Superlux HD668B Review: budget price for a premium sound

Released in 2010, the Superlux HD668B have come a long way and are now found on the ears of music listeners, musicians and gamers. In this review, I write about my experiences with the Superlux HD668B in terms of their comfort, design and sound quality.

Superlux HD668B Review: Summary

Superlux are a Taiwanese company who make a variety of budget-friendly audio gear from headphones to microphones. Available for only £30/$45, you might not expect much from the HD668B. They feature a lightweight, semi-open back design and come with two detachable cables: one 1m and the other 3m. Apart from that, they are fairly no-frills but promise superior sound quality for their budget price.

To summarise, I enjoyed testing the Superlux HD668B, the sound quality does punch well above its weight. There’s a bump to the treble which some may not be a fan of and I will go into more detail about this in the full review. However, overall clarity is very good and they sound dynamic and lively. Cuts need to be made somewhere, and for their low price tag there are concessions made in terms of their comfort and design. They have a rigid, mostly plastic design and some, namely glasses wearers may find them uncomfortable to wear for long periods. Overall though, I found that the sound quality of these headphones far makes up for their meagre drawbacks.

Read the full review below for the details.

Our Rating: 7/10

Pros

Cons

Who are the Superlux HD668B for?

We would recommend these for those looking for a dynamic sounding set of budget headphones. They particularly excel during gaming and have an exciting lively sound, if a little treble-heavy.

Who are the Superlux HD668B not for?

As mentioned, if you don’t like a lot of treble then these may not be for you. I found them a little harsh on some songs. If you wear glasses you may also find these uncomfortable with the stock pads, they are hard, rigid and don’t have anywhere for the arms of glasses to nestle into. They are also a semi-open back design, so won’t work well while commuting or in other noisy environments.

Design and Comfort

The Superlux HD668B are a no-nonsense pair of headphones. Designed for those on a budget, they feature a mostly plastic construction, apart from the lightweight headband which has metal for rigidity and durability.

I borrowed these from a friend to test them for review, and despite being several years old they still look almost new, which can probably be attributed to their durable design.

Clamp force is reasonably strong, and coupled with the rigid earpad these won’t be for everyone, particularly glasses wearers, but some will appreciate just how fantastically secure they feel once on the head. Despite this, their semi-open design still make them feel light and breathable.

The ear cushions are relatively hard and rigid. Some users will really like these, they keep your ears cool and feel reassuringly secure on the ear, but it does make them less comfortable. The headphones are also light and weigh only 228g without the cable.

There’s virtually no sound isolation, but as semi-open back headphones they are designed this way so it’s not a negative. Equally, they suffer from quite a lot of distracting noise if the cable or ear cup is brushed up on or gets caught in clothing. For these reason, they suit being used in quiet, relaxed environments.

Superlux HD668B: Detachable Cable

The headphones have a detachable cable, and you can choose between the included 1m or 3m long cables. This is also good if the cable becomes damaged needs to be replaced. The downside is that with the cable detached, there’s still a small cable that protrudes from the ear cup. It looks like Superlux have included this to keep the earcups low profile. However, it diminishes the value of the detachable cable slightly because if the protruding cable becomes damaged, you’re out of luck.

It also makes it harder to find a replacement cable because you can’t just simply buy a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable, you need a female port to attach to the mini-cable. Not a huge deal, just worth mentioning.

Sound Quality

Sound quality is an area the Superlux HD668B truly shine. For their modest price tag of £30/$45, I wasn’t expecting much. But what I found was that they offer superb clarity and dynamics. Bass quality is excellent, punchy but never bloated.

The sound profile won’t be for everyone, they have quite a pronounced highs but it does mean that details in music and recordings are easy to pick out. Despite this, they still sound fairly balanced most of the time, though parts of certain songs can err on sounding harsh. This is particularly apparent in some metal and alternative songs that have been mixed to emphasise the drums. In these songs the symbols can stand out excessively compared to the rest of the track.

Guitar solos really sing with them. Rap, R&B and pop music in particular sound spectacular.

They have a wide soundstage, thanks to their semi-open back design, and this makes them great for particularly complex musical pieces like classical music.

In fact, I particularly enjoyed using the Superlux HD668B for gaming, they are lively sounding headphones and perform well when there’s a lot going on – think explosions, gun fire, ambience, and music. It’s easy to pick apart what’s happening and this will also give you a tactical edge in competitive FPS games.

Overall, the Superlux HD668B perform well in their sound quality, and significantly above their budget price tag.

Superlux HD668B Review: Overall Ratings

Comfort: 6.5/10

Features: 6.5/10

Sound Quality: 7.5/10

Overall Rating: 7/10

In our review we found that the Superlux HD668B represent an excellent-value pair of budget headphones. Whilst their sound profile and design won’t be for everyone, many will find exactly what they’re looking for with them. If you’re looking for some excellent value headphones, don’t mind their rigid design and value highs and dynamics, then these are for you.