Chrono Reviews the Sennheiser HD660s - A legend at a premium

Sennheiser HD660s: www.headphones.com/products/s...
The HEADPHONE Community thread: forum.headphones.com/t/sennhe...
Written Review: www.headphones.com/blogs/news...
EQ Profiles: forum.headphones.com/t/chrono...
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Twitter: / itsggchrono

[@kentbergstrom3020]

Great review, I tried your EQ settings and it made them sound perfect, thanks for the tip.

[@danterikxx]

another great video keep up with the good work

[@FabioKasper]

Great stuff Chrono.

[@K_DC]

My Drop's hd6xx (650) is on its way. Thanks for the 660 review.

[@Tripokaridos22]

Both are amazing i love them.

[@brianliu522]

I am using iFi Zen DAC v1. balanced connection with HD660s. Very happy with the results. Dave’s review is bang on. They are very smooth, natural and realistic sound with a touch of warmth. With 150 ohm impedance I never need to turn the volume above 11 o’clock. As it is not heavy, I can listen for a few hours without feeling fatigue. I mainly listen to classical music which I think HD660s is ideal for this genre. No matter it’s Chopin’s nocturne (solo piano) or Schubert’s string quartets or symphonies by Beethoven and Mahler involving 100 + pieces of instruments of varied tones and textures, the HD660s reproduces them with ease and accuracy. The HD660S makes me feel I am sitting right in the best seat of the concert hall.

[@poolepaul4158]

Agreed. I just got my HD660S for £350 and the iFi Zen DAC V2 for £150. This setup has literally changed how I listen to music. Love them.

[@6643bear]

Hi I am thinking in buying hd660 I have a hd6xx and sennheiser doing fir £259 I wonder if it’s with to buy the 660s . I also have zen dac v2 . Regards mark

[@brianliu522]

@@6643bear if you already have the HD6XX, I am not sure if it would be worth getting the HD660S as they probably sound somewhat similar. One benefit of HD660S is that you can drive it easily with your Zen DAC with balanced connection. For HD6XX, the Zen DAC alone is not efficient enough and you need to add the Zen CAN or another amplifier. I recently added the Xduoo MT-604 to Zen DAC for the HD660S, and the HD800S I am getting soon.

[@6643bear]

@@brianliu522 Hi Brian , thanks for the reply , I was thinking of the 660 as at the moment sennheiser now reduced it to £259, as the S2 model now is out . I agree with the balanced lead can be useful with zen dac v2 or my zen dac air on my other system . The build quality of the 6xx is ok but now doesn’t come with that nice hinged box and only comes with a 1.8m cable. I also have had 560s as well old hd575 which is the most comfortable headphone over the others . I am lucky also that my Rotel A11 drives all my headphones well . Good luck with the dac and hd800s . Regards mark

[@hankduncan8884]

Listening to this with my 660s which i purchased semi recently. Good review.

[@ambujmalpure2361]

How bass

[@hankduncan8884]

ambuj malpure Not very much Bass. That’s what I prefer though.

[@Randomizer92mx]

@@hankduncan8884 can confirm: less bass but more clarity

[@SlasherWKEY]

@@ambujmalpure2361 you can autoeq and it has more bass they are very good for EQ

[@Krmpfpks]

Hey there. I have the 650 together with a NFB-11 and a topping Dx7s and it doesn’t roll off below 80hz. Could you post your graphs and the amps you measured with?

[@wh3atus]

660s vs 1990 pro which should I get for gaming? Thanks

[@jairogalarza2849]

Good review! On a side note, where did you get that beautiful artwork that's located in the upper left half of the review video visible in frames where you can see the Audeze headphones laying on top of the desk. Anyone know?

[@chrono-headphonereviews242]

They’re Kimetsu no Yaiba (Demon Slayer) posters from the online store displate

[@mrsmith4848]

Are these good for lossless audio and doubly atamos ?

[@Tripokaridos22]

Correction Pads are Hubrid Velur and Artificial leather down the ring just take of the pads and see it.

[@rogerIndianKing]

Thank you very much! As a one time investment, for a music listener of classical, jazz and Indian, should I go with HD6xx or focal elex? Thanks everyone.

[@1ce2berg]

Elex, but there is a risk of quality control issues and driver faulire apparently

[@Just.May_May]

Beatles on the wall...automatic upvote!

[@6643bear]

Hi , thanks for message, my 6xx with custom cans bass mod with helps bass at the lower end , I do fancy the 660s2 but I need to check them out compared with my 6xx before I buy them as you know the 650 and 660 not much lower bass hence I fitted the bass mod to my 6xx

[@bogospel]

This or Audeze lcd1 driven off DF cobalt?

[@LoveBystroem]

Why is this video only available in 144p for me?

[@DBSTH0R]

Very nicely done review. Can you share the info which headphone stand is that?

[@chrono-headphonereviews242]

Thanks for checking it out! Audioquest Perch stand is the stand I use.

[@DBSTH0R]

@@chrono-headphonereviews242 Thanks!

[@LiLSCRIBE]

What would you recommend for mastering hip-hop music and listening to hip-hop music: the hd 600 or the HD660s? Thanks for your advice

[@SeanLiu4]

Nice review. Pretty much agree with everything you've said about the headphone, especially its price. Why the idiots at sennheiser keep this headphone priced at $500 USD in North America is beyond me. At $400, you'd definitely justify the price better and be more competitive at that price point

[@Tripokaridos22]

In Europe HD 6xx cost 300 with taxes and HD 660 cost 370... So.everyone is buying HD660

[@RideRedRacer]

i found these on sale at Best Buy for $400 a few days ago. bought them right away. they had them mislabeled and he tore the price tag down when i bought them haha

[@SeanLiu4]

@@RideRedRacer I'm more surprised that best buy had any of these in stock than I am that you managed to buy them for $400

[@RideRedRacer]

@@SeanLiu4 ya i feel like i got extremely lucky finding these for $400, i was ready to pay $500 on Amazon. But inside my Best Buy there is a Magnolia store in the back corner. I found them mislabeled in the Magnolia store

[@Tripokaridos22]

@@RideRedRacer Lucky you... Trust me HD660S are the End Game under 1.000 euro

[@hristescualexandru9816]

hi, what do you recommend for gaming? something with splendid imaging and for good hi fi listening. I'm planing to buy the iFi Can amp dac stack. Thank you!

[@jomme918]

Im going for hd660s and ifi stack. Preparing for battlefield 6 :)🤫 I bet its going to be a killer setup.

[@Tripokaridos22]

Best image hd660s even compared to.my Sundara .

[@JorgeAlarconL]

I would say the AKG 712 Pro is a really nice option to go, especially if you want to play large scale games like Battlefield.

[@Tripokaridos22]

@@JorgeAlarconL true 712 pro are amazing for gaming.

[@atms001]

Looks really cool. Is this suitable for use on a smart phone or Mp3 player ?

[@jomme918]

To hard to drive for a smartphone, 150ohm need some form of portable amp, For audiopeople:)

[@Check4040]

Smartphone??

[@cloudbusting_]

@@jomme918 any recommendations on a portable amp for smartphone use?

[@jomme918]

@@cloudbusting_ not im not that much in too it, im using IFI ZEN stack on my desktop with them.

[@mingkee27]

I have its basic cousin (HD58X) Answer: depends HD58X loves MTK based hardware with headphones jack; Snapdragon platform is kind of lacking (USB-C DAC may help)

[@bubblefish8670]

After trying many quality headphones, and despite the negative comments I read, I finally got a pair on sale and can say that these Senn's 600 series cans are truly the king of mids.

[@henanethy4757]

Do you have any opinion about the HD 660S + IFI Zen DAC using with Tidal on my Mac mini? Is that a good mach?

[@jomme918]

Perfect match for joyful quality:) Zen dac+amp if the money is there.

[@brianliu522]

I use zen DAC driving HD660s with 4.4 mm balanced. Couldn’t be happier.

[@RX-rd4sc]

Hey, what will you recommend for sound quality(gaming and music) Audeze mobius or sundara or 660s Price is not an issue 1st? 2nd? 3rd?

[@throwawaAdam]

I hope im not late but dont buy audeze mobius i had mine for only 2 years before they break at the hinge from normal use

[@ohnonate]

How are these with classical music listening?

[@markevans5596]

Hi, just wondering if you tried them with the 4.4 cable? I'm looking for a pair of balanced 4.4s, you slightly put me off these as I love my bass... Could you recommend anything over these at a similar price please?

[@christopherstorrier5560]

After using a high quality hifi burn in disc on repeat played with plenty loud Rap & after a week they are not bass shy...i play bass & need no boost on my 660S's & more important can follow bass lines...quality over quantity any day...they took a week non-stop burning in & playing loud bassy music i am well pleased & even better bass quality & quantity in balanced mode with a Zen Dac v ll...plenty power in balanced mode & superior sound to single ended easily...i luv mine, when alone in house as not very quiet..lol

[@martinl.4696]

nice posters

[@ACFUN34]

I bought the 660s 2 years ago and i love them. I eq them with Peace EQ and data for the eq from Crinacle. Eq is a must with these imo.

[@user-ei7qz9mn2t]

What is the most enjoyable sounding headphone overall between 660s, sundara and 1990pro? I don't know much of technical performance and FR. I just want to sit back and listen to music..

[@chrono-headphonereviews242]

From my experience the HD 660S is the most "laid-back" or "relaxing." I like the Sundara the most of the three, but I think some people might find it a little bright. The DT 1990 Pro, at least in my experience, was fatiguing very quickly because of an aggresive peak in the treble.

[@DrAg0n3250]

hd650. got a pair for $350 new. 660s i use for balanced

[@DuranInternational]

@@DrAg0n3250 how do they sound balanced, better then unbalanced?

[@KryssN1]

@@chrono-headphonereviews242 I concur, I have the same experience with this. The DT1990 Pro was too fatiguing to me. Sundara was tad too bright for my taste, not sibilant though. The HD660S was just on the edge which was perfect.

[@6643bear]

Hi great video just bought mine for £259, only because s2 now available, I also have hd6xx as well , I have to systems and 2 ifi zen Dacs on each system. Only because if it’s price point that’s why I bought them. Regards mark

[@unclethathurts]

Which do you prefer between s2 and 6xx?

[@iplaydrunk9979]

Sold my 660s for 320$ buy a used 650 160$ saves me like 160$ 650 is more enjoyable and relax,while 660s got better detail, imaging overall 650 and 600 timbre is just especial,not on 660s tho.IDK maybe just my imagination lol

[@iplaydrunk9979]

@@metal571 Oh sht The Man, The Myth, The Legend ! yes that what i noticed i got brand new pads with them =)

[@jamesbittle2138]

@@metal571 Don't sell yourself short Metal. You have good ears, sir.

[@bozoc2572]

@@metal571 Indeed. Also when both are EQ-ed I still preferred HD650

[@mogensen84]

​@@metal571 I just sold my HD58x and placed an order for the HD660s .. I really enjoyed the HD58x, but if I can get just 5-10% better sound with the HD660s I'm happy to pay a bit extra. In worst case I'll just return them to Amazon and reorder the HD58x 😅 From what I could read, the HD660s should be better for gaming compared to the HD58x, HD6xx and the HD600 - I'm not really into music .. Just footsteps and explosives 😆

[@RC-qc2nz]

@@metal571 I am from Germany and I have the 660s new for 300.00 And I think it's one of the best headphones I have ever heard. And I heard a lot. If the pads will make the sound a tad warmer than it is the right choice to choose the 660s I think. Here in Germany all of the 6...line costs sometimes the same. So it is just a matter of taste I think.

[@Twisted1690]

can you use these for gaming im looking for really good gaming headphones for around the price of these. could anyone recommend any for my i also have a electro voice e20 mic so want a good headset to go along with it thanks.

[@PlanktoniusRex]

These are for music.

[@zurz060]

The headphones are on sale rn for 260 quid on their site

[@davidcoupe4695]

Can I have the link for the amp please or something similar up to 100 pound. Bought these headphones and they’re coming this week

[@brianliu522]

Ifi Zen DAC v2. It is balanced, has the magic “True Bass” button 😊

[@Harzexe]

What if it would cost $420 instead? Because this is how much they cost here in Poland.

[@6643bear]

Hi thanks fir your reply I don’t have s2 to compare only s1 , but I do preferr my 6xx with custom can bass mod tho . I only bought the 660s1 because the price was only £259 . Thanks mark

[@KryssN1]

I also liked HD650 more with ifi Zen Dac v2 over Hd660S for music enjoyment. But I concur that HD660S is a better overall headphones, if you were also gaming or doing music production. The detail retrieval, soundstage, separation and imagining is a step above HD600 and HD650. I would take HD660S over HD600 for music production and listening. But not over HD650 for music listening. Then I tried Hd660S2 and found that I would take that over both for music listening and gaming, but not music production.

[@6643bear]

@@KryssN1 hi thanks for that only that my 6xx has custom cans bass mod , that’s why I use 660 with the balanced cable with 4.4mm pentagon plug on the ifi dac and using the true bass button on the. Regards mark

[@NISHUGARVU]

Is hd660s good for gaming ? And which amp should I buy

[@necrisro]

Yes, they are great for gaming, while not having the widest sound-stage, you can tell the source of a sound with a precision that simply demolishes any other "gaming" headset. Games with good sound design like RDR2 are absolute ear-candy with them and you can really tell the effort that's been put in recording all those effects. As for the AMP, honestly, if you got a PC with a decent sound-card you might not even need one as they aren't that picky with the sound source and it's best to test something before buying, especially when gaming since and AMP can increase quality at a loss of precision in the soundstage, FiiO tends to do that.

[@randomdude8897]

Late response, but you should buy an Amp and DAC stack like the Schiit Magni and Modi. It's literally game changer.

[@mammedthn]

yes they are super good for gaming. i've been using hd 660s for about a week and im loving them. they are extremely good fpr all kinds of genres in gaming :-)

[@thelastrhino2581]

Lol, LCD-1 references. Haha. Sennheiser headphones are still current after 2 decades +, LCD-1 gone off everyone's radar after 1 year.

[@sabergoli3518]

whats your daily driver for home listening?

[@chrono-headphonereviews242]

2020 Audeze LCD-2F (with EQ) or HD 6XX; I alternate between them pretty much every other day.

[@chrono-headphonereviews242]

a b I have not personally heard the XC myself, so I can’t really comment on how they compare directly. I can, however, say that I really enjoy the LCD-2F myself and I think it has great technical performance-it just needs a bit of EQ. Resolve made a video review very recently of the LCD-XC which you might want to check out. Hope that helps!

[@PeekaPeep]

So basically speaking, the HD660s is definitely worth buying IF AND ONLY IF it was priced at a hundred dollars below its currently listed price (around $500USD last time I checked)??? Sounds good to me, I'll wait... ;-)

[@Kpaxlol]

got them for around 380

[@rashedsaif4759]

@@Kpaxlol noice

[@leagueofotters2774]

@@rashedsaif4759 299 on amazon black friday now.

[@DenofLeos]

On eBay like new ones are $200, at steal.

[@revelationsoundstudio]

I just ordered the 660s headphones. As someone who has the Beyer 1990's, I find them good for mixing audio but not for playing music for enjoyment. The cymbals are too forward and the sss on vocals is too strong. I have the Focal Clear MG'S and I wanted to see if they are that much better than the 660's. I will know by next week.

[@AR-bj5et]

What's the verdict?

[@revelationsoundstudio]

@@AR-bj5et The 660s are more balanced with lows, mids, and highs compared to the Beyerdynamic 1990's with their sparkeled high end. The Focal Clear MGs are however produce a much improved detailed sound compares to the other two.

[@AR-bj5et]

@@revelationsoundstudio Nice. Which one do you find best for mixing?

[@revelationsoundstudio]

@@AR-bj5et Focal Clear MG's

[@DenofLeos]

Is the Focal Clear Mg pro, resolving enough to pin point errors in mixing easily without trying to look for them?

[@allansh828]

my only complaint is the loose bass.

[@jomme918]

Guess you are driving them with your motherboard?? Thay need raw power from ifi zen stack:)

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

He's not using them from his motherboard. These are being driven from a number of sources, including the JDS Element 2, iDSD Micro Black Label, and more.

[@SergiiStarodubtsev]

Is it good one? In 2023

[@MrPetermc199]

Music is a feeling, not a diagram.

[@ZeBubba]

399 euros/bucks would still be a lot for a slightly different 600-series headphone. Go with HD6XX or used HD600/650, if you ask me.

[@Tripokaridos22]

Not even close 660.are faster clearer and tighter on bass.

[@ZeBubba]

@@Tripokaridos22 Yeah, just get the 6xx. Tho 600 is better. And I've had both.

[@Tripokaridos22]

@@ZeBubba mate Not everyone is from US... In Europe HD6xx cost me 300 euros.with taxes. Hd650 cost me 320 and HD 660 cost me 370 euros... More logical buy are the HD 660s in Europe. Why everyone are reacting like all the world is US only ?

[@ZeBubba]

@@Tripokaridos22 I'm from the EU too. For us eu folk a used 600 is the best deal imo. 660s is way too expensive.

[@Randomizer92mx]

@@ZeBubba you can drive 660s from a phone whereas for 600 you need a DAC so you have to spend more, so you reach the same price as 660s

[@fhf17]

why doesn't anyone even mention or try them with the balanced cable as it comes with it and Sennheiser states it improves sound quality and sound stage further.

[@mauriellediaz9166]

Hi. Can I connect these to my phone via Bluetooth?

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

Not without an es100

[@mauriellediaz9166]

The HEADPHONE Show could I get a usb end cable from sennheiser? Or is it only the jacks

[@depauwgerlings]

Are you insane?

[@K_DC]

Hi

[@callmevil]

I prefer the look of the black 660s more than the other blue and grey variants of the 600 line. my disappointment at the 660s came last week when my £80ish moondrop starfield arrived and sounded better (to my ears) than the 660s which i paid £400ish for 🤬🤬🤬

[@callmevil]

iplaydrunk99 nah, finding gems with cheap iems is my guilty pleasure in the hobby lol so price on the blessings 2 wouldnt cut it as id be expecting quality from it. 🤪

[@callmevil]

metal571 lol imagine that for a “reason to sell” description on ebay for the 660s.. the 660s are still my daily driver tho and i just bought new pads for them! so cant part with them yet

[@callmevil]

iplaydrunk99 cheap iem, used... whoa thats like a double rainbow lol

[@club2772]

I've had the starfield's as my first iems for a few months. but i got the tinaudio t3's and t4 and i just dont see a point in using the moondrops bc they seem tuned much darker than the t3 and t4. the t3 has relatively high treble detail so i like that one the most. for me i cant go back after that. jus me tho

[@Lemonzify]

Every time he mentions frequency response, take a shot

[@eliyahu3013]

ur mic is low damn

[@mutantbaby1672]

MASSDROP ALERT!!!!! $400 now!!!

[@biomechanism1]

No its C Tier Brother 😂

[@Vara91391]

No mic = no-go for that price.

[@AviMP]

No mic? Normie problems 😂