Initial Impressions of Hifiman He 560 V2

[Headphonaholic]

Just wanted to create a thread for my impressions of the Hifiman He 560 V2 for anyone that cares. I've only put maybe 2 hours on em so far, so this is very much my first impressions. And for anyone wondering, I'm using March Audio's Dac1 with the Massdrop THX AAA 789 with Tidal.

Build
Anyone familiar with Hifiman knows that they aren't exactly known for their build quality. This headphone sadly isn't an improvement. Oddly enough it seems to be designed for really small heads. I had to extend the adjustments fully to get them to fit my head (I tend to be middle of the road with the headband adjustments on most headphones). The headband adjuster was really tight and difficult to adjust, easily one of Hifiman's worst attempts yet in this area. The headband attaches to what I was hoping was metal but it's actually plastic that upon trying on made some concerning cracking/popping sounds. I do not expect this to last long in this area. The cables are also quite thick and have apparently been coiled for a while since they don't really want to uncoil (anyone familiar with Zeos can just think back to any of his cable rants). It came with a 1/4" and xlr cables.

Comfort
As mentioned the headband doesn't adjust very far so if you have a large head these may not fit (or you might break em honestly). The clamping force is on the firmer side which maybe troublesome for longer listening sessions but you also have the benefit of them not moving anywhere either. They are equipped with their focus pads (the A version I believe), so the standard hybrid angled pads you'll find on most of their round headphones now. They aren't the deepest pads so your ears may touch cloth that protects the driver. Very note worthy is that the cups do not rotate at all. So unlike say the He400i's if the angle isn't right you may not get a good seal.

Sound
Again I haven't listened to these for long so this is very much my initial thoughts. Right off the bat I wasn't impressed. I was expecting an upgrade of the 400i's which I think are really good but could benefit from a bit more bass. These do have a bit more bass but are overall much darker. The sound stage is very limited causing a very intimate and focused sound. My initial thought was that these were very similar to HD650/6XX and after swapping a bit it would seem that they were aiming for that sound. However the HD6XX, while I never considered them a very spacious pair of headphones, has a good bit more separation of instruments and sounds over the 560's. The 560's just sound congested and end up sounding flat and compressed.

Other thoughts
I don't think I could recommend these. I paid $250 on sale but they normally seem to go for around $350. I would instead recommend grabbing a pair of HD6XX for $200 or He400i's for just under $200. Heck there is even the He4XX which I just realized would be another better pick for under $200. I do think some pad swaps might improve the sound. Some deeper pads should improve the sound stage and potentially alleviate the congestion. I also have a pair of Audeze Vegan pads that could be interesting to test. I'll report back when I get around to swapping pads.

 

[pauze]

Thanks for these impressions, I was thinking of buying the 560v2 at that sale price as well. I have a 6XX and am looking for something with a significantly different character, so perhaps I should give the HE-400i or 4XX a shot instead.

 

[Headphonaholic]

Thanks for these impressions, I was thinking of buying the 560v2 at that sale price as well. I have a 6XX and am looking for something with a significantly different character, so perhaps I should give the HE-400i or 4XX a shot instead.

What are you looking for? And what is your budget?

Also I would have a hard time recommending it with it's build quality, regardless of sound quality.

 

[pauze]

What are you looking for? And what is your budget?

Also I would have a hard time recommending it with it's build quality, regardless of sound quality.

Mainly looking to dip my toe into the planar magnetic water. Would be great to spend around the same amount as the 560 sale price (~$300 or below), but I'm willing to consider a little over. A new set is certainly not a focus at the moment unless a good deal comes my way.

 

[nahpungnome]

I got in on the initial "V2" release, but exchanged them and got a "V3" set. The shorter strap fit me fine, but I returned mine because the right cup was too loose in it's adjustment and got sent a longer strap version. Anyway, I think for the $300 I paid, or $250 if you get their "V2" without any fitment issues is a damn steal. The only issues I really have is some slight sibilance on certain tracks. They're very detailed and enjoyable especially at the asking price when on sale.

 

[nahpungnome]

Just wanted to create a thread for my impressions of the Hifiman He 560 V2 for anyone that cares. I've only put maybe 2 hours on em so far, so this is very much my first impressions. And for anyone wondering, I'm using March Audio's Dac1 with the Massdrop THX AAA 789 with Tidal.

Build
Anyone familiar with Hifiman knows that they aren't exactly known for their build quality. This headphone sadly isn't an improvement. Oddly enough it seems to be designed for really small heads. I had to extend the adjustments fully to get them to fit my head (I tend to be middle of the road with the headband adjustments on most headphones). The headband adjuster was really tight and difficult to adjust, easily one of Hifiman's worst attempts yet in this area. The headband attaches to what I was hoping was metal but it's actually plastic that upon trying on made some concerning cracking/popping sounds. I do not expect this to last long in this area. The cables are also quite thick and have apparently been coiled for a while since they don't really want to uncoil (anyone familiar with Zeos can just think back to any of his cable rants). It came with a 1/4" and xlr cables.

Comfort
As mentioned the headband doesn't adjust very far so if you have a large head these may not fit (or you might break em honestly). The clamping force is on the firmer side which maybe troublesome for longer listening sessions but you also have the benefit of them not moving anywhere either. They are equipped with their focus pads (the A version I believe), so the standard hybrid angled pads you'll find on most of their round headphones now. They aren't the deepest pads so your ears may touch cloth that protects the driver. Very note worthy is that the cups do not rotate at all. So unlike say the He400i's if the angle isn't right you may not get a good seal.

Sound
Again I haven't listened to these for long so this is very much my initial thoughts. Right off the bat I wasn't impressed. I was expecting an upgrade of the 400i's which I think are really good but could benefit from a bit more bass. These do have a bit more bass but are overall much darker. The sound stage is very limited causing a very intimate and focused sound. My initial thought was that these were very similar to HD650/6XX and after swapping a bit it would seem that they were aiming for that sound. However the HD6XX, while I never considered them a very spacious pair of headphones, has a good bit more separation of instruments and sounds over the 560's. The 560's just sound congested and end up sounding flat and compressed.

Other thoughts
I don't think I could recommend these. I paid $250 on sale but they normally seem to go for around $350. I would instead recommend grabbing a pair of HD6XX for $200 or He400i's for just under $200. Heck there is even the He4XX which I just realized would be another better pick for under $200. I do think some pad swaps might improve the sound. Some deeper pads should improve the sound stage and potentially alleviate the congestion. I also have a pair of Audeze Vegan pads that could be interesting to test. I'll report back when I get around to swapping pads.

Interesting impressions...I find them nothing like my 6XX. They're a quite bit brighter and have a wider stage to my ears. They also sound more technically proficient. Only the sibilance gets to me once in a while, but I even find myself listening them more than my Elears and 6XX.

 

[Headphonaholic]

Interesting impressions...I find them nothing like my 6XX. They're a quite bit brighter and have a wider stage to my ears. They also sound more technically proficient. Only the sibilance gets to me once in a while, but I even find myself listening them more than my Elears and 6XX.

We do all hear things differently I don't experience sibilance issues with the 560v2 or the HD6XX. It's also possible that the v3 has tweaks to the driver. In that vein I'm not sure if the v2 sounds any different than the original 560's. I'll be honest, I'm potentially going to return mine due to the fitment issues as well as the abysmal build quality. I have A LOT of headphones and for me these didn't bring anything to the table that compels me to keep them. My Mrspeakers Aeon Flow Closed are my all time favorite headphone to give you an idea of what I look for in a headphone.

Mainly looking to dip my toe into the planar magnetic water. Would be great to spend around the same amount as the 560 sale price (~$300 or below), but I'm willing to consider a little over. A new set is certainly not a focus at the moment unless a good deal comes my way.

My recommendation would be the Fostex T60RP. They are $300 and sound in my opinion better than a lot of headphones in that price range. These have been my daily driver for months now. They have fantastic sound stage and separation (a quality that is important to me). They have a very satisfying bass response that doesn't overwhelm or bleed into the midrange at all. They sound very natural and don't have any obvious unevenness or exaggerated frequencies. They also have African Mahogany cups which looks beautiful. Only real downside is that the cups creak a bit (plastic rubbing on wood I assume is the issue) when articulating which can be a bit annoying but as long as you aren't head banging you shouldn't be bothered by it.

 

[nahpungnome]

We do all hear things differently I don't experience sibilance issues with the 560v2 or the HD6XX. It's also possible that the v3 has tweaks to the driver. In that vein I'm not sure if the v2 sounds any different than the original 560's. I'll be honest, I'm potentially going to return mine due to the fitment issues as well as the abysmal build quality. I have A LOT of headphones and for me these didn't bring anything to the table that compels me to keep them. My Mrspeakers Aeon Flow Closed are my all time favorite headphone to give you an idea of what I look for in a headphone.


My recommendation would be the Fostex T60RP. They are $300 and sound in my opinion better than a lot of headphones in that price range. These have been my daily driver for months now. They have fantastic sound stage and separation (a quality that is important to me). They have a very satisfying bass response that doesn't overwhelm or bleed into the midrange at all. They sound very natural and don't have any obvious unevenness or exaggerated frequencies. They also have African Mahogany cups which looks beautiful. Only real downside is that the cups creak a bit (plastic rubbing on wood I assume is the issue) when articulating which can be a bit annoying but as long as you aren't head banging you shouldn't be bothered by it.

We all do indeed hear differently. From all accounts, the V2 sound different than the original wood cupped version. The V3 supposedly just has a longer strap. Given my experience with the V2 and V3, I only noticed a difference in strap length and not sound.

I've not heard the Aeon Flow Closed or open, but I've read pretty polarizing impressions on them.