Superlux HD-668 B

Great Value Transparent Headphones

Having lived with these headphones for some months now, using them both for recreational listening, and for some more detailed mixing work I feel able to give some considered feedback. Firstly, lets get any possible negatives out of the way. Buyers need to know that these are open back, and with that comes a great deal of spill, both in and out of the headphones. Sitting on the bus and using them to listen to music is very much not recommend... Show Moreed ... but that's not what these are for. Secondly, the build quality - whilst they've held up perfectly well over the time I've had them, they do feel somewhat flimsy. I'm careful with my equipment, and I think any user who uses a throw them-into-the-bottom-of-a-bag policy will end up regretting it. Lastly amongst possible negatives are the slightly odd lengths of lead that come with it. One is rather short, and the other rather long. I've taken to using the long one as an 'extender' as needed, but usually use the shorter one. This works for me, but could be an issue depending on sitting position, placement of headphone amp/port etc. The positives are obvious though: A detailed, clean, transparent sound, with none of the inflated bass found with closed headphones. This might take some getting used to (for those accustomed to earbuds, or closed back headphones). They are very 'light', meaning physically they are easy to wear for long periods without neck fatigue. Despite my initial fears about their durability/strength, they still happily 'clamp' my head, and are nicely adjustable (including the pads at the top). Some users appear to 'mod' these headphones with sponge and gaffa tape to make a 'band' at the top, but I've not found that necessary or desirable. The price is excellent. Even if just being used for occasional mix-checking, at this price they deserve a place in the studio! For recreational listening (which I'd recommend, in order to get used to their sound), they have proved excellent. I've enjoyed many styles of music, and continue to be impressed by their detail and lack of colour. Overall - thoroughly recommended for the price, as long as you know what you are buying.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Exceptional Value

I bought these headphones to use in my recording setup for monitoring purposes. I have AKG K77 and AKG K240 Studio headphones as well, by way of comparison. This pair of Superlux headphones have quickly become my favourites. The AKG K77 are also low cost headphones, and lack comfort. The sound they produce quickly becomes tiring due to its harshness. This can be a reality in headphones designed for monitoring, because of the need for accurate ... Show Morereproduction, however, in the case of the K77s, the harshness is so acute that it means I cannot use them for extended periods. The AKG K240 are supposed to be a top monitoring headphone. They do have a classy appearance, but in every practical and sonic way, the Superlux are better. They are both accurate and non-tiring in lengthy sessions. They are light to wear and extremely comfortable - more secure than the AKG K240. The Superlux are also supplied with 2 lengths of cable, so you can choose the most appropriate, whether you are tracking or sitting in front of a computer plugged into your audio interface whilst mixing. It sould be said that the. Superlux do not look "expensive". That may be true, but in a pair of monitoring headphones, I prefer that money is spent on great speaker drivers, light construction for comfort,and solid performance. Superlux delivers all this with the HD668B. For most home based musicians on a budget, these are an exceptional value product and I recommend them without reservation.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

OK for the price

I like to exercise bass playing using headphones when playing at home late in the evening. So far I did that with high end in-ears, which just sounds amazing. But - fumbling these headphones into my ears became cumbersome over time - I hoped having some over the ears phones I could just cramp on my head and start playing might be easier to use. Reading several reviews about which headphone to use for bass playing I found a lot recommendations for... Show More this one, and given the price is stunning low I ordered them. When they arrived I did a first quick test by listening to some bass biased music - Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten etc. I found the sound quite OK, but not as impressive as reported in some reviews. Very good given the low price, but far from excellent. Then I plugged them into my bass amp and tried them with my bass. Too bad - my bass sounds as dull over these phones as it always does when I use anything else than my in-ears. So - if you want to listen to some pop music these phones offer decent quality for a very low price. For Jazz or anything where you want a neutral tone and transparent heights they or not the best choice - but hey, they cost almost nothing! Bass players can use them for exercising. If you are up for a more vintage tone he will probably like these phones, especially if you use flat wounds. If you prefer clean or even brilliant sounds you need to invest more money.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Great sound, not so great build

I mostly listen to rock from soft to metal, and a little bit of classical music. The sound is very clear, It`s easy to tell the instruments apart. The frequency range is wide and I can hear parts in the songs that I wasn't able to hear with my previous headphones (Marshall Major), along with that when i plug the headphones the the amp and play guitar along to a song i was able to hear both my guitar and the song clearly (They were kind of muffled... Show More with the Marshalls). Of course at this price they have to compensate with something, and that something is build quality and comfort. Not too say it`s too bad, It`s made of mostly plastic, so not very sturdy. The earpads are a little tough and I can feel a bit of pressure around my ear, but even after long use it doesn't hurt. Also the earpads can be easily replaced with more comfortable ones (There is even an explanation on how to do it in the manual). The pads at the top are pretty comfortable, but they sometimes get stuck under the the two bows when i put them on, but a little wiggle and its fine, no big deal. Also in regard to the high Impedance of the drivers, it is still possible to listen through a cellphone for example, but it is noticeably different, especially for the bass, you can hear it struggle. Overall i would recommend this headphones for home use, and possibly at some point changing the earpads if you will fill it`s necessaryShow Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Slightly disappointing compared to other Superlux headphones.

I've owned several of these cheap Superlux headphone models. Some of them have sounded very impressive for the price. These ones... not so much. Perhaps I just prefer differently voiced headphones but these ones seemed a bit too stiff and sterile sounding to me, and still not neutral/detailed enough for mixing (which to be fair would be too much to ask at this price). Comfort is slightly better than on the other Superlux headphones I've trie... Show Mored though. I prefer this headband design over the one they use on their even cheaper models. They are still very clammy with their all plastic design though. Build quality... Seems ok but I know from experience that all these cheap Superlux headphones have VERY thin and fragile cables that always break, usually near the plug. And the plug is of the molded kind so it's impossible to re-solder it. They can be fixed at the cost of a new jack plug but the thin wire is a pain to work with and it WILL break again. I got these just to have a couple of extra cheap headphones in my control room but would never consider them for hifi/critical listening or mixing. And obviously the open back design limits their application for tracking work. But just to have around the control room as an alternative monitoring for doing synth/MIDI overdubs... they are great! Very nice for the money. They feel less cheap than the price but they still feel cheap.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Good value headphones

I bought these headphones to use them as monitoring in my home studio. They are very good value for the price. Plugged into the headphone out of my amp head (Blackstar HT-5) they push a bit too much the high frequencies. However, plugged into my sound interface (Focusrite saffire pro 14) they sound very balanced. Overall I am happy with how they sound, plenty of output. The fact you can unplug the jack is a nice feature. At the beginnin... Show Moreg they felt a bit uncomfortable, the ear pads were a bit too stiff. However, after a couple of weeks of use, they feel much more comfortable. They are also very lightweight which is a bonus. I would say they are open, rather than semi open. There is lot of sound leakage, but at the same time they also sound very spacious and directional in stereo. So, good fro monitoring, not so good for recording with a microphone. In terms of build quality, well that's not the good point of this headphones. It is just ok enough, they won't break soonish but they won't last forever. Only the flaps can be adjusted, the earpads are fixed (or at least they look like, seems to require too much brute force to move them). Pros: decent value, balanced sound, plenty of output, detachable jack Cons: take some time to get used to have them on, lots of sound leakage.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Superb headphones for next to nothing!

I bought these headphones couple of years ago after hearing many good reviews about them and when I was told they are extremely good for the price you pay. But I was amazed at how good these really are. The sound quality is excellent, the pads don't weigh on your head so you can use them for hours to the end, bass is not too heavy but you can really feel it. The cord is removable and usually comes off when I try to leave my computer with these on... Show More my head so that's another plus for me. If you're looking for extremely good headphones for a really cheap price, I don't think there are any that compare to Superlux HD-668 B. I love the synergy the Superlux show on a crossfeed. It "warms" up the sound just to the right amount, giving a slight boost in the bass and further refining the headphones convincing soundstage. I prefer that combo to most much more expensive headphones I know. I think the HD668B are killers for their price and Superlux is a great company which makes affordable products with great sound quality. Now enthusiasts and professionals who couldn't afford to buy 5 pairs of AKG's for their studio can do that with Superlux without compromising the sound. If I wanted better audio quality I should prepare to spend 10x the money these cost!Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Did I just pay 30€?

When I saw online that this 30EUR headphones would sound balanced, true to the sound and could compete with "all stars" headphones I was like: "some people are consuming too much caffeine. After a few years I decided to give it a try and the moment I've put them on my ears I was like: "Is this really happening or am I hallucinating? Well this headphones were tested through a Focusrite Solo and from my Laptop's audio card. The sound was great on ... Show Moreboth of them, being the Focusrite sound slightly better. The bass was a little off in the beginning but after 30 hours of burn-in, the bass was punchy and accurate, the highs also became much more realistic and now they are not so annoying and keep getting better everyday. While I'm producing I can get the subtle differences in the mixing, some things that I can't get with more expensive headphones. This is not a headphone for big heads, my brother and father complain about the tightness, for me it is a perfect fit. So if you think that cheap stuff is not good enough, think again. While this is not perfect, nor a war tank, it can last a long time if taken care of. I would say that the sound is the best I've heard and I will change the ear-pads for some AKG ones to be comfortable.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

These are some well balanced and good sounding headphones that have a nice depth. They are semi-open which means that sound is not that well isolated but I kind of prefer semi-open over full closed ones. I mainly use them for listening music and a bit of recording, mixing. They have a good bass while remaining clear on the higher end which means details don't get lost somewhere in the middle. Of course they might not be the headphones you ar... Show Moree getting in terms of a professional use but for starting out they give you a really nice idea about good sounding headphones. They come with detachable 1m and 3m cables with 3.5mm stereo jack and 6.3 mm jack adapter which means they can be plugged in and used in almost every situation out of the box. They are pretty lightweight and don't get that uncomfortable after few hours but I would change the stiff ear pads for velour pads for even better comfort for ears and probably better sound. I would say they are not the best in terms of build quality but for that price it is hard to really expect anything more. Overall. For those who want their first balanced headphones for recording, mixing and just general listening, these are probably a good way to start. Especially at this price point.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Can take a real beating and still sound good

I've had these headphones for ~1 year or so and they've been dropped, tossed, tangled, sat on, coffeed etc. etc. And still no complaints! Amazing. I actually bought them just because of the nifty cable connection at the speaker element because my cables always go bad near the connector and I thought I could just switch it out when it goes bad. I haven't had the need to yet. Super rigid and I love it. The sound is, well, good I guess but it's ... Show Morehard to give a proper evaluation for me because if you compare to some of the most expensive, upper end, headphones then they might not be as good but I think they give an authentic representation of what was recorded (taking all the other sound-factors like microphones and such into the equation of course). I would like to try them with a headphone amplifier to see how they sound at higher levels than what my rig can produce. They sit comfortably during long sessions and self-adjust to the head so you don't have to fiddle with any annoying length adjusters and such. I don't know if this might come as a disadvantage for extra-ordinarily large headed gals and girls. Conclusively, they are a lot of headphone for the money and their extremely nice build is by itself worth every cent.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Excellent speakers but uncomfortable headband

Ok, so first of all, they sound pretty good, and I dont get the sweaty ears with these like I do with the closed speaker models... If only the headband was more confortable, I could wear these all the day... But I can't. The headband design is utter crap, I guess I just have too big head, because those "self-adjusting" pads will completely move out of the way and those plastic bands will leave deep grooves into the scalp. I'd have to switch the... Show Moreir position all the time to get rid of that. If the headband was better, I'd give them 5 stars for comfort. First I thought that the semi-open design would eat away the deep bass, but it won't. I've just had some bad experiences with some other cheap open headphones. What the semi-open design actually does, is that after few hours of use, my ears are not sweaty at all!. And they won't block outside sounds, and I can hear stuff like the doorbell, phone ringing and even my tv, when I have the headphones on. What I really like, is that the cable is detachable, there is the headphone plug right in the headphones... So I can use my own cable with volume control. Also it makes the cable easy to replace, if I accidentally destroy it by running over it with my chair.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Good Headphones for low price

I own the Superlux HD-668 B headphones for about one month, and i am really pleased of the whole package that you can buy for that low price. Sound: the sound is clear and quite naturally, but bit sharp in high "klick"- and "sshh"-tones. I use the headphones for my bass-amp with backing tracks through the AUX-In, and it works really good. The Superlux got enough deep tones and i can hear every mistake in playing my bass. Comfort: T... Show Morehe Headphones fit quite good on my ears without pressing too much. Also the two foam blocks at the top don't decrease the comfort while playing or listening, they make some kind of "light" feeling on my head (without sweating or anything else). Quality: Everything is crafted well, the headphones seem to be solid and long-living. Even the 1m and 3m-long AUX-cables are high quality. So all in all, the Superlux HD-668 headphones are definitely enough for my field of application. Only the harsh "shh"-sounds at listening to some bad-quality soundfiles can be disturbing, but you get some really good headphones for a low price.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Decent low-price headphones for beginners

I've bought these headphones over a year ago so I could silently play keyboards and work on a few sounds on my synthesizer. Back then, I wasn't much of an audiophile and my ears weren't really used to high quality music. But I guess that's something that most people who consider buying these headphones have in common. If you were really looking for high-end professional equipment, you would spent more than ~30EUR for it. That doesn't mean they... Show More're bad headphones, though. I've compared them with the really good Beyerdynamics DT 770 and I didn't really hear a difference. Considering the DT770 costs about five times as much as the HD-668, that's pretty incredible. Although they sound good, they don't seem to be very sturdy. The plastic parts and the cushion feel rather cheap and I'm not sure if they would survive falling on the ground a few times. Also note that these are semi-opened head phones. Even at rather small volumes, they are audible for other people or microphones, so I wouldn't recommend using them in public or while you're recording something.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Great sound for great price

I bought these in 2011, after trying out the ones that my friend bought. The sound quality is good. It's neutral, with only a slight overemphasis on the high freq. range. It gets better with a decent headphone amp, these headphones are not on their best with basic laptop sound cards (still better than any phones from this price range I have tried out). Bass response is very accurate. Overall, the sound is very clear, instruments can be disti... Show Morenguished from a mix. I use these with a pair of studio monitor speakers to mix recordings at home and I'm very happy. The comfort is good enough, nothing to complain, but these don't really feel premium. Never tried out longer than three hours, during that period I felt no squeeze. The quality is not that great. Cheap plastic is all over these headphones, fake leather, ugly seams etc. They came with two cables, both broke up after a year of usage. But with replaceable cables it's not a big deal. If handled with care, these headphones will serve you for a long time. PS. I also use these while gaming :-)Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Very happy for the silly price

Needed something as an alternative to my DT-100s. Just something with a different flavour. I also needed something to use with my (offline) gaming PC and PS4. These are quite surprising for the price, so much so that I got two pairs and my Auntie is bugging me to get her a pair with my next Thomann order :-) Pros - Price. Sound, a solid 7 or 8/10. Very nice and ridiculously good for the cost! Light enough across the head. Con... Show Mores - These should by default come with the Superlux HD-681 Ear Pads Velour so budget another €8.90 as these are essential unless you cant feel your ears! The over-head connection mechanism isnt for everyone... I find it ok but Dad actively dislikes it. Saying that he uses these headphones and enjoys the sound, just feels the headband is a little uncomfortable. All in all, for the price, these cant be beat in my opinion. The replacement pads are essential and the headband can annoy until gotten used to - but great sound for a great price. Recommended!Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Great sounding headphones

These are really decent headphones. They are perfect for a monitor while recording, because they effectively insulate sound from getting in or out (as effectively as you can hope, for the price). They are pretty comfortable too- I am happy to wear them for hours on end, although you may have to adjust occasionally as they do get slightly annoying, especially just behind the ear. For this reason they became my go to headphones for casual listeni... Show Moreng! They are much better than the in-ear headphones I used to use. They are very flexible, requireing little adjustment to fit on anyone's head. The cables and converter plug it comes with (mini jack female to regular jack male) are extremely convenient, and work brilliantly, never coming loose. Conclusion- whether you're mixing your album or listening to radiohead whike you do your maths homework, you can't go far wrong with these headphones- especially considering the price!Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

I bought these headphones for mainly the purpose of gaming, but I ended listening music with them as well. For phones which cost 30? - the sound is astonishing. The frequency and bass ranges don't focus on either one (which seem to be a case sometimes) - so the sound is quite natural and pleasing. And with this price I'm not worried of using these outside my apartment, thing that limits the usage of phones sometimes. The biggest ''c... Show Moreon'' of these, especially in my case. was the comfort: After longer period of time the wearing the cups start to hurt and the pads along the rails aren't helping much. One of my friend stated that he has been ''quite settled'' to the discomfort of these headphones, but I myself can't wear these for a longer time. But of course one can always change the earpads or do other patents e.g. with toilet paper to improve the comfort of these headphones.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Awesome value

I bought these a little while ago on the recommendation of a friend for use with my recording set-up. Here's the positives:- Very nice flat response - works well to monitor tracks 'uncolored' by bass or treble response. As expected, great frequency range. Has detachable cord - very useful to those like me who tend to trip over wires a lot. Includes both a long (3 meters) and short cord. Includes a gold coated plug adapter as well a... Show Mores a carrying case and a cable clip (although I haven't used the latter two). Here's the negatives:- Flimsy , plastic build. It has held up well for me but I suspect would not survive too much abuse. Do not sit on these headphones! Plastic/rubber earpads - these get sweaty after a while. In summary though these sound great and represent the best value for money in terms of audio quality. I would buy another pair if needed.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Not comfortable

As the title and scores suggest, these cans are not comfortable and this is a huge deal breaker for me. And this is the reason I'm returning these. The problem is that no matter how I adjust the wings, the plastic headband just digs into my skull. The problem seems to be that the headband is just not large enough. Such a pity because the sound that is coming from these is pretty good. The highs are not unbearable like in the 681s, the b... Show Moreass is astonishing for the price, the mids are slightly recessed, which I don't like but it's not a deal breaker for me. The stock ear pads are crap so they need to be replaced. But what I highly recommend you do is to get the Samson SR850. Supposedly, it's made by Superlux and is a copy of the 668b. But a lot more comfortable because it has the AKG style head band and velour ear pads (at least some of them).Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

FANTASTIC PHONES!

I've had theese for almost a year now, I think, and they just keep sounding better and better the more they get used. I didn't expect alot from the price of theese things, but was I wrong. They sound great, greater than most cans double or triple the price of theese. The cables that are provided are great aswell, the 1m is suited for regular laptop-use and the 3m for more freedom when working in the studio.. Still not enough? combine the cabl... Show Morees to get a 4m one! Easy as ever! Now, one thing i did pretty early on after getting theese was to switch out the ear pads for velour ones from AKG, because i found that the material of the ones that were on made you sweat really easily.. As a bonus from that, i got a much better sound picture as well, it's more full and direct with the AKG pads, so but a pair of those if you're serious about music production!Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

amazing sound quality

Build quality could be better but it's good for its price. After falling down a few times, my headphone lost some plastic parts from the bow already but it is still working. Cable and earpads can easily be replaced. What bothers me most about this headphone is the comfort. The earpads are too small to surround the ears so there is alawys pressure on them which can get annoying after short times already. As for the sound i was really imp... Show Moreressed. It sounds pretty clear and even over all frequencies except vor really low bass maybe. But then again i've never been satisfied with the bass of any headphone. I never use the included bag because i only use it at home but even if i were to carry it with me i wouldn't use the bag. It's just enough to protect from dirt and scratches but offers no protection against mechanical influences.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Good sounds, quite plastic look and feel

OK, I'm not a studio wizard. Also I don't have expensive studio headphones to compare with. Crappy ones I do have. The sound with these is super good and balanced compared to my previous entry-level Sony "studio monitor" headphones. How unbelievable it sounds, but even my home recordings have started sounding better. I mean they usually now sound good and balanced on the first test listening with home stereos, headphones and kitchen radio, w... Show Morehich wasn't the case with my old Sonys. With the old headphones, on the first try always some frequency range was missing or too loud. I have a really big head and these still fit perfectly, which is not the case with all headphones. Only downside is that they look really plastic and are a bit sweaty and hot. Not too bad, though I can take that easily with this price tag.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Worth the buzz

I never knew I could get headphones this good for soooo cheap. The sound is really good and perfectly adequate for my listening (home and outside) and also mixing of my own recordings, which are released commercially. I'd say that for this sound quality I would've expected a price three times as high. I've heard one or two people say that these aren't just as comfortable as they could be, but I've found them really good. And the ear pads can b... Show Moree changed, so that solves the problem. The quality of the "structure" itself is cheaper than the sonar quality. The sewing of the ear pads has long ago bursted open. Then again, I do treat these these pretty brutally and have even worn them in -35 celius, so apart from that they've been really really sturdy. And the jack has stayed in prime condition too.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com

Great value open headphones

The main thing about these headphones is that they offer amazing value for the price. It is possible to buy headphones that sound more detailed or look better but for the price you are paying these are pretty much unbeatable. These have a semi-open design so they have good positional tracking and offer an ?open? soundstage. Being a semi-open kind of design these aren?t the best for blocking out sound so if you plan to use them in a noisy envi... Show Moreronment you should probably look for some closed back headphones. As far as the sound quality goes I would say they are very good. In the comfort department they aren?t bad out of the box but I would recommend buying velour earpads which make them more comfortable and turn them into an even more open set of headphones.Show Less

Reviewed on ThomannMusic.com