[money4me247]

I always come across this, he560 is similar to hd800, how can that be? The guy next to me in the office have a hd800 and i have a he560, for me they are not similar when i am switching between the two. Either i have a bad he560 or he has a bad hd800 or we both have bad ears lol.

no, I think you can definitely pick up on differences between the headphones. especially if you guys are using different amplifiers/dacs.
 
for me, the things that stuck out to me was they have differing bass presentations (he-560 have more linear bass extension down to the sub-bass while the hd800 has a bit of a relative mid-bass emphasis in comparison). For mids, the HD800 has a bit warmer sensation with its more lower mid focus, but the HE-560 sounds like the relatively warmer headphone overall with the HD800 sounding subtly brighter overall in comparison. For treble tuning, they actually have peaks in similar regions of the highs, but to different degrees. The HE-560's lower treble (esp 6 kHz peak) is much more emphasized compared to the hd-800s treble presentation which focuses a lot more on the upper treble. HE-560 sounds to me to have a stronger sense of impact (harder-hitting like @Wildcatsare1 stated) as well. the HD800's soundstage is wider and gives a more "open" and "airy" sensation due to its high treble. The HD800's performance seems to vary more with different amplifiers, so finding a good amplifier "synergy" match appears to be a bit more important for them. Less highly recommended mid-tier amp options for the HD800 than the HE-560 from what I've seen.
 
however, if comparing relatively to many other flagship headphones, the HE-560 & HD800 are definitely more similar than different. I know @Wildcatsare1 has both right now as a pair, but most other folks usually just find one of them to match their preferences better & picks between the HE-5560 vs HD800 rather than buying both as complimentary headphones.

 

[d1sturb3d]

@money4me247

Yes that is exactly it. They are different and it is exactly the way you deacribed it. So I was wondering why people say they are similar. And now I understand what they mean, thank you. Its bugging me for a little while lol.

 

[Dimitrisvensson]

Anybody here tried the alpha pads by mrspeaker? I simply need something with a bigger inner diameter since the 560 production pads is too small. Also did this result in any major changes to the sound?
 
Thanks.

 

[money4me247]

  Anybody here tried the alpha pads by mrspeaker? I simply need something with a bigger inner diameter since the 560 production pads is too small. Also did this result in any major changes to the sound?
 
Thanks.

lol! I remember me saying that I would investigate smtg like this for you. sry if I never got around to it.
 
I have those pads. I will try to remember checking for you tonight. PM me a reminder if I don't get back to you by Sunday.

 

[Dimitrisvensson]

  lol! I remember me saying that I would investigate smtg like this for you. sry if I never got around to it.
 
I have those pads. I will try to remember checking for you tonight. PM me a reminder if I don't get back to you by Sunday.

Will do!

 

[money4me247]

  Will do!

 
For those interested in swapping the HE-560 focus-pads with Alpha Pads.
 
so basically, the earpads have different attachment mechanisms. Hifiman focuspads have tabs clipping outwards for attachment (shown below). The Alphapads will wraps around the edge in the opposite direction (shown below). Really will not attach without some sort of adhesive (ala the Audeze double-sided sticky tape or a DIY method). Therefore, I was not able to do any real listening tests for you. However, I did approximate the sizing of the Alpha earpads on the HE-560 earcups and it should fit pretty closely. (further pictures below).
 

Hifiman Focus-pad (tabs face out to clip)
 

Alpha Pad (wrapping portion face in to clip)
 

View of what the Alpha Pads would look like on the HE-560 (not actually attached, but just held in place by the clamp, so a bit of gap with the edges, but if you secure it down, likely will not have any issues fitting the Alpha Pads onto the HE-560).
 

Close-up shot of the edge (look at left side). Top View
 

Close up shot of side edge
 

Close up shot of bottom edge
 

Close Up Shot of Inner Edge
 
As you can see, when just placed approximately on the earcup, there is a bit of gap on the R-L sides with the Alpha Pads. However, if you were to secure the pad down with an adhesive, I estimate that the gap can likely be completely eliminated as the Alpha Pads can stretch a bit and also have quite a lot of extra material as part of the inner wrap that can be slide out to cover the gap.
 
Earcup inner dimension measurements in the size matters thread.

1. HE-560 Earpad Dimensions
2. MrSpeakers Alpha Prime Earpad Dimensions

 
Following pictures show how close in size the two earpads are in outer diameter. The Alpha pads are a bit more oval while the Focuspads are perfectly circular, but it is close enough that I would estimate that it should work without any issues.
 
     
Hifiman Focuspad on the bottom - Alpha pad on top - View from "bottom of headphones"
 
     
Hifiman Focuspad on bottom - Alpha pad on top - View from "back of the headphone"
 
     
Hifiman Focuspad on bottom - Alpha pad on top - View from "front of the headphone"
 
Hope this information was helpful.

 

[stjj89]

   
For those interested in swapping the HE-560 focus-pads with Alpha Pads.
 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

so basically, the earpads have different attachment mechanisms. Hifiman focuspads have tabs clipping outwards for attachment (shown below). The Alphapads will wraps around the edge in the opposite direction (shown below). Really will not attach without some sort of adhesive (ala the Audeze double-sided sticky tape or a DIY method). Therefore, I was not able to do any real listening tests for you. However, I did approximate the sizing of the Alpha earpads on the HE-560 earcups and it should fit pretty closely. (further pictures below).
 

Hifiman Focus-pad (tabs face out to clip)
 

Alpha Pad (wrapping portion face in to clip)
 

View of what the Alpha Pads would look like on the HE-560 (not actually attached, but just held in place by the clamp, so a bit of gap with the edges, but if you secure it down, likely will not have any issues fitting the Alpha Pads onto the HE-560).
 

Close-up shot of the edge (look at left side). Top View
 

Close up shot of side edge
 

Close up shot of bottom edge
 

Close Up Shot of Inner Edge
 
As you can see, when just placed approximately on the earcup, there is a bit of gap on the R-L sides with the Alpha Pads. However, if you were to secure the pad down with an adhesive, I estimate that the gap can likely be completely eliminated as the Alpha Pads can stretch a bit and also have quite a lot of extra material as part of the inner wrap that can be slide out to cover the gap.
 
Earcup inner dimension measurements in the size matters thread.

1. HE-560 Earpad Dimensions
2. MrSpeakers Alpha Prime Earpad Dimensions

 
Following pictures show how close in size the two earpads are in outer diameter. The Alpha pads are a bit more oval while the Focuspads are perfectly circular, but it is close enough that I would estimate that it should work without any issues.
 
     
Hifiman Focuspad on the bottom - Alpha pad on top - View from "bottom of headphones"
 
     
Hifiman Focuspad on bottom - Alpha pad on top - View from "back of the headphone"
 
     
Hifiman Focuspad on bottom - Alpha pad on top - View from "front of the headphone"
 
Hope this information was helpful.

 

 
Thanks for the impressions! How do the Alpha pads sound compared to the Focus pads?

 

[Liu Junyuan]

Thanks for the impressions! How do the Alpha pads sound compared to the Focus pads?

He didn't attach the pads yet.

 

[kdejonge]

I am thinking about upgrading my he-400i to 560s. Anyone else did this? Thoughts?

 

[TMRaven]

You won't get that much more performance out of them, unless you're looking specifically for a different type of coloration.

 

[chowmein83]

  You won't get that much more performance out of them, unless you're looking specifically for a different type of coloration.

 
I agree with this - and I own the 400i, and have heard the 560 for a decent amount of time. But the 560 is definitely better though.

 

[kdejonge]

Thanks, ill audition an lcd-2f instead then . We'll see.

 

[chowmein83]

  Thanks, ill audition an lcd-2f instead then . We'll see.

 
Well, actually, having also heard the LCD-2F, I don't think that is any better than the 400i, unlike the 560. At least IMO you should only go for a LCD-2F if you feel you want a darker sound signature than the 400i, otherwise the LCD-2F and the 400i perform around the same level.
 
But yeah, you should probably demo the LCD-2F anyways (and the 560 if you can) since listening for yourself is still the best thing to do.

 

[kdejonge]

Yeah that's what I read, but having heard the lcd-2 only briefly before I want to make sure

 

[Youth]

How is the HE-560 compared to T1? Or T1.2 if anyone has heard that