For players who have been exposed to home earmuffs for a long time, Sennheiser’s HD 600 and HD 650 can be said to be the masterpieces of high-end earmuffs. At that time, Bayerdynamic DT880, AKG K701, etc. were regarded as European models. representative headphones, and with the emergence of a new flagship headphone craze in the headphone market, Beyerdynamic launched T1, AKG now also has K812 Pro, Sennheiser also launched a new generation of HD 800, and the HD 600 series has also been relegated to the sub-flagship. However, after the HD 800 revision Finally, it was the turn of the HD 600 series to be revised, and the new generation HD 660S was born.
Compared with the HD800 that came out in 2009, the upgraded version HD 800S was launched in 2016. It took a longer time to go from HD650 to HD660S. After the HD650 came out in 2003, it took more than ten years before it was reintroduced. The birth of the HD660S can be said to be because the HD 600 and HD650 are so good. On the other hand, the HD 700, which debuted with the HD 800 at that time, was not as popular and even less famous than the HD600 and HD650. This may have made Sennheiser hesitate to replace it. These two popular headphones have been upgraded.
On the one hand, HD 660S can be said to be the successor of HD 600 and HD 650, but at the same time, it is also given the mission of a new generation of headphones, making changes in sound and driving force. HD 660S has changed from the past. The 300 ohm setting between HD 580 and HD 650 reduces the impedance setting to 150 ohm, making the headphones relatively easy to drive. On the other hand, it also moves the sound style towards the new generation Sennheiser ***, eliminating the scratchy characteristics of the past. , making the sound relatively bright.
From the appearance point of view, HD 660S inherits the frame design of HD 600 and HD 650, and also retains Sennheiseer’s double-pin replaceable cable design used in HD 600 series and HD25 series, but the appearance color is not as good as HD 600 The marble pattern or the technical silver of HD 650, HD 660S has a matte black similar to HD 800S, but the color of the baffle and monomer revealed by the mesh of the open design prevents it from being too monotonous.
At the same time, the biggest difference between HD 660S and HD 600 and HD 650 is the processing method of the metal mesh on the side. The metal mesh of HD 660S has a slight protrusion at the rear through stamping. The shape and the addition of the Sennheiser logo make it easier to identify the HD 660S as a Sennheiser product. However, a shape design like this is almost a registered trademark of the Sennheiser HD 600 family, making it difficult to misidentify it.
In terms of accessories, HD 660S provides two headphone cables, one is a common 6.3mm single-ended cable with a 3.5mm conversion cable, and the other is made by Japan’s JEITA Five-pole 4.4mm balanced terminals. Judging from Sennheiser's recent policies, they also choose reliable and convenient 4.4mm terminals as the main promoted balanced terminals. However, because HD 660S adopts a replaceable cable design, it can also be used on the market. I bought balanced cables with different interfaces. Considering the convenience of matching the equipment at home, I also borrowed Sennheiser's original 4-pin XLR terminals from the general agent Zhou Xuanshang.
HD 660S uses a 40mm moving coil unit, a fully open design, an impedance of 150 ohms, a frequency response of 10Hz-41kHz, and a sensitivity of 104dB. From the unit size and book data, many people Will HD 660S be regarded as a version of transplanting HD 700 monomer to HD 600 series, but will it have the same sound even if it is the same monomer? I'm afraid that's not the case. After all, the frame design of the HD 700 is very different from the HD 600 series. Even if they are both open designs, the material and design of the ear cups are completely different. It is impossible to have the same effect on the physical characteristics.
Putting on the HD 660S, as the title says, it is a sound that is both familiar and unfamiliar. What is familiar is the small and medium-sized sound field but rich in details of the HD 600 and HD 650. However, the unfamiliar sound It lacks the unique scratchy sound of the previous HD 600 and HD 650. Although the sound of the HD 660S is not as bright and aggressive as Japanese headphones, it is closer to the HD 800, which retains delicacy and resolution in a slightly dark style. However, in the sound On-field performance is far different.
Based on the author’s personal experience, the sound field of HD 660S is even smaller than that of Sony’s MDR-Z7 closed-back earphones at a similar price range, but fortunately it is not as oppressive as Ultrasone Pro 2900, but thanks to the open design As a result, the HD 660S has a full sense of detail and separation. Even if the overall sound field is closer to the front, it can still show the performance and separation of various instruments, and will not suddenly get lost when a large number of instruments and vocals are mixed. Position of performers and instrument sounds.
Due to the more delicate sound, the high-frequency feeling that was difficult to present in the HD 600 and HD 650 in the past has become much more obvious in the HD 660S, but it does not become harsh, but it still cannot be called high-frequency. Although the mid-range sound of the well-known headphones is less hoarse, it does not make it thinner. At the same time, the low frequency is not obvious at first listen, but it is not without low frequency. It is just that the low frequency performance of HD 660S is relatively obscure, with deep dive and energy. The feeling is very good, and you can feel the lingering aftertaste of instruments such as drums in dynamic performances.
In terms of style, the HD 660S is more like the HD 600, which tends to have a fresh and neutral style. It is far from the HD 650’s emphasis on loud and loud style. I think if you prefer the HD 600 but want the sound More sophisticated players may consider directly upgrading to the HD 660S to avoid trouble. However, if you like the powerful and powerful sound of the HD 650, the HD 660S, which has less pronounced low-frequency volume, may not be suitable.
In addition, on home devices and even portable devices, the HD 660S, which is reduced to 150 ohms, is obviously much easier to handle than the HD 600 and HD 650. I paired it with the Geek Dac XFi at home?by LH Lab (4Pin XLR connection ), Audiotrack DR.DAC3 (6.3 single-ended), both have more complete driver performance than HD 600 and HD 650 with the same equipment. At the same time, it also has a certain level when paired with Sony Walkman ZX300. This is also the case with the previous HD 600 series. Unprecedented.
Of course, as far as the current market price is concerned, the HD 700, which is being attacked by the HD 800, HD 650, and HD 600, has fallen to an unprecedented low price abroad, even lower than the current new HD 660S. At the same time, The style of the HD 700 is more like the imposing feel of the HD 650, and it also has a larger sound field than the HD 600 series. However, if we consider long-term reality, I will still recommend the HD 660S.
Why do I still recommend HD 660 S despite similar prices? The main reason lies in the rich accessories ecology of the entire HD 600 series, which has been cultivated for a long time. First of all, the pins of the HD 700 are relatively special, using an extended 3.5mm mono terminal, which is difficult to obtain in the market. Secondly, the price of the HD 700 series earmuffs It is also less. In comparison, the HD 660S can use a wide range of cables since the launch of the HD 600 and HD 650. The earmuffs also have sub-field options, and you can easily tune them by replacing the earmuffs, cables, etc. .
For old fans, the new generation tuning of HD 660S is nothing more than a betrayal to a certain extent. Without the unique husky characteristics of the past, HD 660S obviously no longer has the traditional sound. However, If you really want to put it this way, this is also the beginning of HD 800. For HD 660S, it is just Xiao Guicao's entry into the new generation style. What's more, many players have tried to eliminate HD by changing cables, removing sound insulation cotton, etc. 600 and HD 650, the timbre style of HD 660S also provides players with another new choice.