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Post by pcourtney1 on Oct 9, 2011 16:50:12 GMT
they really do provide incredible value, in fact I would go further and say that they now set the bar very high for others competing in that under $100 USD category, I have now compared the 661's with headphones costing many times more, and they do not sound so outclassed by the usual big names, to make my point, yesterday evening one of my mates who borrowed the 661's to compare with his Grado SR60i that he bought for £95 quid about 6 months ago, calls me up and thinks he prefers the 661's, then I told him him that they should be on sale before Xmas for around £30 to £40 pounds, after a brief silence, he asks if he can listen to them a bit longer, I definately think Superlux have hit the jackpot with these cans !
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funk1969
250+
Some things are so easily overlooked...
Posts: 481
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Post by funk1969 on Oct 14, 2011 12:58:49 GMT
'Review' done, some final notes and a picture remain and I will post all here.
Does anyone in the U.K. have HD661 for Puuzi? If so I can send the HD661 directly to Andy in Asia.
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funk1969
250+
Some things are so easily overlooked...
Posts: 481
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Post by funk1969 on Oct 15, 2011 3:17:58 GMT
My Impression of the Superlux HD661 HD661 specifications:Impedance: 68 ohms at 1KHz Sensitivity: 102 dB SPL Frequency response: 10-20.000 Hz Maximum input power: 200 mW Weight: 190 g Set up: Sony CDP-750 + Behringer SRC2496 + HD661 with short cable!* SRC2496 settings: 16 bits, 44.1 kHz, gain 0, volume ±1,5/10 Track list: (Ripped from the original albums to WAV in WMP, no loudness correction as is optional.) Dire Straits – Money For Nothing (Brothers In Arms) Yes – Roundabout [Early Rough Mix] (Fragile) Suzanne Vega – Cracking (Book & A Cover) Florence + The Machine – Dog Days Are Over (Lungs) Kate Bush - Sat In Your Lap (The Whole Story) Nora Jones – Creepin’ In [with Dolly Parton] (Feels Like Home) Lynn Collins – Think [About It] (James Brown’s Original Funky Divas) Kyuss – 50 Million Year Trip [Down Side Up] (Blues For The Red Sun) Rush – YYZ (Moving Pictures) The Academy Of St.-Martin-in-the-Fields, Marisa Robles, Iona Brown – Beethoven: Six Variations on a Swiss Song (Harp Concertos) Weather Report – Birdland (Heavy Weather) Ton Koopman – Bach: Toccata and Fugue in D minor (J. S. Bach Organ Works) Run DMC – Rockbox (Run DMC) Massive Attack – Angel (Mezzanine) King Crimson – Larks’ In Tongues Aspic Pt. 1 (Larks’ In Tongues Aspic) King Crimson – Larks’ In Tongues Aspic Pt. 2 (Larks’ In Tongues Aspic) Charles Mingus – Better Get Hit It In Yo’Soul (Mingus Ah Um) S. Richter, Wiener Symphoniker, H. von Karajan – Concert for Piano and Orchestra Nr. 1 in B minor, op. 23: Allegro (Klavierkonzert Nr. 1 & Preludes) Idem Ditto – idem ditto, 2: Andantino (“…”) Idem Ditto – idem ditto, 3: Allegro (”…”) Skinny Puppy – Assimilate [R23 Remix] (12 Inch Anthology) King Crimson – 21st Century Schizoid Man/Mirrors (In the Court Of The Crimson King) *I prefer to use the short cable since I use short cables in general. The Impressions: Dire Straits started. Nothing really stands out but there is something about the vocals that sounds a bit off. I am not sure yet what it is though. The presentation of the music sounds even and well ‘boring’, my preference. The more dynamic sounding “Roundabout” should tell me more. The way this track was recorded adds to the sensation of listening to this song. Sharper accentuated sounds sound a bit emphasized, still in a pleasing manner though. The chosen volume setting works, no need to adjust the volume. The ‘hidden’ high tones are present. Move over to gentle yet sharp acoustics. The bass response is to my liking while vocals retain a subtle distance. “ Dog Days Are Over” sounds as if the low and has a slight emphasis. Even with Kate Bush I have the feeling I am missing out on involvement from the vocal range. It might be that the midrange does not have the slight warmth my dear K240 DF has. Lynn Collins sounds clear and the echoes are present. The drum kit has depth and detail. Kyuss and Rush sound enjoyable, that top end emphasis sounds fun. The harp sounds clear and defined but I feel I am missing out on something. After “Birdland” Bach follows: detail and low notes are good, the sense of space is lacking although the stereo image is clear. Run DMC and Massive Attack follow. Beats and bass extension are good. Bass definition is impressive but the vocals and top end do not sound even enough for my taste. Disc two, King Crimson time. The detail and instrument separation are very good and again the low end response is impressive. Charles Mingus brings joy in stereo – clap your hands and listen to the fast bass line accompanied by the very inspired drumming. It seems that the HD661 is more at ease with the less spaciously recorded music. The sound stage has its limits but the instrument separation and detail make up for it. The piano sounds wonderful, the orchestra is easy to follow. “Allegro”, how does the HD661 hold up with busy transitions? Well it handles them but to me there seems to be slight emphasis on the low end at the slight expense of the midrange but not annoyingly so. Classical music packs more bass than is usually assumed. Industrial kicks in with heavy beats and samples. Time to finish with 21st century, the train arrives. The drummer is easy to follow, the guitar screams and the bassist meanders along. The horn section enters and the subtle layer of noise becomes audible. Cacophony to end it all and I take off the headphone before I want to listen to “I Talk To The Wind”. Conclusion: I am still not sure what to make of the HD661 and because of that I will compare it to my K240 DF. Having written that the HD661 is impressive for what it does. Comparison: Tracks used “Fields Of Gold” by Eva Cassidy from “Live At Blues Alley” and “Wade In The Water” from “Eva By Heart” K240 DF (Gain +10, volume the same as the HD661): after listening to “Wade In The Water” through the HD661 I know I prefer the DF. The subtle warmth of Eva’s voice and the more relaxed presentation yet still almost having that first row sensation are aspects that are more to my liking. If I want to feel being closer I still have the K500 and 10R. HD661 (see setting above): having just listened to “Fields Of Gold” through the DF I notice the presentation is more direct/forward and lacking the warmth the DF in the vocal range. Instead the vocals sound cleaner. Frans was right, the HD661 gives you more the first row sensation. At the same time the detail does not jump at you, it is there. This is a chameleon headphone, very impressive too. Final conclusion: chameleon headphone, impressive low end (slight emphasis?), clean midrange (too clean for me sometimes), slightly emphasized top end, sound stage is limited but compensated for by the impressive instrument separation and detail, a bit forward in presentation. In use: There is a present clamp on the head but given the ear pads compensate for the clamping the discomfort is not too annoying. Isolation is decent but not in the HD25/ K181/K81(/etcetera)-class. The overall build quality is better than I expected. From the headphones to the plug the HD661, although plasticky looks and feels durable. The cable also impressed me with its tough skin. You can actually tap it and hear the taps. From the (European) Clip Plus for me it lacked in volume. If you use the HD661, a powerful enough headphone out is required. I prefer an amplifier at home. Recommended? Well if you like detail and clarity the HD661 should be a good gamble and if the rumors are true this headphone will be worth the money anyway. My regards, Funk1969
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mrarroyo
Been here a while!
Our man in Miami!
Posts: 1,003
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Post by mrarroyo on Nov 2, 2011 10:51:19 GMT
Who is still using the HD661? I have continued using them on and off and they do sound very nice and the top end has mellowed out to the point it is not an issue at my listening volume. Thanks Mike.
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Post by gommer on Nov 2, 2011 12:46:28 GMT
I have them in the house for about 2 weeks now. But the upcoming review urged me to finally finish my DAC and Panda HP amp builds.
I should probably ask Frans how many hours they've played. These are the filter modded ones from him.
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Post by cujo101 on Nov 29, 2011 8:19:01 GMT
Does anyone know if the HD-661's can be bought in the UK?
thanks in advance
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Post by jtranman421 on Dec 4, 2011 3:37:27 GMT
Hey guys, I just bought these yesterday and they sound great even after only 15 hours of burn-in time. The only problem I have with them is that the clamp down for from the wings are killing my ears making it super uncomfortable. Can any of you guys who own a pair confirm that these hp's get alittle looser as the begin wear alittle more? Thanks in advance!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2011 7:17:35 GMT
No they don't get looser. Bent the rods outwards... carefully.. step by step. preferably on the parts where the rods bend inwards themselves. Too much bending and you might loose the deep bass.
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Post by JohnnyBlue on Dec 4, 2011 8:35:44 GMT
I've been waiting patiently for these to become available in the UK, and can't find them anywhere. Does anybody here on RG have a set they no longer use and want to sell me? PM, please!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2011 10:04:05 GMT
Just to throw another pebble in the pool, my MM PC died on me a couple of weeks ago, round about the same time as a forum friend told me he was thinking of trying a HP amp and HPs so I sent him my CH Amp and 661s to auditition. He has much more 'educated' ears ( not more ears, , just more educated), and he is very impressed with both, AFIK he has not changed the jumper settings on the CH Amp and they were set at maximum impedance when I sent them because that was the setting I preferred.
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Post by jtranman421 on Dec 4, 2011 17:31:31 GMT
Alright, thanks solder! I have been trying to do that the best 3 days since I have got them but to no avail....Johnny I would be willing to sell them to you for 50 USD + whatever shipping costs if you're interested. I only got them a few days ago and tested them and though they are awesome sounding, I guess my head is a bit big and they just completely crush my ears. Let me know if you're interested! I am from the US btw.
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Post by JohnnyBlue on Dec 4, 2011 18:07:59 GMT
jtranman421
Thanks for the offer, but I think shipping to the UK would make them a bit expensive. I believe there are some sets floating around in the UK that I'm hoping will cheaper!
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Post by andee1310 on Dec 7, 2011 23:39:03 GMT
'Review' done, some final notes and a picture remain and I will post all here. Does anyone in the U.K. have HD661 for Puuzi? If so I can send the HD661 directly to Andy in Asia. Sorry but until now I'm still have not receive HD661...... is there any term or condition procedure that I forget to apply for this loan project....? kind regards, Andy.
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funk1969
250+
Some things are so easily overlooked...
Posts: 481
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Post by funk1969 on Dec 8, 2011 1:32:23 GMT
My bad, I will send the HD661 tomorrow.
I got caught up in other activities thus I owe you an apology. I will keep you posted...
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funk1969
250+
Some things are so easily overlooked...
Posts: 481
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Post by funk1969 on Dec 10, 2011 14:39:30 GMT
Sent, tracking number will follow...
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Post by andee1310 on Dec 22, 2011 19:43:05 GMT
Sent, tracking number will follow... Would you be kind to let me know the tracking number....? Because is almost two weeks and I just want to know the whereabout of these package...? best regard's Andy
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Post by gommer on Jun 22, 2012 6:58:18 GMT
Here it is, I've finally found the time to write my smallish review of the Superlux HD-661. Actually, it's more about my personal experiences with this headphone. To begin with, this is the headphone that i inherited from Frans, the one he filter-modded and dampened. Frans can explain better than anyone what it did to these phones. Anyway, they apparently were not good enough for him, 'cause he moved them on to me. My first impressions from some time ago where that they have good bass, little reflections, good sealing but where very shouty. To the point of ear-hurting shouty, with almost any genre. No surprise there. Other things i immediately noticed: head-clamp resonances when touching and loud cable induced noise. All things that can easily be prevented. not the shouting though. So i was not very impressed, as many here where and I'm not using them at home under any circumstance. But then i thought, let's try them directly from my mobile phone (SGS2). Boy, that was a surprise. They mellowed immediately. These things are the perfect companion for my mobile phone and i immensely enjoy this combo. For rock, they were still on the sharp side and it could still do with a little bit more of deep bass. So i enabled the equalizer in Poweramp (android music player) and voila, all bliss. I've set the equalizer as follows. 31 | 62 | 125 | 250 | 500 | 1k | 2k | 4k | 8k | 16k | 0 | -1 | -2 | -2 | -2 | -3 | -4 | -3 | -2 | -2 |
I listen to many genres and almost everything sounds good to me: Dire Straits, Muse, Jazz, Billy Joel, Deep Purple, Jennifer Warnes. So, is all perfect? Unfortunately not. I can't wear them for long 'cause my ears get all sweaty. Todat i've worn them for a long time on a train trip, and i'm still satisfied. But now i've also noticed some peculiar things with them, while playing some albums that i didn't play through this phone before. It started with the Eagles - Hotel California. I got annoyed halfway through this album. I don't know why, it might be the guitar sound. Then afterwards: Eurithmics - Greatest Hits. I know this album very well and i like it very much. But the same thing happened, i couldn't complete it, although I otherwise always play this album completely. Then i went back to something more intimate: Jennifer Warnes - The Well and it sounded like velvet again. Other rock albums that i played many times before (Muse for example), didn't give me this short term fatigue/annoyed feeling. There must be something that this headphone doesn't like. Ringing maybe ? I don't know. Conclusion: with some tweaking, very good for mobile use on most, but not all, albums. Comments welcome, if it's still relevant. Cheers, Marc
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2012 9:54:24 GMT
So after all the processing, they are starting to sound like MP3s now ? ;D
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2012 10:03:36 GMT
Direct for portable use, is something several of us would agree on.
I use mine straight out of the portable to good effect (no EQ) but when amped the nasties become too evident for proper listening.
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Post by gommer on Jun 22, 2012 10:14:57 GMT
So, Alex, you are implying that using an equalizer alters the sound to MP3 sound? Could be, as I already start with 320k CBR MP3 to begin with. But honestly, what's the point for mobile use. By the way, a good implemented software digital filter (equalizer) shouldn't introduce nasties. I bet any modern album passes several digital filters during mastering. By the way, the equalizer settings are all set to attenuate. I really only softened around 2k and boost the lowest frequencies (slightly). Maybe it reads better like this: 31 | 62 | 125 | 250 | 500 | 1k | 2k | 4k | 8k | 16k | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | -2 | -1 | 0 | 0 |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2012 11:36:04 GMT
Marc No,just degrades it a little, although that won'tlikely be noticable if it's already MP3. With normal RB CD .it's no longer "bit perfect" either. ( not that this means much to me though. ) Personally, I wouldn't even bother with EQ except at the very low end where many headphones are already deficient, and major peaks and troughs only.I did that for a pair of Stax some time back. Alex.
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funk1969
250+
Some things are so easily overlooked...
Posts: 481
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Post by funk1969 on Jun 23, 2012 8:45:06 GMT
The HD661, too shouty. Yep...
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Post by grufferator on Mar 9, 2013 10:43:39 GMT
Hello, everyone. Are these headphones good for progressive and death/thrash metal (bands like Bloodbath, Meshuggah, Porcupine Tree, Karnivool)? My source is the integrated sound of my PC and a iRiver portable player.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Mar 9, 2013 21:12:46 GMT
Hello, everyone. Are these headphones good for progressive and death/thrash metal (bands like Bloodbath, Meshuggah, Porcupine Tree, Karnivool)? My source is the integrated sound of my PC and a iRiver portable player. Good question. I haven't got a clue Having said that..... "thrash" metal will sound as good through these as it will through a pair of baked bean tins connected with string..... the Superlux will go louder tho'
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2013 22:55:23 GMT
11!Yeah dude
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