[mark2410]

Superlux HD668B Headphone Review by mark2410

 

Thanks to GearBest for the sample.

 

TLDR?  Try here http://www.head-fi.org/t/817561/superlux-hd668b-review-by-mark2410#post_12797918

 

 

 

First Impressions:  The last two Superlux’s I’ve heard were both startlingly good for the money, thus I’ve got high hopes for this one.  I am worried thot I may be expecting too much and that if its isn’t as crazy good for the money I may be slightly disappointed.  So the box, hmm it’s different but still as weirdly neatly put together inside.  After grappling them out of the packaging it’s still a pretty good bundle.  Two cables is nice, adapter and baggy thing too.  No extra pads this time however.  Hmm, the headrest thingys aren’t quite even.  That probably won’t matter but visually I don’t love that, a little application of might bend it but err, yeah I don’t feel all that comfortable doing that.  These are in the hand clearly plasticy and a cheap product.  Mind you the last Superlux’s were the same. Hmm.  On the ears.

 

Oh, goodness, these are pretty damn good.  Great control in the bass, super nice clarity to them.  Hmm that treble might be a little over abundant for me.  In acoustic tracks these are really damn bloody good.  Mids a touch breathy but seriously excellent for the price.  Why are Superlux getting these drivers from?   Hmm there is a fair amount of clamping going on here.  These are super interesting.  Burn in time.

 

 

 

Source: FiiO E7/E9 combo, Hisoundaudio Studio V 3^rd Anv., HiFiMAN HM-650, 1G Ipod Shuffle, Lumia 735, Nexus 5 and Graham Slee Solo Ultra Linear.

 

 

 

Bass:  The bass is quite talented, really very talented and tuneful.  It can even rise up when called to give a reasonably bassy presentation.  “Your Father And I” rips into a decent bass line, good and hearty bass too.  Now it should maybe be a touch more but it’s a good solid bass presentation.  The bass quantity is really more about the relative abundance of treble in the track.  From what I’ve seen others comment on is that it’s relatively bass light and on the whole I’d disagree with that assessment.  There isn’t a lack of bass.  There is the exactly right amount called for in the song.  Okay so it maybe can’t cling on all the way down to the very bottom but you can’t forget that this is a 20 quid, delivered, headphone.  Seriously how the F are they managing that?  For the price it’s amazingly cleanly delivered bass.  Perhaps it’s too clean for those paying this price, cheap things normally have far more bloom and flab to them which serves to make the bass sound fuller, larger and these don’t.  These are clean and nimble all the way and in a way that you really just don’t expect form an el cheapo.  I really can see why they are labelled “Professional Studio Standard Headphones”  even if they are too much in the uppers for that really.

 

In terms of raw quantity, these can produce a bit but that’s so long as there isn’t lots of treble.  At this level of cuttingly clean the treble is what stands forth.  The bass just isn’t assertive enough to roar out at you.  In eclectic pop tracks where things are all over the place the bass stays too clean and articulate.  I can see why some would feel the need for a little bass boost button happening.

 

 

 

Mids:  Wow they are really impressive.  Once more I find myself a little bit in awe, seriously at 20 quid these things are F*ing crazy, sure the build is a bit janky but holy crap they are good sounding.  The vocal detail they can rip out of a song is just superb for this price.  I can sooooo see why this is called studio whatever.  They are bit on the cool, dry, open flavoured but the clarity they offer is just fantastic.   Perhaps not the most welcoming nor soothing vocals.  These aren’t something you’ll sit with a scotch and melt into, they can’t really do mellow.  Even Erasures “Piano Song” from their Union Street album, a song that is gloriously rich vocally.  The HD668 is just that bit cold, sterile, dare I say lifeless?  Well maybe not lifeless but there isn’t that heart, the emotive warmth to the song that it should have.  It, well, it’s just is just a bit dead inside. 

 

The clarity we have here is superlative in the extreme.  There is just gobs and gobs of detail, all very cleanly rendered, very explicit in its presentation.  Its quantity too is very good, a sliver a head of the bass.  Male and girly vocals alike are both superbly rendered.  Still with that hint of lifelessness and that hint nudged into a dry direction.  Still the take away is that the detail and nuance is staggering for the price, just crazy, crazy stuff.  This maybe the root of any disliking they receive.  This sort of sound signature and clarity is not what you expect at this price and thus like when someone tries their first BA IEM.  They can be quite a shock as it’s so unlike anything previously encountered.

 

 

 

Highs:  The quality, yeah it’s superb, really stupidly impressive.  The detail it wants to spit out is wonderful.  It’s very forthright and explicit a presentation.  Now for me and my treble sensitive ears, yeah these got a little tiring because it can be a little relentless.  There is a lot of treble and it likes to hurl it at you.  Cleanly cutting edge and all.  In tracks where the treble is beautifully rendered, subtle, mesmerizingly delicate this is fantastic.  Seriously, you fire up some audiophile quality recordings and these sound amazingly good.  However, what are the odds that’s what you’ll be listening to from 20 quid headphones?  The trouble is most modern music is dynamically compressed to hell, poorly recorded, poorly mastered, all in the expectation your listening to it on crap equipment.  Certain, yeah looking at you Gaga, seem to deliberately harshen the treble edge to come through more noticeably on really bad setups.  On these, argh!!!! Make it stop!!!  Lady Gaga’s “The Fame” the opening seconds are brutal, brutal on the ear with these.  I don’t especially blame the HD668B’s it’s not their fault but their inclination to hurl out the treble makes for a terrible matching.

 

I don’t really know how much I can fault the 668’s for their being too explicit but as a monitor, if you’re using for superbly recorded pieces they work so well.  However if you’re working with sush good quality stuff are you buying 20 quid headphones?  The treble can be dazzling, amazing and dazzlingly intense which can be a good or a bad thing.

 

 

 

Soundstage:  Really rather large.  These are big open cans.  I see them referred to as semi open but they are mostly open.  Not the most grand of presentations but their openness and their prominent upper ranges give a goodly airy feel.  Instrument separation and placement are more so so.   I have no problems with that as it gives an overall nicely integrated sound.

 

 

 

Comfort:  They do clamp rather a bit but with the big pads they didn’t rest on my ears.  They were relatively comfy to wear for hours.  The treble though on my ears was a touch tiring more so than the pads.

 

 

 

Cable:  Great.  They use a male socket dangling from the cans like all Superlux’s I’ve seen.  Then you get two extension cables, a normal length and a long one.  You could also use any 3.5mm extension cable if you wanted so replacement so should be super easy to find.  The cable itself is fine, nothing fancy.

 

 

 

Isolation:  Yeah, semi-open means they isolate practically nothing.  I would say these are for indoor use only and not with others around unless you want to piss them off.

 

 

 

Build Quality:  Well, err, yeah, they aren’t the nicest build eve ever seen.  They look and feel pretty cheap and plasticy.  Of course they are stupidly cheap and they are plastic so I don’t really mind.  They feel solid enough but fancy these are not.

 

 

 

Aesthetics:  Well, err yeah these are really much in the way of lookers.  They don’t look bad exactly but I’m not looking at them and thinking ooh pretty.

 

 

 

Amped/Unamped:  So these are 2x56ohms.  That’s what they have on their side so I’m not exactly sure what they mean.  But in any case these are easy enough for your phone to make loud.  However these want amped.  They are very, very much improved by throwing power at them.  The balance shifts a bit from the bass towards the treble region but with a big amp powering them they very noticeably improve in quality and detail.  The slight negative is that they shift to the bright.  So it’s a bit of a double edged deal, still I’d throw power at them if you can, perhaps just aim for something warm.  I should note though that even out of the lowly Nexus 5 they still sounded extremely good for the price.

 

 

 

Accessories:  Great.  A baggy, two cables, a 6.25 to 3.5mm adapter and a little clip to fasten it together.  Really cannot fault the bundle.

 

 

 

Value:  Stupid good.  This is the third Superlux I’ve played with and they are really belting them out of the park.  These are crazy, right now these are on sale for just under the 681 and yet these are actually even better!!!  (Okay I know they are sale atm but still.)  Even at their normal price they are crazy, super stupidly good value.  Sure the build isn’t the world’s best and they are not very good looking up close but if all you care about is the audio quality, I don’t know of anything else this good at this price.  Dazzlingly good value.

 

 

 

Conclusion:  It is rather reaching the point where I’m getting annoyed. I feel like all I ever do is heap praise on things and while I believe when I do its deserved I worry that it looks like I’m just saying everything is great.  These though, well it’s just getting ridiculous.  These are freakishly good, just like the other two Superlux’s I’ve tried.  These are the best of the three though, the detail level these can extract is just silly.  These are 20 quid (US$26) delivered yet they genuinely pull out so much detail and nuance it’s absurd.  Sure that treble is trying too hard and hurling a little too much at you it is such a minor flaw.  At the price these are I’m really not sure how to really complain about anything that doesn’t make me feel like I’m being petty.  They are just sooooooooo cheap.

 

 

Now the two issues that people may have with these are the build /looks and the treble.  The build, well they seem solid enough but these just look kinda janky.  That however could be a boon if you’re kitting out a school audio lab as these will have less theft appeal.  The other is that treble, the quality is good, it really is, it’s just so good for the price but…… these are so cheap and it just needs to calm itself  a touch.  If you’re happy to EQ it down a touch then you could be on to a really seriously excellent cheap little studio monitor if you’re just starting out or very budget restrained.

 

 

 

So would I / should you buy one?  Me hmm it bit treble happy for me, excellent or not.  For you?  Well yes frankly.  If you are trying to put a little home studio for your school band, church group, you know where you want to get something good and non-consumer flavoured but have got to count the pennies, this thing is nuts, just crazy awesome value for money.  Sure it’s a little over happy in the treble but its soooooooooooo cheap.  It’s not a perfect headphone but for the price it is horrifyingly good stuff.

 

 

[mark2410]

Superlux HD668B Quick Review by mark2410

 

Thanks to GearBest for the sample.

 

Brief:  Stupid cheap sorta monitors

 

Price:  £20 or US$26

 

Specifications:  Headset type: Dynamic, Connectivity : Wired, Application: Computer, DJ, Mobile phone, Portable Media Player, Plug Type: 3.5mm,Full-sized, Driver unit: 50mm, Sound channel: Two-channel (stereo), Frequency response: 10Hz-30KHz

 

Accessories:  1 x 1m Cable, 1 x 3m Cable, 1 x 6.5mm Interface Connector, 1 x Cable Clamp, 1 x Storage Bag

 

Build Quality:  They feel sturdy enough in the hand but, well they aren’t the best looking nor the best to the touch.  They look and they feel kinda cheap.  I mean they seem sturdy enough but they are what they are.

 

Isolation:  Err, they are semi open so they isolate almost nothing.  These are not cans for using on the Tube or in a library.

 

Comfort/Fit:  Fit was easy and comfort was mostly good.  They do like to clamp pretty firmly and they did squish the bottom tips of my ears a little.  Still was fine to wear for few hours at a tmie with no probs.

 

Aesthetics:  Err, yeah see build quality.  These look very plasticky and not the sort of thing that says, oh hive got fancy headphones.  These don’t look awesome I’m afraid.  Functional they are over aesthetically pleasing.

 

Sound:  Where the previous aspects were a bit so so, the sound quality is jaw dropping good.  For the price, delivered for US$26 is just insane, I mean how, how do they even post them for that never mind that they don’t just sound decent but sound incredibly good.  It really is incredible.  These being the 3^rd Superlux I’ve played with I feel I can stop with the constantly checking they send me the right thing, that I’m looking at the right price.  These sound phenomenally good for the price.  The bass is so clean and articulate.  Death is so so but open cans always are really.  The mids are filled with detail and nuance.  A little dry, which enhances the perception of clarity and openness.  The treble is likewise the same.  So detailed and nuanced but it does like to get a tiny bit over eager and when you play back bad treble it will very happily assault you with it.  It takes no prisoners and that can be rather wearing, tiring on my little sensitive ears.  However the quality is crazy.  In terms of balance they are rather even with a slight bump to the uppers so the bass in particular with its open lack of depth can be over shadowed.  Bass head cans these are not.  Perhaps treble head ones maybe.

In short, wow, crazy good detail and clarity.  Bargain basement “monitor” neutral cans.

 

Value:  Stupidly stupendous good value.

 

Pro’s:  Insane good value.  Stunning audio quality.  Superb detail levels.

 

Con’s:  A little too eager in the treble.  Look cheap and plasticy.  Feel cheap and plasticy.

 

[toothbrush]

Hello,
 
Thanks for your review. I can't start a thread so I hope you can help me. I'm currently looking for an affordable and best value over-ear headphone for the price under $50.
 
I'm looking at Superlux HD668B, Somic V2, Takstar HD5500 and Ausdom M08.
 
Do you know which one would be best? I'm looking at comfort and sound quality (for the price).
 
Thank you.

 

[mark2410]

of those, ive heard these and the somic's and both of which are stupidly good for the money.  though given these are currently going for the princely sum of US$26 these stand out as better value.  the audio quality is very similar, ie both are great, the somic's are the more polite, grown up sound these being more energetic and being more inclined to hurl detail at you.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/809323/somic-v2-headphone-review-by-mark2410
 
so really it comes down to which sound signature do you prefer, read my somic review and that sohuld help you get a feel for how they and these compare.

 

[toothbrush]

Would you personally prefer the superlux 668b over superlux hd 681 which is cheaper?
 
Both will be okay with Benjie S5 mp3 player right? which is noted to have Headphone output: 16-128Ω

1.  

I'm really sorry, I don't know much about ohms thing.
 
Thank you. Your advice really helps. 

 

[headphonesonly]

You should get some velour pads to improve comfort. Doing that also seemed to make the soundstage bigger.

 

[eldus]

You should get some velour pads to improve comfort. Doing that also seemed to make the soundstage bigger.

Do these look Genuine to you?
 
http://www.fullcompass.com/prod/142113-AKG-2955M10020?utm_source=googleps&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=googleps&st-t=googleshopping-parts&vt-k=&vt-mt=&vt-pti=142113&gclid=CL6I2s64o84CFQEFaQodbHEC6w
 
the price is low, and I have never personally heard of the site (until I found it obviously).

 

[mark2410]

  Would you personally prefer the superlux 668b over superlux hd 681 which is cheaper?
 
Both will be okay with Benjie S5 mp3 player right? which is noted to have Headphone output: 16-128Ω

1.  

I'm really sorry, I don't know much about ohms thing.
 
Thank you. Your advice really helps. 

well the 668 is the technicaly better but my personal preference, im not sure, tehir both great but thu 681 is easier on the ear for me.

 

[MorrisL]

Snaps right out if you pull on it. Snaps right out if you pull on it. Snaps right out if you pull on it....
 
Isn't it genius? Why don't other headphones use this design? 
 
By the way, don't they have a closed back version of it? I'd be all over it like a rash!

 

[WhatToChoose]

It isn't a mark2410 review without a "hmm" somewhere in there! Excellent review, your descriptions reflect a $100+ headphone, I was amazed when you said the price was only $26. Also, your aesthetics section was quite entertaining to read.

 

[buyao]

Nice review! Both Superlux headphones (HD668B and HD681) have sound quality that could compare to +$100 headphone and remain my go-to gift for people who wants to get into the audiophile scenery.

 

[frogmeat69]

  Do these look Genuine to you?
 
http://www.fullcompass.com/prod/142113-AKG-2955M10020?utm_source=googleps&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=googleps&st-t=googleshopping-parts&vt-k=&vt-mt=&vt-pti=142113&gclid=CL6I2s64o84CFQEFaQodbHEC6w
 
the price is low, and I have never personally heard of the site (until I found it obviously).

I bought a pair from there, seemed like genuine AKG pads, fit my K240's nicely, a lot better than the crap set I got on amazon that I couldn't get on no matter how hard I stretched, pulled and forced 'em!!

 

[mark2410]

It isn't a mark2410 review without a "hmm" somewhere in there! Excellent review, your descriptions reflect a $100+ headphone, I was amazed when you said the price was only $26. Also, your aesthetics section was quite entertaining to read.

lol thanks, im glad you like

 

  Nice review! Both Superlux headphones (HD668B and HD681) have sound quality that could compare to +$100 headphone and remain my go-to gift for people who wants to get into the audiophile scenery.

yeahi can see why, not sure id use as gifts but certainly they are bargain basement audiophile stuff.  so good for so cheep

 

[WaffleIron]

I'm genuinely surprised you found them comfortable. The moment I put them on, I immediately knew i had to order some replacement pads. They felt horrible. They feel much nicer with some velour pads. I'm kinda considering buying a headband off eBay and seeing if I can find a way to attach it, since I don't really like the winglet things too much either.
Nice to see these headphones getting the love they deserve, though.

 

[mark2410]

  I'm genuinely surprised you found them comfortable. The moment I put them on, I immediately knew i had to order some replacement pads. They felt horrible. They feel much nicer with some velour pads. I'm kinda considering buying a headband off eBay and seeing if I can find a way to attach it, since I don't really like the winglet things too much either.
Nice to see these headphones getting the love they deserve, though.

yeah i had no bother with them comfort wise, i mean the just caught the bottom of my ear and after a few hours it was nice ta ke them off but no realy issues.  have you perhaps biggish ears?  if they cought you as they do clamp a bit i could see why it might bother you but no issues here.