Sennheiser HD 560s Open-Back Headphones - Official Thread

Were these made to follow the harmon curve? Like specifically to do so?

Here’s an updated measurement with a more consistent position that I think more accurately reflects how it’s heard on the head.

I had originally thought the slight harshness was from a peak at 8khz, and maybe that’s still part of it, but the more notable issue for this position is the 4-5khz peak that shows up a bit more strongly. So far, this is the most consistent result I get from the GRAS, and I’ll be using some in-ear mics to to compare and see if there are any notable differences for my own pinna.

You can see this result in the variations on the previous measurement, but because that one was averaged with a number of other positions with different clamp pressure it doesn’t look as intense. The bottom line is that, this is likely how some people will hear it, but there’s also the possibility that, depending on the coupling (clamp pressure, pad wear, etc.), you could end up hearing it closer to what the previous measurement shows.

Channel matching is pretty good on this unit

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Which in-ear mics will you be using?

Custom ones from Mad Economist haha.

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Oh wow. That’s pretty darn cool!

4 posts were merged into an existing topic: The Objective, Subjective & Dejected Thread

@Resolve’s video review of the Sennheiser HD 560s went up yesterday. Wish we could have kept this pair as I’m personally a fan of these over the 600 series but one day in the distant future when stock is finally available I’ll grab a pair for myself.

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Are those the same ones Oluv uses?

The in-ear mics? They’re made by the same person. I don’t know if they’re exactly the same though.

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Yeah, the in-ear mics. How would you say they will add value to what you are already doing?

They can show a difference between the GRAS pinna and my own. So this may be useful for identifying times when there’s a unique interaction with the rig that doesn’t happen when the headphone coupling is with my head (or vice versa).

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Thanks. I’ll tune in for that when you get those incorporated into your workflow.

Well it’s not for every one of them haha. It’s really more for research purposes and making sure that what does get published on the standardized measurement rig is correct. The pinna is only one part of the various gain factors, and while the rig is able to represent the rest, I don’t have the ability to put the mic right at the ear drum. So really it’s just pinna differences.

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First wanna apologize for any layout or grammatical problems. I am on business trip this week so am writing this all out on my phone, which is not as easy as some might think.

Chain: Yggdrasil GS > DNA Starlett/EC BW2 > HD560S

Build: I found the build to be pretty bad. It felt much cheaper than the HD6X0 series. The plastic felt flimsy and maybe I just have a big asian head but felt like it could snap when I don’t feel the same about my other headphones. Also the cable is meh and the 1/4 inch jack felt hollow. Pads were good and comfort was also nice due to low weight.

Sound:

Overall I found this headphone to be meh. Similar to the HD 558/598 I have tried before. Bass was just okay. It felt alittle flimsy to me, but also lacking the detail of something like the HD6XX. It neither impressed me with quantity nor quality.

Mids were good, vocals sounded realistic and present in the mix, but it felt like it was slightly washed over. Lacking deeper details overall.

Highs were elevated but not sibilant. I’m not upset with it, it added an increased sense of clarity and airiness but it felt slightly artificial.

Resolution was not on the standard of something like the HD6XX KISS. I think it wasn’t bad, but just not on the same level.

Scaling ability wasn’t there. I tried the HD560S with onboard audio as well as my “higher end” gear, and it did not scale the way a HD6X0 would. Was a bit disappointed at this.

Soundstage. I might actually be bad at telling soundstage but I felt it actually wasn’t that big. Maybe I’m just not able to discern the differences in soundstage well, but it felt like a headphone and it didn’t exactly feel wide. I haven’t heard an HD800, so when I read this was similar I expected more but I was left feeling meh. Maybe I’m just not able to tell this very well though to YMMV.

I feel this headphone is too expensive for what it is. For the price one can get an HD6XX and I found this to be much better. I don’t think this is the “giant killer” that many on youtube are touting. I think it’ll have an audience with some on the entry level, but ultimately I feel it’ll get lost to history as many headphones that are touted “giant killers” always do.

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Great writeup @dncnexus.

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Sennheiser is kind enough to approximate the quality in the product family numbers: 500, 600, and 800. Your review echoes that heuristic perfectly. Beware that some reviewers such as DMS tend to get on every hype train that comes along.

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I always find the hype behind these “entry level” cans amusing. There have to be compromises at that level (even TOTL have compromises) so swooning over something even as a a value option is something that sends up a flag for me.

I don’t think it helps those looking for entry level headphones either to make something appear greater than it is. Community reactions to these has been very muted at best. When I read the comments on some of these audio channels I am always take a aback when people seemingly use one reviewer to make a purchase decision for them.

Maybe I’m now an audiophile snob but that’s the community I’ve chosen to become a part of. I still like to think I could enjoy gear from all price brackets though. Don’t think this will be one of those products.

Nice review @dncnexus! Even better consider the UI you were using.

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Entry-level gear drives affiliate sales. Sounds harsh to say but you’re a lot more likely to sell hundreds of HD 560s through affiliate sales than you are a pair of $2k cans. Entry-level gear also tends to have a much larger reach than the more niche high-end gear so it will reach a larger audience.

Outside of reviewers though, oftentimes whatever FOTM legend killer that gets released is the first pair of “good” headphones that someone with no frame of reference buys. So to them, the headphones are the best thing in the world.

I often tune out when FOTM reviews get praise like “competes with headphones in the $1k range” . Often times the person hasn’t actually heard anything in that range and without any context it’s still useless. Does the KZ 64 driver IEM compete with the Shure SE846 in the $1k price range or the Campfire Audio Andromeda? The Thieauio Monarch is up there in that price range so does it compete with that?

It’s why most opinions on the internet that you read aren’t very useful unless you have a frame of reference behind them.

I personally found the HD 560s to be in an appropriate spot. You get pretty good sound, guaranteed warranty and good customer service (depending on who you buy from). I still stand by my original impressions as its a toss up between these and the 6XX depending on what you’re looking for.

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Agree. No issue with these cans existing and there is a market for them. I bought something similar when I first started up in this hobby but was disappointed in them as they were hyped up by whatever websites I trafficked back then. It was two years before I tried this whole audiophile thing again. The funny thing is I did quite a bit of internet research before buying them and still didn’t get what I thought they were reviewing. Hype is pervasive.

As you say context is key.

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As someone who bought Beats In-ears 9 years ago, I have fallen victim to hype buying as well.

The FOTM applies to high-end gear as well. It’s just not as accessible so generally you see less of it. But it’s just generally something that’s applicable across all hobbies and walks of life. New products can never live up to the hype they generate.

However, I realized that my bit about affiliates was a little disingenuous as it doesn’t’ take new toy syndrome into account. Because of the way Youtube as well as written pieces work for SEO, there’s a direct benefit to getting out content as quick as possible for new products, especially ones with a lot of anticipation. Reviewers are also human so it’s easy for them to get caught up in the hype train as well. A lot of time content creators will circle back on headphones later on with a bit more of a sober take on it.

On the 560s front though, initial orders have started shipping and there should be another wave mid-December. So there should be a lot more impressions / reviews out there that fall outside of the hype.

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