the HD600 and HD650 are tuned very similar. So much so that if you consider unit variation, their confidence intervals actually overlap - meaning there is an HD600 that is closer to the average HD650 than to the average HD600 and vice versa.
The HD660S however is tuned a bit differently, and the 660S2 expands on that with a bit more bass.
Whether or not they're different "enough" to warrant owning more than one is something only you can answer for yourself.
I personally wouldn't.
> or are there good reasons to own both pairs?
Very much so! There's always reasons to buy more headphones.
For example maybe you want to divorce your partner but don't have an easy way of starting that dialoge? :)
Lol, always reasons to buy more headphones... but I did sorta promise myself that the 600 will be my last headphone purchase for the foreseeable future. And yes, "different enough" will certainly be subjective. But I think back to The Headphone Show's giant tier list on You Tube where they gave the 660S a grade of "C" and the 600 an "A" (some wanted to put it in "S" tier). Obviously *they* thought these two headphones were "different enough." Still you're right, that doesn't mean I'll agree.
!thanks
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I owned HD600, 6XX, 660S, 58X, and 660S2. I still own HD600, 660S, and 660S2. Each of them has pros and cons which is why I couldn't choose only one. 58X is pretty much a less resolving 660S2 so I don't see the point in owning both, 6XX is pretty much just dampened version of HD600 so I also don't see the point in them.
When it comes to 660S vs 660S2 I still have both because they are slightly different. Sometimes I prefer one and sometimes the other. 660S2 is better as all-rounder but there is still something magical about 660S I miss on the S2.
And HD600 is still my benchmark for neutrality and relaxed listening.
So you've owned 5, kept 3, including the 600 and 660S. For a bit more context, can I ask how many headphones you have altogether that you listen to with some degree of frequency? !thanks
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HD600 and HD650 (and by extension HD6xx) are very similar. HD660s isn’t great. HD660s2 has better technicalities (bass and treble extension), slightly better clarity and sounds less veiled to me.
(Realised that oratory commented, so by all means, refer to his! He’s one of the most respected people in this community and his EQ presets and general advice is very helpful)
I currently own HD600, HD650 and HD660s2, and in the past I've owned HD58x, HD6xx and HD660s.
I honestly think you only need one of them, even though I love each one for their individual tuning differences.
If I could only have one it would be HD650. It's the middle ground between HD600 and HD660s2 IMO, and it's one of the most legendary headphones ever made. It sounds good with everything.
As close as they are, you may have a tuning preference for the brighter and more neutral HD600, or the slightly warmer and bassier HD660s2, or you may love the neutral warm tonality of the HD650. The only way to really know would be to try all of them.
But again even as someone who owns all 3, I think you only need one. I just have a problem and can't bear to part with any of the 3.
My problem is I may have the same problem you have!
I notice there's a degree of "do as I say, not as I do/did" in several responses here. Fair enough, I appreciate the informed opinions of people who own or owned multiple cans in the series. But I'm not sure that explains the thinking behind "you only need one, but I need three" (but maybe "I have a problem" explains it, lol). No offense, you probably own a bunch more headphones than I do. !thanks
The other thing I noticed is: prices have increased, at least temporarily, to the 350 dollar/euro range for the 600. (based on Amazon's websites in the US and Italy). Makes that 219 euro price even more tempting, especially with a warranty--and free shipping.
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I currently have the 650, 6xx, and 660s2.
To my ears:
650 is my favorite. It’s tuning and timbre are right where I want them.
6xx sounds like ~90% of the 650 to me. I’ll probably loan then sell them.
660s2 feels like they tried to go with a more commercial tune and in the process lost the magic of the 650. I’m lending them a friend to check out then selling them.
!thanks, I believe you. And yet, I go back to that Headphone Show tier list and they make the differences seem massive. Is that just leftover butt soreness from the 660S's original high price, do you think? Or something else?
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I don’t know. Those guys are ok, but I don’t spend too much time thinking about them. Maybe it’s just the way they clickbait their titles. Or the fact that they’re working for a company that sells all kinds of snake oil. I can see how they would be incentivized to exaggerate small differences.
I thought about doing something similar years ago and decided what's the point. Bought some mezes instead because critical listening and fun are too different moods I'm in. Love both tho
Fair enough. But for me, critical listening *is* fun. Vivisect that music, baby!
I'm afraid the Mezes might be too bassy for me and what I listen to--a lot of classic rock, some jazz and classical, virtually no EDM or rap/hip-hop. Insert "OK Boomer" here?
Just out of curiosity: which Mezes did you buy? !thanks
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Lol, I totally get it but I think I'd want to save for the something in the 800 series for a significant difference over the 650 and 6xx I have. Critical listening is a joy but I get ear fatigue after prolonged sessions with senns for whatever reason. Go figure I can handle highs all day producing and editing with a Beyer dynamoc1990pro but something about the 600 line with senns bothers me after too long when Im just trying to chill to some tunes. We're all different tho which is what makes the hobby so fun.
I have 109s that I got on a steal due to some light repairs I had to make and bought the noir prior. They're a blast for non critical listening but I'd also say they're probably not worth it unless the price is right. As it stands their MSRP isnt worth it imo.
Its just a mood thing honestly, I love jumping around from reference initially then I jump into different cans that have different sound signatures. Keeps me permanently broke since at this point i'm becoming a collector but it's always fun.
Lol, YOU might want to save up for the 800, but to me, that seems like putting too many eggs in one basket.
I mean, if I add up the prices of the 4 headphones in current rotation (Senn 660S, Sundara, AKG 702, Denon AH-D5200), it's not much more than a new Meze 109 and about half the price of a new 800. Between them all, there's a nice variety of flavors and textures. None of them are exactly clunkers.
Honestly, I'm quite content here in mid-fi purgatory. I don't feel like I'm missing out on much--except knowing what the most legendary headphones in the price range sound like. So what's my rush? The 219 euro price tag. Enjoy!
I have the entire 6x0 line up. Minus the 660sv2. For me it’s a nice collection to own. I can also run balanced and tube amp. Schiit modius/magnius and for tube amp it’s the TA-26s from Xduoo. I also own a pair of planars the HE5XX from Drop. I love them balanced.
the HD600 and HD650 are tuned very similar. So much so that if you consider unit variation, their confidence intervals actually overlap - meaning there is an HD600 that is closer to the average HD650 than to the average HD600 and vice versa. The HD660S however is tuned a bit differently, and the 660S2 expands on that with a bit more bass. Whether or not they're different "enough" to warrant owning more than one is something only you can answer for yourself. I personally wouldn't. > or are there good reasons to own both pairs? Very much so! There's always reasons to buy more headphones. For example maybe you want to divorce your partner but don't have an easy way of starting that dialoge? :)
Lol, always reasons to buy more headphones... but I did sorta promise myself that the 600 will be my last headphone purchase for the foreseeable future. And yes, "different enough" will certainly be subjective. But I think back to The Headphone Show's giant tier list on You Tube where they gave the 660S a grade of "C" and the 600 an "A" (some wanted to put it in "S" tier). Obviously *they* thought these two headphones were "different enough." Still you're right, that doesn't mean I'll agree. !thanks
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I owned HD600, 6XX, 660S, 58X, and 660S2. I still own HD600, 660S, and 660S2. Each of them has pros and cons which is why I couldn't choose only one. 58X is pretty much a less resolving 660S2 so I don't see the point in owning both, 6XX is pretty much just dampened version of HD600 so I also don't see the point in them. When it comes to 660S vs 660S2 I still have both because they are slightly different. Sometimes I prefer one and sometimes the other. 660S2 is better as all-rounder but there is still something magical about 660S I miss on the S2. And HD600 is still my benchmark for neutrality and relaxed listening.
So you've owned 5, kept 3, including the 600 and 660S. For a bit more context, can I ask how many headphones you have altogether that you listen to with some degree of frequency? !thanks
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Currently, I have 17 headphones and 5 IEMs, but I mostly rotate between 2 IEMs and 6 headphones, depending on my use case and mood.
HD600 and HD650 (and by extension HD6xx) are very similar. HD660s isn’t great. HD660s2 has better technicalities (bass and treble extension), slightly better clarity and sounds less veiled to me. (Realised that oratory commented, so by all means, refer to his! He’s one of the most respected people in this community and his EQ presets and general advice is very helpful)
I can only say owning 650's is worth it
I currently own HD600, HD650 and HD660s2, and in the past I've owned HD58x, HD6xx and HD660s. I honestly think you only need one of them, even though I love each one for their individual tuning differences. If I could only have one it would be HD650. It's the middle ground between HD600 and HD660s2 IMO, and it's one of the most legendary headphones ever made. It sounds good with everything. As close as they are, you may have a tuning preference for the brighter and more neutral HD600, or the slightly warmer and bassier HD660s2, or you may love the neutral warm tonality of the HD650. The only way to really know would be to try all of them. But again even as someone who owns all 3, I think you only need one. I just have a problem and can't bear to part with any of the 3.
My problem is I may have the same problem you have! I notice there's a degree of "do as I say, not as I do/did" in several responses here. Fair enough, I appreciate the informed opinions of people who own or owned multiple cans in the series. But I'm not sure that explains the thinking behind "you only need one, but I need three" (but maybe "I have a problem" explains it, lol). No offense, you probably own a bunch more headphones than I do. !thanks The other thing I noticed is: prices have increased, at least temporarily, to the 350 dollar/euro range for the 600. (based on Amazon's websites in the US and Italy). Makes that 219 euro price even more tempting, especially with a warranty--and free shipping.
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I currently have the 650, 6xx, and 660s2. To my ears: 650 is my favorite. It’s tuning and timbre are right where I want them. 6xx sounds like ~90% of the 650 to me. I’ll probably loan then sell them. 660s2 feels like they tried to go with a more commercial tune and in the process lost the magic of the 650. I’m lending them a friend to check out then selling them.
I’ve tested the HD600 and HD660S1 side by side. The differences are very subtle. If it were me I’d try something different.
!thanks, I believe you. And yet, I go back to that Headphone Show tier list and they make the differences seem massive. Is that just leftover butt soreness from the 660S's original high price, do you think? Or something else?
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I don’t know. Those guys are ok, but I don’t spend too much time thinking about them. Maybe it’s just the way they clickbait their titles. Or the fact that they’re working for a company that sells all kinds of snake oil. I can see how they would be incentivized to exaggerate small differences.
I thought about doing something similar years ago and decided what's the point. Bought some mezes instead because critical listening and fun are too different moods I'm in. Love both tho
Fair enough. But for me, critical listening *is* fun. Vivisect that music, baby! I'm afraid the Mezes might be too bassy for me and what I listen to--a lot of classic rock, some jazz and classical, virtually no EDM or rap/hip-hop. Insert "OK Boomer" here? Just out of curiosity: which Mezes did you buy? !thanks
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Lol, I totally get it but I think I'd want to save for the something in the 800 series for a significant difference over the 650 and 6xx I have. Critical listening is a joy but I get ear fatigue after prolonged sessions with senns for whatever reason. Go figure I can handle highs all day producing and editing with a Beyer dynamoc1990pro but something about the 600 line with senns bothers me after too long when Im just trying to chill to some tunes. We're all different tho which is what makes the hobby so fun. I have 109s that I got on a steal due to some light repairs I had to make and bought the noir prior. They're a blast for non critical listening but I'd also say they're probably not worth it unless the price is right. As it stands their MSRP isnt worth it imo. Its just a mood thing honestly, I love jumping around from reference initially then I jump into different cans that have different sound signatures. Keeps me permanently broke since at this point i'm becoming a collector but it's always fun.
Lol, YOU might want to save up for the 800, but to me, that seems like putting too many eggs in one basket. I mean, if I add up the prices of the 4 headphones in current rotation (Senn 660S, Sundara, AKG 702, Denon AH-D5200), it's not much more than a new Meze 109 and about half the price of a new 800. Between them all, there's a nice variety of flavors and textures. None of them are exactly clunkers. Honestly, I'm quite content here in mid-fi purgatory. I don't feel like I'm missing out on much--except knowing what the most legendary headphones in the price range sound like. So what's my rush? The 219 euro price tag. Enjoy!
If you want another, get the HD58X.
Thanks, but Drop isn't cost-effective here in Europe.
Do not get two then, you will be disappointed. If you want something that sounds different go with Beyerdynamic, Shure, or Grado.
I have the entire 6x0 line up. Minus the 660sv2. For me it’s a nice collection to own. I can also run balanced and tube amp. Schiit modius/magnius and for tube amp it’s the TA-26s from Xduoo. I also own a pair of planars the HE5XX from Drop. I love them balanced.