Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
GUTB
238
Jan 16, 2016
Well, I just tried out a new HD668B.
To the poster above who said that these headphones can compare with the Grado PS1000 -- the Grado must really be TERRIBLE. Besides the $20 plastic children's toy build quality, the sonic qualities of the HD668B don't bring them to the level of $300 mid-fi headphones, let alone $1,000+ hi-fi flagships. I will admit that they sound much better than $30 ought to, and I would place them in the in the upper-low end tier of headphone sound. They are somewhat competitive to my AKG K553 ($150), although the AKG beats it in resolution and dynamics. They are junk compared to the HE-400S ($300), and sound unbearably bad against the HE-6 ($1,000).
The bass is boosted and pretty awful -- either because of the boosting or just mechanical limitations, bass notes tend to sound same-ish, as if there is a bass frequency tone generator that goes off instead of a bass note. Mids are recessed, but not in a particularly unpleasing way. Highs are relaxed (again, not in an unpleasant way). It avoids the hollow metallic tinniness of the K553, but lacks a sense of dynamism as a result. Resolution is terrible, and noticeably worse than the K553, which itself is no detail revealing monster by any remote stretch of the imagination. Soundstage is barely present, ie, no different from the AKG. Imaging is very similar to the AKG again, just a notch above my iPhone ear buds (ie, some imaging vs. none).
I've never listened to the PS1000, so I can't really comment on that comparison. But is it really that awful that it compares with this $100-grade lo-fi headphone?
slotmech
20
Jan 17, 2016
GUTBWell, I should point out that the "poster above" you were referring to did say that he thought that when powered by his current setup that the HD668B was "at least 85+% of the performance of my $1500.00 Grado PS1000's". I think the key here is that "85%". That extra 15% costs a lot of money, equipment and setup time I don't have and the resulting fidelity a subjective standard set by my own experience and tastes. I'm not an audiophile with that kind of setup, and I'm not ever going to drop that kind of cash on a set of cans or equipment, but I've had mine for a little over a week now and I think they sound awesome. I'm listening to a hi-res rip of Branford Marsalis' "Dienda" (yes, it's from my CD) and it sounds the best I've heard it on a set of headphones on my computer (and SB X-Fi soundcard). For $40, these are damn good headphones. *sigh* The problem I have is that with Amazon Prime they're only a couple of bucks more and I can get them in way less than a couple of weeks.
FilEar
0
Feb 11, 2016
GUTBWhat is your setup? Music you used?
PRODUCTS YOU MAY LIKE
Trending Posts in Audiophile