[trybeingarun]

Other than Focus-A pad switch is there any "mandatory mod" for the 560? How about the Jerg mod? Is the sound improvement significant enough?

 

[lugnut]

I ended up ordering a new pair off eBay for a total of $702.00 Cdn which includes s&h + customs. Also the seller has 100% + feedback. It's still a lot of money but it's the cheapest total price I could find.

It's a shame you could not take advantage of the sale at Adorama ! I bought a pair with 2 day air shipping for $375. If I don't like them I will offer a deal here or send them back.

 

[DavidA]

Other than Focus-A pad switch is there any "mandatory mod" for the 560? How about the Jerg mod? Is the sound improvement significant enough?

Nothing is "mandatory" and it depends on what you are trying to change/tune. If you are like most and want more bass then I'd suggest using EQ first since most pad changes also affect other aspects of the sound. If you are looking for comfort then Ori (didn't try with HE560), Shure SRH-1540/1840 pads or Dekoni sheepskin pads are some of the more comfortable that I've tried but they do change the sound a bit in a direction that I didn't care for.

 

[trybeingarun]

To be clear, I am very happy that I switched to Focus-A pads. It's definitely reduced the treble and made the headphone more balanced (for me). I believe I hear more details since I am not as distracted by the treble right now (not that it was horrible earlier, but still). If the Jerg mod takes the headphone further in the same direction I'll be interested in doing it.

 

[DavidA]

I'm one that likes the regular Focus pads over the Focus-A pads since the Focus-A pads reduces the highs a bit too much and brings the mids/bass to forward throwing of the balance for me. Granted my HE560 are the older ones with SMC jacks so that could be another reason. I've found that using attenuation rings brings up the bass a touch and doesn't seem to affect the rest of the frequencies which is my preference.

 

[rawrster]

Is there a way to tell the difference between the pads? I don't really see a difference when looking at pictures.

 

[Trunks159]

So I have the HE560 and DT1990 right now next to each other if anyone is interested.
Can't even really tell you which I prefer, since they do different things.

DT1990 has much more treble, and if you have music that has sibilance, prepare to be annoyed. Bigger soundstage
HE560 has amazing bass, and is overall much more mellow.

 

[vrln]

So I have the HE560 and DT1990 right now next to each other if anyone is interested.
Can't even really tell you which I prefer, since they do different things.

DT1990 has much more treble, and if you have music that has sibilance, prepare to be annoyed. Bigger soundstage
HE560 has amazing bass, and is overall much more mellow.

I´d definitely be interested in your comparison - quite familiar with the typical Beyerdynamic sound. By the way I also decided to order one from the recent sales. Very good deal even with the customs fees. HE560 is normally still ~1050 euros here. As for the sound I haven´t owned a planar magnetic since the original LCD 2 back in the day, so I don´t really know what to expect. The only Hifiman products I´ve owned are the RE-ZERO, RE-400 and now the RE-600. The HE-1000 I auditioned once impressed me enough to give these a try though (if these have anything in common with those I should be happy; plus I can always sell these on locally if they aren´t for me in the end).

They´ll be complementing my HD 800 S, so a more mellow sound is actually kind of what I´m looking for

 

[trybeingarun]

Is there a way to tell the difference between the pads? I don't really see a difference when looking at pictures.

Yes, the stock focus pads are deeper and the inside has perforations. The focus-a pads are thinner and the inside is smooth.

 

[bjj51]

Is the he 560 worth the upgrade over the he 400i or are they too similar? Also I find the 400i to be at my limits for brightness and I've heard the 560 is even brighter. Will be amping with magni3/modi2u.

 

[FredA]

Is the he 560 worth the upgrade over the he 400i or are they too similar? Also I find the 400i to be at my limits for brightness and I've heard the 560 is even brighter. Will be amping with magni3/modi2u.

Having heard both, yes. More balanced and extended sound with the he560.

 

[koover]

Is the he 560 worth the upgrade over the he 400i or are they too similar? Also I find the 400i to be at my limits for brightness and I've heard the 560 is even brighter. Will be amping with magni3/modi2u.

I am by no means an expert and have little cred per say, but I've owned both. I truly believe what you listen too has a lot to do with the sound of both of these HP's along with your gear. I've been running the 560 predominantly through a Mimby/LYR2 with a really nice Tung Sol 5670 tube. I never thought the 400i and now the 560 were/are to harsh in the highs, but I have old man ears with progressively worsening Tinnitus. You have the magni3 and though I've never owned one, it's supposed to be on the warm side and with modi2 uber, that should be a nice balance between the 2.

I agree with what @FredA said and think the 560's have a full/extended sound to me. The bass and sub bass are extended in quality (maybe not so much quantity) and MUCH faster and cleaner then the 400i. I'm a borderline bass head and previously owned the TH900 and sold them for this HP along with the Elear. With that said, the 560 satisfies my thirst/itch for my bass cravings. I did bump up the sub bass +2 db @ 50 hz and +1.5 db @ 70 hz EQ'ing through Equalify. The 560 seems to take EQ'ing quite well without introducing distortion. They are very refined, the mids are just forward enough where they blend perfectly with the bass and treble, has excellent sound stage and to me, sound sublime. They sound excellent at low levels and the more you crank them up (which I love to do...hmmm, Tinnitus?) the more I enjoy them. I mostly listen to progressive metal and Djent so they fill my needs in their speed, especially in the kick drum where speed and separation is everything. This all may sound vague, but that's the best way I can describe what I hear. I really like them and with their $350 price point now, an absolute steal.

 

[phthora]

Is the he 560 worth the upgrade over the he 400i or are they too similar? Also I find the 400i to be at my limits for brightness and I've heard the 560 is even brighter. Will be amping with magni3/modi2u.

While I agree wholeheartedly with @koover as I understand it, your Schiit stack is less than ideal from driving the 560. The 560 can be bright on its own (well done, but bright), and the DAC/amp you have is also bright. If you thought the 400i was bright on that set-up, the 560 will be brighter still. Now, I haven't heard that pairing personally, but this does seem to be the prevailing opinion. Hopefully someone with real experience can weigh in on this, but in the meantime keep that concern in mind.

As far as similarity in sound goes, the sound signature isn't necessary too similar, it's just that, for me and for many, the 560 makes on the right sorts of adjustments. The 560 has more bass extension and texture, but the 400i has more mid-bass. The 400i has more up-front mids, but the 560 has greater detail, speed, and neutrality in the mids. The 400i has less treble extension and presence, but the 560 has much better treble detail and evenness. After having both for a while, I did still listen to both frequently, but felt that the 400i just wasn't different enough to make up for the dip in quality from the 560. Solution: I slapped Ori Pads on them and now the 400i has increased low-end presence all the way down and sounds a bit like an Audeze. Different enough now that they don't try to scratch the same itch.

 

[koover]

While I agree wholeheartedly with @koover as I understand it, your Schiit stack is less than ideal from driving the 560. The 560 can be bright on its own (well done, but bright), and the DAC/amp you have is also bright. If you thought the 400i was bright on that set-up, the 560 will be brighter still. Now, I haven't heard that pairing personally, but this does seem to be the prevailing opinion. Hopefully someone with real experience can weigh in on this, but in the meantime keep that concern in mind.

As far as similarity in sound goes, the sound signature isn't necessary too similar, it's just that, for me and for many, the 560 makes on the right sorts of adjustments. The 560 has more bass extension and texture, but the 400i has more mid-bass. The 400i has more up-front mids, but the 560 has greater detail, speed, and neutrality in the mids. The 400i has less treble extension and presence, but the 560 has much better treble detail and evenness. After having both for a while, I did still listen to both frequently, but felt that the 400i just wasn't different enough to make up for the dip in quality from the 560. Solution: I slapped Ori Pads on them and now the 400i has increased low-end presence all the way down and sounds a bit like an Audeze. Different enough now that they don't try to scratch the same itch.

Looks like it's time to slap the Ori's on the 560's and give them a good listen.

 

[phthora]

Looks like it's time to slap the Ori's on the 560's and give them a good listen.

I'm concerned that they would make the 560's more v-shaped, and I don't want to lose the mids. I say that more as a guess than a caution though. I hope you try it out and tells us how they sound!