[Mystic Traveller]

from 560 to Edition-X

Here can't help - have no experience with them nor did I hear any opinion.

 

[phthora]

What about going from 560 to Edition-X (v1 or v2)?

Different animals. The EdX sounds much more like an electro-stat. More ethereal, faster in attack and decay, lighter and thinner, more neutral overall due to the increased mids. The 560 has better impact and sub-bass, and overall sound richer in tone (though still not lush like an LCD-2). I think both are outstanding, but much closer in quality than the prices would suggest (as low as $300 for the 560, as high as $1600 for the EdX). You could own both without redundancy, but it's hard to see one as a direct upgrade to the other.

 

[jim723]

Different animals. The EdX sounds much more like an electro-stat. More ethereal, faster in attack and decay, lighter and thinner, more neutral overall due to the increased mids. The 560 has better impact and sub-bass, and overall sound richer in tone (though still not lush like an LCD-2). I think both are outstanding, but much closer in quality than the prices would suggest (as low as $300 for the 560, as high as $1600 for the EdX). You could own both without redundancy, but it's hard to see one as a direct upgrade to the other.

Great information. Thanks.

 

[Mystic Traveller]

The EdX sounds much more like an electro-stat.

Great thanks! So, right, gonna look then at HE-6 as a possible upgrade for 560's.

 

[fishda30]

Quite surprised that the cayin c5 can drive the he560s really well. Good dynamics, soundstage and extension. Lots of power too. Totally forgot about my burson ha160 after hearing this combo. At less than 200$ this amp is really punching above its price range.

 

[tan.phan.vt]

Different animals. The EdX sounds much more like an electro-stat. More ethereal, faster in attack and decay, lighter and thinner, more neutral overall due to the increased mids. The 560 has better impact and sub-bass, and overall sound richer in tone (though still not lush like an LCD-2). I think both are outstanding, but much closer in quality than the prices would suggest (as low as $300 for the 560, as high as $1600 for the EdX). You could own both without redundancy, but it's hard to see one as a direct upgrade to the other.

Never heard an electrostat before so i cannot compare, but I'm very much prefer musicality over accuracy in general. Looks like i'm gonna take a look at the HE6SE if i have a chance in the near future.
Read some reviews and it seems that whatever the he560 can do, the HE6 can do better.
Still on the search of natural sounding headphones, he560 seems like a great start for me.

 

[ReAlien]

Never heard an electrostat before so i cannot compare, but I'm very much prefer musicality over accuracy in general. Looks like i'm gonna take a look at the HE6SE if i have a chance in the near future.
Read some reviews and it seems that whatever the he560 can do, the HE6 can do better.
Still on the search of natural sounding headphones, he560 seems like a great start for me.

You might consider listening to Verum Audio headphones. I am listening to Verum 1 now and they are much more natural sounding than my HE560. HE560 is still more detailed but the feeling of "being there" and goosebumps on your skin are much more present with Verum.

 

[jkscherk]

I picked up a pair of the 560s a few months ago. Driving them with a Burson Audio amp. Like the sound a lot. I came over from a pair of Sony MDR-Z7s. Love the bass on the Sony's but the the 560s have so much more clarity and openness. Any suggestions on if/how to improve the bass on the 560? I am using the stock cable right now. Would a cable change make an appreciable difference.

BTW....anyone want to buy a pair of Z7s?

 

[raoultrifan]

Matheq or a similar DSP plugins should help, although HE560 have a really good bass extension if proper placed on the ears.

 

[bagwell359]

Different animals. The EdX sounds much more like an electro-stat. More ethereal, faster in attack and decay, lighter and thinner, more neutral overall due to the increased mids. The 560 has better impact and sub-bass, and overall sound richer in tone (though still not lush like an LCD-2). I think both are outstanding, but much closer in quality than the prices would suggest (as low as $300 for the 560, as high as $1600 for the EdX). You could own both without redundancy, but it's hard to see one as a direct upgrade to the other.

They are different - so good compliments. $1600 for HEX V2's? $650-775 used range. I disagree on sub bass. 560's have more mid bass, but HEX clearly have more and better bass under 35 Hz. 560's with stock rear screen on is thicker with false resonance/echo from 150-400 Hz. 560 also suffers from amusical reflections in the highs - similar to HE-6, 500, 400 which shares similar construction. If someone has any of those unmodified as a reference they will find the HEX V2 thin and lacking in body. Besides the one-off HE6se and HE5se all the future HFM cans over the Sundara level are related physically and audibly (Ananda, HEX, HEK, Arya, Susavara). They are all cleaner and thinner sounding - but its an evolution, not a mistake.

 

[phthora]

They are different - so good compliments. $1600 for HEX V2's? $650-775 used range. I disagree on sub bass. 560's have more mid bass, but HEX clearly have more and better bass under 35 Hz. 560's with stock rear screen on is thicker with false resonance/echo from 150-400 Hz. 560 also suffers from amusical reflections in the highs - similar to HE-6, 500, 400 which shares similar construction. If someone has any of those unmodified as a reference they will find the HEX V2 thin and lacking in body. Besides the one-off HE6se and HE5se all the future HFM cans over the Sundara level are related physically and audibly (Ananda, HEX, HEK, Arya, Susavara). They are all cleaner and thinner sounding - but its an evolution, not a mistake.

Regarding the prices, I was comparing extremes, not averages, and using them to show how prices can skew expectations. Nothing more.

The 560 has more mid-bass and less sub-bass? That's a new one. They measure linear down to almost 10hz. I guess you are implying that the HEXv2 is recessed in the mid-bass and exaggerated in the sub-bass?

BTW, "thinner" does not mean worse. It's just an attribute of the sound; some may prefer it, some may not. I agree with you that it's not a mistake, but I've never heard the 560's relative richness in tone attributed to echoes, resonances, or reflections. Are these your observations, or have they been noted elsewhere as well?

 

[bagwell359]

Regarding the prices, I was comparing extremes, not averages, and using them to show how prices can skew expectations. Nothing more.

I see. Cool.

The 560 has more mid-bass and less sub-bass? That's a new one. They measure linear down to almost 10hz. I guess you are implying that the HEXv2 is recessed in the mid-bass and exaggerated in the sub-bass?

HEX V2 is exaggerated in the sub-bass. I've read that assertion here before - can't hear or see (graphs) any truth in that.

BTW, "thinner" does not mean worse. It's just an attribute of the sound; some may prefer it, some may not. I agree with you that it's not a mistake, but I've never heard the 560's relative richness in tone attributed to echoes, resonances, or reflections. Are these your observations, or have they been noted elsewhere as well?

Thanks for the clarification on your take on thinner. Take the rear screen of your 560 off, you'll hear the first two (now as a one sided planar, it's not going to have the same impact as on the 500, which is the model I have moded). Install felt to cut reflections and you'll hear the 3rd one - there are more likely to be similar to results with the 500 in this case.

 

[B0NES]

So I bought my brother a barely used HE-560 V2 and he's been having issues with the right side dropping sound. If we mess with the 3.5mm jack and get it to the right position, it comes back. I just ordered a replacement cable on Amazon to rule out cable problems. If this doesn't fix it and it ends up being an issue with the female side on the headphone, how can I fix this?

 

[tan.phan.vt]

@phthora Hi, today i just discovered a strange thing on my ifi micro idsd bl. Recently it was overheating on turbo mode, so i downgraded the firmware from the recently downgraded the firmware to 5.2, and the sound changed dramatically. Its sounding fuller and more organic, with a increase in bass texture and midrange mostly. I'm testing on my he560. Has the same thing happen to u?

I was running on 5.3c most of the time, and i spent so little time on 5.2 after buying the micro bl so i din't notice the change after upgrading. I just thought it was sounding a bit strange but quickly got used to it, though it bothers me a bit, not as much as the time when i was using the magni 3 though.

 

[phthora]

@phthora Hi, today i just discovered a strange thing on my ifi micro idsd bl. Recently it was overheating on turbo mode, so i downgraded the firmware from the recently downgraded the firmware to 5.2, and the sound changed dramatically. Its sounding fuller and more organic, with a increase in bass texture and midrange mostly. I'm testing on my he560. Has the same thing happen to u?

I was running on 5.3c most of the time, and i spent so little time on 5.2 after buying the micro bl so i din't notice the change after upgrading. I just thought it was sounding a bit strange but quickly got used to it, though it bothers me a bit, not as much as the time when i was using the magni 3 though.

Hmm... that is alarming news. Looking at the update notes on the iFi website, the only substantive change to sound should be from replacing the minimum phase filter with the Gibbs Transient Optimized filter. I wouldn't expect that to make an enormous difference, but it may be coupled with other changes not listed. I'm afraid I've always stuck with the 5.2A firmware, as I didn't care at all about using MQA. So, I couldn't tell you how it differs in sound from 5.3. Your description of the 5.2 firmware sound matches what I hear on mine very well and I've never had an issue with overheating in Turbo. I would stick with 5.2, if I were you. Seems like you enjoy the sound more.