|
Post by puuzi on Sept 19, 2011 13:22:16 GMT
Where can I buy this HP in Europe?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2011 13:54:01 GMT
Is it available in the USA yet? And, if yes, where? Thanks!
|
|
mrarroyo
Been here a while!
Our man in Miami!
Posts: 1,003
|
Post by mrarroyo on Sept 19, 2011 23:41:57 GMT
I just returned today and started to listen to Eliane Elias via the HD661. Although the cans only have 24 hours of burn in they sound IMO fantastic. The bass is tight and well controlled, the mids could be a bit more preset but I am happy as it is specially for about $50 USD. The top is also very satisfying.
I wish I had been able to burn them in while I was out of town but honestly these are very impressive sounding.
|
|
mrarroyo
Been here a while!
Our man in Miami!
Posts: 1,003
|
Post by mrarroyo on Sept 19, 2011 23:45:07 GMT
Since I listen at very low volumes I experimented with a much louder volume and then the bass was a bit out of control and boomy. Perhaps additional burn in will help, regardless no way I would listen at such a loud volume (80+ dB's).
|
|
|
Post by clausdk on Sept 20, 2011 8:40:37 GMT
Here's my superlux photo, the shades are staying on ! It was 5.30am waiting to go to work, so no sleepy eye pics from me ! I'll be back... ;D
|
|
|
Post by greenstiles on Sept 20, 2011 14:44:15 GMT
Are you saying I resemble, a human-looking, apparently unstoppable cyborg sent from the future ? cool........i'm just off to scare some public..... .....you got me thinking though, if they made another Terminator film in these modern times, would he have to say '' laters '' instead ! and in a thick Gloustershire accent
|
|
elysion
Been here a while!
Team Anti M$ AND Facebook.
contra torrentem
Posts: 2,375
|
Post by elysion on Sept 20, 2011 17:23:04 GMT
a true classic...
|
|
|
Post by greenstiles on Sept 22, 2011 14:44:36 GMT
OK Final review of these headphones from me. Kit used with: Rotel RCD 855 cd player with Neco portable pro 18v head amp. Apple i-pod. Computor headphone sockets. Rotel RA971mk2 amp (headphone socket) Results: With cd player and Neco, sound more detailed than my Audio Technica ATH ad700 at times !!! but treble more toppy and a bit too much at times. Detail and bass punches way above it's price ! Apple i-pod using treble reducer on the EQ very involving listen without that slightly annoying bright treble. Computor headphone sockets with films etc, GREAT ! can use computors EQ depending on soundtrack sound quality. Hi fi amp, very acceptable, phones rarely sound good with hi fi amp sockets, but faired very well and did not sound any better or worse than my ad700 through the amp. Bottom line, what's your budget ? I would say if you have up to £80 to spend at normal RRP's, buy these and spend the rest on some music or beers or both ! If your set up has some kind of tone controls or EQ don't worry about the treble and this will fight off £80 head phones easily in certain areas if not most. Again compared to normal RRP headphones at £80 If used in a system with no tone controls, partner with warm sounding kit. What I would change, the earpads need to be a bit bigger and maybe the defuser ? in front of the driver needs to be plastic ? to dampen the treble slightly or less holes or something, it needs a tweek whatever. Bigger (more comfortable) pads would help locate that sweet spot of sound (driver v ear cavity placement) better. And last but not least, if these are advertised as monitoring headphones then they would be used with EQ's and the detail and bass extention it offers would make it very worthy of it's intended pupose. In a hi fi application partnered right, it should become a classic at a bargain price.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2011 20:10:35 GMT
OK, probably the final review for me too, unless anyone has any questions. I had a bit of a problem with the originally supplied long lead with an 'iffy' female connector but that can happn with any new gear so I can't demerit the phones for that . I had an early listen, straight out of the box and not even up to room temp, and I was impressed. I then left them connected directly into my SqueezeBox Touch 24/7 for several days, just having an ocassional listen to see if and how anything changed. After 2 or 3 days the bass was so loose, flabby, floppy and boomy I was beginning to have my doubts but 2 or 3 days later this had corrected itself and tightened up better than it was originally. At that point I began to seriously listen to the phones for extended periods (< 4 hours at a time) plugged into either the Squeezebox Touch, much modified Beresford 7520/Caiman DAC (both pulling either HiRes or Red Book FLAC tracks from my PC), or my portable C-Moy, fed by FLAC tracks from my iPod Touch. The short report is that these 661s are my favourite phones by a margin. I have compared them with an old (and admittedly dog-eared) pair of Sony 7506s, Frans filtered Superlux 681Bs, Sennheiser HD280 Pro, Frans mod'd Philips SBC HP890, Samson SR850 and AKG K390NC ear buds and I prefer the 661s to them all. I should perhaps add that, with the C-Moy the AKG ear buds run them a close second - for me, as advised before, the synergy between the C-Moy and the AKGs is very good. I'm no audiophile, but in layman's language, the noise floor is lower (silences are very silent), the detail, clarity and seperation are excellent, the bass goes a low as I think it should and remains taut all the way, the mids are excellent (good detail rendition), and no trace of sibilance at the top end that my ears can discern. In short, I would recommend them to anyone - they punch well above their intended price band IMHO. Any questions, feel free. Dave.
|
|
mrarroyo
Been here a while!
Our man in Miami!
Posts: 1,003
|
Post by mrarroyo on Sept 25, 2011 13:31:06 GMT
I have been using the HD661 a bit since my last impressions. The HD661 have over 135 hours of burn in and for the money the are very appealing and provide a big bang for the buck.
I have not heard the issues with bass and treble and perhaps it is due to the low volume at which I listen to music. I have for brief periods raised the volume considerably and the bass does get a bit overpowering and a loose/flabby for my taste.
One thing I would change in the design and it is quite minor are the ends of the forks holding the cups. When you lay in bed the ends are a bit sharp and they make a noise by rubbing with the pillows.
Overall I am very happy and would like to thank Mike and Superlux for setting this loaner program up. These cans should make many users very happy.
|
|
|
Post by psilocybe on Sept 26, 2011 5:23:17 GMT
Hey guys, sounds like the HD661s are sounding pretty good for the price so far. Can anyone comment on how these sound in comparison to the HD668Bs/SR850s? I have the SR850s, and I find them to be really nice, but they're open back, and I'd like something better for listening/mixing in loud environments. Also, the detachable cable is a huge plus as I've already had to do a cable repair on these. How "flat" are these compared to the 668B/650s? Could you use them for light mixing? Oh, and any news on US availability? (Or somebody willing to sell their pair! )
|
|
elysion
Been here a while!
Team Anti M$ AND Facebook.
contra torrentem
Posts: 2,375
|
Post by elysion on Sept 26, 2011 21:09:38 GMT
Hey guys, sounds like the HD661s are sounding pretty good for the price so far. Can anyone comment on how these sound in comparison to the HD668Bs/SR850s? I have the SR850s, and I find them to be really nice, but they're open back, and I'd like something better for listening/mixing in loud environments. Also, the detachable cable is a huge plus as I've already had to do a cable repair on these. How "flat" are these compared to the 668B/650s? Could you use them for light mixing? Oh, and any news on US availability? (Or somebody willing to sell their pair! ) Since I don't have HD-661's so far, I can't comment about the amount of isolation they provide. Mixing, especially in loud environment, is one of the strong points of the HD25-1/II's. They are also almost indestructibly. I know quite a few people who use them as DJ. Of course not cheap, but they'll last almost forever. If you need maximum isolation from the outside, you should have a look at the DT 770 M's.
|
|
mrarroyo
Been here a while!
Our man in Miami!
Posts: 1,003
|
Post by mrarroyo on Sept 26, 2011 23:29:43 GMT
I find the HD661 provide a nice level of isolation, more so than the Sennheiser HD201 or the Panasonic RP-HRX7.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2011 10:12:35 GMT
My final thoughts on the 661s:
I have been either busy or away from home for the past two weeks so I didn't listen to these headphones at all during this time. So coming back afresh and there was that slightly bright treble again. Not terribly bad but it gives these otherwise top-notch phones their own particular character. If I use them with my 'best' system which includes the X-DACv3 then it's tolerable.. even attractive on some acoustic / choral / orchestral material. Use them, however, as 'phones for the laptop, MP3 player etc. then it's too tinsely.. the treble a little too pronounced to be enjoyed as natural. Some listeners, however may like this 'spotlit' approach and enjoy the extra life and sparkle that the top-end lift offers. It's a bit like salt in cooking - one person's 'under-seasoned' is another's 'too salty'. So then, for good quality sources like well balanced classical music, nicely engineered hi-res downloads and so on, the raised top end can be attractive and enjoyable.. but with for lesser sources? Hhhmmm.. ultimately just a little too fatiguing for ME. And I agree with the others who have said that some degree of control over this is possible if you experiment with trying the earcups at different angles and front to back positioning.
OK - positives... of which there are many.... a uncoloured sound that I perceive as free from ear cup resonances and better than the 681s in this respect; the 681s are good in this way but the 661s are even better. I get quite a good 'out of the head' sound for a closed back 'phone. Good isolation from external noise; I can use these while my wife is getting her soap fix. Low noise induced from touching or otherwise disturbing the headband or cable whereas the 681s give a very pronounced 'b-o-n-g!' from the headband when handled.
Power handling seems first rate. Although I am not prone to listening via headphones at high levels (it's too easy to play music at volume settings that are far above a natural level) and playing at more modest levels will tame that top end a bit.. which is useful.
Bass I hear as pretty damned fabulous. Take the track 'Sorrow' from Floyd's P.U.L.S.E double CD and that low circa 32 Hz bass note in the intro is soooo solid.
Build quality... first rate. Presentation and packaging... great. Price? Well at thirty pounds the price is a wow. But £30 is just not quite cheap enough to allow me to forgive that lifted top-end. Even at this low price point I want a little more control over that area.
So it's a personal thing. 30 quid is not a lot of money, and these 'phones do sound good. But they'll appeal more to the non-audiophile who wants a bit a life injected into things. They would also appeal to the home studio amateur who wants a monitor style 'phone to use during recording - but I would suggest a more neutral performer would be required for the actual balancing and mixing.
Overall the 681's still take the value for money prize.... the 661s will have their fans too.
Regards,
Derek
|
|
wadiaman
<100
Measure twice.......cut once
Posts: 71
|
Post by wadiaman on Sept 28, 2011 11:46:40 GMT
All very interesting........but are the HD661s available yet ? If so whereabouts ? I see that question 's been asked before but no responses ! At the price I for one would be willing to buy especially view the above generally favourable posts.
|
|
funk1969
250+
Some things are so easily overlooked...
Posts: 481
|
Post by funk1969 on Sept 28, 2011 16:26:49 GMT
A few reviews, among which mine still have to be finished and then Superlux decides on the date as far as I know.
|
|
|
Post by PinkFloyd on Sept 28, 2011 20:19:50 GMT
All very interesting........but are the HD661s available yet ? If so whereabouts ? I see that question 's been asked before but no responses ! At the price I for one would be willing to buy especially view the above generally favourable posts. They will probably available soon, I will e-mail Andy and ask him what the official "status" is. My two cents worth is this..... I prefer the overall balance of the HD-681 to the HD-661 BUT...... the HD-661 are perfect for portable use... in fact, they are my favourite headphones with the Sansa Fuze+ when I'm on the bus.... they have good isolation from external noise and are very sensitive you you can achieve very decent volume levels without the addition of an amp. Purely as headphones for "portable" duty I rate these very very high and they are particularly synergistic with the Fuze+... the warmth of the Fuze+ and the slightly toppy quality of the HD-661 pretty much gel into a "fruity" type of sound and they are best I have yet heard "on the bus". As an "at home" headphone they are quite rough around the edges compared with a top quality German (for example) pair and are not the type of sound I would like to listen to as my main pair of 'phones for too long.... very exciting and dynamic for a few minutes but that soon becomes wearing.... I don't think I would like to wear them in a studio all day long (or "anywhere" all day long) and would much rather have an HD-250/ll or HD-25/1 on my head (both closed designs).... I think they are a bit less fatiguing and better balanced. I certainly prefer the HD-661 over those horrible "stock" Sony MDR-7506 things though (they are just plain nasty in the top end, especially when you crank them up).... so, yes, if I was forced to choose between the HD-661 and a "stock" pair of MDR-7506 I would take the Superlux any day over the Sony. In the scheme of things though, comparing the 661 to the rest of my closed back armoury they would probably rank quite low on the list for "overall" ability BUT..... as a partner for the Sansa FUZE+ they are the best combo I have yet heard. YMMV
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2011 20:45:37 GMT
Same for me, Mike. I prefer the Superlux to the Sony but unfortunately for me, not one of my best. Good for running around portable, as you say but not enough for me. I much prefer hd25 for portable with its warmth.
The 7506 is like a laser and not easily accepted for long listening with that jarring top end. Funnily enough, on orchestral, the sound is more natural sounding on the Sony than the Superlux which is why I feel that the basic tonal balance is a bit skewed.
Orchestral seems to give the Superlux away, although your average pop/rock listener wouldn't mind it so much I guess.
Ian
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2011 18:13:38 GMT
My HD661 is ready to switch owner. It's the one in my review so filter modified and felt in the cups. The rods are bent so less pressure. Comes in original box.
The owner may keep it if he likes but if he doesn't must pass it on.
Only shipping costs are due... PM me if interested.
I will draw a 'winner' from those that like to review/own it if more than 1 are interested.
|
|
funk1969
250+
Some things are so easily overlooked...
Posts: 481
|
Post by funk1969 on Oct 2, 2011 21:47:15 GMT
Thanks for the update. I will finish the review with picture in a few days. After that I will pass the HD661 on.
|
|
mrarroyo
Been here a while!
Our man in Miami!
Posts: 1,003
|
Post by mrarroyo on Oct 3, 2011 10:46:33 GMT
Until yesterday I had been using the long cable that was included with the HD661. I have switched to the short cable and the short cable transfers noise (micro-phonics) when I accidentally hit/rub against it. Not a huge problem but worth mentioning, still very happy with the sound for the $50 USD or so.
|
|
|
Post by andee1310 on Oct 4, 2011 18:01:16 GMT
My HD661 is ready to switch owner. It's the one in my review so filter modified and felt in the cups. The rods are bent so less pressure. Comes in original box. The owner may keep it if he likes but if he doesn't must pass it on. Only shipping costs are due... PM me if interested. I will draw a 'winner' from those that like to review/own it if more than 1 are interested. Hello bro please check your PM..... Thanks before....
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2011 18:52:33 GMT
The HD661 (modded) goes to Gommer (Marc) He can have it if he likes it. If not, pass it on to those who also like to audition it. Those that have auditioned it and have no need for it anymore you can also send it to one of the RG-members below. Perhaps funk1969 can contact one of the 4 people below too.
crispyface wadiaman puuzi andee1310
I hope as much as possible people get a chance. Don't leave it lying around unused. It was meant to tour around... those that like the HD661 a lot keep it...
|
|
|
Post by gommer on Oct 9, 2011 9:42:59 GMT
Yep it's coming my way, looking forward to it and will be auditioning it with mediocre systems (TEAC WAP and PC onboard audio) in comparison to Shure E3 (in-ear) and AKG K-701.
|
|
mrarroyo
Been here a while!
Our man in Miami!
Posts: 1,003
|
Post by mrarroyo on Oct 9, 2011 15:25:10 GMT
I know many of you will LAUGH out and very loud but ... I have been burning in an amp with the HD661 providing the load and it has now logged another 150 hours of burn in for about 300 hours total of use. The HD661 bass is tighter and does not get flabby anymore, the treble is not as piercing at higher levels as before. For 30 BP the HD661 is a very nice sounding can.
|
|