Just taken a punt......!

[admin_exported]

Ok so based on some reviews and maybe feeling a bit happy I took a punt on these

Superlux Hd 668b semi- closed professional headphones....

anyone got a pair.....other wise I will have to review when I get them on Wednesday....

D
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[idc]

Named like a Sennheiser, looks like an AKG, what will it sound like?

 

[Anonymous]

and are they worth £35

 

[Anonymous]

I am a very very happy chap! They have arrived and I have had an initial listen. I listened to Black Dahlia by Porcupine Tree.

Well first build quality. They seem very reasonable for the price, lots of plastic but all well moulded no burrs and adjusts easilly. Can't comment to much on the comfort> I need to have them on for a while first, but certainly comfortable for the half hour test.

They come with a 3m extension as well which is kinda useful.

The sound is neutral and extremely clear, bass and drums are articulate, cymbals are very realistic( and we know how hard they are), Vocals are smooth clear and crisp. Overall presentation is very cohesive, no one part of the frequency range sticks out more than another. Bass doesn't swamp the mid and treble.

An extremley enjoyable listen. I got into the music straight away, which is a good sign and had to remind myself to listen critically.I can't fault these headphones at all on this short test.

Well it's been suggested that thses cans could be a bit of a giant killer. Unfortunatly I don't have enough experience with headphones to make those kind of claims. However it is a distinct possibility that they punch way above their class. I listened to some £200 noise cancelling Sennhisssresssssss the other day and these are far more neutral than they were. I will leave it up to other more experienced / headphone users to say what they think.

But for me is is a

pics later

 

[idc]

Yes, we want pictures!

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Dave,

I bought a pair about 3 months ago and I'm well pleased, having had them recommended to me by a friend. Incidentally, he has a pair of Grado SR60s and he prefers the sound from the Superluxs, but reckons the Grados are more comfortable to wear for long periods, although I've never found them to be uncomfortable.

The 668b's are terrific phones that seem to excel with any kind of music. They are punchy with dance music and in particular with Drum & Bass, where they'll dig down deep with exemplary timing and not a hint of flabbiness.

They work just as well on Rock tracks. The intro to Money For Nothing from Dire Straights' Brothers In Arms album sounds immense through the Superluxs. Mark Knopflers guitar is delivered with impressive dynamics without a hint of harshness, and as the track progresses, the bass kicks in with real weight and control. The Mans Too Strong, track six from the same album, is rendered beautifully through the 668Bs, which reveal the acoustic guitar on this track with fluid delicacy. You can hear Knopflers fingers sliding over the strings as he works his magic.

Moving on to Come Away With Me by Norah Jones... Well, what can I say? I'm there in the studio listening to her recording the album, they're that good. The 668Bs also demonstrate how masterful they are at imaging with this album. The soundstage is utterly believable, spreading way beyond each earpiece with incredible depth. Every instrument is locked into place with Norahs delightful voice rock solid at stage centre.

Good classical recordings don't phase the Superluxs at all. These 'phones are no One Trick Pony, unlike many competitors at this price level. The sense of scale is what impresses most. An airiness which is usually reserved for headphones costing many times more, oozes from the earpieces as they deliver a vast and accurate orchestral experience to the listener. Deutsche Grammophons' 2004 recording of Tchaikovskys' Romeo and Juliet overture is delivered with grace, accuracy and scale. You come away feeling you've listened to a performance rather than a CD, which is praise indeed.

Summing up: This is a fine pair of headphones at a ridiculously cheap price. Build quality is good and they are quite stylish in a retro manner, being somewhat similar in style to the Grado SR series. They come well packaged in a large, good quality white box with the Superlux logo and model number printed on the lid. You definitely won't feel as if you've bought budget heaphones if you buy a pair...

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Synsei,

These cans are really growing on me. very addictive. I will give brothers in arms a spin in a bit ...

Dave

 

[Andrew Everard]

brittondave:I will give brothers in arms a spin in a bit ...

So you've already lost the will to live???

 

[Anonymous]

ok fair point....

I ended up listening to In Absentia by Porcupine Tree.........bliss

 

[filipematias]

Ok, another Superlux HD668B owner here!

This has to be one of the best-kept secrets in hi-fi... The way these cans get you into whatever is playing is out of this world. My AKG K701 are taking a looooooong rest in the drawer.

The 668B's are addictive, anyone looking for a good'ol'bargain shoud check them out.

Best regards,

Filipe.

 

[Jason36]

What are these Headphone like for noise leakage? I'm after a second pair of Headphones for listening in close proximity to other people via my laptop and iPod.......how do they compare with say the Grado's for sound leakage.

Would I be better going for the Supelux HD669 Closed Back Headphones?

 

[Sizzers]

Ok, another Superlux HD668B owner here!

This has to be one of the best-kept secrets in hi-fi... The way these cans get you into whatever is playing is out of this world. My AKG K701 are taking a looooooong rest in the drawer.

The 668B's are addictive, anyone looking for a good'ol'bargain shoud check them out.

Best regards,

Filipe.

Pretty much what happened with my Grado's when I got my K's.

All but gave them up, although I have started to listen to them a bit more lately. Are these phones really that good?

 

[filipematias]

@Sizzers: Yep, to me they sound fantastic, although I suggest you replace the stock earpads (leatherette) with AKG K240/K270 velours earpads (they fit perfectly, and are available on the net for around 18 €). Sound improves, confort also; 18 € very well spent.

Apart from the Superluxes and AKG K701, I also own a pair of SR60i, and the Superluxes beat these hands down, sounding much more engaging and natural (the Grados sounds congested and shrill, in direct comparison). I only use the Grados while travelling with my ipod, since the rotating earcups allow easy storage, and so are more user-friendly for portable use than the Superluxes, which are pretty big (roughly K701´s bulk, maybe a little less).

If you havent't already, you may want to check this review: http://www.headfonia.com/superlux-hd668b/

@Jason: They leak, man. Not as much as the Grados, which REALLY leak, but they are still noticeable, at reasonable listening levels and in a quiet environment, by people surrounding you. It is a well-known fact: for low-leakage nothing beats the closed-headphone type (the 668´s are semi-open).

The 669? Don´t know them. These are closed (so probably will leak very little), but I have never been a fan of closed phones, because of their usual coloration and claustrophobic soundstage... I suspect they won´t awe you with the natural timbre and spatiousness of the 668b, but this is just my guess...

Hope this was helpful, cheers.

Filipe.

 

[Sizzers]

@Felipe
I do remember this thread now, but as with most things at my age it had got forgotten!

Thanks for the tips, and a great review you pointed me to. At £40 (or less) will definitely be having a punt myself in the not too distant future hopefully.

I know the K's can for many people be an acquired taste (Marmite?), but I'm seriously addicted to mine. You find these phones that good?

 

[filipematias]

Sizzlers,

In my opinion, and playing in my "headphone" system (Cambridge Audio 740C cd player and Little Dot MkIII headphone amp), the AKG are highly revealing, highly transparent, and score very highly in the "technicalities" but they just can't set my feet tapping like the 668b's do, nor get me involved in the performance in the same way... They are kind of "cold", if you understand my point...

That doesn't mean the 668's are couloured, or all fireworks - they are not; indeed, they are VERY neutral and transparent, I dare to say detail and transparency are pretty close to the K701, but they manage to present it in a much more engaging way, and with punchier (not flabby, not wooly) bass. Highs are very extended, mids are in the exact measure, soundstage is great, PRaT is excellent. Besides, they accept any kind of music with equal aplomb.

The best thing I can say about them is that they have given rest to my AKG's, which have been lying in a drawer since I got the Superluxes properly ran-in - and that happened several months ago... Well, indeed, I ocasionally did plug them in a couple of times for 20-30 minutes, just to check if I had changed my mind, but they did soon returned to the drawer. The cheap Superluxes have something really special about them.

Cheers,

Filipe.

 

[Sizzers]

Great synopsis, and far better than I could ever provide! I totally disagree with your comments on the bass on the K's, though. Woolly, flabby? Not to my ears! It's accurate, timed superbly IMO, and just stops where it should do. And I find them simply SUPERB with electronic - a totally solid, detailed, tight punch in the head. And all through a "budget" CDP as well! The only criticism I have of my K's is that, depending on the recording, vocals can sometimes be too distant but love 'em! I really do appreciate your comments, though, and can't wait now to try a pair. Anyway, leaving this to carry on with Richard Thompson!

 

[filipematias]

Sizzlers,

my fault, I did not make myself clear: as you mention, the last thing AKG's bass can be adjectivated is flabby or woolly; they have a very tight, well controlled bass.

I simply wanted to say the 668's are not an "impressive-first-listen-and-then-unbearable" thing, I was by no means reporting to the AKG' bass when I mentioned "flabby" and "wooly".

Enjoy your R. Thomson, I'll go get some John Lee Hooker...

All of the best,

Filipe.

 

[Sizzers]

Out of curiosity have you ever heard the K's through a Heed? (listening to GaGA now lol)

 

[filipematias]

Nope, my experience with headphone amps is quite limited: apart from the rubbish headphone stages in integrated amps and a couple of CD players, I only owned a Pro-ject Headbox SE a couple of years ago, and now I have the Little Dot MkIII (because I wanted to have a taste of the "tubes sound"...)

You seem to be pretty well-served, with the Graham Slee, ah?? It gets some terrific reviews...