thing, it completely changed tonality every day, from dark, dirty, harsh and boomy to ear-piercing super bright, muffled to super sharp, warm to freezing without a hint of bass.

It took over 400 hours for it to settle into what I now know is its sound.

Is something like this normal?

I've experienced burn in on other headphones, but much more subtle differences, certainly not such drastic changes from one listening session to the next, and lasting over 400 hours.

And the thing that irritated me the most during that time was reading on the Sennheiser page that burn in doesn't exist for them and that their headphones sound best out of the box.

I also wrote him an email because I was worried that the headset had some problems, and with extreme rudeness and disinterest in those who have spent more than 400 euros on one of their products, I never received an answer.

 

[NotJeffBuckley]

I have noticed no burn-in with my HD-660s, and to that point the same EQ settings on my Loki Mini+ that I liked on it when I first got it in to try it are still working great with it on material. I feel if I were hearing big swings in different directions I'd surely want to change the EQ a bit, but that has not been the case. Honestly that sounds kind of like maybe the ear cup was not placed the same each listening session - that can have a surprising degree of influence over their sound - but I don't mean to dismiss your experience.

 

[SolaVirtus]

I have noticed no burn-in with my HD-660s, and to that point the same EQ settings on my Loki Mini+ that I liked on it when I first got it in to try it are still working great with it on material. I feel if I were hearing big swings in different directions I'd surely want to change the EQ a bit, but that has not been the case. Honestly that sounds kind of like maybe the ear cup was not placed the same each listening session - that can have a surprising degree of influence over their sound - but I don't mean to dismiss your experience.

I agree with Mr Buckley, sounds like a potential ear/placement issue. I've had a few headphones where this can have a dramatic effect - most notably the egg-shaped Hifimans and to a lesser extent, ZMFs. Can't say I've had this problem with the 660s, though. Maybe it's just my ear anatomy, but I don't have a lot spare room in the cups with the 6xx Senns.

 

[equalspeace]

A curiosity, did the 660S drive you crazy to stabilize too?

Crazy thing, it completely changed tonality every day, from dark, dirty, harsh and boomy to ear-piercing super bright, muffled to super sharp, warm to freezing without a hint of bass.

It took over 400 hours for it to settle into what I now know is its sound.

Is something like this normal?

I've experienced burn in on other headphones, but much more subtle differences, certainly not such drastic changes from one listening session to the next, and lasting over 400 hours.

And the thing that irritated me the most during that time was reading on the Sennheiser page that burn in doesn't exist for them and that their headphones sound best out of the box.

I also wrote him an email because I was worried that the headset had some problems, and with extreme rudeness and disinterest in those who have spent more than 400 euros on one of their products, I never received an answer.

I think all of the 6 series do this to some degree. 400 hrs seems excessive tho, but i respect your perspective

 

[sebek]

I think all of the 6 series do this to some degree. 400 hrs seems excessive tho, but i respect your perspective

It seemed like an excessive thing to me too, because as I said I always experienced quite subtle variations and mostly during the first 100-150 hours. And I've had at least twenty between full size and iems.

I don't understand it much, but often the sound that came out was really painful.

Then I changed the adjustment of the headband several times, precisely because I couldn't get a decent sound and I thought it was a problem with the seal and positioning, perhaps this fact lengthened the settling times of the driver and the earpads to my head.

I don't know, but the changes were drastic and the sound hit some really awful peaks before coming out for what it is.

I would like an answer from Sennheiser.

 

[Dust by Monday]

It's right when the vocal starts, at the beginning of the "Ooooh", within the first second of the vocals. Depends on the version, on my mp3 is at 0:14, timing differs, but it's always there when the vocals start.
I can pick it on the HD650 easily if I pay attention, but it's not as obvious and harsh as on more analytical headphones.



Here is at 0:15-0:16

Are you talking about the sound in the right ear right as he says Ooooooh? I think that's a drum or a bongo hit.

 

[SHAMuuu]

A curiosity, did the 660S drive you crazy to stabilize too?

Crazy thing, it completely changed tonality every day, from dark, dirty, harsh and boomy to ear-piercing super bright, muffled to super sharp, warm to freezing without a hint of bass.

It took over 400 hours for it to settle into what I now know is its sound.

Is something like this normal?

I've experienced burn in on other headphones, but much more subtle differences, certainly not such drastic changes from one listening session to the next, and lasting over 400 hours.

And the thing that irritated me the most during that time was reading on the Sennheiser page that burn in doesn't exist for them and that their headphones sound best out of the box.

I also wrote him an email because I was worried that the headset had some problems, and with extreme rudeness and disinterest in those who have spent more than 400 euros on one of their products, I never received an answer.

The duckman who praised the ndh30 being more clean when switching might have a point. I remember when switching to biocellulose driver of d5k the clarity of biocellulose made the 660 seem more hazy.

But the 660s is just cozy and right for music.

Tyll said they weren't as liquid as some of the other Sennheiser counterparts but with tube I thought was smooth enough. In fact I find the earlier 580 black paper a little drier (relative ly speaking).

I would lean toward the term musical than boring or analytical. Though they are not the most musical headphone.

You can just have them on all day and enjoy all music all day. So that is their main strength.

If I had to pick an automobile that is 660 ummm...

 

[Luckyleo]

Deleted....

 

[Luckyleo]

A note from Tyll. One of the original OG's of the headphone industry. He left the industry and started traveling in a small converted delivery truck. Below is a message from him explaining that he is ending the nomad lifestyle and returning to live in Bozeman MT.

 

[nunomeneses]

So I just bought from Sennheiser a refurbished unit so I wanted an open back since I sold all I had. I now have akg k361 for closed set allways with me for work and focal bathys to anc and wireless that I’m enjoying that much. So now what portable player could I buy that I don’t spend much money and can use with 3 scenarios:

1 - listen to it as a player from flac or tidal/Spotify/Apple Music directly cable on 660s
2 - listen to it as player but wireless aptx adaptive to bathys
3 - use it as dac on pc/mac to power 660s or bathys

or Is there any amp/dac you think suits perfectly hd660s?

 

[CaptainFantastic]

So I just bought from Sennheiser a refurbished unit so I wanted an open back since I sold all I had. I now have akg k361 for closed set allways with me for work and focal bathys to anc and wireless that I’m enjoying that much. So now what portable player could I buy that I don’t spend much money and can use with 3 scenarios:

1 - listen to it as a player from flac or tidal/Spotify/Apple Music directly cable on 660s
2 - listen to it as player but wireless aptx adaptive to bathys
3 - use it as dac on pc/mac to power 660s or bathys

or Is there any amp/dac you think suits perfectly hd660s?

The 660S works fine with the Mojo or Hugo 2, that's all I can say for portables. For desktop amps, the Violectric V200, V280 or V281 are great matches IMHO.