SENNHEISER HD 660 S
The Sennheisers are the most affordable headphones in our roundup and that’s reflected somewhat in their build: they’re lighter than the other pairs on test and have a metal-and-plastic headband with foam rubber cushioning. They still look a very classy proposition, though, coming in a hardboard presentation case and, in true Sennheiser fashion, not only is the long, double-stranded cable user-replaceable, a spare is included in the box – as is a step-down 6mm-3.5mm adaptor. The headphones feel snug and comfortable on the head, too.
When it comes to their musical qualities, the open-backed design delivers a sound that’s spacious and airy. This was particularly true with Forcione & Sciubba smooth jazz recordings, where the Sennheisers revealed each guitar note and breath with a crispness and clarity their closed-back rivals couldn’t compete with. But there can be a downside to such high-end transparency, with the duelling saxes of Mayhem In Manhattan sounding a little shrill and screechy at times. Lower down the spectrum, Love’s brass passages sounded a little muddy in places, while the intricate drum & bass twists of JumpUpThrowDown sometimes left the Sennheisers struggling to keep up.
Again, though, these are the kind of niggles that 99 per cent of listeners won’t even notice and as long as your musical tastes don’t skew too much in favour of bass-heavy styles, the Sennheisers offer solid build and quality sound at a far lower price than their rivals here, so they certainly shouldn’t be dismissed. 8/10