[Dithyrambes]

  There's a dip at 2khz, or a hump at 4khz, depending on how you look at it.  Lowering the hump at 4khz down by that much probably isn't a good solution, as it would make the headphone be shelved after 1khz, and not as smooth of a transition in the upper midrange and lower treble.  A combination of a slight raise at 2khz and a slight reduction at 4khz would probably be a better idea.

I don't know if its ideal. Check the posts around 4228. Thx Wildcat, I will def purchase the focus A pads and see the changes that come! 

 

[doctorjazz]

Not sure anymore (getting hard to keep track of all this audio foolishness), but I think I also went for the Focus A pads.

 

[JimmyJohns99]

I generally love the sound of these and am blown away by the detail, dynamics, speed, and bass quality. Before with open back traditional HPs i would just listen to guitar/vocal/jazz/blues etc, but now with these it makes all styles of music fun and engaging. 
 
A couple things that are annoying me though: the left ear and right ear rotate completely differently (i wish they didnt rotate at all tbh). The left one is lubed up like crazy and swings like its on skates and the right to me is correctly done and requires a little bit of force to do it. Very annoying QC issue for a $800 headphone. The head hammock height control is too loose, it should be locked into place more securely. Several times when i have inadvertently touched/grabbed it there casually it slipped into a different slot. I have a small head and it seems like not enough clamp for me. These things add it up but hopefully i can get used to them/look past them because the SQ is something else.

 

[cs098]

  I generally love the sound of these and am blown away by the detail, dynamics, speed, and bass quality. Before with open back traditional HPs i would just listen to guitar/vocal/jazz/blues etc, but now with these it makes all styles of music fun and engaging. 
 
A couple things that are annoying me though: the left ear and right ear rotate completely differently (i wish they didnt rotate at all tbh). The left one is lubed up like crazy and swings like its on skates and the right to me is correctly done and requires a little bit of force to do it. Very annoying QC issue for a $800 headphone. The head hammock height control is too loose, it should be locked into place more securely. Several times when i have inadvertently touched/grabbed it there casually it slipped into a different slot. I have a small head and it seems like not enough clamp for me. These things add it up but hopefully i can get used to them/look past them because the SQ is something else.

That's definitely not common, mine is locked very securely and my cup don't rotate easy.
 
But I do rotate them, just to improve comfort, once it's just right it's very comfortable, (though IMO velour/cloth Beyers and open Sennheisers are more comfy)

 

[DreamKing]

  enjoyed reading review! skimmed through your updates. just curious what was your original pairing? I think it may be helpful to include that as well (or just let me know if I missed it) thanks

 
Thanks, forgot about that. I put an update for it in the associated equipment. Originally, it was just my Capella amp and BMKII. 

 
Any recommendation on how to tame the high freq sparkle in these? A cable? EQ? They are fantastic but i have one ear that is ultra sensitive to some treble - historically some speakers/hps irritate it more than others. Have a magni2uber/modi2 setup. Plenty of power but would a warmer amp help? I should also say that I am only ~15 hours into the 560s if that is a factor.

 
I didn't have a problem with my first HE-560 as far as treble. There was a rattling in the right driver so I sent it back for a replacement. The second unit started out with some audible grain in the treble but after a week or so it stopped completely. 
 

Great review Dreamking! Have you compared any other DACs to your Bersford?

 
Thanks for the kind words . I'm considering getting the audio-gd Master 19 soon as my next purchase, to hop on the R2R bandwagon. Will post about it when it happens.
 

Great review, enjoyed reading it, they are great headphones (but, I may stray to the HE-1000...)

 
money's massive review gave me a slight erection so I may too at some point...Jesus Christ, I never thought I'd be spending this much money on audio gear.

 

[DreamKing]

 
Are you referring to a software equalizer? I am dumb here but why would you +6db 2050hz? I understand bringing down 4300hz of course...Does bringing up the mids counteract the highs? Any idea whats different about the focus A pads?

 
Here's a quote for that from http://www.head-fi.org/t/634201/battle-of-the-flagships-58-headphones-compared/5115#post_11546228:
 

  560 has a 6-7db hump at 4khz with focus pads, and a 3db hump at 4khz with focus pads-a.  Put the focus pads-a on them and then EQ 4khz down 3db, then 2khz up 3db.
 

 
I tried this once just to see and didn't like the sound of it. It smooths the frequencies in a bad way and drowns the clarity and details to my ears.
 
However, I've got a u-shaped frequency sensitivity so the 4 kHz peak doesn't concern me anyway. But that's not to say I'd call the stock HE-560 anywhere near smooth in the treble. To my ears, it's crisp and flawlessly so. I'm more sensitive to the high frequencies (6kHz and up), but the HE-560 doesn't have too much HF quantity to bother me at any point while enjoying sound. The only issue I had with its sound was some treble grain with the piano but it's inaudible now.

 

[Rudiger]

"I tried this once just to see and didn't like the sound of it. It smooths the frequencies in a bad way and drowns the clarity and details to my ears. " ➡ +1

 

[cs098]

hear hear, the peak while does sounds grating or off if a badly mastered track exacerbates it, it usually adds extra energy to brass and guitars, making them sound extra clean, crisp and clear. I like it more than I hate it.

 

[Dithyrambes]

"I tried this once just to see and didn't like the sound of it. It smooths the frequencies in a bad way and drowns the clarity and details to my ears. " ➡ +1

After hearing it for one day, it doesn't seem noticeable to me. I agree....equalizing it made the sound worse. Don't mind the stock pads anymore, but would still like to try some Focus A pads

 

[Sonic Defender]

It is the material. If we play peaky, treble tipped-up music well that is what we're giving the 560 to reproduce, and it is going to faithfully reproduce the material. Frankly, we need to decide if the material is something warts and all we can't live without, and if that is the case, accept the sound for what it is. I have given up on a huge portion of my collection as it sounds like ass and the music itself just can't compensate for that. In many ways that has been good for me as it forced me to seek out new music that I enjoy, and that is recorded better. I'm glad for this as rather than simply playing the same material year after year after year, I now seek out new material.
 
I say if the material is poorly recorded, why punish yourself? There is a world full of amazing music to discover when you're willing to leave some things behind. There will always be some material you can't leave behind, but if you try I'll bet you can liberate yourself from the shackles of a great deal of poorly recorded material that you have listened to forever anyway. Nothing is sacred to me in that respect, I'm willing to move on if it sounds like ass. I don't say this prescriptively for everybody, but in my years here I find it is a common theme, people discussing what ends they will go to in an effort to overcome poorly recorded material. I say kick its ass to the curb or simply love it as it is. Whatever floats your boat.

 

[Wildcatsare1]

^This^ Well said @Sonic Defender one of the main reasons I am loving Tidal, it gives the ability to stretch my musical wings and find new (at least to me) music. I hate, abhor, detest, and many bad words highly compressed recordings or horribly mastered patchwork music (Iron Butterfly/Stones I am looking at your elderly asses). I have almost given up on current rock, the brick-walling and the resulting minuscule dynamics should be criminalized.
 
Maybe Head Fi should start an "adopt a recording engineer" program. Every member being assigned an engineer, meet them, take them to lunch, then slap the living crap out them till they stop it!!!

 

[DreamKing]

I think I got the best evidence of my fondness of the HE-560 today. It actually made me re-evaluate one of my past music impressions/evaluations. I thought Kendrick Lamar's TPAB album was pretty good the first time I heard it with my dynamic cans...Didn't see what all the fuss was about. Really great lyrically but didn't think the music was all that. I can finally decipher the production now. Vocals came alive too. Unbelievable production. It's a masterpiece. True testament to transparent headphones.

 

[Textfeud]

  I think I got the best evidence of my fondness of the HE-560 today. It actually made me re-evaluate one of my past music impressions/evaluations. I thought Kendrick Lamar's TPAB album was pretty good the first time I heard it with my dynamic cans...Didn't see what all the fuss was about. Really great lyrically but didn't think the music was all that. I can finally decipher the production now. Vocals came alive too. Unbelievable production. It's a masterpiece. True testament to transparent headphones.

Yeah awesome album and King Kunta is the best hip hop song I've heard in a long long time. Listening to the album with the HE560 as I type this 

 

[Hifi59]

For those of you on the fence as to whether to upgrade the stock cable,I can confidently say that you will not be disappointed .
That is if you pick the right cable. I've tried 3 different cables on my 560's. A 60.00 Gotham cable, a 100.00 Cardas cable
and a 250.00 C10100 OFE Laboratory grade Silver plated copper cable.

While all 3 were an improvement over the stock cable, the Cardas cable won me over. A deeper, punchier,more defined bass was immediately
noticed along with a touch more body to boot. Midrange moved forward a full notch and treble took on some air around instruments. No grunge nor grain
were added in the meantime. I went back and forth between all these cables for weeks and I'm personally confident of my results. These differences don't slap
you in the face,but they are there and add to an overall improved listening experience. Even listening at lower volume sounds better. With most music, going back
to the stock cable was a bit of a let down mainly in the bass and lower midrange areas. These difference apply whether I used my Focus pads or the Focus As. I been
using the Focus As lately. I bought the Cardas from a vendor on EBay who makes cables to order. It's the Cardas 24x4 cable. I hope this makes your decision
to upgrade your stock cable an easier one especially for under 100.00 !

 

[DreamKing]

  Yeah awesome album and King Kunta is the best hip hop song I've heard in a long long time. Listening to the album with the HE560 as I type this 

 
+1 King Kunta is incredible, glad to hear you enjoy the album