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Head to head · for music listening
Sennheiser HD 650 vs HD 660S2
More people recommend the Sennheiser HD 650 overall (152 vs 60). None of the 107 comments that name both says outright which one to buy, so read the loves and complaints and decide by taste.
- Comments naming both
- 107
- Say they own both
- 16
- Choose the HD 650
- 0
- Choose the HD 660S2
- 0
Preference evidence:Limited0 explicit choices among 107 comments naming both.What the levels mean
Counted across 27 review videos, harvested Sep 2026. A comment counts as a choice only when it says so in plain words (prefer X over Y, upgraded from Y to X); questions never count. Quotes are whole sentences of 12 words or fewer, linked to where they were said. How we count.
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical price | $345cheaper | $680 |
| Overall rank | #1higher | #12 |
| People who recommend it | 152more | 60 |
| Say they own it | 213more | 90 |
| Mentions | 1,403more | 688 |
| Type | open-back wired | open-back wired |
| Known for | VocalsJazzRelaxed | WarmVocalsUpgrade |
| Best for | The one headphone almost everyone in the hobby has owned; recommended as the safe buy for long, relaxed music sessions. | Recommended as the modern Sennheiser 6-series by vocal-first listeners who found the HD 600 too lean. |
| Buy | Amazon · $345 | Amazon · $680Direct |
People who mention both, in their own words
“I own 598, 560S, 6XX, 660S and 660S2”
Owns bothA commenter under Sennheiser HD 490 Pro Review - Better than the HD6XX? (The Headphone Show) · Mar 2024
#1 overall
Sennheiser HD 650 (also sold as Drop HD 6XX)
25 of the 107 comments naming both come from people who say they own this one.
What owners love
- The single most-recommended headphone across every forum read: warm, smooth and easy to listen to for hours
- Scales with better amps; several owners run it on expensive tube amps and say it keeps up
- Female vocals and mids that owners describe as amazing
- The Drop HD 6XX version sold for $199-220 for years, which made it the default first audiophile headphone
The complaints
- Needs an amp; from a phone it sounds flat
- No real sub-bass
- Clamp is tight on big heads
- Some find the slight bass tilt less balanced than the HD 600; soundstage is small
In their words
“Been using HD6XX for years and I love them for gaming”
A commenter under What GAMING Headphones AUDIOPHILES Use: 2024 Update! (BadSeed Tech) · Jun 2024
“I have both 600 and 6xx and i love them both”
A commenter under The NEW HD600!! (Joshua Valour) · Feb 2020
“I have the HD-6XX and love them”
A commenter under Why You SHOULDN'T Buy HD 600... & What To Get Instead (The Headphone Show) · Sep 2025
#12 overall
Sennheiser HD 660S2
17 of the 107 comments naming both come from people who say they own this one.
What owners love
- Vocals and mids: owners who compared it with the Sundara and DT 1990 give it the win on voices
- Smoother, less fatiguing than bright rivals; long sessions without ear pain
- Large cups that fit big ears; light for hours of use
- The S2 adds the bass the original 660S was criticised for
The complaints
- Bass is still modest next to planars
- Some units creak
- Price: owners often call it a little overpriced against the HD 600/650 or the 58X
In their words
“Love my hd660S, couldn't imagine switching to anything else but the 660S2”
A commenter under Why You SHOULDN'T Buy HD 600... & What To Get Instead (The Headphone Show) · Sep 2025
“using the sennheiser hd 660s for gaming and i absolutely LOVE them”
A commenter under 5 of the Best Headphones Under $500 (Joshua Valour) · Feb 2020
“I recently bought the Sennheiser HD660S and I LOVE them”
A commenter under Open vs Closed Back Headphones for GAMING - Which Is Best? (Hardware Canucks) · Jul 2019
Questions people ask about this pair
Every answer is built from the counts on this page, not from our own listening.
- Is the Sennheiser HD 650 better than the Sennheiser HD 660S2?
- None of the 107 comments naming both says outright which one to buy. Overall, 152 people recommend the Sennheiser HD 650 and 60 the Sennheiser HD 660S2. Read what owners love and complain about below and decide by taste.
- Which is cheaper, the Sennheiser HD 650 or the Sennheiser HD 660S2?
- The Sennheiser HD 650 is cheaper: $345 against $680 when we last checked. Prices move, so the buy buttons show the live price.
- Which do more people recommend, the Sennheiser HD 650 or the Sennheiser HD 660S2?
- The Sennheiser HD 650: 152 people recommend it against 60. On the site-wide leaderboard the Sennheiser HD 650 is #1 and the Sennheiser HD 660S2 is #12.
- Do people own both the Sennheiser HD 650 and the Sennheiser HD 660S2?
- Yes. 16 of the 107 comments that name both come from people who say they own both pairs. 25 say they own the Sennheiser HD 650 and 17 the Sennheiser HD 660S2.
- What do owners complain about on the Sennheiser HD 650 and the Sennheiser HD 660S2?
- The most repeated complaint about the Sennheiser HD 650: needs an amp; from a phone it sounds flat. About the Sennheiser HD 660S2: bass is still modest next to planars. The full lists are on each side below.