[MusiCol]

I want a usb only dac/amp that will work with my Hifiman HE560 v1. The HE560 are 45ohm, 90db. Do you think the Uno will be good enough or do I need something else?

Sorry to start by going off topic but the biggest single upgrade you can make to the HE560 is an Artisan Silver Cables upgrade cable. The synergy between these is simply perfect and raises the HE560 to a whole new level entirely. I was so impressed with the upgrade to the acoustic improvements that when it eventually came time to upgrade the headphones I Alister to re terminate the same cable with 3.5mm jacks in place of the 2.5mm ones for my HE560 v1, and the improvements are equally impressive.

Regarding a DAC / amp, there are many worth looking at but I have not explored them recently so it’s better if others advise.

 

[bobchennan]

"Focuspad A" is my favorite earpad for these. Quite hard to find them nowadays...

I think it is available now. Do you think if it is an upgrade from OG pad?

 

[Dorien]

I think it is available now. Do you think if it is an upgrade from OG pad?

Yes, it is!
And it sounds best for me with the original HE400 running from a Topping A30 Pro amplifier. (6W max. output power)
I do not have the HE560 anymore so I cannot compare...

 

[Mortus]

Quick question what i will loose if i swap my hifiman edition xs for he 560 v4 my source is ifizen air stack (zen can air amp +zen air dac)

 

[Dorien]

Quick question what i will loose if i swap my hifiman edition xs for he 560 v4 my source is ifizen air stack (zen can air amp +zen air dac)

Perhaps some bass. HE560 really needs a powerful amp to shine. iFi Zen Air Can power output may not be enough: (75mW@600Ω, 660mW@64Ω, 1200mW@32Ω)

 

[bagwell359]

This is for the v1 & v2 - not sure about the v4

Any 560 needs at least 2 wpc@50 ohms SS power, more is better assuming good sonic ability of the amp. Using something that's .8 watts may have trouble delivering the bass impact that these can. No cable is going to fix that if the amp isn't up to it. My Rag 1 in Gain 2 is well more than enough.

I used to shovel some dirt on these, but with PEQ to bring bass shelf under 55 Hz, fix that trough around 2k, and cut the 3.2-4.5k area, and add a small divot around 8k where the CSD behavior is annoying they do very well.

As usual with all round cup HE-6, 500 and 560 - the DCA Ether Angled is the best of the 15 I've tried on these cans combined - capable O2 free cables (DIY if done right fine too).

 

[fishda30]

8 years and counting with my he560. Still my fav hp

 

[Bostonears]

As noted above, amp power is crucial for the HE-560. I'm running mine from the balanced output of a Monolith by Alex Cavalli Liquid Platinum hybrid (tube/SS) amp, which into 45 ohms puts out about 5 watts. The sound is exquisite.

(Someday I'll make any adapter to try to drive desktop speakers from that amp.)

 

[Brahmsian]

8 years and counting with my he560. Still my fav hp

Hadn’t listened to my HE560 V2 in ages, but took them out a few days ago, and they sound wonderful. Better than I remembered. The main issue I had with them originally was a treble peak that went away after 1) I swapped the stock ear pads for the Dan Clark Audio VOCE pads and 2) removed the cloth on the grill side. I took off the grills too but put them back on when I realized that it was cloth removal + pad swap that made the big difference. The peak is totally gone. What strikes me most is how open these headphones sound. If you listen to jazz, classical or other acoustic music, I highly recommend them.

 

[eeagle]

Hadn’t listened to my HE560 V2 in ages, but took them out a few days ago, and they sound wonderful. Better than I remembered. The main issue I had with them originally was a treble peak that went away after 1) I swapped the stock ear pads for the Dan Clark Audio VOCE pads and 2) removed the cloth on the grill side. I took off the grills too but put them back on when I realized that it was cloth removal + pad swap that made the big difference. The peak is totally gone. What strikes me most is how open these headphones sound. If you listen to jazz, classical or other acoustic music, I highly recommend them.

I love my HE560 V2 stock. Team them up with the HiFiMan EF400 in balanced mode for a great R2R experience.

 

[fishda30]

If powered properly the he560 can give a lot of hps a run for their moneyi've had a lot of hp amps but the best i've ever heard my he560s are with speaker amps.

 

[volly]

If powered properly the he560 can give a lot of hps a run for their moneyi've had a lot of hp amps but the best i've ever heard my he560s are with speaker amps.

Running mine off a Yamaha Stereo amp....no other "headphone" amp compares to this! More transparent, more detail, more imaging. The damn 560's just keep asking for more juice!

 

[fishda30]

I totally agree. The he560s are a different beasts with speaker amps

 

[volly]

I totally agree. The he560s are a different beasts with speaker amps

Just picked a SMSL DA-9 power amp for a really cheap price. HOLY MOLY!!!!

More punchy and dynamic than the Yamaha damit!

Running a THETA DS PRO Prime II balanced output to the DA-9 and out to
the 560v4 via banana plugs to 4-Pin XLR.

 

[Davidzak64]

It's new to me headphone day.
I'm giving the HE560 V1 a second listen with the usual test file playlist. I'm powering them with the LP RS08 in balanced mode. I'm totally impressed with what I'm hearing so far. They sound like a different headphone when driven with the right amplifier. They're definitely worth owning.
I feel like I just struck gold.