Sennheiser’s New $600 Headphones Enhance the Bass

Headphone fanatics could be a fickle bunch, however should you handle to tug a bunch of them away from their amps and Tremendous Audio CD gamers to ask them to advocate a pair of cans, most would level you in the direction of the Sennheiser 600-series. Over the previous 25 years, Sennheiser has been trickling out minor updates to the road, however the newest addition—the brand new HD 660S2—handle a typical criticism with latest fashions.

For these proud to tell apart themselves as true audiophiles, there’s no such factor as audio gear that’s too costly. If they’ve to decide on between a brand new automobile or a similarly-priced pair of headphones that promise to inch them nearer to acoustical nirvana, then you definately’ll most likely discover them taking the bus to work. That’s why headphones just like the $16,000 Sennheiser Orpheus HE90 and their follow-up, a $55,000 upgraded model merely referred to as the Orpheus, exist.

However you don’t should destroy your price range to deal with your ears. Again in 1997, Sennheiser additionally launched its HD 600 headphones, which provided wonderful sound, strong construct high quality, and a snug design for $450 ($832 in immediately’s cash). That they had a formidable steadiness of every little thing headphone fanatics wished, together with repairability, with out threatening you with complete monetary break. We’re not going to faux like each old-fashioned audio connoisseur may afford $450 headphones, particularly with inflation, however Sennheiser nonetheless sells these, now with a $400 worth level. Given that Apple now sells $550 AirPods, the HD 600 don’t precisely appear outrageously overpriced by comparability.

The truth that Sennheiser still sells a 27-year-old pair of headphones is a testomony to the HD 600’s capabilities, however over time, they’ve been joined by upgraded fashions together with the HD 650 and the HD 660S, which have launched new options like swappable cables and upgraded supplies. At this time’s reveal is the Sennheiser HD 660S2.

Most shoppers would most likely battle to listen to the distinction between the HD 660S and the brand new HD 660S2, however Sennheiser is positioning them as an answer that addresses a typical criticism with different latest fashions within the line: disappointing efficiency within the low-end frequencies. The corporate guarantees that “revised 300-ohm transducers” decrease the headphones’ “resonant frequency from 110 Hz (authentic HD 660S) right down to 70 Hz for hefty kick drums that transfer with ease.” The HD 660S2 additionally profit from “enhanced sub-bass tuning” and “a refined listening expertise due to improved transducer airflow.”

That final improve is a crucial one to notice should you’re contemplating any of the fashions within the 600-series lineup. These are all open-back headphones, which signifies that, not like choices from Sony and Apple, they gained’t cease folks from listening to you blast Britney on the subway. The HD 660S2 are literally designed to leak sound to enhance their efficiency. So that they’re horrible to be used within the workplace or on the bus or actually anyplace apart from the privateness of your personal dwelling. The open-back design additionally means any form of noise cancellation is simply not an possibility.

The Sennheiser HD 660S2 additionally aren’t wi-fi, however do embody a pair of 5.8-foot swappable cables with quarter-inch and 4.4-millimeter stereo plugs, in addition to an 1/8-inch adapter for these pairing the headphones with an amplifier, which is definitely really helpful to take full benefit of their capabilities. Lengthy story brief: these aren’t designed to compete with the feature-packed Sony WH-1000XM5 or the Apple AirPods Max. The $600 HD 660S2 are for individuals who need to benefit from the high-res audio they pay a premium for to the fullest, with out having to fret a few cellphone name or a random message notification disturbing their music. They’re additionally a participant within the reference area, which helps audio engineers tune their music. You possibly can pre-order from Sennheiser’s website, if both of these sounds such as you.