So I got a package from DHL today. Needless to say, it'll be my first pair of planars I have for review. Impressions are definitely positive overall.
The pads are large enough for my ears. I actually did (my best) to measure my ears (tip to tip) and found they were approximately 6.5cm at the longest. For some reason, my ears have plenty of space to fit inside the pads and don't touch the edges. So I do have to agree with Jerg when he says that the inner-diameter isn't the only thing in play. If I remember correctly, your ear also sticks out at an angle, which might change things a bit with that measurement. The velor padding is very soft on the head, but also can itch me at certain spots. Minor thing, maybe I'll get used to it.
The HE-560 don't weigh too much which is also a great thing for comfort and the long listening sessions. No more needing a neck of steel to listen to these headphones.
Quick information about sensitivity. These headphones are surprisingly sensitive, even straight out of my iPhone. At 10 (out of 16) clicks up, I hit a comfortable listening level. So they can be driven out of an iPhone, but obviously weren't designed for that purpose.
However, if driven with something a little more powerful, they do open up. I don't have a huge collection of amps (I'm mainly a portable listener), but out of my Vamp Verza, these do open up quite a bit. The bass gains quite a bit of weight, midrange gains dynamics, while the treble comes alive. It becomes less smooth and warm. As you'd expect, these scale up nicely. I probably should try these out of a good amp at some point.
I will get into some initial impressions, but do note that these obviously won't be final, and may change with time (I probably shouldn't need to say this, but I will anyways as a disclaimer).
The best words for me to describe the bass would be two contradictory terms, but smooth and punchy. The low-end of the spectrum does have good depth and texturing, despite being subtle and soft, it has ample presence. The bass has a well-defined, tight impact that gives a nice thump without being big in size. The mid-bass punches quick and with good speed.
Warm and smooth is exactly how I'd describe the midrange. The lower midrange detailing is there, but done in an almost entirely non-aggressive fashion. In many ways, it seems effortless and easy. The clarity in the upper mids is there, but doesn't give the edge or energy I'd expect. Dynamics are still quite strong, especially in vocals as they can easily reach down and get lush and emotive while not skipping a beat with the high notes.
Reach up high is something the 560 can grasp pretty nicely. The treble extends beautifully and renders the treble in a smooth, yet detailed, fashion. Snares snap with a true, defined snap and have good presence. The upper treble, however, is where the 560 shine. It's detailed and has great separation and clarity. Truly spectacular in many ways.
As stated, my impressions are very positive. This really isn't a headphone that jumps out at me, I do have to admit it, but it balances the sound really well and renders music in an easy-to-listen manner.
I'm going to leave it at that for now. Back to listening.
Hence the new hifiman pads are jorg pads... or was it zorg? I can't remember.
