Sennheiser HD 560S

In this review I'll be mainly comparing the 560S to the DT770. I think it's a good comparison for two reasons, first being they both cost about the same and aim for an analytical, balanced sound. The HD560S in the way it's marketed and looking at its pricepoint seems almost designed from the start to compete with Beyerdynamic's offerings like the DT770 and DT990, which operate in the same price bracket with a similar purpose as the 560S. The second reason is that I think the DT770 still stands as one of the best headphones out there period, with very few issues and just an overall exceptional sound. Sennheiser has always had pretty good offerings in its 5xx series, but never did they try to place a sophisticated analytical product in that range to go head to head with Beyerdynamic. It's daring, but did they manage to pull it off? Let's find out.

So let's start with the bass. The HD560s has really good bass. They seem a bit light because of the excessive treble, but once the treble is reduced a bit or the recording isn't bright, you'll really notice how good the bass is. I'd rate it somewhere inbetween the DT770 and DT990, which for a Sennheiser is seriously saying something... But the bass on the DT770 though. Yeah, THAT bass. It's reference class, it's exceptional. DT770 wins.

For the midrange, I think the DT770 as an analytical headphone is a bit better than the 560S. I do get the sense that I can hear more into the recording with the DT770. On the other hand I think that the actual sound of the 560S may be nicer to listen to when the recording isn't spotless. I think this is a very close call, both these headphones have excellent midrange with very good separation and imaging. Both are also revealing of poor audio quality, with the DT770 doing the better job. I've always loved the DT770 for the way it accurately renders vocals, and the 560S keeps up very well in this regard, but the Beyers are still my favorite.

Treble is where the 560S wins. The treble on the DT770 is very good but can be lacking somewhat in refinement compared to good open back headphones. The 560S has perfect treble to my ears, very clear and pleasant, it may actually be the best treble I've heard on any headphone.

Soundstage goes to the Beyers. It seems a bit more evenly spread out, whereas the 560S's center channel can still be a bit in your face and come off slightly shouty. The 560S is a decently spacious sounding headphone though, and it's definitely a step up from the 58x or HD650, but the presentation on the DT770 is better.

So, which of these two wins? Both are built well, both are comfortable headphones. The 560S will get very loud from a computer, whereas the DT770 may require an additional amp. Other than that I'd rate them very similarly. I think the DT770 is superior as an analytical headphone, but I think the 560S scores marginally better as an audiophile headphone that's nice to listen to. For my taste both headphones do need some equalization, since they have too much treble in their stock tuning.
I think it's really hard to pick a winner here, because Sennheiser did a fantastic job with the 560S. For my money it's easily the best midtier headphone Sennheiser have released, which at half the price of the HD600 is pretty crazy. But the DT770 is a beast of a headphone that remains incredibly hard to beat. I think I'd recommend the 560S over the DT770 on the basis that it requires less amping and the overall sound is a bit more inviting, but when it really comes down to it I think the DT770 edges it out on pure performance.

TLDL:

If you want a slight bright neurtal tuning with good technicalities you can give it a try .
Again try to pair it up with warm sources or better amplification to get good result out of it .
Dont try compare it with sundara or other sennheiser6 seris they are on their own league.


PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

>>Sennheiser HD 560S headphones(ear pads are velourish material)
>>3 meter 6.35mm terminated cable
>>6.35mm to 3.5mm adapter cable




Technical Specifications


>>Form Factor: Open-backed, over-ear
>>Frequency Response (Hz): 6Hz ~38KHz
>>Drivers : Dynamic driver
>>Source Jack : 6.35mm /3.5mm
>>Sensitivity (dB) : 110 dB
>>Removable Cable : ✔
>>Impedance (Ohm) : 120 Ω
>>Headphone in Jack : 2.5mm
>>Removable Cable : ✔
>>Weight : 240 gram

Sound Impression :

source:
Dongle : >>xduoo link2 bal
desktop: >>(ifi zen dac v2+ ifi zen can ),
>>(smsl su-9 + cayin IHA-6)
Aftermarket cable : Faaeal balance cable






[BASS]

Not that much bass that will nod your head .
Good sub bass comparing mid bass but lacks slams and rumble .
If i need bass slams & rumble i just hit TRUEBASS on iFi Zen dac v2 and it just give me that deep thump with vibration .
Bass assault is muted, and decay is a little delayed.
There is hardly any audible middle bleed or masking of higher frequencies.
But with cayin IHA-6 i get a decent amount of bass, might be for that crazy amplification .


[MIDS]

Sennheiser is very famous for its mid centric tuning .
The upper mids can sound shrill.
This is partly because of the linear bass response, which completely exposes the upper mid yell.
However, the lower mids are quite well tuned.
Due to uncolored mid range it is very suitable for audio mixing .


[TREBLE]

Tuning is neutral brightish.
Lower treble is still harsh with warm ifi zen dac , it was very pleasant & enjoyable with IHA-6 though .
Upper treble is is natrural not overdone. But sometimes it felt sibilant even with zen stack but not on cayin .
Attack & decay of treble was good indeed .


Technicalities:

Stage , imaging was not that top of class but it is very good for open back & for its price .
separation is charming for its price , you might not find good separation within its price range .
I play CSGO competetive fps game , i can pick up every detail that is happening around me yet the footstep & directional sense was not top notch but it wasn't bad either.
Due to the absence of mid bass bulk and sub bass rumble, macrodynamic punch is weak. Although above average, microdynamics are not exceptional.


Comparisons

HD560s vs HD599se

I don't have many sennheiser headphone to compare with ,in future i'll try to gather other sennheiser to compare .
HD599se is very bass bloated where is it has bass quantity & on the other hand HD560s has less amount of bass .
HD599se has lush mid where HD560s has crisp sweet mid .
HD599se has its treble cut off where HD560s has little peek on treble.
Soundstage & imaging is slight better on HD599se (Nitpicking) where separation is better on HD560s .
For gaming and relaxing session HD599se is good if one dont want that much analytical sounding .




HD560s vs Edition xs

Sub bass rumble was seen on edition xs , mids might be little sweet on hd560s but that attack, resoulation and separation on edition xs was on another level .
Treble was very enjoying in edition xs . Technicalities was better on edition xs , dynamic speed cause it is a planar driver .
Edition is superior in every aspect , Edition xs swiping the floor with HD560s .
But despite being a dynamic driver hd560s wasn't that bad either but Edition xs win with ease .






Rating:

Bass: 3.8/5
Mids: 4.5/5
Treble: 3.8/5
Imaging/Separation: 4.0/5
Staging: 4.0/5
Dynamics/Speed: 3.9/5



Conclusion :

Good for monitoring & gaming .
Might feel boring , Needs time to grow on you .
Might need to eq to get more out off bass section.
Might be safe buy.

Introduction

The most popular headphone since 2020, has been reviewed a lot and has sold a a ton of units. Sennheiser released an amazing product but most people don't seem to understand to real purpose of these headphones. Still, is an amazing performer and possibly the best value around 200 dollars.

Packaging and accesories

• Is just a regular box, Sennheiser has been reducing packaging quality in the last couple of years including the HD 600 family.
• It includes a 3 meter 2.5 to 6.3 mm cable, good for studios
• 6.3 to 3.5 adapter for regular users

Comfort

• Traditional HD 500 line comfort (almost perfect)
• Great earpads, but they may need a replacement after 2-3 years though.
• Clamping force is a bit stronger than other HD 500 line headphones, but not as big as HD 600 family

Bass

• Very well extended, subass is present but has a noticeable roll off after 60 hertz
• A little dry to my taste, not very warm
• Control, speed and detail is amazing for the price
• Slam is pretty decent

Midrange

• Great detail
• High midrange is more prominent than HD 600s, can be to hot for some
• Transparency is top notch

Treble

• Low treble is accentuated to a point it becomes piercing with bad amplification/DAC performance
• Extension is awesome
• Low quality recording can sound terrible, possibly making you hate your music

Soundstage and imaging

• Better than HD 600 family
• Just perfect for the price, no complaints here

Final take
It's just the best headphone in the HD 500 line, outperforming every headphone in almost any categorie. Comfort is great, but pads may look weird after a few weeks. Matching is a bit difficult to have a decent experience with low quality recordings (iFi products are a perfect match). Technical performance is perfect for gaming. In the end, this are headphones for profesionals. My main concern is that the HD 560s doesn't provide a good experience with all my albums, so It's not a headphone for me in particular.