Not content with showing off a magnificent New Reference turntable, Thorens has also released two surprising new products. The German company is certainly having a busy show... In terms of wearability, supportive memory foam underneath the headband, combined with the velvet-covered memory foam earpads, supplies a decent amount of comfort. As with all the HD 600 series headphones, the relatively tight clamping force may lightly chafe some folks (primarily towards the top of the jaw) after a while, but the ability to stretch the metal headband and loosen the clamp has been thoroughly discussed on the internet. Danish speaker company Audiovector is looking forward to showing off its reference R8 Arreté speakers, a step up from the R6 Arreté we awarded five stars to last year and called "exceptional musical performers". The R8 is a beautiful-looking speaker that we have little doubt sounds as good as it looks.

One of the most important factors to consider is the noise level of the headphone fan. You want to make sure that the fan is quiet enough to not be a distraction while you are listening to music or watching a movie. Look for products that have a noise level of 50 decibels or lower. Comfort Cinched storage pouch (light fabric provides mostly dust and scratch protection-there is no large display/storage box as provided with the HD600S. The size and weight of the headphone fan are crucial because you don’t want it to be too bulky or heavy and weigh your headphones down. The noise level is also essential, as you don’t want the fan to be too loud and drown out your audio. Finally, the battery life is crucial, as you want to be able to use the fan for an extended period without having to recharge it constantly.Listening to the same song on the Edition XS provided some of the air and space I was looking for on the Sennheiser, along with the impression that some instruments, like the Guitar and Piano, were more fleshed out due to the added treble detail.

Includes 6.3mm to 3.5mm stereo plug adapter with strain relief (allows for use with smaller headphone amps) Sennheiser's broad audiophile catalogue will be on display and demonstration, including the most recent newcomers, the IE 200 in-ears and HD 660S2 over-ears. As far as perspective goes, the HD 660S2 generally maintains the intimate performance of its forbears, albeit with a little more openness throughout the midrange. Due to the lift on the low end and upper mids, the midrange is a tad bit recessed but still presented with good detail and transparency. The fact that they didn’t lift the mid-bass along with the sub-bass keeps the lower midrange from being muddy. The upper mids are a touch elevated, but to a good extent, as it opens up the sound and provides a good amount of presence. Soundstage/Imaging

Sennheiser HD 660S2 Review: The Wrap Up

If you’re serious about sound quality, then you’ve probably heard of the Sennheiser HD 600 Series headphones. These headphones have been around in one form or another since the 1990s and are still revered amongst audiophiles for their neutral refined sound. Chord Electronics usually has something up its sleeve for High End Munich, and this year is no different. The British hi-fi brand has not one but two new products to unveil at High End. We don't know what they are (or do we...?), but we can reveal that they come from separate product ranges and, according to a company spokesperson, "will create an even broader choice for audiophiles to build hi-fi systems around".