Save $269 on our favorite open-back headphones and experience music in a whole new way
We may have recently given Sennheiser a bit of flack for launching earbuds that look like AirPods (which is a pretty common thing to do) but that doesn't mean they don't have audiophile-grade offerings. The open-back Sennheiser HD 660S2 are a pretty good example of that. They probably flew under your radar, though, because of their standard price in excess of $600. They're typically rank No. 2 by cost in our list of the best headphones, right after the $1,000+ Dali IO-12. But, right now, with this 40% discount, they're actually cheaper than Apple's AirPods Max. So, if you want to check out audiophile headphones for $411 (that's $269 off their usual price of $680) be sure to tap the button below. Or, keep reading for our take.
Why you should buy the Sennheiser HD 660S2
As counterintuitive as it may sound, open-back headphones can absolutely provide a premium sound. The Sennheiser HD 660S2 act as a sort of antonym to the shut-out-the-world ethic of the Sony WH-1000XM6 and not at all in a bad way. These headphones have plush ear cushions with a hefty amount of clamp on the head and an overall minimalist design, though you won't always think of it that way as you peer into the guts of the headphones that their closed-back cousins keep hidden. Our Sennheiser HD 660S2 review calls their sound 'effortless' and says, 'It just springs forth and gently bathes you in its detail, instead of pummeling you, which I now recognize as a possible side effect of closed-back headphones.' Be sure to give the review a read through to see how to get the full audiophile experience from your new HD 660S2s, as well as to get insights on the full extent of how open-back headphones can transform your music listening experience.
These audiophile headphones aren't typically down to $411. It's an incredible discount of $269 off of the usual $680 price, making them way more competitive than usual. So, if you want them, don't wait for this deal to go away. However, if you want something else, you should be sure to check out the other best headphone deals going on right now.
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The area is home to a pool of skilled labor thanks to the local defense industry and manufacturing for other mobile carriers. That relatively modest assembly line is a major contrast to the factories that make iPhones, operated by contract manufacturers, mostly in China. Those facilities can be the size of several football fields and employ over 100,000 people who work around-the-clock shifts. Weaver said the U.S. is at a huge disadvantage to China when it comes to skilled workers, who make up a significant part of the workforce in smartphone factories. The only way to reverse the shortage and lay the groundwork for companies to reshore their production is to encourage more people to learn skills that are useful in the manufacturing process, he said. 'If you go over to China you can find buildings and buildings of thousands of electronics engineers. If you look here, you can find maybe five total,' Weaver said. Apple, for example, would risk a catastrophe if it suddenly, in 2026, needed to ramp up staffing in the U.S. to produce millions of iPhones, he said. Training enough people for such a massive undertaking would take years. Weaver said Purism, founded in 2014, took several years to develop its domestic supply chain. The company's small size means it only needs limited quantities of components, which makes it impossible to achieve the economies of scale that come from producing huge numbers of devices. Manufacturing in the U.S. also comes with higher labor costs than in China. But with the help of automation, those extra costs can be kept to a minimum by reserving human labor for tasks performed after production is complete, such as soldering, assembly, repairs, and testing. Apple, on the other hand, would need vast amounts of components to keep its assembly line humming. While the company would likely be able to cut deals with domestic suppliers for most iPhone parts, some, such as high-quality cameras, may be impossible to quickly source in the U.S. and it would therefore have to import them, Weaver said. One analyst has said iPhones could end up costing $3,500 if made in the U.S., to account for the extra costs and hassles. Weaver agrees that it would cost Apple substantially more to produce iPhones in the U.S., if it had to move production quickly. But given enough time, Apple could substantially reduce the cost after developing a new supply chain, finding enough workers, and by relying on extensive automation. For Apple, opening a domestic manufacturing plant would therefore need to be a years' long process, Weaver said. That's why he criticized Trump's tariffs for taking effect almost immediately. Yes, many of those tariffs have since been delayed. But the takeaway for businesses is that they can't plan ahead. And yet, that's exactly what's required for something as complex as shifting manufacturing to the U.S. Trump's tariffs would be far more effective if phased in over many years, Weaver said. In that scenario, companies would have a clear and increasing incentive to reshore production—without being punished right off the bat. Weaver argues his U.S. manufacturing effort is already paying off and that it will gain momentum over time. He hopes the recent scandal involving U.S. officials using the chat app Signal to discuss a military strike against Yemen, and then accidentally inviting a journalist to join them, will help lift sales by encouraging the federal government to focus more on security. Weaver wouldn't get into the specifics of Purism's financials other than to say it has millions in annual revenue and turned profitable in 2023. The Liberty Phone is its biggest seller. Wayne Lam, an analyst with market research firm TechInsights, gave a mixed take on Purism's prospect. In an email, he said: 'They can be a successful niche player, but the odds of success are lower thanks to the bigger brands. They won't be able to compete in the consumer market but government/enterprise/military are all niche markets they can address.' To fund the expansion of his business, Weaver is trying to raise additional investment after taking in $16 million in funding over the years. Some of that money would go to fixing a shortcoming with his phones. Because they don't use Apple's iOS or Google's Android operating systems, they are incompatible with many of the most popular mobile apps like Uber. To get such apps work on its devices, Purism must make technical tweaks for each one. Purism can at least claim one small advantage over the giant companies that dominate the smartphone industry. If Trump's tariffs become permanent, it won't feel much impact from its U.S.-made phone, while the big players and their foreign-made devices could be hammered. 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