[KaiFi]

Kinda sounds like these are moving in the direction of V-shaped, not my favorite sound signature, but I’ll reserve judgment.

 

[ericpalonen]

Kinda sounds like these are moving in the direction of V-shaped, not my favorite sound signature, but I’ll reserve judgment.

I embrace what the reviewers are writing, but wanted to offer my input in that the mid-range, for most listeners, should be quite present with plenty of intelligibility from top to bottom. I hope you get to try them, ultimately. They have a punch about them that sucks you into the percussion and bass grooves, IMHO.

 

[Smugsie]

I’m sure the new Sennheiser will be a success. Trying to form impressions as to whether one will like a new headphone or not is always very difficult by just reading on the internet, and of course one has ultimately to try them to see if they work for you, but having read the comparisons of the 660S and the 660S2 I get the following general impressions; The new headphone has more bass (or at least more sub bass) somewhat recessed mids and more treble presence than the original 660S. Would those that have heard both headphones be able to comment if that is an accurate generalisation or not. Obviously that will not tell the whole story, but it would be a start to understanding how they compare to the 660S.

Personally I am much more interested in how they compare to the original 660S than how they compare to the 600 and 650, as those models are not being discontinued, and I already know how they compare to the 660S.

The only one I would disagree one is the recessed mids for the S2's. They just don't have the full upper mid air extension experience of the HD600's. The lower mids are also thicker than the HD660S. The mids are different from the other 6 headphones since they're linear and clear like the 560S. I actually think the HD560's have clearer midrange than the entire 6 lineup, but 560S is held back by treble that's quite intrusive; sibilant in most areas to be frank.
Quite opposite of the 6 lineup where it's much more detailed and controlled.

More treble presence yes, but the treble is balanced, on the S2 the treble is a league above all other HD6** headphone.

I'll release a full review later. 600's are still a keeper, but I have less desire to listen to them since the 660S2's came around.

Edit: Please note that my comment has a lot of missing information. My full review is currently 3000 words and I'm still working on it.

 

[Mike F]

I’ve just seen that the HD660S2 is available at Thomann for €609. That’s just €20 less than the Neumann NDH 30. I have to say that at that price they’ed have to be an awful lot more than an upgrade to the 660S in the style and lineage of the 600 and 650. That’s a hell of a price hike over the 660S at €399 and the 650 at €385. I know that prices will come down, but even so…..

€609 puts them in direct competition with the NDH 30 which IMHO is head and shoulders above the 6 series in terms of both sound quality and build quality (as was reflected by the price until the 660S2 came along) and which are more comparable with the HD800(S) in both those areas, and in some ways exceed them.

I’m a dyed-in-the-wool Sennheiser fan (particularly of the 6 series) but having recently bought the NHD 30 (which itself has a newly developed Sennheiser driver with Axel Grell on the team) I think I’ll stick……..

 

[rich195]

I’ve just seen that the HD660S2 is available at Thomann for €609. That’s just €20 less than the Neumann NDH 30. I have to say that at that price they’ed have to be an awful lot more than an upgrade to the 660S in the style and lineage of the 600 and 650. That’s a hell of a price hike over the 660S at €399 and the 650 at €385. I know that prices will come down, but even so…..

€609 puts them in direct competition with the NDH 30 which IMHO is head and shoulders above the 6 series in terms of both sound quality and build quality (as was reflected by the price until the 660S2 came along) and which are more comparable with the HD800(S) in both those areas, and in some ways exceed them.

I’m a dyed-in-the-wool Sennheiser fan (particularly of the 6 series) but having recently bought the NHD 30 (which itself has a newly developed Sennheiser driver with Axel Grell on the team) I think I’ll stick……..

Hmm.. the NDH 30 is probably the only other sub $1k headphone I have much of an interest in. I haven’t bought one because I really like the 6x0 series’ forgiving, intimate staging and I’m worried the NDH would have a more clinical, Beyerdynamic-ish presentation. The other thing that’s kind of scaring me away are the head-placement issues, I’m not sure how finicky you have to be to get the right positioning but I feel like that could be a big OCD trigger for me. I can see myself worrying more about getting the right placement than enjoying the music.

From what I can gather the NDH 30 shares the tonality of the 6 series but with more linear bass extension and a more pulled out soundstage. How far off the mark am I?

 

[Smugsie]

My review is up.

I've read it every single day and every single thought I've had with the HD660S2 is on there.
Except the fact with the S2, there's a stark difference between youtube compressed music and a proper untainted source to take full advantage of the headphone.
But I don't think I need to point that out for such an expensive headphone, right?

 

[Mike F]

Hmm.. the NDH 30 is probably the only other sub $1k headphone I have much of an interest in. I haven’t bought one because I really like the 6x0 series’ forgiving, intimate staging and I’m worried the NDH would have a more clinical, Beyerdynamic-ish presentation. The other thing that’s kind of scaring me away are the head-placement issues, I’m not sure how finicky you have to be to get the right positioning but I feel like that could be a big OCD trigger for me. I can see myself worrying more about getting the right placement than enjoying the music.

From what I can gather the NDH 30 shares the tonality of the 6 series but with more linear bass extension and a more pulled out soundstage. How far off the mark am I?

The bass is clean and very extended. Tonally, and very briefly, I would describe them as being between the 6 series and the 8 series with detail retrieval on a par with the 8 and soundstage closer to the 6. I spend most of my listening time with my mouth open, amazed at what they can do, but importantly they remain musically engaging, despite their technical abilities.
I don’t think you find the placement as much of a problem as you might imagine!

 

[ericpalonen]

My review is up.

I've read it every single day and every single thought I've had with the HD660S2 is on there.
Except the fact with the S2, there's a stark difference between youtube compressed music and a proper untainted source to take full advantage of the headphone.
But I don't think I need to point that out for such an expensive headphone, right?

Yesssss! Your review words are like transient details...the more I can consume the better! Thank you!!!!

 

[chesebert]

My review is up.

I've read it every single day and every single thought I've had with the HD660S2 is on there.
Except the fact with the S2, there's a stark difference between youtube compressed music and a proper untainted source to take full advantage of the headphone.
But I don't think I need to point that out for such an expensive headphone, right?

Why would you use JDS/low end electronics if you are reviewing gear. That’s like someone reviewing Wilson speakers on a PSA sprout.

Edit: comparatively @Ichos has the most useful review so far (not very useful in decision making but best of the bunch I guess; at least I got some valuable information).

 

[Smugsie]

Why would you use JDS/low end electronics if you are reviewing gear. That’s like someone reviewing Wilson speakers on a PSA sprout.

Based on my evaluation with the HD660S2, and multiple headphones I've owned; I'm satisfied with the performance of the HD660S2. If anything I'm quite proud I can notice the difference between headphones using a plastic tuna can as a source. Especially since I'm one of the few that has claimed there's an upgrade from former Sennheisers and the HD660S2.

The second reason is that the HD660S2 were a gift and at the time of being given them, I was not in a financial situation to upgrade. I'm still not, as I have other priorities to take care of. I enjoy what I have and have avoided audio communities as replying to assholes like you aren't worth it.

 

[marekm]

using a plastic tuna can as a source

A precise description

Sent my back the next day. Could stand the crappy quality, although performance was Ok.

 

[ericpalonen]

Based on my evaluation with the HD660S2, and multiple headphones I've owned; I'm satisfied with the performance of the HD660S2. If anything I'm quite proud I can notice the difference between headphones using a plastic tuna can as a source. Especially since I'm one of the few that has claimed there's an upgrade from former Sennheisers and the HD660S2.

The second reason is that the HD660S2 were a gift and at the time of being given them, I was not in a financial situation to upgrade. I'm still not, as I have other priorities to take care of. I enjoy what I have and have avoided audio communities as replying to assholes like you aren't worth it.

Great review - it shows you know your setup inside and out, and will prove quite relatable and useful from a music and entertainment perspective.

 

[trentino]

Why would you use JDS/low end electronics if you are reviewing gear

What do you men low end, JDS is good stuff right?

 

[chesebert]

What do you men low end, JDS is good stuff right?

Entry level stuff. Fine for regular use but not appropriate for a reviewer.

 

[trentino]

Entry level stuff. Fine for regular use but not appropriate for a reviewer.

Why in HELL would it be more appropriate to use high end gear for reviews?

And why do I even bother.