Sennheiser HD560S Review (Headphone)

[pk500]

Thanks for you feedback.
I'm also considering the HE400se as they are the same price as the HD560s where i live but I'm enclining more to HD560s due to better quality and the fact that i wanna also add a cheap tube amp to the setup in the future.

Good luck. You can't go wrong with either.

Just understand the HD 560s is a very clinical, revealing, cold headphone. Well-recorded and mixed songs will sound great, while those with lower recording and mixing standards will not. The HD 560s is a magnifying glass of the master recording; there's little to no colorization other than the treble peak.

The HE-400se is a bit more colored, with slightly recessed mids. It's a more energetic, fun listen while not being as accurate to the source as the HD 560s.

Pick your pleasure, man!

 

[usern]

HD 560s is slightly overrated because of an annoying treble peak

You don't like to use equalizer?

 

[NewbieAudiophileExpert]

These headphones are good for the price, but this EQ makes them better as does the one found in the 'Oratory1990' subreddit page.

I'd have to do an A/B of the two EQ settings later on and report back to let you know which one I personally prefer.

 

[KeithPhantom]

I have had these headphones as my only headphones for a while, and what made me to keep them was their ability to be ‘a jack of all trades, (almost) master of all’. That means that after EQ, they become so good at pretty much everything I ask from them: great bass, mids, treble, extremely wide and spatial, can handle high output levels, light and durable, well-built, EQ great due to their low unit-to-unit variations. They may not be the best in any of the individual categories, but they hang around the very best regardless of the price.

They still have some things they can improve, namely distortion, but it is a small price to pay when you’re getting a headphone that is so good after EQ regardless of the price.

 

[NewbieAudiophileExpert]

So i've tested Amir's EQ and compared it to Oratory1990's EQ setting.

They're both good and work better than no EQ, and in my experience Oratory1990s EQ has more 'highs' or treble.

So yeah, in essence the main differentiating point between these two popular HD 560s EQs is the treble...

Preamp: -5.4 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 53 Hz Gain -2.30 dB Q 1.0
Filter 2: ON LS Fc 105 Hz Gain 5.5 dB Q 0.71
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 140 Hz Gain -1.8 dB Q 0.7
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 1350 Hz Gain -3.2 dB Q 1.5
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 1830 Hz Gain 2.3 dB Q 1.3
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 3230 Hz Gain -1.3 dB Q 4.0
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 4420 Hz Gain -3.1 dB Q 4.5
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 5600 Hz Gain -4.1 dB Q 2.5
Filter 9: ON PK FC 7000 Hz Gain 2.5 dB Q 1.2
Filter 10: ON HS FC 10000 Hz Gain -1.0 dB Q 0.71


I've also attached it as a .doc file to this post for those wanting to try it out in your EQ software.

 

[Robbo99999]

I have had these headphones as my only headphones for a while, and what made me to keep them was their ability to be ‘a jack of all trades, (almost) master of all’. That means that after EQ, they become so good at pretty much everything I ask from them: great bass, mids, treble, extremely wide and spatial, can handle high output levels, light and durable, well-built, EQ great due to their low unit-to-unit variations. They may not be the best in any of the individual categories, but they hang around the very best regardless of the price.

They still have some things they can improve, namely distortion, but it is a small price to pay when you’re getting a headphone that is so good after EQ regardless of the price.

I agree with pretty much everything you say there, except I think the soundstage is not "extremely wide" where you use those words......my K702 has a larger soundstage than my HD560s, but my HD560s is the second best headphone I have in that department. And regarding your distortion point, perhaps there is some unit to unit variation here as Oratory measured one of my HD560s (I've got 3) and it had very low distortion across the board, better than many fabled low distortion planar headphones such as DCA Aeon RT, Hifiman Sundara, Hifiman Ananda, Hifiman Arya.........and better distortion in the mids & treble than the Hifiman HE6se even. See following link for some more details on that and the distortion graph I pictured:

Sennheiser HD560s Owner's Thread.

Setup: E30 + L30 I've bought and returned 6 !!! of them because of channel imbalance. Left driver was in all 6 cases more sensible around 8k-13k making the sound image tilt to the left by 5-10% I've done mono tests, reverse test, reverse stereo image + reverse hp to rule out my ears being...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Unit to unit variation for frequency response seems quite low though, although there have been one or two unsatisfied members who have shown higher unit to unit variation than expected......however I bought 3 units of HD560s over a period of more than a year spanning the purchases and measured them on my miniDSP EARS and my 3 units are effectively showing almost zero variation (at least between these 3 units!).....yes there's actually 3 units of HD560s plotted in the following graph (each one averaged from 10 measurements of left & right channel):
(note: as this is measured on a miniDSP EARS and not the GRAS that Amir & Oratory & Crinacle use, then the frequency response will look different to what you expect to see above 1kHz, but it's still totally fine & valid to use for comparing unit to unit variation and channel balance.)

Channel Balance was also good between the 3 units I own & measured, see following graphs:
(note there is a small 1dB hump in the right channel of each measurement at 150Hz which is an error in the miniDSP EARS calibration file, which I noticed as an aberration when I measured all my different models of headphones, and I hadn't corrected that calibration file error for the following graphs, so ignore that small hump in the right channel at 150Hz as it does make channel balance appear worse in that area, when in reality it's not)

 

[pk500]

You don't like to use equalizer?

I do to smooth rough edges, but I prefer not to use EQ to overhaul the entire sound signature to a target curve. I prefer a can that's tuned well to my tastes out of the box.

 

[Music1969]

Yes. The HD560S can be used balanced if you can find an aftermarket cable that does this.
Really only interesting for when one wants to play louder from portable gear.
The stock wire is 4-wire inside so it is possible to cut off the plug and fit a 4 pin or Pentaconn.

As the cable is 4-wire and joint at the TRS plug there is no real benefit for balanced.
The only reasons are:
One only has balanced outputs.
One cannot go loud enough on portable gear that has TRS jack but also balanced out (2.5mm TRRS or Pentaconn.

HD 560S has basically same cable construction as HD 650 ?

 

[solderdude]

Both are 4 wire cables where the 'return' wires are connected in the 6.3mm plug.
HD650 cable is 2 x 2 wire construction where the HD560S cable is a 1x 4 wire construction.

 

[NewbieAudiophileExpert]

HD 560S has basically same cable construction as HD 650 ?

Not sure, but I use the balanced cable and plug it into my BTR5 2021 for louder volume via the balanced output.

 

[Music1969]

Both are 4 wire cables where the 'return' wires are connected in the 6.3mm plug.
HD650 cable is 2 x 2 wire construction where the HD560S cable is a 1x 4 wire construction.

Thanks! So for both cables, all 4 conductors are insulated from each other right ?

Except for at the 6.3mm plug end of course.

I'm so close to ordering a pair ! I'm nervous about this pre-EQ bass distortion which will only increase with bass boost in EQ.

Is the distortion audible ? Say boosting bass to Harman curve.

I guess depends how loud one listens

 

[solderdude]

Thanks! So for both cables, all 4 conductors are insulated from each other right ?

yes.

Except for at the 6.3mm plug end of course.

of course

I'm so close to ordering a pair ! I'm nervous about this pre-EQ bass distortion which will only increase with bass boost in EQ.

I do not hear distortion unless I play really really loud or boost bass many dB's

Is the distortion audible ? Say boosting bass to Harman curve.

I guess depends how loud one listens

Yep, at normal to comfortable loud listening levels all is fine. For very loud levels you need planars anyway.

 

[Music1969]

For very loud levels you need planars anyway.

Which is the current favourite for open back planars?

What is the AKG K371 / HD 560S/650 of the open back planar world?

I will order HD 560S now anyway - it is great price

 

[solderdude]

Which is the current favourite for open back planars?

price point ?

Can be anything from HE400SE/Sundara up to Stealth/LCD5/Meze. I guess it depends who you ask.

 

[Music1969]

price point ?

Can be anything from HE400SE/Sundara up to Stealth/LCD5/Meze. I guess it depends who you ask.

Ha well Stealth/LCD5/Meze are not around price of K371/HD 560S/650

Price point is around the latter .

So I guess HE400SE/Sundara is the answer

Also , where can I get a 5m / 15ft single ended cable for 560S ?

 

[solderdude]

Also , where can I get a 5m / 15ft single ended cable for 560S ?

China or an expensve custom made build (probably more expensive than the headphone itself) ?
Or ... use an extension cord. Of course there will be a common wire in that one.

 

[pk500]

Which is the current favourite for open back planars?

What is the AKG K371 / HD 560S/650 of the open back planar world?

I will order HD 560S now anyway - it is great price

Under $150: HiFiMan HE-400se
Under $350: HiFiMan Sundara
Under $500: HiFiMan Edition XS

See a trend here?

 

[Music1969]

I just got my 560S. Previously AKG K371 (always used with oratory1990 EQ).

Comparing both with oratory - as expected, similar tonality.

Both very light and comfortable - so good.

Bass is a bit different - could be different distortion, could be seal is less important with 560S. Could be both distortion and seal.

I have to drop low shelf bass of 560S by 3dB to give closer tonality to my K371 - probably seal issue with AKGs on my head.

@Robbo99999 thanks for your THD plots there.

I guess those are out of the box and when I apply oratory EQ, bass gets bumped up a lot, so distortion gets a big boost too.

Did @oratory1990 share THD with you, with his EQ applied during measurement?

 

[Music1969]

@solderdude if making a custom 6m length for HD560S , what 4 conductor cable would you use ?

Light and low microphony and good 4 conductor construction and cheap

 

[staticV3]

@Music1969
Mogami 2929. #28AWG though, so 6m would give you 1.32Ω resistance per conductor.