Introduction
If you've read a couple of my reviews, you'll see that most of them are for closed-back headphones. I prefer closed-backs because I mostly listen to music at work and I don't like to bother anyone. Anyway, I haven't had an open-back since the Shure SRH1840s/Senns HD600s and had never tried a HifiMan headphone and I figured this would be the time I got to try one. Had a great deal on them and decided to order. Mostly, I bought these expecting an underwhelming experience after reading so much about the HE400/500 and I'm glad to say that these headphones truly rock.
Quick impressions:
Simple huh?
Specs:
Package Contents:
Design, Comfort and Build:
Design-wise, nothing ground-breaking. Similar to their past headphones but more "plasticky". They seem well done and the cups are definitely tasty. Overall, they look very good but I think they couldn't withdstand any kind of abuse so it's best to treat them well.
Comfort with the HE560 is simply phenomenal! Very light, fit quite well and the earpads are excellent.
Sound:
My first impression was... "WHERE IS THE BASS?!?!?!" It sounded far-off to my ears... then I discovered that my media player settings were messed up on my PC! After that was fixed, I was good to go and enjoy the cans.
Non ear-piercing highs and very clean, clear and resolving but a bit bumped. Sibilance on bad recordings was not "enhanced" (i.e. like happens on some of my "Studio" headphones), excellent vocals reproduction, guitar crunch was excellent and overall very natural sounding with lots of air and space. I went through my usual playlist consisting of:
Thrice - Under a Killing Moon
Miguel Bose - Este Mundo Va
Kaskade - Fire in your Shoes
Blink 182 - Kaleidoscope
Jon Cleary - When you Get back
Mima - Oigo Voces
Esperanza Spalding - What a Friend
Sara Bareilles - Vegas
Killswitch Engage - Fixation on the Darkness
Juancho - Pillala
Boston - More than a Feeling
J-King y Maximan - Ella me Pide Something
Calvin Harris - Feel so Close
Three Six Mafia - Late Night Tip
Orquesta Macabeo - Me Repito
Does it have the slamming bass that I like and crave most times (errmm... I have Ultrasone Sig DJs, modded Denon D5000s, Dido's D901s, JVC SZ1000s, etc)? No! Of course not. They are not voiced to be "bass-head" or bass tilted headphones. Sub-bass doesn't seem elevated at all BUT it has great presence and most of all great speed (i.e. fast decay)! This is probably the cleanest most balanced headphones I have ever heard. Like most have mentioned on the boards though, a slight bump in the treble region is noticeable, even more so with these being so airy... bump seems to give it a certain crispness that I like though and it doesn't mess up vocals from my fave ladies. Of course, I used to have an SRH940 and have Spider Moonlight Studios so comparing treble energy to those is downright laughable (yeah those two can be shrill sometimes/most times...).
Like I mentioned earlier, these are really "balanced" (neutral-ish) with just a tiny bit of warmth on the mids (but not LCD nor Alpha Dogs warmth). Mids are lovely as well and I can't believe the imaging of these. Soundtracks sound excellent, live songs are really involving. I have to say that I've been definitely surprised!
Frankly, I don't have as much experience as some other guys here, but I can definitely say that this is one of the best headphones (closed/open doesn't matter) I've heard with regards to overall sound, imaging and performance! It's like they were made up for the genres I listen to. Overall, HE560s >> all headphones in my profile in overall sound reproduction and experience (including Alpha Dogs, LFF Enigmas, D5000s, etc, etc, etc -- I don't have the T5p's to compare here but... I don't think I'd pick the Beyers anyway).
Does this mean that I prefer them over the ones in my profile? Ermmm... no.
Even though these are the best sounding headphones I've tried and probably one of the most comfortable ones, I still love the closed-back "sound" (i.e. a bit more intimate, bass a bit slower and with more impact/thump, etc.)
But I wouldn't have a problem recommending these to anyone looking for GREAT sounding cans.
Now, my main "con", these puppies LOVE POWER!!!
Right now I'm driving them as: PC --> NuForce Icon HDP --> Burson Soloist SL (High Gain)
I'm pretty sure that with better gear, these might even be end game material for some! Really, can't imagine these on better gear! (they probably give more expensive headphones a run for their money...)
Other "misses": Good quality cable BUT a bit short. Box looks lovely but... well, not really usable. It becomes difficult getting the headphones in and out every time due to the way the foam cut-out is.
And that's it about cons! Not many really.
Comparison summary:
Here's the part where I list a bunch of headphones and try to "rank" them... so let's say that the HE-560s only lose in Bass Quantity... yeah... that's it.
Bass quantity: HE-560s losses to most my closed backs and even my previous open-backs
Bass quality: HE-560s better than all my hp's.
Mids presentation: HE-560s better than all my hp's.
Soundstage/imaging: HE-560s better than all my hp's.
Highs: HE-560s better than all my hp's.
Sound Isolation/Leakage: Open-back... well... you know...
Fun Factor: Middle of the pack.
Price: EXCELLENT
Summary:
So, if I were to choose a favorite from all my headphones and/or the headphones I have tried, I would definitely pick these HifiMan's. They are just, almost perfect. I had said something similar about the Alpha Dogs, and I still feel the same in the closed-back cans category, but I feel that HifiMan just created an almost perfect experience whether open-back/closed-back. Yes, to my ears, they are just that good.
Conclusion:
Props to HifiMan for making a kick-ass set of headphones. I'm definitely a fan!
If you like a bit of a bass-tilt, then be aware that these might not be for you. Just be sure of what you really want and make your selection based on your tastes and gear.
But like I mentioned on the title/Summary, The HE-560s are one of the best listening experience I've had with a headphone (open/closed-back)
Now... where is the HE-XC?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!? (a closed-back sounding like these... I'd probably sell most of my gear...) LOL
Thanks.
A couple of extra pics...
If you've read a couple of my reviews, you'll see that most of them are for closed-back headphones. I prefer closed-backs because I mostly listen to music at work and I don't like to bother anyone. Anyway, I haven't had an open-back since the Shure SRH1840s/Senns HD600s and had never tried a HifiMan headphone and I figured this would be the time I got to try one. Had a great deal on them and decided to order. Mostly, I bought these expecting an underwhelming experience after reading so much about the HE400/500 and I'm glad to say that these headphones truly rock.
Quick impressions:
- Excellent comfort
- Superb clarity
- Excellent sound
Simple huh?
Specs:
- Driver Type: Planar Magnetic
- Impedance @ 1kHz: 35 ohms
- Sensitivity: 90 dB SPL/V
- Connector Type: 1/4"
- Cable Length: 2 m
- Cable Style: Straight Y
- Weight: 13.3 oz.
Package Contents:
- Big Ass Wooden Box (very good looking)
- Headphones
- Dual-entry cable
- Documentation
Design, Comfort and Build:
Design-wise, nothing ground-breaking. Similar to their past headphones but more "plasticky". They seem well done and the cups are definitely tasty. Overall, they look very good but I think they couldn't withdstand any kind of abuse so it's best to treat them well.
Comfort with the HE560 is simply phenomenal! Very light, fit quite well and the earpads are excellent.
Sound:
My first impression was... "WHERE IS THE BASS?!?!?!" It sounded far-off to my ears... then I discovered that my media player settings were messed up on my PC! After that was fixed, I was good to go and enjoy the cans.
Non ear-piercing highs and very clean, clear and resolving but a bit bumped. Sibilance on bad recordings was not "enhanced" (i.e. like happens on some of my "Studio" headphones), excellent vocals reproduction, guitar crunch was excellent and overall very natural sounding with lots of air and space. I went through my usual playlist consisting of:
Thrice - Under a Killing Moon
Miguel Bose - Este Mundo Va
Kaskade - Fire in your Shoes
Blink 182 - Kaleidoscope
Jon Cleary - When you Get back
Mima - Oigo Voces
Esperanza Spalding - What a Friend
Sara Bareilles - Vegas
Killswitch Engage - Fixation on the Darkness
Juancho - Pillala
Boston - More than a Feeling
J-King y Maximan - Ella me Pide Something
Calvin Harris - Feel so Close
Three Six Mafia - Late Night Tip
Orquesta Macabeo - Me Repito
Does it have the slamming bass that I like and crave most times (errmm... I have Ultrasone Sig DJs, modded Denon D5000s, Dido's D901s, JVC SZ1000s, etc)? No! Of course not. They are not voiced to be "bass-head" or bass tilted headphones. Sub-bass doesn't seem elevated at all BUT it has great presence and most of all great speed (i.e. fast decay)! This is probably the cleanest most balanced headphones I have ever heard. Like most have mentioned on the boards though, a slight bump in the treble region is noticeable, even more so with these being so airy... bump seems to give it a certain crispness that I like though and it doesn't mess up vocals from my fave ladies. Of course, I used to have an SRH940 and have Spider Moonlight Studios so comparing treble energy to those is downright laughable (yeah those two can be shrill sometimes/most times...).
Like I mentioned earlier, these are really "balanced" (neutral-ish) with just a tiny bit of warmth on the mids (but not LCD nor Alpha Dogs warmth). Mids are lovely as well and I can't believe the imaging of these. Soundtracks sound excellent, live songs are really involving. I have to say that I've been definitely surprised!
Frankly, I don't have as much experience as some other guys here, but I can definitely say that this is one of the best headphones (closed/open doesn't matter) I've heard with regards to overall sound, imaging and performance! It's like they were made up for the genres I listen to. Overall, HE560s >> all headphones in my profile in overall sound reproduction and experience (including Alpha Dogs, LFF Enigmas, D5000s, etc, etc, etc -- I don't have the T5p's to compare here but... I don't think I'd pick the Beyers anyway).
Does this mean that I prefer them over the ones in my profile? Ermmm... no.
Even though these are the best sounding headphones I've tried and probably one of the most comfortable ones, I still love the closed-back "sound" (i.e. a bit more intimate, bass a bit slower and with more impact/thump, etc.)
But I wouldn't have a problem recommending these to anyone looking for GREAT sounding cans.
Now, my main "con", these puppies LOVE POWER!!!
Right now I'm driving them as: PC --> NuForce Icon HDP --> Burson Soloist SL (High Gain)
I'm pretty sure that with better gear, these might even be end game material for some! Really, can't imagine these on better gear! (they probably give more expensive headphones a run for their money...)
Other "misses": Good quality cable BUT a bit short. Box looks lovely but... well, not really usable. It becomes difficult getting the headphones in and out every time due to the way the foam cut-out is.
And that's it about cons! Not many really.
Comparison summary:
Here's the part where I list a bunch of headphones and try to "rank" them... so let's say that the HE-560s only lose in Bass Quantity... yeah... that's it.
Bass quantity: HE-560s losses to most my closed backs and even my previous open-backs
Bass quality: HE-560s better than all my hp's.
Mids presentation: HE-560s better than all my hp's.
Soundstage/imaging: HE-560s better than all my hp's.
Highs: HE-560s better than all my hp's.
Sound Isolation/Leakage: Open-back... well... you know...
Fun Factor: Middle of the pack.
Price: EXCELLENT
Summary:
So, if I were to choose a favorite from all my headphones and/or the headphones I have tried, I would definitely pick these HifiMan's. They are just, almost perfect. I had said something similar about the Alpha Dogs, and I still feel the same in the closed-back cans category, but I feel that HifiMan just created an almost perfect experience whether open-back/closed-back. Yes, to my ears, they are just that good.
Conclusion:
Props to HifiMan for making a kick-ass set of headphones. I'm definitely a fan!
If you like a bit of a bass-tilt, then be aware that these might not be for you. Just be sure of what you really want and make your selection based on your tastes and gear.
But like I mentioned on the title/Summary, The HE-560s are one of the best listening experience I've had with a headphone (open/closed-back)
Now... where is the HE-XC?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!? (a closed-back sounding like these... I'd probably sell most of my gear...) LOL
Thanks.
A couple of extra pics...
Mids presentation: HE-560s better than all my hp's.
Soundstage/imaging: HE-560s better than all my hp's.
Highs: HE-560s better than all my hp's.
Damn...
Congrats on an awesome set.
It's nice when expectations a exceeded