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Sennheiser HD600 Series Showdown and Reviews: HD600 vs. HD650/6XX vs. HD660S

Max_Settings
By Max_Settings
in Audio
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Posted
16 hours ago, Ashiella said:

But are they better than the HD 598s?

16 hours ago, Max_Settings said:

Yes, all are on the next lever from the 598. If you can get any of these used for $200 you would almost be an idiot to buy 598s new for $150. These are so much better than the 598s.

I only ever use my 518's now for portable home use (my 598c's for trips where I want isolation but they aernt as good as the original 5xx series)

Part of me would like to experience the imaging of the 660s since I use my 6XX's for gaming, but I'm just not picky enough to spend even another $350 since I'm completely satisfied with my current pair.

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Posted

I just recently upgraded from 598s to the 660S. I like them but now I'm torn between keeping them or selling them to get the 6XX and a better Dac/Amp instead. How good are the 6XX compared to the 660S for non-competitive gaming? I know the soundstage is about the same and imaging on 660S is better but are they worth the huge price difference? Are the 6XX less fatiguing than the 660S? Thanks in advance.

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17 minutes ago, Drake Mallard said:

I just recently upgraded from 598s to the 660S. I like them but now I'm torn between keeping them or selling them to get the 6XX and a better Dac/Amp instead. How good are the 6XX compared to the 660S for non-competitive gaming? I know the soundstage is about the same and imaging on 660S is better but are they worth the huge price difference? Are the 6XX less fatiguing than the 660S? Thanks in advance.

6XX is a decent gaming headphone but it wouldn’t be my top pick. I wouldn’t say the 660S is worth $300 more than the 660S because the improvement just isn’t there. The 660S isn’t fatiguing in the slightest it’s not much treble at all, but the 6XX does have less treble still.

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  • 2 weeks later...
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1 hour ago, Drake Mallard said:

I decided to keep the 660S and got the Q1 MKII for it. Thanks a lot your review was very informative.

20180626_225231.jpg

Very nice! I’m buying the HD58X today. Apparently there is a mod that makes them sound almost identical to the HD660S. I will be reviewing them shortly and I’ll let you know how they compare.

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Posted (edited)

I'm happily boogieing along with my HD6xx. Now that the clamp has loosened up, they're a joy to use. I use my Schiit Loki to monkey around with the base. Sometimes the analog tone control works, other times I just flip it to by-pass. It seems to me that the entire HD6... series have far too much mark-up here in Toronto, Ontario. I have no regrets buying my cans online.

 

Tubes... oh dang. Not buying THAT until the new year.

 

A great review, @Max_Settings . I still have a fixation about planar magnetic headphones (so I'm looking forward to your upcoming  HiFiMan [?] reflections).

Edited by Guest
extra BS... about tube headamps....
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21 minutes ago, PrometheanCat-1970 said:

I'm happily boogieing along with my HD6xx. Now that the clamp has loosened up, they're a joy to use. I use my Schiit Loki to monkey around with the base. Sometimes the analog tone control works, other times I just flip it to by-pass. It seems to me that the entire HD6... series have far too much mark-up here in Toronto, Ontario. I have no regrets buying my cans online.

 

Tubes... oh dang. Not buying THAT until the new year.

 

A great review, @Max_Settings . I still have a fixation about planar magnetic headphones (so I'm looking forward to your upcoming  HiFiMan [?] reflections).

I'm auditioning the HE1000 tomorrow, as well as the HD800, and LCD-X.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Any headphone that does not reproduce the full audible range from 20 Hz, at the correct amplitude, is garbage. Most of these overpriced audiophile headphones that being to roll off below 100 Hz are not good headphones that are "bass light" - they are just crap.

https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/MassdropHD6XX.pdf

 

Get some real full range headphones like the LCD series. Even those have low bass amplitude, but since they are flat to 10 Hz with low distortion, they can be EQed up to the Harman target with the Audeze Reveal plugin. You can use Equalizer APO to load the plugin, as well as apply loudness correction so you hear powerful bass like in the recording at any playback volume level.

https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/AudezeLCD2Classic.pdf

 

Only once this basic requirement is satisfied should you look at other aspects like soundstage.

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50 minutes ago, Monstieur said:

Any headphone that does not reproduce the full audible range from 20 Hz, at the correct amplitude, is garbage. Most of these overpriced audiophile headphones that being to roll off below 100 Hz are not good headphones that are "bass light" - they are just crap.

https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/MassdropHD6XX.pdf

 

Get some real full range headphones like the LCD series. Even those have low bass amplitude, but since they are flat to 10 Hz with low distortion, they can be EQed up to the Harman target with the Audeze Reveal plugin. You can use Equalizer APO to load the plugin, as well as apply loudness correction so you hear powerful bass like in the recording at any playback volume level.

https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/AudezeLCD2Classic.pdf

 

Only once this basic requirement is satisfied should you look at other aspects like soundstage.

That is completely incorrect. 

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On 7/9/2018 at 12:49 AM, Max_Settings said:

That is completely incorrect. 

https://sonarworks.com/blog/studio-headphone-review-sennheiser-hd660-s/

"The HD660S retains the main flaw of HD650 and HD600 – bass starts rolling off too early at around 80Hz."

"newer dynamic drivers models like Focal Elear show an improvement in this area."

 

Pretending that outdated headphones from last century that do not even cover the clearly audible range of human hearing are "reference quality" is an audiophile delusion. The HD650 only still exists today because the marketing department exploits such ignorance. The HD660S is a slap in the (ignorant audiophile's) face for $500.

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  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

Hey @Max_Settings wondering if you've had a chance to evaluate the HD58X's for gaming. Been following your reviews on my search for finding the best headphones for competitive gaming (under $300). I've been using HyperX Cloud II's and I've never had a pair of "real" headphones, but to me they sound too muddy and bassy to get good positioning for gaming although they are super comfy. I play competitively, and to me I am far more interested in positional accuracy (footsteps) than immersion and bass.

 

Curiously, on the 58X massdrop page, Sennheiser themselves recommended the PC37X (Game One's) Headset over the 58X for gaming, but they mention "fun" signature and comfort with no mention of positional accuracy. The description also claims the angled drivers are better, but I'm curious about what you have to say.

 

From Sennheiser:

Quote
You're currently on the drop page for the HD58X Jubilee. For gaming, it will have a linear sound, breathe out most of the heat that can build up, and have good weight and comfort for long-term listening sessions...however, the PC37X are more optimized for gaming, with a built-in microphone, on-headset volume dial to save your hearing if you need to quickly turn down the volume, and a more "fun" signature with extra bass to help with immersion, while also reducing heat build-up with it's open design and being lightweight and well-padded for long gaming sessions. Either will serve you well, but for gaming we would say the PC37X is better optimized.

 

 

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  • 4 years later...
Posted

I know this thread is quite old but since Sennheiser released the 660 S2, the 660S have been marked down to $290. Between the 6XX for $200 and 660 S for $290, which would you opt for? 

 

I already have the 6XX and I've always wondered if the 660 S were "better" because they cost so much more. I listen to a wide array of music, like classical, folk, indie, pop, and R&B. My playlist move from Natalie Merchant to Mariah Carey very quickly so I appreciate how the 6XX can handle both. 

 

So, will the 660 S be better than the 6XX, given my taste of music? 

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