Sennheiser HD560S Review (Headphone)

[SpaceMonkey]

Have these. They are quite ok. Still prefer my Etymotic IEMs

 

[Jimbob54]

Not bad, not bad. Surprised me, actually.

Are there any Sennheiser headphones that aren't bass deficient?

As others have said , thats an open back dynamic driver issue more than a Senn issue. Trying to think of an OB DD that does significantly better and I can't off the top of my head. But at least there isnt too much bloat in the 100-200hz region to try and give the impression of more bass that some seem to have.

 

[Azathoth]

The Anandas and this headphone seems to be similar in tuning, but I find the treble of the HD 560s uplifted. I use the HD560s for gaming mostly, in fact using it right now for some Apex Legends. I feel like I can hear more details and the soundstage is just a smidge better, but hey this is just my listening.

 

[Limopard]

Fully d'accord here. I rate it as "fine", leaning towards "great", especially considering the price.

 

[Limopard]

This sounds like a headphone I might like.
An old favorite of mine was the HD-598 (non SE), but it lacked low bass and even more so than the HD-650.
Has anyone compared this to the HD-598?
I imagine it's a side-grade most likely.

I do have the newest HD-650, but i've always found it very slightly muffled sounding and closed in (more so than the HD-598).
Current favorites are the bass modded AKG Q701 and DT-990 Pro.

Some weird mix of the HD-650 and Q701 is like my perfect headphone.

HD 598 has a mid-bass hump and sounds considerably warmer (almost wooly) in comparision. Bass extension of the HD 560s is better, it's the second best deep bass I experienced in an open headphone (the best was the DT 1990 pro, but there were other shortcomings). For me the 560s is a clear upgrade to the 598/599.

 

[ninetylol]

Sennheiser 560s vs. Hifiman HE400SE though?

 

[Fregly]

I have these and they are a fantastic buy. The Sennheisers to get regardless of cost. Relatively cheap and excellent.

 

[Merkurio]

Sennheiser 560s vs. Hifiman HE400SE though?

-Less weight and likely more comfort in Sennheiser's favor
-Similar FR, less roughed and better compliance up to 5 kHz on the HD560S vs less prominent bass roll-off and better behavior from 5 to 10 kHz on the HE400SE.
-Lower distortion at bass levels (HE400SE) vs lower distortion at the rest of the spectrum (HD560S).

 

[_thelaughingman]

These are my pair that were sent in, and I am glad to see that these don't have channel mismatch, as some other users have reported with their HD560s. Certainly a decent pair of headphones to use for daily listening without the need to EQ, though EQ brings out a bit of balance to them.

 

[Vini darko]

Ha I ordered a set of these yesterday. B stock from thoanman. Looking forward to playing with them. Have no intention of using eq. Thanks for the timely review Amir.

 

[solderdude]

Sennheiser 560s vs. Hifiman HE400SE though?

Have both.
Both sound good yet different.
Lightweight versus heavier weight, different feel in the hand.
HD560 is brighter/forward, HE400SE is warmer. What HD560S has a bit too much in brightness the HE400SE misses that much.
Both sound good with a bit of EQ but very different feel on the head.

 

[KxDx]

I need to sent you my HD569's.

 

[Azathoth]

Sennheiser 560s vs. Hifiman HE400SE though?

-Less weight and likely more comfort in Sennheiser's favor
-Similar FR, less roughed and better compliance up to 5 kHz on the HD560S vs less prominent bass roll-off and better behavior from 5 to 10 kHz on the HE400SE.
-Lower distortion at bass levels (HE400SE) vs lower distortion at the rest of the spectrum (HD560S).

Have both.
Both sound good yet different.
Lightweight versus heavier weight, different feel in the hand.
HD560 is brighter/forward, HE400SE is warmer. What HD560S has a bit too much in brightness the HE400SE misses that much.
Both sound good with a bit of EQ but very different feel on the head.

I also have both and I agree with what these two said about them. I'd like to add that the soundstage of the HE400SE is more closed in compared to the HD560s

 

[ninetylol]

So for comfort reasons the 560s would be better, but if I was listening to faster music like rock/metal/dnb the planar magnetic tech would play out its strength I guess?

Thanks for the impressions!

 

[Gomo]

I have been eagerly awaiting this review. I too have a pair of these and found my listening experience to match Amir's conclusion. Anytime I feel that they fall short (and there aren't many such times) I just remind myself of how much they cost and suddenly there aren't many competitors, even costing twice as much.
As a part-time headphone user, I think I will keep these around for a long while (famous last words - then the next model comes out with tiny improvements).

 

[Azathoth]

So for comfort reasons the 560s would be better, but if I was listening to faster music like rock/metal/dnb the planar magnetic tech would play out its strength I guess?

Thanks for the impressions!

As someone who is genre agnostic I find both headphones working well either way.. Then again I am not much of a basshead so yeah.

 

[solderdude]

if I was listening to faster music like rock/metal/dnb the planar magnetic tech would play out its strength I guess

The upper midrange lower treble dip (when not EQ'ed) would sound less 'agressive' while with the HD560S rock music may sounds a bit too bright.
When you play at too loud levels and like to EQ in massive bass the HE400SE might be best choice.

 

[Helicopter]

Thanks Amir. These look really good. I suspect the bass distortion might bother me. That seems to be a big differentiator, especially with recordings like Yo-Yo Ma's Six Evolutions where you've got those close-mic'ed tactile bass sounds from his hands on the body of the instrument that create a great illusion of realism. Somehow, though bass distortion shouldn't make as much difference to human ears, it can ruin the effect.

EQ-d 2019 LCD-X and Utopia's are great for this, though they better well should be. These Sennheisers look very good for the price.

 

[LYDF]

These were heavily branded by some yters as the perfect headphones for "critical listening" as they added nothing to the mix.
Slogans aside, I bought a pair more than six months ago and for what they cost they are unmatched.

 

[JaMaSt]

I owned these quite some time ago, and for the price, they are nice quality product. As I bought better headphones, I continued to use these for gaming due to their comfort and being easy to drive.

One thing I notice is that Sennheiser rates these at 120 Ohm and the graph shows them peaking at 224 Ohm right where you would need most power?