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I've been listening at home with my desktop setup: MHDT Labs Stockholm v2 DAC --> Mapletree Ear+ Purist amplifier (a very analogue, very "non digital" sounding chain, BTW) ... and they sound stellar.
Going back and forth between my Grado PS1000's and the HD668B's ... for the life of me, I can't help but describe the Superlux's as: "The *VERY* Poor Man's PS1000's" ... the imaging, the sound stage, the relation among highs/mids/lows and the overall exceptional clarity (zero veil of any sort) ... are all very similar between the two headphones ...
The PS1000's are obviously the more mature, more refined headphone, there can be no doubt about it when A/B listening ... but the HD668B's still sound like a PS1000 "in development" ... say, a very early try at doing what the PS1000's do so well ... to personify? I'd call the HD668B a pubescent PS1000, with odd, gangly limbs and acne, uncoordinated at times ... but showing gobs and gobs of promise. This teenager would certainly be at the head of it's class, that's for sure.
The soundstage of the HD668B, though impressive, is nonetheless closer to one's ear than is the cavernous PS1000. The Superlux is still formidable, though, giving exceptional spatial impressions and great 3D imaging. It destroys any closed can I've heard and many open cans, in this regard. I would say sound stage is one of this headphones strongest selling points.
The bass on the HD668B is about equal with the PS1000's regarding "amount." In fact, tonally, they are both very similar with the PS1000's being a bit more mid bass emphasized. The HD668B, at times, actually seems to dip a bit lower into the early sub bass. Both the HD668B and the PS1000's both have great sounding bass and I would have to say I enjoy both cans equally in regards to those frequencies. Further, there is not a hint of "wool" to the bass ... zero distortion and it is smooth, clean and tight. Absolutely astonishing bass. I would not call them bass neutral as they do present the bass very well (say versus the far more bass neutral AKG 701 or Shure SRH-840). It's not overblown, though ... certainly not bass head type trash ... but if you've heard the PS1000's, then you have a pretty good idea of what the bass is like with the HD668B (bit more sub bass on the HD668B but otherwise, they are very close relatives regarding bass).
The highs on the HD668B are also quite nice. Not quite as smooth as the PS1000's and but they are never fatiguing. It's only when doing A/B switches that the highs seem a tad less smooth in the HD668B than the PS1000's ... but after a few seconds listening to the HD668B, I find myself forgetting the difference altogether.
The mids are where I hear the biggest difference and where the PS1000's demonstrate a most significant degree of superiority. The mids from the HD668B are really quite good ... placed about the same relative position among frequencies as the mids from the PS1000; in both cans, the mid range frequencies certainly carry the mix. With the HD668B the mids are are noticeably different in "tonality" than those from the PS1000. The HD668B mids have ever the slightest bit
higher frequency tonality to them, perhaps meaning the mids bleed a bit with the highs, I'm not sure as I'm no expert in dissecting such differences. But the difference is certainly there. The PS1000's mids, on the other hand, though again not any more recessed or up front, nonetheless just have this "creamy" tonality to them that is just more smooth than anything I could ever imagine in regard to midrange frequencies from headphones. I've really never heard anything like it. And to be sure, I am comparing a $30 headphone with a $1500 headphone and so thank god there are these differences! LOL ... but the fight the HD668B puts up here is still stupidly impressive. Which is to say the mids from the HD668B are fantastic. Nothing at all wrong with them in my opinion and I like the fact that they are the defining aspect of the listen (as with the PS1000's or my SE535's for that matter).
The details and micro details between the HD668B and the PS1000 are nearly identical. Listening to various tracks featuring subtle fret board clicks, symphonic bits with background noises and such ... I find the HD668B just about as resolving as the PS1000. This is damn impressive as I have so many other headphones that can't touch such resolution.
Also impressive is the clarity of the window on the music that the HD668B provides ... as mentioned previously .. absolutely ZERO veil. The HD668B are spatious, airy, superbly clear sounding with exceptional separation among players and instruments ... no muddiness here in the least ... just ridiculously good clarity. Again ... eerily reminiscent of the PS1000's similar stance on such things ...
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All that said ... the HD668B ... at $30 is far and a way a more enjoyable, more natural, more "audiophile" sounding headphone than *so* many more expensive headphones I've owned/heard. Had I a listening choice? I would take the HD668B over any of the Shure full sized headphones (owned many), any of the Senns other than the HD800, certainly over the AKG 701's, also over the LCD variants (had LCD-2's/3's and found them somewhat lifeless in a HD650 sort of way) ...
If you've heard the PS1000's and liked them? I would say waste no time in dropping the pittance of coin required for the HD668B. It's really that good I think ... especially with Jazz, chamber, classical and other varieties of music which benefit greatly from sound staging, detail and imaging ... which is not to say they aren't good with rock or other genres because they are (was just listening to some Fu Manchu with them and it was super good) ... but it's the nuance and spatial qualities of the HD668B that really make those aforementioned genres sound so divine (*especially* Jazz of the order of Scott Hamilton and the like) ... you'll never believe you are wearing $30 headphones....
