[mvule]

T

So now I have the 560S, 600, 660S and next week I will have the 6XX. The 600 is my baby forever but I will be returning either the 560s, 660S or 6XX as I can't afford them all.
This is actually my second time owning the 660S as I returned it because I like the 600 better but I missed the imaging and soundstage of the 660S. Today I was comparing all three and I like them all for different reasons. Since this is a 560s thread I will concentrate on it in comparison to the others.
Where I feel the 560s shines in definitely in comfort. It is by far the most comfortable for my head compared to the others.
Soundstage wise it is definitely wider than 600 and 660S. Imaging is not as good as the 660S though but close.
Sound wise its the thinest sounding but has the most clearest and open sound. It has so much room to breath then the other two headphones. Where the 560S shines in my opinion is music that is already warm sounding i.e Comfortably numb by Pink Floyd. Everything about the 560S sound so crisp, open and defined. Just beautify sounding. But music that is not warm sounding like AC/DC does not sound good with these headphones. The treble is too much and it causes the vocals and cymbals to sound very harsh and unpleasant. Everything can sound metallic and tinny. This is where the 660S and 600 sound so much better IMO. This is where I can't decide if I want to keep the 560S or not as it's only good for warm sounding music if that makes sense.
Anyways my thought may change the more I compare and once my 6XX arrives.

Possibly easier to like with warm sounding tunes because it takes a more accurate approach than the other headphones mentioned, as I hear it...
But then that tuning is what I like about it.
This comes across as 'warm' and sounds glorious (despite the, ahem, interesting lyrics).

 

[Sonic Defender]

To be honest, I really don't think rock music ever sounds good from headphones. Perhaps some Tool tracks are an exception but having grown up on rock since the 1980s the vast majority of it sounds dreadful and jarring with headphones. I love rock when using speakers and personally I am sure that classic rock and probably quite a bit of even contemporary rock was musically conceptualized and mastered for speakers. I have been to many great rock shows, Ozzy, Judas Priest, Def Leppard, Tool, Seven Days Grace, Billy Talent, Rush, Triumph, Robert Plant, Pink Floyd, U2, Cheap Trick and on and on. Rock is not a great sounding genre, it is grungy and raw with plenty of edge and bite. In my opinion not a great setting for headphone enjoyment.

I absolutely avoid rock music like the plague with headphones, but with speakers I love the experience. Although less so as I age, but that is to be expected.

 

[sajunky]

@ ics1974.

What amp do you use and what music source, DAC? It can be a combination with your amp. And remastered sources should be avoided. They typically add harshness.

 

[ics1974]

@ ics1974.

What amp do you use and what music source, DAC? It can be a combination with your amp. And remastered sources should be avoided. They typically add harshness.

I use the Fiio K5 Pro

 

[mvule]

To be honest, I really don't think rock music ever sounds good from headphones. Perhaps some Tool tracks are an exception but having grown up on rock since the 1980s the vast majority of it sounds dreadful and jarring with headphones. I love rock when using speakers and personally I am sure that classic rock and probably quite a bit of even contemporary rock was musically conceptualized and mastered for speakers. I have been to many great rock shows, Ozzy, Judas Priest, Def Leppard, Tool, Seven Days Grace, Billy Talent, Rush, Triumph, Robert Plant, Pink Floyd, U2, Cheap Trick and on and on. Rock is not a great sounding genre, it is grungy and raw with plenty of edge and bite. In my opinion not a great setting for headphone enjoyment.

I absolutely avoid rock music like the plague with headphones, but with speakers I love the experience. Although less so as I age, but that is to be expected.

That reminds me, must check out Tool's Right in Two on this headphone.

Yeah for me rock, metal or whatever you want to call it is one of the most challenging genres for a headphone to get right.
That and classical piano music for some reason (which the HD 560S has nailed, from what I've heard so far)

 

[Jman841]

That reminds me, must check out Tool's Right in Two on this headphone.

Yeah for me rock, metal or whatever you want to call it is one of the most challenging genres for a headphone to get right.
That and classical piano music for some reason (which the HD 560S has nailed, from what I've heard so far)

I am picky with Metal, but the few bands I like, I love. When I was younger, I would go to metal concerts quite often, so def understand the sentiment of the difference, with that said, Tool was a big one for me to help decide between the Sundara's and the 560s. Tool with the Sundara's sounds absolutely incredible. I was much less impressed with the 560s listening to tool.

I think what he is referring to for rock is the heavy distortion of the guitars in rock/metal. Heavy distortion requires an extremely fast and detailed driver to sound "clean" and that's where the sundaras really shine. Lamb of God and Tool on the Sundara is an absolute joy. The speed helps massively with the heavily distorted guitars and the drums, each bass drum hit is so crisp and tight and when you have the very fast double bass pedal's of metal, you absolutely need it or it gets washed out.

I highly recommend listening to metal on the Sundara if you believe headphones can't do metal very well.

 

[ics1974]

I am picky with Metal, but the few bands I like, I love. When I was younger, I would go to metal concerts quite often, so def understand the sentiment of the difference, with that said, Tool was a big one for me to help decide between the Sundara's and the 560s. Tool with the Sundara's sounds absolutely incredible. I was much less impressed with the 560s listening to tool.

I think what he is referring to for rock is the heavy distortion of the guitars in rock/metal. Heavy distortion requires an extremely fast and detailed driver to sound "clean" and that's where the sundaras really shine. Lamb of God and Tool on the Sundara is an absolute joy. The speed helps massively with the heavily distorted guitars and the drums, each bass drum hit is so crisp and tight and when you have the very fast double bass pedal's of metal, you absolutely need it or it gets washed out.

I highly recommend listening to metal on the Sundara if you believe headphones can't do metal very well.

Do you find you need to EQ the Sundara?

 

[bizkid]

I absolutely avoid rock music like the plague with headphones, but with speakers I love the experience.

I always thought i'm the only one on this! For some reason i also can't stand rock and especially electric guitars through headphones. And i love the live sound of guitars through a nice chunky 4x12. Cheers.

 

[Jman841]

Do you find you need to EQ the Sundara?

My EQ settings have changed over time as I listened to them, now it's very minimal. A bit of a low bass-sub bass boost and a bit of a mid boost at 2200 hz. Everything else at 0.

 

[sajunky]

I use the Fiio K5 Pro

Thanks. I have FiiO E12A, it was positioned higher in SQ than K-series and is probably more musical. I didn't see problems on my HD 4.50BTNC, but when HD600 arrived, I didn't like metalic sound on most of tracks, except techno-tracks of a popular top-xx hit list. I listen mostly to the acoustic instruments and here by example guitar plunks didn't sound natural. HD600 is very detailed and revealing and in the same time forgiving. I can't say harshness, it is to strong word, but this pairing didn't work well, it was attributed to the amp. A $42 ladder DAC/AMP was less detailed but not annoying. Having such comparison I settled for R2R NOS DAC and class A amp and now I can listen to the most grungy old rock recordings. Re-discovering my old CDs. HD560s is tuned to address popular demand. It will be less forgiving on cheap amp. Give it a chance on the class A or a tube amp. Unless your 6x HPs are second hand, you will pay substantially more for 6-series.

 

[grwgergergg]

Thanks. I have FiiO E12A, it was positioned higher in SQ than K-series and is probably more musical. I didn't see problems on my HD 4.50BTNC, but when HD600 arrived, I didn't like metalic sound on most of tracks, except techno-tracks of a popular top-xx hit list. I listen mostly to the acoustic instruments and here by example guitar plunks didn't sound natural. HD600 is very detailed and revealing and in the same time forgiving. I can't say harshness, it is to strong word, but this pairing didn't work well, it was attributed to the amp. A $42 ladder DAC/AMP was less detailed but not annoying. Having such comparison I settled for R2R NOS DAC and class A amp and now I can listen to the most grungy old rock recordings. Re-discovering my old CDs. HD560s is tuned to address popular demand. It will be less forgiving on cheap amp. Give it a chance on the class A or a tube amp. Unless your 6x HPs are second hand, you will pay substantially more for 6-series.

Sennheiser hd600 (left response) has very sharp harsh highs. hd650 (right response) have dampened highs making it less harsh but also more veiled and dark sounding. So yes sennheiser admits their hd 600 is harsh which is why they made the 650. dac amp wont fix this problem. its inherently bad on the headphones themselves.

 

[sajunky]

#1. Sennheiser hd600 (left response) has very sharp harsh highs.
#2. hd650 (right response) have dampened highs making it less harsh but also more veiled and dark sounding.
#3. So yes sennheiser admits their hd 600 is harsh

#1. true
#2. true
#3. This is nonsence. Such conclusion cannot be drawn based on the #1 and #2, sorry.

 

[grwgergergg]

#1. true
#2. true
#3. This is nonsence. Such conclusion cannot be drawn based on the #1 and #2, sorry.

i got some magic beans you can put on the dac amp.

 

[smm11]

Can anyone compare the HD560s to the DT880 (250ohm)? I have the DT 880 and the 6XX, trying to decide which one to keep, but wondering if this would be a better option. I really like the DT880's warm and airy sound, but also like the detail and full sound of the 6XX. I see plenty of comparisons to the 6xx, but thought maybe someone could compare them to the DT880. Thanks

 

[grwgergergg]

Can anyone compare the HD560s to the DT880 (250ohm)? I have the DT 880 and the 6XX, trying to decide which one to keep, but wondering if this would be a better option. I really like the DT880's warm and airy sound, but also like the detail and full sound of the 6XX. I see plenty of comparisons to the 6xx, but thought maybe someone could compare them to the DT880. Thanks

dt990 have the full bass extension sound the dt880 are lacking.