I hope Sennheiser is watching these reviews. The iterative changes are good, but the pricing is out of whack for what they are providing based on the quality/similarities of other headphones in the series. At $250-$350 I would consider giving these a go at $600 they are a pass.
I wouldn't even pick them up for that price. If you wanted a little bit more sub-bass or a little less upper midrange on the HD600/HD650/6XX, just use one or two filters in EQ Apo and you saved yourself the money and have the same, or even better results instantly.
Corpos are using all different excuses in past few years based on few test balloons where we normal ppl mostly kept quiet and now after so many areas where it went out of control we get a huge price increase on headphones as well.
As a "victim" of buying an RTX 4090 last month, I felt the hilarity of that comment in full force. 😄 But, in defense to our perceived foolishness, you don't get all the FPS with maximum graphics settings on midrange GPUs like you get all the music with midrange headphones. 😆
I have to agree with the complaint on the box, at $600 you should be getting something way better than that. Just look at Beyerdynamic's DT 1990/1770, they both come with a whole case to store them in and are sold at at a similar price point but for some reason Sennheiser can't? I don't buy it.
@@danielhuang7751I’ll just save up a little more money for a better price/value headphone anyway. Meze 109, HiFiMan Ananda, Audeze LCD-2… They’ll outperform the Sennheiser, cost just about the same amount AND get you a decent box
That's the thing, they can't and that's why they keep quiet. It's just another attempt at trying to milk the HD600s line fame without providing an actual upgrade. The HD660S already was a big disappointment and the HD660S2 just continuous with that trend. It's just a muffled/dark HD650 imho. The original 660 has a hole in the treble from around 6kHz all the way up into the air frequencies, where it then get's up to normal sound pressure levels again. I don't know if they managed to fix that on the S2, but if they didn't those headphones are only for people who are extremely treble sensitive or for those who don't like upper midrange frequencies. Otherwise the HD600 and/or HD650/6XX are just much more reasonable, especially considering the enormous price difference.
@@imabeliever85 The HD600 and HD650 have gone through quite a few of revisions since then though. The new ones sound different to the very old ones, especially the older HD650 models are a good bit darker than the new ones. But yea, if you like the HD600 or HD650, I don't see any reason to buy either the HD660S or S2.
These at the more recent 400 dollar price point are excellent, I use 600s as my studio headphones and the 660s2 has replaced my 6xx as my home listening headphones. These are great for a more mixed use headphone thanks to the different tuning imo
Joshua, I've been watching your videos for over 2 years now, and please, could you just add that the 6XX is only a good deal in the US for that price... Massdrop has no EU Warehouse, so even if they cost $239, there is additional shipping ($30) + Import Taxes Fees (about 20% of the total SUM). In total, they cost way more than the 600/650/660s + shipping takes way longer. So tired of hearing "the 6XX is a good deal" in every headphone video.
Exactly, absolutely ridiculous that they are asking for this at $600. I hope they don't make many sales so they can move it down faster than 2 years. At the $600 price range they are competing with some crazy good options like the TR50 Argons, DT1990, Hifiman XS, etc..
I just ordered a vintage HD 520 from 1985. I got it for like $60 USD but need to replace the ear pads, I managed to track down some new old stock in the UK. They're aparently similar to the HD 600 series.
Everyone fixates on the launch price. A year later it's regularly findable for around $400. It's an excellent headphone with better resolution, a more satisfying FR and excellent bass response. You might not call it more detailed, but how long did you listen for? There's definitely a (short) burn-in period with these. And how can you say it's not 'bassier' than a 6XX. Are we listening to the same headphone? This review suffers from the same problem so many do. Gotta feed the algorithm with new product content, rather than share longer term experience. You've got to live with these for a bit. They're surprisingly good. Definitely an upgrade from the 6XX and Sundara, in my experience.
The price of these will hinder widespread adoption and hurt their initial reputation, much like the $500 price tag did for the original 660s. It wasn't until they dropped to $300-$400 like the other 6 series when they started to end up in more people's hands and gained traction. Unfortunately, these will probably be regarded much like the original 660s- good, but why pay extra when you can get a 6xx/650/600 for hundreds cheaper?
All HD 6 line are amazing depending what sound signature some will like. The price is the biggest problem all HD 6 line must be the shame price , and let people choose what they want . 600 for clarity, 650 for smooth warm sound, 660s for imaging separation speed , and 660s2 for low end texture and forward instruments . Thats all.
The HD660S were not my first "audiophile" headphones but I still hold them up as the best damn pair of headphones I've ever worn. I dread the day anything happens to ruin them because I can't afford to replace them, lol
@@jacobheinrich4919Is that true even in today’s landscape where companies everywhere are making things last not as long? I can understand older products lasting long but do these newer ones last as long?
If u like Warm smooth sound yeah . If u like speed, imaging , detail, separation u have to go for 660s . But honestly nothing comes close to the organic sound of HD 650 .
@@Tripokaridos22 The 650's are very good. It was a toss up between the 650 and the Sundara for me. However, I ended up settling for the Hifi Edition XS.
I have read mixed reviews but I personally own the 660s for around three years and like them a lot. I own other headphones if I want ultra detail but for something to use over a large period of time the 660s are the least fatiguing for me by far. To update to the 660s2 the price seems a bit too much though, even if they are improved in some areas, and honestly with how subjective the whole headphone thing is you never know till you hear for yourself.
A reason to try to rationalize(explain away really) why the HD660S2 seems to have cheap out in certain components is that cost of manufacture for the entire european union have gone up substantially for everything and anything, also german companies are infamous for not showing a lot of care for their customer base. So at least they're not cheaping out on the headphones themselves but everything else is going to suffer a downgrade. I experience this recently when I tried to buy a new model of my VW Jetta, if I wanted to buy a new one that's the same tier as the one that I have, I would have had to pay a significantly price increase, like completely insane, also they where not giving me any kind of incentives or deals with the car, nada, moreover, lead times where godawful and I couldn't even choose the color I wanted, so I went to a chinese dealership and I could get a similar car to my Jetta at a significantly better price, they where giving me a bunch of deals and the customer service was miles better than with VW. Tbh, I'm starting to lose a lot of respect for german made things and companies, is not worth it anymore for me, they're lagging behind in technology, they seem to have complete comptempt for their customers and they get offended if you point out to them that they guy next door is offering something similar at a better price, like if it was a personal insult. Sorry for the rant, just venting some frustrations.
As a HD660s owner. I prefer my Hifiman Edition XS. It is a more fun and enjoyable headphone. Staging and bass is better. That said I do enjoy switching to HD660s now and then for its different sound signature for more in the head experience. Can’t see that I will buy the second version. I would rather delve into dekoni pad swaps on my HD660s to play around with the sound and changing the sound signature a little.
650 are amazing headphones I love all my HD6 line. But every headphone on the Series have something amazing. 600 for Clarity, 650 for smoothness , 660s for speed and imaging and Now the 660s2 for low end and forward instruments ( that some people wanted) . So its a Win for everyone. Its all about Taste and this is something that People having and use all of them know very well .
I think it's time for Sennheiser to rethink their approach to headphones design. Just 10 years ago, the 600 series seemed like a dream for many audiophiles, and no one imagined that headphones could sound better. Then magneplanar headphones appeared, but they were too expensive. And now, for just $500, you can buy such great models as Hifiman Ananda, which leave no chance for the 600 series. Sorry, Sennheiser, but in 2023, you can't just continue to exploit old developments.
0:38 - By the way, thanks bunches for mentioning the price at the front of the review! I know that I’ve kinda razzed you in that past for not mentioning the price of, like, a $3,000 headphone until the very end of the review-and having the price up front like this really makes a difference. Thanks, man.
I just got the HD 650 with topping E70/L70. For me the unboxing experience is the same has the cheap box which I could see ..I really felt bad when I saw this useless box without the foam box
Sounds like I ordered mine just in time a couple years ago, then. :( I got the HD6XXs from Drop at their cheap price and even I got their big display box. Sorry. I will say if you end up down the road wanting a companion set of headphones, the Beyerdynamic 177X GOs from Drop are to die for. Mid-range resolution is standard, it really delivers on the bass and top end. A wonderful V-shaped sound signature.
Hi great informative video, I bought hd6xx only recently, I don’t comes in the hinge box now ,made in Romania nor in Ireland now and comes in 1.8m lead only.I recently fitted the custom cans bass mod and does help the bass at the bottom end . Regards mark
I’m actually getting a pair of dynamic driver headphones, from a good friend who makes them by hand. Very smart guy! And already own a planar they made and they remind me of the LCD 2. Excited to try these new ones. Anyone interested I can give you the site of the guy who makes them. really awesome dude
wonder if they're gonna make an HD606, the one better in every way objectively than the 600. And then there's also a 626, which is closed back, and still being better than the HD600 in every way objectively, excluding maybe spaciousness
I have both versions of the HD660S. I noticed that on the new HD660S2, the bass and mids are punchier and brighter when listening to EDM. The previous HD660S has a less punchy bass and mids and seems to be a little muddier. I'm still testing both out, but I enjoy both pairs. This is on the stock cable. If I use a higher end XLR, it is the same result with the new version for me.
Do you see Sennheiser releasing a HD800S2 in the short term future? the HD800S was released in 2016 and the HD660S was released in 2017. I'm thinking about getting a pair of 800S', but I dont want to get something just for something new to come out in 3 months
@@kentbergstrom3020 I cheaped out and got an 8xx that I plan on sticker modding and changing the pads on. Hopefully that gives me my fix. Im coming from DT1990 pros
I have say to any potential consumers: Just get the Sundara. I've owned the 660S, all of the other 6xx variants and many other headphones, including higher end headphones(HD800, Arya, Clear, T1 etc...) I do think the 660S is the best of the entire Senn line, personally. With that said, the Sundara trumps them all. Actually I think it's the overall best headphone I've ever heard. It just does nothing wrong and everything right. And it can be found for quite cheap these days.
HD650 are amazing , all HD 6 line is amazing if u know what u want. 650 have the smoothest , natural warm sound of all HD 6 line. And HD 600 has the best clarity forward vocals. And HD 660s have the best imaging ,separation, speed. And HD660s2 have what 660s2 has with better texture on low end but lose a bit of warm vocals . That is the Truth from people that have all of them and really have a lot of hours on all of them . Not just try for some hours and have a review.
I like companies, like Hifiman and now Sennheiser, shipping in recyclable packaging. A decent case is only $20 now and I have a dozen by now. Love you reviews.
I guess one of the big things I want to know, is how does the 660S2 scale. One of the things I've always heard about the 6 series is that they really improve with quality amplification and respond to tubes, more so than may other headphones. With the bump up to 300 ohms, I was hoping that this quality might have deepened, and that especially with a good tube rig, that the lower frequencies might bloom into something that is more comparable to some of the easier to drive headphones in their price range. If you can access a more high-end and especially a tube amplifier for the Meze comparison, that would be fantastic, as I am wondering if this is one area where these cans might shine. And if I were to bite at $600, it would be because these phones can scale and tube well.
Other reviewers have answered this question already on how it sounds on higher end gear. I think(?) it may have been Resolve or DMS who tested it with tubes, but I know I saw a vid of a reviewer who did and also tested it with some more expensive amplification Scaling with amplification in my experience is only makes me go "wow" when it is with a cheaper headphone (like a 6xx or around that price point). Not on a $600 headphone that you'd expect to scale pretty well most times lol
On the lack of a storage box: this just seems to apply to all the newly manufactured HD 6?? Series headphones. I bought an HD 6XX from Drop in June 2023 and it didn't come with a storage box. Just a flimsy cardboard box similar to the one for the HD660S2 shown in this video. Personally, i don't really care and this new packaging is definitely more environmentally friendly.
They are definitely discontinuing the HD660S so that it'll just be the three with 300ohm drivers & all with the same packaging. I'm seeing the HD660S on special everywhere.
I own already an iFi Zen DAC V2 and i heard people drive 300 ohms headphones on it with no problem, should i put an AMP like the Zen CAN to it to drive an headphone like this? in case it can drive it, it's still reccomend for a clearer/less distorted sound? (new on audiophile world)
Am I living in an alternate reality? Nobody seems to be mentioning the fact that Sennheiser sold off their consumer headphone division over a year ago. The Sennheiser you all know and love is gone. Just like AKG.
@@B13ro They are not Sennheiser anymore. They are made by Sonovo under the Sennheiser brand name. Just like Samsung now makes headphones using the AKG brand
You are living in an alternate reality in your head. It's true that they are now part of Sonova, but the Designers haven't changed. It's still the same people making the same headphones. The only thing that really did change, is that the HD800S isn't produced in Germany anymore. Which now goes for basically every Sennheiser Headphone
Is Sennheiser becoming the SMSL and Topping of the headphone wolrd - churning out iterations of the same series with minimal, if any improvement in build and sound between the models. They cheap out on the packaging / presentationn and up the price to 3 times that of the 6XX and expect ....... well, less said the better.
I got the Sennheiser hd660s & it is great with female vocals If I upgrade to better headphones I would spend a lot more money & prefer to go for the 800s or try some planar headphones
@@haukikannel wytb, Audeze is constantly reducing prices. They just released the Audeze Maxwell, probably the best Headphone you can buy for 350$ and surely miles better than any Sennheiser at this price point. Prices are going down rather than up though. Sonova (aka Sennheiser) is just trying to make money with cheap chinese products with QC issues.
Incredibly overpriced for what it is. When Hifiman are offering things like the Edition XS and Ananda at not dissimilar prices which both have a much better soundstage, detail, imaging etc, you really really have to enjoy the specific HD600 line midrange to consider buying these instead at that price
Yes, but they will fail over time! Hifiman has good sound quality but very poor-Quality Control and build quality. They also have very poor customer service form my person experience. The Sennheiser headphones can literally be passed down generation to generation. Sennheiser HD660s2 is a very good if not great headphone, these reviews are mainly based on the price. If they were more reasonably priced the reviews would be much more positive in nature. I found them on sale for a $450, still expensive but I thought I would try them, and they are amazing, if you want a warmer easy to listen to pair of headphones.
Sennheiser consumer audio has been sold in 2021. Welcome to the new future where the new owner's strategy is to increase the prices, to make an ROI. The Sennheiser you once knew is probably dead
At this price you should buy an Edition XS + amp. Alternatively Elex. Or add a slight bit more and get LCD-2C or within a relatively similar character, a 109 Pro. And if you love specifically the 600/650/6xx signature, just get those, no need to overpay.
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. Edit: I used the Hd58x mainly for gaming and music with some occasional movies. If the s2 aren’t that much of an upgrade I could always get a new pair of 58x anyways, especially with how frequently and how long they go on sale (like rn). Or how about the hd660s(v1)? Would those actually be more of an upgrade coming from a Hd58x?
@@donnytramp6955 dang, what about upgrading to the hd660s v1? Would it be a nice upgrade with similar sound/performance of a Hd58x? My old Hd58x were kinda banged up anyways so even if I go back to those it won’t be too bad since I’ll at least be getting a fresh 58x
The 660s are tuned fairly similarly to the 58x, but have a much more capable driver. So while they are tuned similar, they sound significantly better than the 58x in terms of detail and clarity. They're also a step up in imaging and soundstage- the 58x is very similar to the 600 & 650 here, while the 660s no longer have the "3-blob" imaging of the 6 series and instead fill in those gaps, with a slightly wider stage. I'd say if you want an upgrade to the 58x but love the sound signature, go for the original 660s, which can be had for $300 right now.
@@donnytramp6955 I’ve also been eyeing the hd800s but don’t know if that’ll be worth it and if the sound will be too different of a 58x. Maybe in the future
I also agree with the price of $600 not ideal. The other Sennheiser headphones come with a case instead of a box. The sound quality is not better than the cheaper cost Sennheiser headphones. It just sounds a little different from its tuning. I would not buy it. What is your opinion of the $3,000.00 Focal Stellia headphones?
