The Sennheiser HD660s is a high-quality pair of headphones designed and made with audiophiles in mind. It is sanely priced and will be an exceptional choice for headphone enthusiasts who are looking for a solid performer to be part of their desktop headphone systems. If you are mainly playing back digital audio files and/or streaming music from platforms such as Apple Music, Tidal, etc., then you will require an equally remarkable DAC to match with the Sennheiser HD660s headphones.
This is an open-back design headphone that has excellent sound quality and performance. Sennheiser HD660s is capable of producing natural-sounding vocals with plenty of details to boot. The musical instruments sounded authentic and realistic, the level of accuracy and clarity will make this dynamic headphone ideal for analytical audio enthusiasts. The Sennheiser HD660s doesn’t sound clinical and the midbass performance would be suitable for casual music listeners. For bass fanatics, you might want to go for a closed-back design instead.
More Details at Amazon – Sennheiser HD660S Audiophile Open Back Headphone
The highs of the Sennheiser HD660s are easy on the ears and the smooth delivery allows us to listen to them for hours on end without listeners’ fatigue. It doesn’t sound harsh when pushed and the overall sound reproduction can be a little veiled at times. The Sennheiser HD660s is a rather neutral-sounding headphone and has amazing accuracy. Its stereo separation will need a bit of improvement though. Matching the HD660s with a DAC with certain sonic traits might help with the separation and spacing. You should also consider other DAC requirements which we will be sharing with you now and they will be worth your consideration.
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Your DAC Requirements
Sennheiser HD660s is an open-back dynamic headphone which also means it has poor noise isolation capabilities leading you to hear environmental noises quite easily. Not to mention, there are also sound leakage issues. All these make the HD660s not suitable for outdoor use and you may just require a desktop DAC instead of a portable one. Usually, a desktop D/A converter will have more connections such as optical, balanced XLR, and others. You might want to jot down the type of connectivities you require.
Desktop DACs are typically bigger than portable models, you might want to take this opportunity to see if you have enough space to accommodate the digital-to-analog converter. You should come up with a range of dimensions that you require so as to allow the new DAC to fit right in. For listeners who have limited desk space, you might want to go with a compact-sized or portable D/A converter. The type of features you’ll need, for instance, Bluetooth, MQA rendering, etc., should be noted down as your DAC requirements too.
One of the most important requirements will be the price point of the DAC which you are comfortable with and this will largely depend on your budget. We highly recommend using an amount which you are comfortable with and if possible to have a bit of headroom too. The aesthetics of the DAC can be a requirement as well and probably this is to get your spouse’s approval. These are some of the usual DAC requirements and we highly suggest adding in more. When you have considered all possible DAC requirements, please do take a look at the list of the best DACs which you can go for and partner them with your Sennheiser HD660s audiophile headphones.
Best DACs to match with Sennheiser HD660s
The Topping D50 is an extraordinary DAC for the money and will provide plenty of performance for its users. It is integrated with dual ESS SABRE ES9038Q2M and supports up to a sampling rate of 32-Bit/768kHz (PCM). Topping D50 is also capable of decoding up to DSD512 (Native) and has a modest price tag that most listeners could afford. The Topping D50 DAC is able to deliver a detailed music presentation with clarity and the Sennheiser HD660s will be able to smoothen any rough edges of the D/A converter.
More Information at Amazon – Topping D50 DAC USB (Black)
The Schiit Audio Bifrost 2 is a worthy DAC match for your Sennheiser HD660s open-back headphones. This is an amazing DAC with an enveloping sound reproduction which complements really well with the HD660s. Schiit Audio Bifrost 2 stereo imaging is superb and it is able to produce plenty of music details, providing us with a sense of realism. The Sennheiser HD660s midbass reproduction does help to add a bit more punch into the overall sound reproduction and its neutrality bodes well with the DAC too.
More Info at Amazon – Schiit Bifrost 2 Unison USB – D to A Converter
Chord Mojo is an excellent choice for listeners who require portability and a DAC with a small footprint. The compact size of the Mojo D/A converter will enable you to carry it around with ease, not to mention, fitting in nicely on a desktop with limited space. The award-winning sound quality of the Chord Mojo will also work well with the Sennheiser HD660s headphones. There is enthusiasm in the DAC’s music delivery, giving us an engaging and energetic musical performance without sounding harsh when pushed.
More Info at Amazon – Chord Mojo DAC Headphone Amplifier
The iFi Zen DAC V2 is another amazing award-winning DAC and has a modest price tag to boot. This is a DAC with incredible insights and is capable of delivering a high-resolution music presentation. It has similar sonic characteristics with the Sennheiser HD600s, able to deliver smooth musical performance with refinement. The iFi Zen DAC V2 doesn’t sound dull, thanks to its dynamic handling, and all in all, this is a well-balanced D/A converter. It is well worth your time to check them out.
More Info at Amazon – iFi Zen DAC V2 – Desktop Digital Analog Converter
Schiit Audio Modi 3+ is one of the best entry-level digital-to-analog converters to go for especially if you have a tight budget. It may be a budget DAC but the sonic performance you are getting is worth every single penny invested. The Schiit Audio Modi 3+ is a calm and collected D/A converter, it is able to deliver a relaxing music presentation. Its overall sound reproduction has ample weight to it and helps to provide a bit more punch to its midbass performance. For a DAC at this price point. we have nothing to nitpick it.
More Info at Amazon – Schiit Modi 3+ D/A Converter (Black)
If you are planning to get a modestly priced DAC with a built-in headphone amplifier, the FiiO K5 Pro is an ideal choice for you and your Sennheiser HD600s. It has high-quality AK4493 DAC chips which support up to 32-bit/768kHz sample rates and decode DSD512. The FiiO K5 Pro has enough amplifier power to drive the Sennheiser HD600s with ease. The neutrality and polished background of the DAC will work really well with the HD600s, giving its listeners a clean and detailed music presentation. This is certainly an impressive DAC/amp for the money.
More Info at Amazon – FiiO K5 Pro Portable Desktop DAC
To Sum It Up
You should always audition the DAC first together with your Sennheiser HD600s headphones before making your final decision. The D/A converters listed here are definitely worth your while to hear them out, you can shortlist some of them for audition based on your requirements. The HD600s has a neutral sonic character and if you want to keep it this way, you might want to go for a DAC with similar sonic characteristics.
