[Skooks]

  Great scott...Skooks is a 100-year-old audiophile!

Wow! You guys are trying to bury me way too early. I'm only 76... and for a Marine, that's like being 49 in some other body!

 

[Eric_C]

  Wow! You guys are trying to bury me way too early. 

Haha not at all Skooks! We need more guys like you to tell us young whippersnappers what's what, give us some perspective on this hobby.
Also, this is QOTD material: 
 

 I'm only 76... and for a Marine, that's like being 49 in some other body!

 

[OICWUTUDIDTHAR]

My he-560 ( mint condition) still for sale
 
includes an OCC balanced cable
 
check out my thread in the F/S section!

 

[whirlwind]

 

  i've just sent of my headamp tour pair of 560's, and here are some thoughts:
 
first off i'd like to thank justin at headamp for the opportunity to hear this headphone in my own house, and with my own gear.
i'd heard the 560 briefly at the nashville meet, just before i received the tour pair.
 
i'm not one for writing "reviews", i'm not that eloquent in describing what i'm hearing.
the other headphones i have are the grado gs1000e, and the lcd x, so the 560 was up against some stiff competition, not that it was really a competition to begin with.
the 560's are very comfortable , very light, not as comfy as the grado, but more comfortable that the lcd x, weight wise.
the pads on the 560 weren't as nice as the audeze, but then, it's half the price.
now for the sound.
the 560 fell somewhere in between the grado and the audeze to me.
it had the speed, articulation , of the grado, and its soundstage was more akin to the audeze.
bass reached low, and was tight, tuneful. mids present, treble extended, and not harsh.
i've heard all the hifiman headphones, my favorite being the he-6, when its properly driven, which can be difficult .
other than the he-6 amped right, this is the best hifiman i've heard.
 
to have a headphone, sound this good, sound approaching the quality of my favorite , the lcd x, at roughly half the price is outstanding !
i haven't had the pleasure of buying anything from headamp as yet, but that may change , the 560 is that good

Hey, Jay... I've been an audiophile probably longer than you've been living, and let me tell you... I like your review! I don't like reviews that go for several pages and really say very little about the sound and how it compares with other headphones. You gave me what I needed to know. Thanks so much!

Hmmmmmm....you must be as old as the pyramids  

 
j/k
 
Sorry Jay....I could not resist  

 

[swspiers]

  i've just sent of my headamp tour pair of 560's, and here are some thoughts:
 
first off i'd like to thank justin at headamp for the opportunity to hear this headphone in my own house, and with my own gear.
i'd heard the 560 briefly at the nashville meet, just before i received the tour pair.
 
i'm not one for writing "reviews", i'm not that eloquent in describing what i'm hearing.
the other headphones i have are the grado gs1000e, and the lcd x, so the 560 was up against some stiff competition, not that it was really a competition to begin with.
the 560's are very comfortable , very light, not as comfy as the grado, but more comfortable that the lcd x, weight wise.
the pads on the 560 weren't as nice as the audeze, but then, it's half the price.
now for the sound.
the 560 fell somewhere in between the grado and the audeze to me.
it had the speed, articulation , of the grado, and its soundstage was more akin to the audeze.
bass reached low, and was tight, tuneful. mids present, treble extended, and not harsh.
i've heard all the hifiman headphones, my favorite being the he-6, when its properly driven, which can be difficult .
other than the he-6 amped right, this is the best hifiman i've heard.
 
to have a headphone, sound this good, sound approaching the quality of my favorite , the lcd x, at roughly half the price is outstanding !
i haven't had the pleasure of buying anything from headamp as yet, but that may change , the 560 is that good

Holy cow, I read the review AND THEN read who wrote it.
 
Those are big-time words, buddy.  And I totally agree with your impression, which for you and me is pretty rare overall.
 
Now hurry up and buy them, so we can swap again.  You really need to hear the 400i

 

[jaywillin]

  Wow! You guys are trying to bury me way too early. I'm only 76... and for a Marine, that's like being 49 in some other body!

 
i did something wrong,
my body is fifty years old, feels like 80 !
 
i shoulda been a marine  lol   thanks for your service sir, i salute you !

 

[jaywillin]

  Holy cow, I read the review AND THEN read who wrote it.
 
Those are big-time words, buddy.  And I totally agree with your impression, which for you and me is pretty rare overall.
 
Now hurry up and buy them, so we can swap again.  You really need to hear the 400i

heard the 400i in nashville , its sound is more lcd 2 like, but better, at its price, maybe even a better deal than the 560
and i think we pretty much agree on most stuff, except for the rs1i, we were pretty far apart there

 

[MattTCG]

I will vouch for Jay, he is in fact quite old. 

 

 

[jaywillin]

  I will vouch for Jay, he is in fact quite old. 

 

just my body, now my mind, oh lets say 14yrs,  and that gets me in trouble from time to time

 

[Dopaminer]

Financially, I`m still about 14 years old, which is great for rationalizing outrageously expensive headphone purchases. 

 

[ThurstonX]

  Financially, I`m still about 14 years old, which is great for rationalizing outrageously expensive headphone purchases. 

 
You must have one helluvan allowance or charge a boatload to mow lawns 

 

[hifimanrookie]

Financially, I`m still about 14 years old, which is great for rationalizing outrageously expensive headphone purchases. 

I know what u mean.... .

 

[Bogart24]

My cable broke.  I've asked HiFiman for a new cable under warranty.  (I bought the phones from an authorized retailer three weeks ago.)  Is this a common problem?  if they don't replace the cable for some reason, what alternatives do you recommend?
 

 

[MickeyVee]

New HE-560 owner here! 

 
Visited my local dealer and auditioned the HE560 again.  This time I spent more time auditioning them under different configurations.  Had my MacBook Air and DragonFly and ran them into a stock Woo WA6 at the shop, my iPhone, right from the DF and the AK100 MkII.  Also spent some time comparing them to my HD800.  While they won't dethrone the HD800, they are well balanced, richer and more full bodied especially in the mids and smoother highs for the 80s and 90s music that I have. All in all, a little more forgiving than the HD800.
 
Listening to the first few songs (Adele's Lovesong and Dire Strait's Calling Elvis) on the new pair as I type this and wow! With the Naim DAC-V1 feeding my WA6 with upgraded tubes, they sound better that they did in the shop. Holding out my enthusiasm for now but I think I've nailed my complementary pair to the HD800. More to come one I get some time on them.

 

[Skooks]

  New HE-560 owner here! 

 
Visited my local dealer and auditioned the HE560 again.  This time I spent more time auditioning them under different configurations.  Had my MacBook Air and DragonFly and ran them into a stock Woo WA6 at the shop, my iPhone, right from the DF and the AK100 MkII.  Also spent some time comparing them to my HD800.  While they won't dethrone the HD800, they are well balanced, richer and more full bodied especially in the mids and smoother highs for the 80s and 90s music that I have. All in all, a little more forgiving than the HD800.
 
Listening to the first few songs (Adele's Lovesong and Dire Strait's Calling Elvis) on the new pair as I type this and wow! With the Naim DAC-V1 feeding my WA6 with upgraded tubes, they sound better that they did in the shop. Holding out my enthusiasm for now but I think I've nailed my complementary pair to the HD800. More to come one I get some time on them.

How many hours do you have on your new 560's? They will definitely sound better after about 150 hours... even a little bit better going from 150 to 200 hours. From 0 to 50, they take on big changes... sometimes they don't sound good enough to listen to. But going towards 150, they do get sweet and resolving.
 
Changing the metal grills to more open grills really opens up the soundstage and adds to their transparency. And adding a good cable, like the one I have from Norne Cables clears up some cobwebs and mush. After about 200 hours with the Norne cable, I put the original back on... for 2 minutes... it was night and day! Quickly I put the Norne back on. Also, cut out the cloth veil in the ear pads... also removes a veil. Now you can hear what these headphones are capable of doing!
 
They are for sure a top notch headphone. Whether it beats the HD-800, that's for each to decide. But, the 560 is in that top echelon of headphones in mho. And I have had the HD-800. But, it wouldn't be fair for me to compare since it's been at least a year since I sold my HD-800... so no direct comparison. You can tell us your comparison, but just be sure you have at least 150 hours on the HE-560.