Senneheiser HD660S Impressions

A real kick from Tyll for Senheisser to come up with some serious new phones soon.

 

Man that video was almost heartbreaking. I've got no real horse in all this, but I can't begin to imagine how people who've been in this hobby for so long and kept such a passion for it burning must feel about one of the old guard replacing a well-loved headphone with something, well, inferior.

And for the record, the HD600 has the best finish of the lot.

 

HD660S "The Tragedy Continues"

I still wish Sennheiser had read some threads on SBAF. They would have had a real winner on their hands then.
In before Jude calling out Tyll for "reviewing a defective copy."

 

I haven't been thru this thread, other reviews or Head-Fi/Head-Case posts.
I just saw Tyll's negative review.
I own 600, 650, AKG-K701, beyer 880/990, various Grados. Also several IEM incl. IE-8.
All purchased new. In every experience with dynamic 'phones, there was some amount of break-in time needed. Esp. Grado, AKG-701 and IE-8.
Wonder how long Tyll let his 660's break in. If i were him, I'd use burn-in tones (XLO Test/Burn In CD), playing at less than mid-volume. Put the track on repeat -- let it run in for a few days. Then listen, AGAIN!

 

Break in time is always a contentious subject. Is it real or not? Any measurement folks done an experiment to see if it is there? Personally I have found break in to be more of a function of my psychoacoustic system adjusting to a new sound signature. The Klipsch HP-3 being a good example. But I could be wrong. Just for full disclosure I’m sure it exists with some speakers and Schiit Multibit DAC’s. And some tubes.

 

Yes.
I switch from my HD600s to some Grado SR80s, and the Grados (initially) sound bright. Give em' a few minutes listening, and I'm diggin' their SQ (what brightness?!).

Most new cans I've bought new (except 'statics) need some burn-in. AKG, Grado and those Senn IE-8s -- over 200 hrs.

 

I'd say that folks with Tyll's level of experience would be able to quickly size-up the capabilities of the gear they're listening with, and when appropriate, give the gear and their ears sufficient time to make a subjective impression. And more to the point, he did say that it is a good headphone, just not one that lives up to Senn's claim of "the legend continues". I'm not sure any amount of time will be able to alleviate Tyll's disappointment, not dislike of the 660S.

I especially like his closing comment, essentially nailing the consensus opinion: "Kind of bad news."

 

Yes, he seemed like he was about to cry..

but after watching that, I have a greater appreciation for the HD650..

 

Yes, let's trot out the old chestnut of break-in to hand-wave away a negative review.

 

This is close to off topic, but:

Tyll himself went out of his way to measure whatever break-in there may be using a slew of, if memory serves, AKG K701s, cans which are notorious for needing break in. Results show that the differences between a new pair and a thoroughly-played pair were, at best, minimal.

Also, I'm sorry, but using "break-in" as an argument only to later say that "yes, I'm aware it's more often than not merely a result of psychoacoustic adaptation" is self-defeating in a sense, is it not?

I've not yet heard the 660S, but after all this I'm quite less keen to go out of my way and do so. Say what you will about poisoning the water (or whatever the expression is), but if I can get a better pair of cans in the HD650 for much less, then I'm not complaining.

Lastly, and I'm speaking from experience here, you may want to exercise caution with those Grados if you've come to the point where you feel they're not bright. Treble on those things is fun, but...

 

Well done Sennheiser with almost matching the performance of a 20 year old design! The trendy will buy the jet-black set with logos on the grilles, those in the know will buy 600 / 650 / 6xx. Maybe the play is to catch both market segments.

If you ask me HD650 will coexist next to the 600 and 660s in the line-up for some time still. If not it will be a grave and uncharacteristic misjudgement by the Germans.

 

If Sennheiser discontinues the HD650, something has gone terribly wrong on their management team. This is really quite worrisome, if this is direction they plan to take in the future.

 

Nice try, Jude.

Ah yes... Zee Germans!

 

Does 1972 qualify as a long time? Yeah, heartbreaking is a good term. Infuriating also. A chance for Senn to improve on an already great headphone. What do they do? Make an inferior one, $200 more, and then discontinue the better and cheaper headphone. Must have been a change in management. 21st century marketing. Screw the customer, just make more money!

 

Whenever break-in time is used as an excuse, I just think of those times where you walk into a really shitty smelling room, and then you don't notice it after the first ten minutes. Your brain gets used to the shitty smell, and you think it's not that bad. The same goes with headphones.

 

I bought the K701’s in 2006 after a glowing review from Wes Phillips in Stereopile. They were their usual bright sounding ear piercing selves. But Wes said they needed break-in. 100 hours. Same. 200. Same. 400 hours. Same. But I kept them on. After a couple of albums I’m thinking, hey these things are finally broken in. They have had many hours after that, as they were $450 and that was and is a lot of money and I wasn’t going to buy something else. Then I discovered the HD650. Strange. They sounded excellent on hour one. Still sound great all these years later. Your ears adjust just like your nose. Adaptation. All senses do it to one degree or another. I’ve learned not to listen to a new headphone for too long when I am evaluating the sound because of this. If it sounds good on the first few tracks it might be a winner.

Every so often I plug in the K701’s. Same.

Speakers. Different animal.

 

lol... reminds me of the "smell" of the HD800S the first few seconds I put them on. I was like WTF is wrong with the bass. Where is the definition and clarity I was used to on HD800. This was just after I sold the HD800 BTW. Then, with buyers remorse, I adjusted to the wolly fuzzy bass easy peasy!

The smell was staunching again after 3 to 4 months and off they were sold with another loss. I really should have "smelt" them and HD800 at a show or something.... Sound advice.

 

TBH the only break in worth mentioning about the 660 is pad break in. Worn in 6x0 pads do sound warmer and smoother, but at the same time also sound muddy and mushy.

 

What about rooms that smell great when you walk in, but smell shitty ten minutes later?

 

Those are called restrooms.