Head-to-head
Sennheiser HD 660S2 vs Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro: Open vs Closed for Serious Sound
Both of these are wired headphones for people who care about sound over wireless convenience — but they're built on opposite philosophies. The Sennheiser HD 660S2 is an open-back audiophile headphone tuned for spacious, detailed home listening. The Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro is a closed-back studio classic built to isolate and endure. Neither has noise cancelling, a microphone, or a battery; the choice is about open versus closed. The HD 660S2 is the better pure listening experience. Open-back drivers give it a wider, more three-dimensional soundstage and a level of detail and naturalness the DT 770 can't quite match. The cost of that openness is real: it leaks sound in both directions, so it's useless on a commute or in a shared room, and it's the pricier of the two. The DT 770 Pro trades a little of that air for versatility and value. Its closed back blocks meaningful outside noise and keeps your audio in, making it the right pick for tracking, editing, or focused work in a noisy space — and at roughly $200 it's one of the best-value serious headphones you can buy. Here's how they compare on what actually matters for each.
 Sennheiser HD 660S2 |  Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80 Ohm | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.9 | 8.7 |
| Price | $397 | $199.99 |
| Verdict | Sound first, everything else a distant second. The HD 660S2 deliver the classic Sennheiser midrange, smooth, spacious, and easy on the ears for hours. The catch is everything else: no isolation, no wireless, no ANC, and they want a headphone amp to open up. | A studio fixture for good reason. The DT 770 isolates well, survives abuse, and stays comfortable for hours, and the 80-ohm version runs off a laptop with no amp. The treble can sting until you EQ it and the cable is fixed, but at $180 it's a genuinely safe buy. |
| Best for | At-home listeners who want spacious, detailed open-back sound and are willing to pair it with a headphone amp. | Desk and studio use where a durable, comfortable closed-back wired headphone with strong isolation matters most. |
| Avoid if | You need noise isolation, portability, wireless, or a built-in mic — open-back headphones leak sound both ways. | You want wireless freedom, a built-in microphone, or something compact to travel with untethered. |
| Score breakdown | ||
| value | 8.0 | 9.0 |
| mic calls | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| comfort fit | 9.0 | 8.5 |
| noise control | 2.0 | 5.0 |
| sound quality | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| battery features | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Specs | ||
| type | Open-back wired over-ear | Closed-back wired over-ear (studio) |
| cables | Balanced 4.4 mm + unbalanced 6.35 mm, plus 3.5 mm adapter | — |
| driver | 38 mm dynamic transducer, aluminum voice coil | — |
| best use | Home and studio listening | Recording, editing, monitoring, desktop listening |
| features | None (no wireless/ANC) - tuned purely for sound | None - wired only, no mic/wireless |
| impedance | 300 ohms (benefits from a headphone amp) | 80 ohms - drivable from interfaces/computers without a separate amp |
| isolation | None - open-back leaks sound both ways | Good passive isolation (closed-back) |
| cable | — | Fixed (non-detachable) coiled cable, ~3 m |
| sound | — | Detailed and revealing; firm bass, somewhat boosted treble |
| Buy → | Buy → | |
Final verdict
Buy the Sennheiser HD 660S2 if you listen in a quiet room and sound quality is the whole point. The open-back design gives you a wider, more natural soundstage and the kind of detail that rewards good recordings — but it leaks sound both ways, so it's strictly a home headphone. Buy the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro if you need isolation or you're recording, editing, or working somewhere with noise. The closed back blocks far more of the outside world, it's a proven studio workhorse, and at around $200 it's outstanding value. You give up some of the Sennheiser's openness and air, but you gain a far more versatile pair.
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