Sennheiser HD 660S2 : Wired for sound

Treat them with consideration where your source of music is concerned, and the Sennheiser HD 660S2 have plenty going for them

Punchy, expansive and information-rich sound; Balanced and unbalanced connections;

Diffident treble response; Intolerant of lower-quality sources;

Beyerdynamic targets audiophiles with its DT 1990 Pro open-back headphones

Open-back, wired headphones are, for a lot of audiophiles, the only kind of headphones worth using. They’ll wax poetic about the superior audio quality that comes from letting sound (which is to say, air vibrations) move freely in two directions — toward your ears, as well as away from them. For the longest time, I was having none of it. Having spent most of the last 20 years listening to nothing but closed-back headphones and deep-seated wired and wireless earbuds, I just didn’t think open-back cans could offer me anything I wasn’t already getting. I was wrong, and the Sennheiser HD 660S2 proved it. At $600, the Sennheiser HD 660S2 are pricey if you’re comparing them to the high-tech wonder that is Sony’s $400 WH-1000XM5. After all, the Sonys can operate wirelessly, they feature superb active noise cancellation (ANC), and they’re loaded with smart add-ons like the ability to automatically engage transparency mode when they sense you’re talking. And yeah, they sound amazing. However, c...

Detailed and dynamic sound; Excellent bass response; Balanced and unbalanced cables; Comfy enough for long sessions;

No case for protection; Clamping force may feel too strong;

Beats Studio Buds just had their price slashed from $150 to $90

Open-back, wired headphones are, for a lot of audiophiles, the only kind of headphones worth using. They’ll wax poetic about the superior audio quality that comes from letting sound (which is to say, air vibrations) move freely in two directions — toward your ears, as well as away from them. For the longest time, I was having none of it. Having spent most of the last 20 years listening to nothing but closed-back headphones and deep-seated wired and wireless earbuds, I just didn’t think open-back cans could offer me anything I wasn’t already getting. I was wrong, and the Sennheiser HD 660S2 proved it. At $600, the Sennheiser HD 660S2 are pricey if you’re comparing them to the high-tech wonder that is Sony’s $400 WH-1000XM5. After all, the Sonys can operate wirelessly, they feature superb active noise cancellation (ANC), and they’re loaded with smart add-ons like the ability to automatically engage transparency mode when they sense you’re talking. And yeah, they sound amazing. However, c...

Detailed and dynamic sound; Excellent bass response; Balanced and unbalanced cables; Comfy enough for long sessions;

No case for protection; Clamping force may feel too strong;

Don’t miss: Best Buy just knocked $500 off this 85-inch 4K TV

Open-back, wired headphones are, for a lot of audiophiles, the only kind of headphones worth using. They’ll wax poetic about the superior audio quality that comes from letting sound (which is to say, air vibrations) move freely in two directions — toward your ears, as well as away from them. For the longest time, I was having none of it. Having spent most of the last 20 years listening to nothing but closed-back headphones and deep-seated wired and wireless earbuds, I just didn’t think open-back cans could offer me anything I wasn’t already getting. I was wrong, and the Sennheiser HD 660S2 proved it. At $600, the Sennheiser HD 660S2 are pricey if you’re comparing them to the high-tech wonder that is Sony’s $400 WH-1000XM5. After all, the Sonys can operate wirelessly, they feature superb active noise cancellation (ANC), and they’re loaded with smart add-ons like the ability to automatically engage transparency mode when they sense you’re talking. And yeah, they sound amazing. However, c...

Detailed and dynamic sound; Excellent bass response; Balanced and unbalanced cables; Comfy enough for long sessions;

No case for protection; Clamping force may feel too strong;

Sony updates WH-1000XM5 with head-tracked spatial audio and better multipoint

Open-back, wired headphones are, for a lot of audiophiles, the only kind of headphones worth using. They’ll wax poetic about the superior audio quality that comes from letting sound (which is to say, air vibrations) move freely in two directions — toward your ears, as well as away from them. For the longest time, I was having none of it. Having spent most of the last 20 years listening to nothing but closed-back headphones and deep-seated wired and wireless earbuds, I just didn’t think open-back cans could offer me anything I wasn’t already getting. I was wrong, and the Sennheiser HD 660S2 proved it. At $600, the Sennheiser HD 660S2 are pricey if you’re comparing them to the high-tech wonder that is Sony’s $400 WH-1000XM5. After all, the Sonys can operate wirelessly, they feature superb active noise cancellation (ANC), and they’re loaded with smart add-ons like the ability to automatically engage transparency mode when they sense you’re talking. And yeah, they sound amazing. However, c...

Detailed and dynamic sound; Excellent bass response; Balanced and unbalanced cables; Comfy enough for long sessions;

No case for protection; Clamping force may feel too strong;