Sennheiser HD 660S2

Will Sennheiser's latest audiophile headphones become a cult classic?

There aren’t many headphones with as much heritage and history as the Sennheiser HD 600. The fact that you can still waltz onto the Sennheiser website and buy a pair, despite the model being well over 20 years old, just goes to show that they are still a respected icon and part of the headphone-market furniture.

Over the years, a number of new versions have launched, including the HD 650 and HD 660; and here on test we have the very latest iteration, the Sennheiser HD 660S2.

These headphones cost £499, which puts them in the premium wired headphones category. Their most natural rival would be the Beyerdynamic Amiron (£545), although at this level prices are quite spread out and you can find excellent options if you spend a little more – and even a little less. It really depends on your budget.

Anyone familiar with this series of audiophile headphones will know the formula here. The Sennheiser HD 660S2 have an open-back over-ear design, and this model sports a 38mm driver complete with an ultra-light aluminium voice coil.

Peer through the perforated grille that covers the outer part of the headphones and you can see part of the inner workings behind the driver. The HD 660S2 use a vented magnet system to minimise distortion – Sennheiser has paid a lot of attention to the system used on these particular headphones to optimise the way air flows around the drive unit.

Enveloping comfort