I have direct experience with the X1. Owned it for a month. Good treble, soubdstage and instrument separation but the mids were just a hair too recessed for my taste and bass was more prominent than I'd like.
The 560 is definitely the brighter (read more detailed in the treble) and more balanced of the two.
thank you! I like my X1. I raise them a bit in the midrange and lower pretty much around 300 hz. then they sound really good with my stuff.
I also wouldnt say that apart from the bass boost on the x1 that the 560 is more balanced either. I tend to think there is a disconnect between the audiophile and the actual professional studio realm, where a headphone like the focal spirit pro, adam 7's speakers, NAD's etc is spot on balanced and bright equipment sometimes makes for dark mixes. The 560 is more tuned for the average detail hungry audiophile who most likely will call something with neutral highs dark. The 560 is upward tilted and the x1 is downward tilted. The x1's mids are not recessed but since the instruments are softer it seems that way.
- Do expect to effortlessly hear the different placement of instruments, though its not a tall soundstage by any means its a lot wider. If I am wrong here its because the imaging and instrument separation is a huge step up above the x1 whose soundstage could be as wide but I couldnt tell and cant remember well enough.
- I wouldnt say the he560 has more mids as far as balance goes, maybe that its mids are less distant and definitely more accurate/refined.
- The highs, though far more detailed, wont be a small jump in qty coming from the x1 to the 560. The upper register is not even close IMO with the philips being neutral. The transparency wont be a small jump either.... It will be like someone took the cotton out of your ears when you put the 560 on.
- The bass will be no small step down in qty coming from the x1 until you cross the right song where the 560 surprises you and you take them off to look at them like "did this bass light headphone just do that,
well I guess it aint bass light". Dont expect to ever hear tighter a bass than the 560 unless you pay <$1000 usd, even though you can come close with the he400 which is a gateway headphone, that I personally would choose the x1 over(again ...my opinion).
- Do expect detail and to have to match it with the right gear for the "Forgot I'm wearing headphones" effortless enjoyment sessions. So expect to have to build a rig around it because its qualities are proving to be very much worth it to me despite me disagreeing with the majority consensus of it being balanced. Its not far from the mark
IMO.
lol he already thanked everyone for the help... sorry skipped over reading that.
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