HD 600 vs HD 660S2: which needs more amplifier?

The Sennheiser HD 600 is 300Ω at 91.8 dB/mW; the Sennheiser HD 660S2 is 300Ω at 98.8 dB/mW. This page is only about what they ask of an amplifier — not how they sound, which no specification on either sheet can tell you.

The HD 600 needs 7.0 dB more than the HD 660S2 to reach the same loudness — 6.6 mW against 1.3 mW.

The numbers that decide it

SpecificationHD 600HD 660S2
Impedance300 Ω300 Ω
Sensitivity91.8 dB/mW98.8 dB/mW
Sensitivity (voltage)97.0 dB/V104.0 dB/V
Power for 100 dB6.6 mW1.3 mW
Voltage for 100 dB1.41 V0.63 V
Current for 100 dB4.7 mA2.1 mA
Highest source impedance
that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule)
37.50 Ω37.50 Ω
Sources that reach 100 dB
out of 280
261280

Where the two part company

19 of the 280 sources have the power for the HD 660S2 but not for the HD 600 — Apple USB-C dongle (US), Apple USB-C dongle (EU), JadeAudio JA11, 16 more.

261 of the 280 sources here reach 100 dB on both. That count is about power only — the output-impedance and hiss lines above are separate questions, and a source can pass this one and fail those.

Both pages in full

Each model has a page of its own with the full source list, the hiss estimate and the provenance of every figure above: Sennheiser HD 600 and Sennheiser HD 660S2. Every figure on this page comes from what Sennheiser published, or is derived from it — what that maker publishes, counted.