@@unlovableshinshin IEMs and headphones can't really be compared eye to eye. Over ear headphones are much easier on the ears in my opinion and also sound more spacious, especially on songs that are not perfectly mastered.
Bought the S2. I heard it with a Bryston DAC and a WA23 Luna, and also listened to a 650. Preferred the S2 hands down. Thought it imaged better and had better clarity- also the 650 could get shouty in the mids. This next comment will rile the 650 fans- I’m sorry, I don’t think it scales as much as you guys thinks it does, at least to me.
DMS prefers the 650; Chrono, Metal571 & Zeos prefer the 660S; Andrew & Josh prefer the 600. A unique opportunity to discover which reviewer is better aligned to your personal listening preference.
As a fan of the HD660s ethereal qualities due to it's airy presentation. I actually bought 2 hd660ses just in case, it gives me similar vibes to the stax but it's more relaxed, a bit less detailed, but has more correct timbre than stax lambda headphones. I'll pass on the the s2 cause i just like the s1, if they kept the sound signature the same and just improved on technicalities I would have jumped on this headphone instantly. I think the bass in the S1 is perfect for me, for a daily driver, and I like it over the 600 and 650, I do own both and I like them. But I daily the 660s it's just effortless . I don't know if that would make sense but to my ears the hd660s is the only Sennheiser headphone that sounds close to the HE-1 "Orpheus", tonality wise I am speaking. The HE-1 has better technicalities obviously, it's faster more detailed, more effortless, more liquid, and it's an electrostatic headphone. The 660s is pretty darn impressive for a dynamic driver headphone especially if you like electrostatics headphones. And it's bass fits it's presentation, perfectly.
I find the 660S2 lifeless. It was laid back and maybe too laid back. The highs didn't shimmer. The vocals didn't have life. It is sooo German. Lacks passion. However I bought the HD800s. Much better but much more money.
The love this guy has for HD6xx/650 is just amazing after all those years and bunch of great and ten twenty times more expensive headphones he still keeps them and speak great about them, tells you how good HD650 really are. Thank you for your recommendation back in 2016 when you started this channel speaking about your HD650 in basically every second video haha, I love my HD650 often even without an amp and I can't believe it has been almost 7 years since I got them based on advice of some "random small youtuber" with few hundreds of subs who is now almost at 100k. Wish you good luck and keep up the good work, hope you get that silver play button soon :)
@@DMS3TV I remember I was deciding between old regular HE-400 and HD650 looking for some good comparison and your video comparing them with HD700 popped out on me :) I promised myself I would never buy headphones without your recommendation haha, that’s why I am still waiting for your review and comparison of Airpods Pro 2 against OG Airpods Pro if it’s worth the upgrade. Really excited about future of your channel, take care :)
new to the hobby deciding on the hd600, hd650 or the Hifiman edition xs, I already own the hd560s, the Harmonic dyne Athena and the HE400se, pc38x, Epos h6pro, Game one. I am looking to turn it up a notch and get to the next level. What is your opinion that will compliment what I already have. I am looking for something rich and full, warm and cozy with good soundstage, imaging, clarity. I am trying to keep it under 500/ What would your suggestion be. You have become my go to for headphone reviews@@DMS3TV
@@sonickiller360 the more expensive planars have it to 20hz, but our brains still perceive it a recessed. Only the susvara and audeze headphones have the THD low enough to bump the subbass to where its subjectively natural without distortion. Even the ayra cracks on heavy tracks. If you really want base response into subsonics, the drivers need to be closed. Many iems can drop below 20hz no problem. You have to have incredibly well designed drivers and housings to do the same for open backs.
@@samulhardif8331 That’s why I find the DCA expanse so fascinating, the AMTS kind of lets it do it all so to speak. Normal open backs can get pretty close when it comes to bass extension, however, when it comes to sub bass rumble they are almost always deficient. My PC38X is like this. As a heavy EDM listener the PC38x are almost like a less detailed, smaller soundstage version of my Adam T8V setup but when it comes to sub bass heavy songs like ocean drive by gentlemens club or tralfamadore by ternion sound, they just die.
@@sonickiller360 I forgot about the expanse. Maybe because its so dynamically compromised. Its also extends to far into the lower mids for my tastes. I use a genelec system for stereo listening. The sub will extend ruler flat to 16hz at 118db. Its that pressurisation you miss in a headphone even if it could extend as deep.
Hey, thanks for including the raw measurements as well after the feedback from the previous video. I really appreciate it and I'm sure the others do, too. As for me, I love my HD600 but wanted another, warmer pair with the same design. I was looking at the 660s2, but I looked up the price after this review and... In my country, a HD650 costs $300, and the HD660s2 costs $780. Fucking hell Sennheiser, I'm gonna have to go with the older, equally as good model lmao.
I think there's always going to be a subtle and unconscious bias with 600, 650/6xx owners. I've seen people legitimately criticize the 660s in favor of the former without ever actually hearing the 660s. I imagine the same will be said about the 660s2. I've been using headphones since 2001 and after listening to the lineup, I decided on the 660s. I've had it for 5 years now and I still consider it the best of the 600 series.
Same here I had all hd 6x0 headphones hd 580, 58x , 600 , 650 and 660s is my favourite I still don't know if it's worth upgrading 😅 What gear do you use with your 660s?
@@ccdani2 I started with a little schiit stack and now I have the topping L30 and E30 stack. I've been planning on getting something better and preferably balanced but I haven't been able to justify spending more lately. The irony in all that is I plan on skipping everything inbetween and getting a Chord TT2/M-Scaler. The worst thing I could have done was listen to my 660s on that stack. However good you think those headphones sound, they're actually better than that.
@@o.f.ftrack3444 that's awesome , I was using chord mojo for a long time until I upgraded to smsl su9+sh9 and now I think it's my end game setup for now at last 😅 I was missing a lot by powering my headphones with mojo the difference is night and day
I've been using the 660s as my daily driver & main gaming headset since 2019 (nearly 5 years now) & whilst the bass is decent, more bass could be a good thing, however i wouldn't want to lose the top end for it so i think i'll stick with the original
I like my Sennheiser's with worn pads more than I do with new ones... 660s with worn pads is like a clearer 6XX to me. Is this a symptom of a deeper issue?
The one thing I tell everyone who is looking into the 6X0s is if you can go to a store and try them. Despite the charts and reviews and all that stuff. Sonically they are all incredibly close to each other. The only way you can really find out which one you prefer is to A B them.
Sound is of course subjective, but the style of music you listen to (mainly) should play a large factor in what headphones you buy. I listen to metal mostly, and I enjoy the more laidback sound of the 660s2's.
The only one i did not test from the 6x0 line up is the 660s2. I much prefer the 600 over the 2 others 650 660. The new one was already out of my choices
@@BaldyBaeby I did not have a chance to listen to the 660S(1), but from what I've read/watched about it it would be a strong contender for (what I think is) my taste, so the 660S2 might have been interesting for me if it would sit somewhere between the 600 and the 660S(1). In some aspects it is, but in others it seems like an extension in a different direction. So I'm still curious how it sounds, but not curious enough to purchase one (even with the option to return it)
For me HD600 is still king. Imaging not great, bass not great but there is magic in this headphone. The smooth, sweet highs are so beautiful. I hear 16kHz -19kHz on the HD600 and it is a natural sheen and air whereas the 660s sounds cold and grainy. To my ears the slight upper midrange shout on the 600 is balanced by the low mid boost and combined with highs make it, still to this day the most musical headphone I have ever tried.
Just got the S2 and first thing I listened to was Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon." All I can say is..WTF are you talking about? These are fantastic headphones. they are replacing my Audeze LCD-2 as my daily driver (which replaced my HD 600). Yes, they are better than those sweet, thumping, planer magnet wonders. Not that the bass is better, or that anything I can put my finger on is absolutely better, they just SOUND better. I put them through the range of music I listen to (lots of blues, rock, prog, and and the occasional oddball like Carlos Montoya or Pavarotti) and they just simply sounded better. Maybe if I listened to rap or some other genre where thumping bass was the most important part of the music, I wouldn't care for these as much (although any decent equalizer can bring out enough bass in these to crack your skull), I dunno, but hard disagree with the rest of your review. I suppose that's what makes musical taste subjective, eh?
'they just sound better' very well concieved deconstruction of his points. He didn't say anywhere that they aren't great headphones, He says they're darker which might be exactly why you prefer them for your music tastes such as blues where a gooey darker sound can be lovely in my opinion. As you said taste is subjective, and he never said they have any objective faults.
@@pododododoehoh3550 Lol. I know. I didn't go full frontal offended audiophile or anything, I was just surprised at his general negative opinion of these cans. I guess that's why so many companies make so many different models. Everyone can find something they love.
Hi , another great informative video , I have 660s, which I use on my ifi zen2 dac with the true bass button and does come alive, I have 6xx custom cans bass mod, and does help at the lower end , also been changing over with thicker pads on both, it’s interesting because as you are aware the standard pads thickness is 3/4”, but my old hd575 has 1.20” pads they quite bassy so I thought I give thicker pads a go, I just bought 660s2 open box and vip discount from Uk big outlet for only £269 , so at that price it’s worth it, the price in Uk is now £355, and the 650 is £229 at the moment. Regards mark
Seeing the pads on his 6xx and these new 660s2's makes me realize how much I really nee to change my pads lol. Im just afraid of changing the sound. And I have to agree that nothing will knock my 6xx out of my collection. I have much better headphones, but after 7 years I still can't get rid of and still use my 6xx sometimes.
You can buy the replacement pads directly from Sennheiser for around $42 before tax/shipping. It's the same pad that came with the headphone, just not flat :)
Had the 800 and sold after a short period. I wonder if Sennheiser actually listen to how instruments and vocals sounds in real life? Everything is turned into a synthesizer sound. Violins do NOT sound like that and where is the chest support of male voices? The bass is slow and weak. I don't understand the hype at all. Those loving them, are you really listening to live music that often?
I bought these headphones based on youtube reviews. These headphones are not good. I had some 1970's sennheisers in the 70's, and they were good. I like crisp definition and punch. These phones are soft and spungy. NOT GOOD!! These are garbage. What are you youtubers doing?? WTF?? These tubers are profit oriented. I learned the hard way.
I bought both the 58x and the 6xx from drop. I kept and 58x and sent the 6xx back. The 58x sounds pretty much exactly the same as the 6xx except the bass extends further and the driver is faster and I would say the sound stage is ever so slightly wider. So it was a no brainer (cheaper and better) I even bought a second 58x to keep as a spare. Was the 6xx a bad headphone no its just the 58x was better for me. If you dont want the extended bass then get the 6xx. The 58x is not for bass heads it doesn't have more bass it just extends lower which is really noticeable for gaming and movie enjoyment. I was debating on buying the 660s2 but after this video ithink ill just stick with the 58x.
Just received my 660S2'S today wow what a difference from the 6XX, you need to run them on HDV820 amp factory matching makes these come to life. To put a number on it 40% improvement. Worth the addition $$.
Great review, but it's also worth mentioning that the sound is largely dependent on the audio itself. Music that was recorded 30yrs ago, was originally recorded onto tape where it remained for years until the introduction of CD's. Even then, it was transferred from tape to CD. Sure, some may have been remastered before being transferred to CD, but the audio equipment of 30+yrs ago would be antique compared to today's standards. All these variants can have a huge impact on the most expensive, most technologically advanced headphones. At the end of the day, no matter what amplification you use, even the most advanced amplifiers are limited by the quality of the original audio.
i'm used to $50 headphones and it's still hard for me to accept to pay $500 for a such device, because it usualy don't lasts, but this model in particular looks very durable, so the "overprice" might be excused.
So its a less extended 6xx for almost double the price? This is the difference between the current headphone competition vs iem competition with the ie200 from the same company. The headphone market is kinda sad.
iems are waaaaaaaaaaaaay more competitive than over ears that’s why. I bought a 16$(currently 20$) pair of in ears that basically just sounds superior to my hd6XX. and it just gets better from there. headphone manufacturers can get away with mediocrity. there have been no real innovations in headphones since the late 2000s
@@1337wafflezz id say 2016. Thats when we got the first round of flagships with THD magnitudes lower than we had ever seen previously. We also got the HEDD phone in 2020, and the ribbon headphones in 2021 and recently with ca1a. Also warwick acoustics finally making a e-stat that fixed the limitations of e-stats. There is some amount, but not in the $1000 and below range. Thats utterly dominated by headphones over 5 years old, and two which are over 20.
HD580 is still the best for me, with grills off especially. It's like it doesn't have the downsides of the 650 (also own this one) but not the harshness of the 600, it's the perfect middle. Also tried 660s, not as big of a fan, tbh. I've tried many, many headphones including really cool ones like the Aurorus Borealis which I used to own, but if I could only pick one for the rest of my life, it'd be the 580, and this says a lot considering I listen to a lot of metal, too, which isn't the best on them, but their mids are just too perfect to pass.
I upgraded from the HD6xx to the 660s and never looked back. I feel the 660s driver is much faster, bass hits deeper and treble extends higher. The hd6xx just sounds too dark and slow even with proper amp for modern music. I am wondering if 660s2 with the increase bass and treble would be a good upgrade for me.
Please pull up your big boy pants and learn how to eq. They are the exact same driver. The only difference between them is the bass and upper mid recession. Both can sound identical with eq, $600 is not an excuse of not learning how to do something.
@@lawpenner no they don't, the driver is identical. Their sound power, harmonic distortion, group delay, spectral density are all identicle. The only thimg different is the amplitude of the single. If you eq them to the same value, they will sound identical.
I've been watching your channel as well as others. Trying to get back into finding one good headphone. Went to local store to hear many of them. Ok my opinion is based on my experience with home stereos and live shows. I look for accuracy, realism. I look for tonal accuracy in vocals the way its supposed to be. I tried the Senns HD660S2. They are good. They're German and well they sound like the lack passion. Kinda lifeless actually. I audition their top model the 75k one. HE160 complaints there with the sound. The tone was great as well the imagining, spacial arrangement. However there was buzzing in both songs i listened to. Very weird. I ended up buying the HD800s for a big sale price.
@@XxXHardcoreshredderxXXxxxxxxxx they were okay, but I did get a chance to hear the Mod House Tungstens at CanJam NYC 2023 and in June purchased a pair, more impressive then the HD600S2
Coming from a Hd58x, are these worth an upgrade? I’m no audiophile but can I expect the same performance in like same sound as the Hd58x? I really like them but do find clarity to be a bit grainy? Everything else is good in the 58x. I also saw on a Reddit post that the 660s2 is tuned almost like a 58x. Selling my 58x already and have the 6xx in the mean time but damn are those too shouty and fatiguing imo.
Oh no, look at that FR. Dear, Sennheiser, why would you do this? Well, I guess they've already made "the best" and It'd be fair if they're now trying something new -- making new "tastes" for those subjectivist guys, I guess. But why would you take away something so beautiful as what highs are? Taking away from the almost perfectly measuring headphones alone is crazy, shouldn't you rather take steps to try to fix something is missing instead, like the subbass you've done so good work with trying to add and fix with the HD560s. That almost worked, just a little bit more subbass on top of that, more balanced highs (not take away) + better materials and it would make the best headphone in the world.
Wow what a shame. Ive had the 650s for what feels like a lifetime and wanted to see what the current market offers. Seems not much at all apparently. Today I wanted to try the so called flagship gaming headphones, artic nova pro and the bass was so overwhelming I took them back in an hour. Shit, guess im getting new earcups for the 650s and hanging on another decade
I bought the HD6XX in April 2019, had to change the cable June 2021 because the audio in one ear would cut in/out and in April 2023 the same cable issue again. After 4 years the earpads are a little bit flattened but still comfortable to wear however the inside cloth covering the driver has worn down and a hole in both ears now exposes the driver so the pads should be replaced as well. Unfortunately the headset cable connectors are unique and can't just be replaced with a regular 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable.
What’s the chance of a HD800S2 coming out in the next year. Making me hesitant to take the plunge. That said it is a fairly pricey headphone already to plunge into.
Thanks ! I have been waiting for this one 660s is my daily driver now ( I have had all the 6x0 series from hd 580 hd58x to 660s ) and 660s is my favourite of them all I still wonder if it's worth "upgrading"
I feel the excessive comparison to 6XX/650 is a bit redundant, as a fellow 660S user I'm personally much more interested in hearing how it compares to the headphone it's obviously a direct successor to. 660S is my favourite in the line as well, an underappreciated headphone imo
@@TADP0LE9806 it's true that he should have compared them to the original 660s although I understand why he has chosen hd650 as it's the most popular model of the series , I will wait for some more reviews before making my mind . I don't really know how they can make 660s sound better I have mine hooked to smsl su9 + smsl sh9 and it's just glorious, I can't imagine the S2 being that much better 🤔
@@TADP0LE9806 the 660 was never competitive at its price point, so no it should be compared to exclusively to a mediocre headphone. It needs to compete on the field like all other headphones.
@@enjoshi-godrez8775 it didn't appear competitive because too many people blindly accepted the opinions of people who either didn't hear it or people too stuck in nostalgia to accept anything else. People seem to forget that the 650 was $500 when it debuted just the same as the 660s but with less extras. I'm not trying to make a case to try and change anyone's mind but the majority of people who own both the 600 or 650 and 660s have said that the 660s is "better". I myself was about to buy the 650 until I actually heard the 660s and then changed my mind.
@@enjoshi-godrez8775 Not really, the Verite Closed is much more inconsistent in the upper mids and treble with a lot of peaks and dips in the response, whereas the HD600/650 are fairly smooth and linear. They also are a lot more expensive. But the bass is a lot better than on the HD600 or 650.
@@rene837 yea, you're right. The graph has a big dip at 3k. I dont know what pads it had when i tried it but its wasnt the universals or the orginals. Shame because it sounded very much like the 6xx with those. The Shure SRH1540 has the smoothest treble from an closed back ive heard, but its not true neutral. I guess for now iems are the answer until someone makes a truly competent midfi closed headphone, which is unlikely because they are not remotely as commercially viable as they used to be, because of the progress iems have made.
@@enjoshi-godrez8775 I have tried the SRH1540 as well, but the midbass boost was way too much and bled into the mids a lot, it also didn't isolate well, almost felt like a semi-open design and it was a bit too small for me head as well. However, midrange and treble sounded very nice.
@@rene837 it absolutely does. Unfortunately thats what you got for closed back headphone back in the day. They all had too much mid bass energy exept the planars like the ether C, which actually had too little energy. The shure would be neutral if it wasnt for that bump, but it doesnt have the resolution of the hd600.
Which model of Sennheiser HD series headset should I choose to comfortably hear my opponents and listen to music while playing FPS games? My budget is $500. I've used the HD 700 before and it was great in games. HD 800 series is very expensive, please do not recommend.
Sennheiser HD 600 are good headphones but you have that sennheiser veil. Dont get me wrong i still own a pair but my Beyerdynamic DT880/990 600ohms get way more use because i feel they are better headphones. At this point they are just milking it and people just jump on the hype train. But people will say the DT990 is too bright crazy treble! what i say is run them in for 200 hours and get decent electronics/cables and a nice R2R dac then tell me they sound bright! Show me a review on utube with the Beyerdynamic DT990 600ohms with the Beyerdynamic A20 amp? Nobody.
Edition XS triggered my tinnitus that I never knew I had... I had to return them. Over like 20-30 headphones behind me... XS was the worst. ALthough it sounded beautifully.
I think that Senn are just trying to milk it. The 6** line has already pretty enough varieties of FR. Personally, I needed an improved 560S, less granny, a bit smoother, even more soundstage. After the kill of the 7** line, the HD800(S) remain the only soundstage sets and now I do not hear Senn are improving on soundstage with the 660S2. Why?! Are they planning a new HD7** launch!?
I recently picked up the Beyerdynamic DT900 Pro X and never owned Sennheiser. I'm very happy with the Beyerdynamic's but I've been reading so many comments and references to the HD 600 series headphones that I'm wondering if they're worth picking up when I have a really nice headset I'm pleased with? I mean what am I missing? I would love a comparison but it's not reasonable for reviewers to compare every headset with every headset. Still I'd love to know before deciding whether or not to drop another few hundred Euro on another headset if the difference is going to be minimal.
Senny people: "if you're a strange dirt person who doesn't like the most beautiful headphone in existence, sure, you might like this weird thing". Hello, I am that dirt person, and I'm pretty excited to hear it.
Les ingénieurs de chez Sennheiser n'écoutent rien car s'ils le faisaient, ils auraient déjà fait un HD600 qui descend plus bas et plus dynamique. I have the impression that they tried to recycle the driver of the HD700.
650…for quite a few years …and I think to best it …I think you’ve gotta spend considerably more money..and probably upgrade the source chain. I’m curious..still no SEN’s Planar 🤔
With Axel Grell long since departed, we can no longer put a name to these headphones. I'm guessing that the corporate overlords at Sonova like it that way.
Just a quick question. I have a pair of 660s and 6xx and on both I have an issue with the right ear cup creaking. The top of the driver housing rubs on the arm and everytime I move my head or chew etc it creaks and is pretty annoying. I don't hear anyone talk about this issue. I tried sanding down the arm a bit so it doesn't rub and it seems to help ive also tried some oil but it Isn't completely gone. My 6xx is broken in ive had them for 3 years and my 660s are new. Is this a common issue? Any fixes? Also the pads on the 660s are really tight on my temple but loose around the bottom of my ear and leave a small gap compared to my 6xx which fit perfectly around my ears. Is this a common 660s issue as well? Maybe they just have to be broken in more?
Definitely NOT a "side grade." It depends what characteristics you are looking for. My go-to were HD600 or drop 6xx. The 660s2 scale up and beat both of them on many fronts, especially frequency response. I liked the 660s2 so much, I sold my 600, 6xx and HD800S's. I could not justify the 800S, as I liked the 660s2 as well for most music, and better in some areas. YMMV.
