I am looking for an over ear with the following characteristics.

[RHO]

It has more base than the HD 560s. Bass response is close to Harman target.

I don't think so. It's not close at all. Oratory1990 applies a 5.5dB shelf from 105Hz and down to get it there. Not too different from other open back headphones that are considered lacking in the deep bass region.

 

[Geert]

I don't think so. It's not close at all. Oratory1990 applies a 5.5dB shelf from 105Hz and down to get it there.

Probably depends on the source of measurements. Rtings.com has these measurements for the DT 1990 Pro:

And this for the HD 560s (pretty similar to the measurements on ASR):

I know there are other measurements for the Beyerdynamic. Not sure why the difference.

 

[solderdude]

HD560S vs DT1990 (A pads)

Says nothing about the 'imaging' aspect though.

 

[RHO]

Probably depends on the source of measurements. Ratings.com has these measurements for the DT 1990 Pro:

Different pads maybe? They come with 2 types.

 

[solderdude]

DT1990 Analytical vs Balanced pads

 

[Geert]

So looks like Rtings.com used the balanced pads. Unfortunately also resulting in a worse bump in the low mids. This will require eq.

 

[solderdude]

Yep, B pads are kind of bloated/muddy. HD560S vs DT1990-B

 

[don'ttrustauthority]

-High detail/resolution. You perceive a clean and detailed sound.
-Optimal soundtage. I'm not necessarily looking for a massive stage but one that doesn't feel intimate.
-Accurate imaging. Easy to locate instruments and/or voices.
-Deep bass. I'm not a basshead but I do consider that bass in general gives, in my opinion, an extra flavour to all music.
-Good dynamics.
-Price not more than 500€. All the above options are worth less.


I own an HD560s and I think its tonality is very good for only 150€. Despite that it lacks a bit of treble in certain songs but I consider it a very good headphone to start in this world. I would have liked it to have more detail and better imaging.


Source: Streaming music. TIDAL hifi.
I have a desktop amp and a portable amp.

You want the Dan Clark Audio Aeon Noire for $900 but you'll settle for the DCA Aeon RT closed for less than $500.

It's a straight Harman curve. Lots of clean deep bass that doesn't enter the midrange. Open clean and detailed sound, more detailed than you are used to for sure. A planar is a game changer.

This is the one.

 

[AdamG]

Op,

Might I suggest you look into a good inexpensive way to Equilize your headphones to taste. Here is a great and inexpensive product that will work on all your headphones.

Qudelix-5K Bluetooth DAC & Headphone Amp

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Qudelix-5K USB DAC and balanced headphone amplifier with Bluetooth receiver. I purchased this myself but a member kindly donated one third of the cost. The Qudelix 5K costs US $110 on Amazon including shipping. The Qudelix comes in a nice...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[markanini]

-Deep bass. I'm not a basshead but I do consider that bass in general gives, in my opinion, an extra flavour to all music.

I'm the same. If this is important to you consider closed backs. AKG K371 can somewhat compete with good open backs on female vocals and acoustic music.

 

[Jose Hidalgo]

Just chiming in here.
If the OP is looking for accurate imaging and deep bass, maybe he needs to get a pair of Audioquest Nighthawk Carbon, because:

• Imaging is out of this world (I'm not the only one saying it: listen here from 0:39 on).
• Soundstage is excellent.
• They have deep bass, linear down to 20 Hz, that you can feel almost physically.
• Drivers are excellent, definition is great, distortion is close to zero.

If he's lucky he can get them for about $300/300 €.
The most difficult thing will be findind a new pair, but maybe that's still possible.

Of course there's a caveat: don't like its default FR? That's understandable. It's definitely warm, not neutral.
Well, EQ it to Harman or to whatever you like. Problem solved.
You keep all its excellent features, with a more suitable FR. Best of both worlds.

(top: default FR relative to Harman target / bottom: Harman EQ)

There's the answer to @Lynxairsound 's criteria. IMHO it's better than all other suggested, for the specified criteria.

PS : For the record, the HD 600 shouldn't even be on that list. It's an excellent headphone, I really love mine, but its soundstage is REALLY intimate (which I personally love, but the OP doesn't want that). Same thing for the HD 650 and the HD 660S. Like said previously, if you want a big soundstage with Sennheiser, you need to go 800/8XX/etc., which is out of the budget.

 

[ADU]

The hd560 feels like it lacks more cleanliness. It is clean, yes, more than others but I want more resolution in the audio. If the hd560s is 1080p I want at least a 2k (stupid analogy but you get my drift).
The imaging of the 560s is its weakest point, it's not very good.

I think if I were in your shoes, I'd consider giving one of the lower-cost planars a try, and maybe EQ the bass and treble more where you want it. Since I haven't used any planars, I'm not sure which is best, and which to recommend. But maybe one of the more recent/popular models by HiFiMan, like the Edition XS would be worth a look?

Comfort will probably be important with these, since they are a bit heavier and larger than dynamic headphones. Resolve gives the XS some fairly high marks though for this, due to its swivelling cups, somewhat lighter weight (for a planar), and somewhat lower clamp.

The Edition XS appears to have a sensitivity of 92 dB/mW, which is on the lower side. Its impedance is only 18 ohms though. And both matter in terms of a headphone's drivability. It'll probably be a little easier to drive from a good desktop amp though, than a lower quality portable device.

The Senn HD560S looks a bit bright in some spots in the upper mids and low treble. And maybe a tad withdrawn in a few spots in the higher frequencies. The XS looks like it is sort of (but not exactly) the reverse of that. Maybe the HD 560S would not be a bad choice with a little EQ though, for a lower-cost open dynamic headphone. Some graphs of the 560S appeared to also have a slight imbalance in the upper mids though.

If you like a little more thump or authority in the bass, then maybe a good closed dynamic headphone would be also be worth a try?

Not sure what to recommend there.

On the lower end, most will probably point you to the K371. But I have a few issues with the design, ergonomics, and so forth on that unit. And am not as big a fan of its sound sig as some others are. There are also some closed fans who like the Denons, but I haven't had an opportunity to try one. And they might also have a few issues with fit or sound sigs. The Denons (especially the more advanced models) are more than the K371 btw.

For lower-cost closed dynamics, I like my 250-ohm Beyer DT-770's fairly well. But they are dry sounding, and do need a fair bit of EQ-ing to even out their response, and to cut done some brightness. And are a bit harder to drive at 250 ohms. And they're not the most attractive lookin HPs (though they are pretty comfy for the most part).

IAC, keep us posted posted on what you try, and how it works for you. I'll be curious to hear some more of your opinions on some of the recommendations and choices here.

 

[ADU]

If you haven't tried any planars before, and are reluctant to drop $500 on your first pair to try out the tech, there are some lower cost alternatives to things like the Edition XS and 2021 Sundara. The HFM 400SE and X4 might be two worth considering (though they may not be as good in terms of fit, weight and comfort as something like the XS)...