Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jan 25, 2016 11:40:34 GMT
I have a mate coming round sometime this afternoon or tomorrow and he's going to bring a Superlux HD668B with him. It's not a new one but he swears by them. Has anyone heard one on here?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2016 12:20:11 GMT
Not heard one. Seems to be a bit of a Massdrop darling as they have them listed all the time.
Last drop sold > 1300 units so guessing they must be doing something right.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jan 25, 2016 13:38:46 GMT
My audio mate seems to reckon them. He says that they're a bit sharp up top but overall, pretty good. He's a dealer and I think he's just going to give me a pair. (Along with some other bits)
They retail at £30 which is incredibly cheap but from what I've seen in the pictures, they may need to have those pads taken off. Plastic pads like the hd681. They're semi-open, so it just depends on how pressures are created in the cups with more leakage at the pad end, it migh make them thinner. I don't really know. He's not turned up yet and he's normally here for something to eat when he appears so I guess I'll see them tomorrow.
Just a load of plastic, but removeable lead means I can have a really long lead or a short one so maybe good to go in the garden? Self-adjusting like the Audio Technicas.
Slightly higher impedance than a lot of portables which puts it perhaps in between portable and home. May need an amp. Some report lack of bass from phones but improvements with an amp attached.
The lead connection is a great idea since if you don't fit the clip, it's actually a saftey break and would work really well. The 681 Evo had the same arrangement which is pretty good. It just means that extension cables can be plugged directly into it which is really effective for those times when you might tread on the lead or trap it and get up.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jan 26, 2016 15:27:56 GMT
Well, I have it here.
First impressions....
Very lightweight. Self adjustIng mechanism actually isn't bad at all. Pads are a bit cheap, hard and plastic. Easily changed though. The lead connection is excellent. Superlux use this on their other models and it's a great way to connect extension leads straight in and also a good safety thing, since it just pulls away if you trap it anywhere.
It comes with a short and a long lead and a clip to hold it firmly, but I left that out. I'd rather the lead pulled away easily in case of accidents. It looks quite nice all in black. Believe it or not, it does actually clamp quite tight at the start but I'm sure it'll loosen with time.
The sound has surprised me since I'm not getting what I expected. I was expecting a searing treble and too much bass. Well, I'm not hearing that at all. The sound has its problems in my opinion, but not exactly what I read. Maybe the top end of my hearing has dulled?
No searing treble and no fat bass. In fact, it sounds kind of even throughout but the sound is enclosed a bit. Something like wearing a closed headphone. There is a 'thickness' in the mid bass which takes away from its openness.
To check the bass, I shoved on some Eminem. The bass is there alright. It still sounds thicker than the px100 with 414 pads.
Back to more 'normal' rock type music and bass receded a bit and is more in balance with the rest. The cymbal sounds to me sound slightly recessed, not forward actually. It's slightly restrained in timbre with no glare, so I'm not getting this raised treble. I found that a bit strange.
I have had an hd681 once with no bass for the the first 30 minutes and suddenly, it appeared, so it has occurred to me that perhaps these also need to be played? I'm not sure.
Sound is ok. For the price, excellent but really not what I expected. It doesn't seem to have this huge bass and sibilant treble that I've seen described. It's even slightly murky in the lower mids or upper bass to me.
It wants more power than some. At louder volume, it turns a bit more 'fruity' sounding.
I wonder if it's faulty? If it is, it's not a 'bad' fault but a big surprise to me.
I'll leave them running for a while I think......
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solderdude
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Post by solderdude on Jan 26, 2016 15:49:55 GMT
Had the HD668B for a while but gave it to a friend.
To me it has no relation to the HD681 series. The HD668B isn't as lively, a bit dull/boring up top and doesn't have the deep bass HD681 is known for.
The impedance is twice as high so you need a slightly higher voltage (need to turn up the volume a notch) to get the same output levels.
The HD668B is more neutral and more boring in essence..
A newer version is in the making, probably around june 2016 ? There is also an HD662-EVO which is a closed version. The HD662 sounded different from the HD681 as well. Modified that one and sold it again.
To me the only 2 excellent Superluxes (need to be modified) are the HD681 and HD681-EVO. All the newer stuff seems to be a step in the wrong direction (except for the modified HD681-EVO perhaps)
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jan 26, 2016 16:09:21 GMT
The HD668B is more neutral and more boring in essence.. That's about it!! I was womdering whether I have a duff one. It's not shrill as some say tbh and since writing my comment, I whacked some power through it to see whether the drivers need the same thirty minutes that the other Superlux I had needd before any bass came through. Trying again now with some wav files and it seems to have become a fraction fruitier in the bass and there seems to be a bit of a hump there. If I'm honest, I don't know what is more 'correct'... Comparing to the px100, it sounds slightly dark and I used to think the px100 was a dark sound. It seems a bit thick somewhere in the lower mids, but longer listening allows my head to adjust and it actually seems pretty good. Nothing is particularly standing out with it except a slight feeling of enclosed like a closed headphone. I need a measuring rig really for these kinds of things. It sounds good though if I'm honest; considering it retails in the UK for £29 it's a great buy. It does seem to notice having an amp behind it. Seems more 'normal' sounding to me that way, but I can't work out what it is that feels more natural. Maybe the impedance is a slight problem for true portable and an amp is a better idea. It doesn't seem quite as restrained as I first thought now, but I may be compensating for it by now!!! My ears can listen in a phone box and they adjust to the acoustics within minutes!!!! Do you know what number the newer bersion will have Frans?
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solderdude
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Post by solderdude on Jan 26, 2016 16:16:51 GMT
HD668B-mkII or HD668B-EVO ?
I don't know yet as it hasn't been released yet.
Didn't think it was a bad headphone and didn't do anything terribly wrong. It also doesn't do anything exceptionally well though.
The ears/brain do adjust pretty quick to the sound signature. Switching to a known reference (HD600 or DT250/250) helps to 'reset' the brain for comparative purposes.
In the end... if one gets used to the sound of a headphone and likes it then there is little wrong with it.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jan 26, 2016 16:33:10 GMT
I also noticed in the manual that they recommend the Superlux headphone amp with it. I looked it up and saw that it has a 200 ohm output impedance.
I have it on the O2 at the moment and it seems ok. I think it's marginally improved by an amp.
Changing to the Shure velour pads helps them. The treble is less 'hard' and bass (or at least, mid bass) is less dominant so they seem to be a little better balanced and more comfortable. Bass also 'spits' a bit more and fades quicker.
Something about those plastic type pads seems to make the bass hang around for longer I think. With velour, it's a bit 'drier' sounding but I prefer it.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Jan 27, 2016 14:06:28 GMT
I literally arm wrestled with some hm5 pads today and got them on to the hd668b. I like these pads for comfort and they also place the drivers further away from your ears and also get them at an angle, theoretically 'improving' the soundstage. I got them on with some serious stretching and then going round to even up pressures on the pleather so there were no wrinkles and had a listen. They make the headphone sound a bit louder I think; mainly because there is more bass punch as a result. Almost DT770 like actually in amount. I noticed that those pads did the same thing to my t50, so if you want more bass from a headphone, the hm5 ones seem to do it. Not sure what I prefer really... The velour flat ones or the hm5 angled but very deep ones. Too many choices!!! Funny thing is that mens' voices don't 'bloom' with them which is what I expected given that bass has quite a punch. Perhaps velour is better since it is actually less 'thick' sounding like that. I also changed the cable to a short posher one that is less stiff and microphonic ... www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00B3UAP5Q?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00Pads ( selection of them here) i'm using posh leatherette ones because I had them here. www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_4?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=hm5+pads&sprefix=Hm5+%2Celectronics%2C163All of the hm5 pads seem like really good quality ones although some (like the leatherette) go at a high price. Two hours in and I think I prefer the hm5's. Great with tv. The hd668b isn't too shabby in fact. Quite smooth, with maybe a 'harder' sounding treble than the dt990. Treble is similar in quality to d600 but it has less bass than the Denons. They are extremely good value tbh.
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Post by dmcrimson on Jun 12, 2016 21:20:58 GMT
Right now I'm contemplating between 668B and 681 models, most likely will end up tinkering with some DIY-amp also (My Weller needs work ) along with filtermods solderdude has posted earlier.
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solderdude
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Post by solderdude on Jun 13, 2016 4:46:15 GMT
These differ more than they are the same.
Throw the HD662-EVO in the contemplation as well. That one sounds better than the HD668B and HD681 models and is the same price as the HD681-EVO
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Post by dmcrimson on Jun 13, 2016 15:13:31 GMT
Looks good Thanks for the tip, seems that the plan changed just moment ago
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winny
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Post by winny on Oct 15, 2016 11:22:58 GMT
with maybe a 'harder' sounding treble than the dt990. Hi, first post here so excuse me if what I say is irrelevant or amateur-ish. I also find the HD668B to have somewhat of a harsh, mildly grainy-sounding treble (seems to correlate with graphs from InnerFidelity too). I was reading solderdude's modifications for the HD662 EVO and thought, "maybe the tissue mod would work for the HD668B". I tried it for the first time myself tonight, and what I found was that using 2 ply toilet paper in front of the driver attenuated the treble by a couple of decibels (not too excessive in my opinion, but I have not many neutral cans to compare), and significantly reduced the "harder" grainy sound, changing my perception (at least to me) to subjectively a more warmer, smoother response. I found the HD668B in stock form to be a bit thin in the mids and a bit fatiguing for longer listening sessions. After the tissue mod, it sounds quite a bit better imo. If you have free time, maybe you might like to try this and see if you find it has the same effect. I did use stock pads however, not velour or HM5 (one day I shall buy aftermarket pads but too poor at the moment ). Edit: Formatting, whoops!
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Oct 15, 2016 12:34:58 GMT
Hi windy and welcome to DIYAH. I've had a number of Superlux headphones and unfortunately, many of them have that 'hot' top end. Another good treble reducer is paper coffee filters. I have those little round ones which fit really well into headphones and they have quite a good effect sometimes.
Solderdude also created some passive filters for the old hd681 which was really effective.
The toilet paper trick is an old one that is good because you can build up layers to strengthen the effect of you want. I get to two Nd then move on to coffee filters!!
Solderdude's patches were a simple and effective way of getting them down as well though.
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winny
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Post by winny on Oct 15, 2016 22:15:22 GMT
Thanks for the advice Rabbit. Some of the HD681 mods look really complicated! I have a pair of HD662 EVOs on the way, so I'm looking forward to how they sound :-)
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