[conquerator2]

How do you like the overall tonality so far?

 

[CTR640]

How do you like the overall tonality so far?

In a few moments I'll be using the 560S for a couple of hours for gaming, movies and music. From my experience headphones needs time to burn-in or our brain needs to get used to the new headphones. The 560S sounded pretty cold right out of the box and the sound is getting more pleasant after time.

 

[Blinxat]

So I have warmed up to the intimate vocals and I am enjoying them more. Also the resolution seems slightly smoothed out. Could be just brain burn in though.

I still think while they can sometimes extend outwards, they are mostly rather closed off sounding.

I hear them as lower and mit treble energetic, but lacking slightly passed 8kz to 15khz but some measurements show them to extend pretty much linear up to 20khz.

Or maybe because other headphones in my collection have less energy 2khz to 7khz the upper treble range stands out more on other cans.

Anyway I think I was too hard on them. But I dont see these as "reference" headphones.

 

[CTR640]

So I have warmed up to the intimate vocals and I am enjoying them more. Also the resolution seems slightly smoothed out. Could be just brain burn in though.

Thanks for the confirmation, exactly what I suspected.

 

[deadchip12]

I still think while they can sometimes extend outwards, they are mostly rather closed off sounding.

If it is truly closed off sounding like the other 6xx series senn headphones, it's a no for me. I tested the hd660s at the store and I was appalled by such a small soundstage (my ears touched its drivers so that could be the reason why). The hd800 on the other hand is so freaking airy and open. Literally two extremes. I think the depth of the pad and the angle of the driver are important factors in perception of soundstage. The hd560 have angled driver and deeper pad so I expected its soundstage to be better. Anyway, definitely have to test it in person before purchase. I will be heartbroken though if this sounds worse than my current headphone x2hr. I love that senn design a lot more than the x2hr.

 

[rev6]

X2 comparison please. The other guy on this thread saying the soundstage is congested on the hd560s killed my hype

The X2's have wider soundstage. The 560s seem to be able to go wide, but in general, they are quite narrow. I didn't expect this really, but I will continue listening to them for a while.

Both are similarly easy to drive.

 

[deadchip12]

The X2's have wider soundstage. The 560s seem to be able to go wide, but in general, they are quite narrow. I didn't expect this really, but I will continue listening to them for a while.

Both are similarly easy to drive.

Oh well, then my hype is truly gone now.

Before all this, I asked Solderdude from diy audio heaven if the hd560s was a good upgrade from the x2hr and whether I should worry about the soundstage and he said "you will like the stereo image of the hd560s". He even mentioned in his review that the stereo imaging on the hd560s was substantially wider than the 6xx series and approached hd800 territory. I quite agreed with solderdude's review in the past so I will still try to get my hands on a pair and test. But my expectations have been curbed.

 

[conquerator2]

I find soundstage extremely subjective. Your gear will also have an effect on it so that's another variable. Whether your setup is warm, neutral, bright, solid state, tubey, R2R, conventional DS, etc. all play a role. I know for a fact my setup presents a wider image than I believe is standard (I use the R2R11 as an all-in-one for all my needs).

I vaguely remember the X2 to be pretty wide. It's also not always a good idea to AB rapidly, especially with new headphones. Getting used to one headphone for a hot minute before swapping is usually better at first. Also, the impression I got is that these are fairly spacious, so it's curios to see varied views. But like I said, soundstage is very subjective.

I guess at this point I pretty much have to try these . I have the CB1 which are fairly wide, energetic, meaty and somewhat V shaped sounding, closed headphones and the Verums which are more neutral sounding, smoother, and a bit more intimate sounding. I love both of them and the 560S will neatly slide in between price wise. I also expect them to sound somewhere in the middle and I'll be curious which one they'll end up sounding closer to.

 

[CaptainFantastic]

I will be returning mine.

Not to be misunderstood, they are good and I think they will appeal to many. But personally I prize the intimate vocals, perfect tonality and natural timbre of my HD-600, so the advantage conferred by the 560S--expanded soundstage--doesn't make up for the less natural sound. Plus my tube amp opens up the dimensionality of the sound on the HD-600, call it increased soundstage if you will, for me the vocals remain lovely but the sound becomes more 3-dimensional and the music becomes filled with emotion. Also, the 560S has too much sub-bass for me. Yes, I can EQ it with the RME or Loki, but why when the 600 is just right. So while I stand by what I said that they are a great addition to a headphone collection, I just don't see when I would reach for these and not one of my 6-series sets.

Now, the two reasons I am returning them are basically invalid for most others. It seems people can't get enough lower frequencies normally, so... enjoy! I think Sennheiser brought something special to the market with the 560s.

 

[conquerator2]

I will be returning mine.

Not to be misunderstood, they are good and I think they will appeal to many. But personally I prize the intimate vocals, perfect tonality and natural timbre of my HD-600, so the advantage conferred by the 560S--expanded soundstage--doesn't make up for the less natural sound. Plus my tube amp opens up the dimensionality of the sound on the HD-600, call it increased soundstage if you will, for me the vocals remain lovely but the sound becomes more 3-dimensional and the music becomes filled with emotion. Also, the 560S has too much sub-bass for me. Yes, I can EQ it with the RME or Loki, but why when the 600 is just right. So while I stand by what I said that they are a great addition to a headphone collection, I just don't see when I would reach for these and not one of my 6-series sets.

Now, the two reasons I am returning them are basically invalid for most others. It seems people can't get enough lower frequencies normally, so... enjoy! I think Sennheiser brought something special to the market with the 560s.

Thanks for sharing your reasoning. Given that you already own the 600, it does not seem all that surprising; the 560S were always going to be more of a sidegrade.

Could you elaborate a bit more on the less natural sound point? The accounts of the treble being a bit too hot / elevated overall are a bit worrysome, more so in your case, given you have a tube amp which is expected to smooth that range over a bit.

Like you said, I am not concerned about the sub-bass and I am glad they're more dimensional than the 6x range, but if they sound unrefined in the treble (I am very sensitive in the sibilance range myself) that would be unfortunate.

Thank you!

 

[rev6]

How do you like the overall tonality so far?

They can be on the edge of sibilant to me in some tracks but I also find the X2's slightly on that edge too, but these could be just a tad more. I admit I'm sensitive to sibilance for the most part. The treble energy is something I have to warm to as they're a bit more "up there" than my HD600. The 560s definitely has the most treble extension but it sounds more edgy and I think honestly this is my problem with the headphone. It doesn't sound smooth enough, peaky perhaps. It's never grating, or ringing, it's just my personal preference.

I like the midrange. Nothing unpleasant about it. It sounds neutral enough to me. I'm not really a fan of the X2's midrange as they always sound a bit scooped and the transisiton from mid/treble doesn't seem all that smooth and can be distracting. I prefer the midrange of the HD600 though.

There is more bass impact than the HD600, but only slight. The X2's are on the extreme end of the three, but I'd say the 560s is perhaps 10-15% more bass than the HD600, from the tracks I've listened to. Sub bass is extended but I don't find it distracting at all.

@CaptainFantastic has just posted while I was typing this up and I have to agree with them. I do prefer my HD600's overall.

One thing though while typing this up that part of the inside of the pad, the weird stuck out thing is starting to rub on my right ear. Not pleasant at all.

They are not a bad headphone whatsoever. I can see them appealing to many. It's just using what I have at hand, the HD600 and the X2 are two very different extremes and compliment eachother well. I don't see where the 560s sits here, in my scenario.

I will continue listening to them. My thoughts and feelings on this matter can change at any time!

 

[CaptainFantastic]

@conquerator2 To answer your question, I think that they are brighter, this is obvious immediately. But they are not sibilant. I would think that it's one of those things that is part of getting accustomed to the sound of a headphone. If they would be sibilant, I guess there would be no adjusting to that. There are tracks on which it seems the higher mids are emphasized and there is a leanness to the sound because of the highs. But then the lower frequencies are there to provide richness to the sound. I guess to me the HD-600 sound is more unified, whereas on the 560s you can hear separately and concentrate (if you want) on the separate frequencies.

 

[conquerator2]

Thanks to both of you guys! Interesting that your opinion somewhat differs regarding sibilance; makes me wonder. Also regarding that protruding square piece inside the earcups. That's a really dumb design choice.

 

[CaptainFantastic]

Thanks to both of you guys! Interesting that your opinion somewhat differs regarding sibilance; makes me wonder. Also regarding that protruding square piece inside the earcups. That's a really dumb design choice.

The raised part in the cup doesn't bother me at all. I think it's standard on their 5-series models (is this correct?), so if it bothered many they would have done something about it. Not to discount what rev6 is saying, for sure there will be people out there who have an ear shape that makes it uncomfortable.

 

[rev6]

The raised part in the cup doesn't bother me at all. I think it's standard on their 5-series models (is this correct?), so if it bothered many they would have done something about it. Not to discount what rev6 is saying, for sure there will be people out there who have an ear shape that makes it uncomfortable.

I believe they're exactly the same. My ears are on the large side

Apart from this issue with me, they're very light and I like the deep pads.