We've seen confirmation from independent teardowns as well as directly from HiFiMan that the drivers themselves are identical to the HE560 v1/v1.5, so if anything any differences would be down to the cups or the (removed) backplate. Honestly, until we see measurements directly comparing the...

Seems like the Lyr 2 is a popular pairing with the HE560, which is cool to see. I'm really enjoying my v3 paired with 1970s Czech Roznov tubes in the Lyr 2, which are known for their bass impact. Like the others above, I have EQ'd them to add a bit of low-end bass, a small bump up at 500hz, and...

Ah, I see what you're saying. It's just that I don't see any evidence on the measurements of the HE-560 being any worse than the Sundara or the HE-500 (as mentioned previously) when it comes to high-frequency peaks. I have not heard these side-by-side, myself, so unable to comment on subjective...

I don't recall seeing this characteristic of the HE-560 referred to as a "treble spike" (as in something that shows up on an FR graph) so much as I see people describing the HE-560 as a "bright" headphone at the upper end, which is a little different. If there was a harsh high-frequency peak on...

Well if you don't like your Emu Teaks, then possibly. But the HE-560 v2 is selling for $250 right now on Adorama and the Emus cost twice that through a Massdrop, so you could probably sell them outright for more than that. If you like the 400i, then I'd say it's a near certainty that you'll...

Check out a few pages back in this thread (page 1349 starting about half way down) where we discuss this. My recommendation would be a Topping NX4

That is too bad! Yeah, I'm hoping someone gets around to measuring the newer models eventually. Would be really interesting to compare.

Not that I'm aware of. But if they're going back anyway, why would it matter? I would think the most recent purchase would be the one to worry about. Regardless, if the yoke breaks I've heard from several people who contacted HiFiMan support and were sent a Sundara headband to replace it. FWIW...

If your pair has the wood veneer on the cups and the old headband, that would be the v1 or the v1.5. FYI. As for whether or not they sound the same: I've seen some people say that the bass doesn't hit as hard on the new ones, and I've seen others say they sound the same. HiFiMan confirmed that...

I'll just say that I really like the newer headband from the Sundara. It's one of the most comfortable and one of the best fitting of any of my cans.

You'll find the full answer to this by reading earlier in the thread, but the short answer is that they had some issues with materials quality leading to broken yokes (fixed on the v2 and newer) and ill-fitting headbands (fixed on the v3), these models are a little bit cheaper to manufacture...

For use with your mobile devices, I had the Topping NX4 recommended to me for these exact purposes (portable amp/DAC suitable for driving planar magnetics). The reviews are excellent.

As long as you plan ahead you're careful and rig up something to hold the grill away from the driver once it's free (perhaps paper clips through the grill holes or something), I think you'll be fine. But as far as dismantling the cups: I have not done this so I'm not sure if that would be wiser...

If you're going to remove/replace the grill cover, just be EXTREMELY careful when you do, because as soon as you remove the plastic retention ring, the internal magnets will try to - very strongly - pull the edge of the metal grill straight into the thin foil driver material and you could wind...

I'm really enjoying the sound of these on my Lyr 2, as well. I'm currently rolling 1970s Czech NOS Tesla Rožnov E88CC tubes in mine. I've also got the LISST tubes, but those haven't been as exciting. Which Mullards are you using along with the HE560?

Better a little embarrassment than waiting and paying for shipment! Glad you figured it out, and this might help others.

Awww man, that's too bad. I can't believe how many failures they're having from this batch. All I can say is that if you can stick it out, I still think they're more than worth it at $300. Adorama paid for shipping both ways when I had to replace, although I'm not sure that holds true for...

Yup, that's the one I got. I did have to return the first one they shipped me because the left driver distorted below 45hz, so make sure you run a frequency sweep at decent volume! The replacement pair Adorama sent have so far been flawless, aside from the aforementioned slightly anemic bass...

Interesting. Which HE560 model? Curious as to your impressions vs the Stax. Wow, most people have the opposite reaction to the 6XX paired with a tube amp! I use mine (as well as the Thunderpants and the HE560) with my Schiit Lyr 2 (with Czech Tesla tubes) and they're super easy on the ears...

Which was exactly why I chose the 560s: a more open, airy, neutral option with a larger sound stage to complement my closed, more impactful and colored T50RP mods (original Smeggy Thuderpants TP-1). I knew the bass would be less impactful than the Thunderpants or even my Sennheiser HD6XXs, but...

Thanks! I'm trying to use the version numbers as they are actually being used at retail. The "v2" I'm referring to is the model without the wood veneer that was sold at Adorama and the "v3" I'm referring to is the same model with the fixed headband and yoke.

I've seen in previous pages of this thread and elsewhere anecdotal accounts of the new versions (v2 and v3) of the HE-560 having significantly less impact in the bass, but has anyone seen any actual measurements reflecting this? I'm just wondering to what degree the bass is attenuated vs the v1...

Yeah, I remember Smeggy saying that he uses wood because it's attractive, affordable, and it's easy to fabricate.  He didn't claim it to have significantly superior acoustic properties.  Just FYI...  

Heh.  Guess not.  Anyway, it sounds fantastic now that I've finally got a complete system set up:   Smeggy Thunderpants TP1 Asus Xonar Essence STX - RCA line output with MonoPrice premium 3-foot RCA cable Cavalli SOHA II Super SE hybrid tube amp Foobar2000 in ASIO mode with channel...

While we're on the subject of amps: would a Cavalli SOHA II be a good match for a pair of TP1s?  I ask because while I see the CTH recommended all over for these headphones, I rarely see the SOHA series mentioned in conjunction with these headphones even though it's a more powerful hybrid...