[Riversalt]

I am looking for another phone, but I am undecided between HD599 x HD560s both have similar prices in my country, I dare more Jazz, Blues, Shows, movies etc.
Any suggestion?

 

[rev6]

Update on the rattle / buzzing problem: I received my second pair of HD 560s today and was very disappointed to hear the exact same rattling. It only happens with the right driver, just like what I found with my first pair. I decided to take off the right earpad and stick a screwdriver into the three screws directly underneath where the earpad is. The screws weren't extremely loose but they were definitely not tight, so I tightened them.

After putting the earpads back on and playing some bass, I found that the rattle has completely disappeared!

I also took off the left earpad and tightened the three screws there as well for good measure even though it wasn't rattling. It seems like the screws are not tightened properly out of the factory. It's fairly easy to fix, at least, but it pains me to imagine how many pairs of HD 560s are out there with rattle issues (causing distortion) which would probably never get fixed because it's not obvious that the three loose screws underneath the earpad is the culprit. The rattle was also very difficult to hear unless the volume is loud so most HD 560s owners with this problem will probably not even know about it.

@Evshrug

Good find. This really needs to be looked into. I can't say I've noticed this myself so maybe the earlier batches weren't effected.

 

[dbss]

I am looking for another phone, but I am undecided between HD599 x HD560s both have similar prices in my country, I dare more Jazz, Blues, Shows, movies etc.
Any suggestion?

I bought the HD 599 first and I returned it, then I got the HD 560s instead.

The main reason is that the HD 599 has boosted lower bass/upper mids which makes the sound "boomy". It can be nice for EDM songs, but I hated it with guitar and vocals. Especially with blues. It just sounded wrong, the bass was overpowering the guitar and singing.

The HD 560s has a very neutral frequency response, except for the treble which can be a little boosted. But the midrange and bass is basically flat. This fixed the problem I had with the 599. The treble was great too after I got used to it by listening for a few days but some people who are very sensitive to treble might find it to be harsh. Best thing to do is buy from somewhere that allows returns.

 

[dbss]

Good find. This really needs to be looked into. I can't say I've noticed this myself so maybe the earlier batches weren't effected.

It is a pretty minor issue for me, assuming the rattle doesn't cause noticeable distortion with other parts of the frequency response (but it probably does, and this was what bothered me), as I could barely notice it at all if I just listen to a bass sweep at normal listening volumes. But still, no rattle at all is obviously better.

When I took the headphones off and put my ear on the outside of the right earcup (on the grill) and then play the bass sweep, I could hear the rattle very clearly. So it seems like only the enclosure of the driver is rattling, the driver itself is perfectly fine. I'm not sure how much this affects the sound, maybe it makes no audible difference, but maybe it does. Either way, it definitely shouldn't be there especially as tightening the screws made it go away completely.

 

[rev6]

It is a pretty minor issue for me, assuming the rattle doesn't cause noticeable distortion with other parts of the frequency response (but it probably does, and this was what bothered me), as I could barely notice it at all if I just listen to a bass sweep at normal listening volumes. But still, no rattle at all is obviously better.

When I took the headphones off and put my ear on the outside of the right earcup (on the grill) and then play the bass sweep, I could hear the rattle very clearly. So it seems like only the enclosure of the driver is rattling, the driver itself is perfectly fine. I'm not sure how much this affects the sound, maybe it makes no audible difference, but maybe it does. Either way, it definitely shouldn't be there especially as tightening the screws made it go away completely.

If they aren't tight they could loosen overtime as well and for less technically minded people that means a return/repair, so not great.

 

[goodyfresh]

Update on the rattle / buzzing problem: I received my second pair of HD 560s today and was very disappointed to hear the exact same rattling. It only happens with the right driver, just like what I found with my first pair. I decided to take off the right earpad and stick a screwdriver into the three screws directly underneath where the earpad is. The screws weren't extremely loose but they were definitely not tight, so I tightened them.

After putting the earpads back on and playing some bass, I found that the rattle has completely disappeared!

I also took off the left earpad and tightened the three screws there as well for good measure even though it wasn't rattling. It seems like the screws are not tightened properly out of the factory. It's fairly easy to fix, at least, but it pains me to imagine how many pairs of HD 560s are out there with rattle issues (causing distortion) which would probably never get fixed because it's not obvious that the three loose screws underneath the earpad is the culprit. The rattle was also very difficult to hear unless the volume is loud so most HD 560s owners with this problem will probably not even know about it.

@Evshrug

Both units I got had some rattle, but I ended up keeping the second one because it had less. What I noticed is this: Tightening the screws DID eliminate any rattle that's audible at normal-to-loud listening volumes in music, movies, etc. HOWEVER, even after tightening the screws there's actually STILL some rattle, but only at **truly quite loud** volumes with very heavy bass or with tone-sweep tests specifically for testing for such things. The important thing is there's no rattle or noticeable/audible distortion at normal-to-loud listening levels for music or movies Overall these sound great, and are definitely keepers for me.

I am looking for another phone, but I am undecided between HD599 x HD560s both have similar prices in my country, I dare more Jazz, Blues, Shows, movies etc.
Any suggestion?

The 560s are more technically capable than the 599 when it comes to detail-resolution and separation, speed/decay, and have significantly lower odd-harmonic distortion (both audibly, as well as according to measurements) than the 599's. I would say the soundstage is approximately equal from what I remember of listening to pairs of 599's before, although the 560s might be a tad bit narrower, but it makes up for that with more precise imaging and separation of elements within the stage, as well as better height and depth, than the 599's. They also have a much flatter and more neutral frequency-response/tonality than the 599's.

Overall, the HD560s are much "better" headphones than the 599's in scientific and technical terms in pretty much every way. Especially for the genres you mentioned, as well as shows and movies where a more layered and better-imaged soundstage is desirable, the 560s should be "better." HOWEVER: If you like a lot of upper-bass/low-mids in headphones, then you may prefer the sound-signature/frequency-response of the 599's. As I said, the HD560s have a VERY flat, VERY neutral frequency-response. The HD599's have boosted upper-bass/low-mids, which adds some "oomph" and slam to the sound, some "fun" as some may call it. However, that does come at the expense of some "muddiness" to the sound and bass-bleed into the mids, which could compromise the detail and imaging you'll hear in the mids and treble, which is stuff you probably don't want to miss out on with the content you're planning to listen to.

So obviously, my personal recommendation here is the HD560s: I think that for the same or similar price as the 599's, they are a MUCH better value. The only reason to choose the 599's would be if for some reason you REALLY want more upper-bass/low-mids rather than a flat frequency-response.

Edit: The 560s are also better than the 599's for glasses-wearers like me. Even many open-back headphones unfortunately often lose a lot of their low-bass, and even some mid-bass, from a seal-breach like that caused by glasses. The HD599's are sensitive to a seal breach and lose their bass if you wear glasses; the HD560s, on the other hand, are COMPLETELY INSENSITIVE to a seal-breach

 

[deadchip12]

Update on the rattle / buzzing problem: I received my second pair of HD 560s today and was very disappointed to hear the exact same rattling. It only happens with the right driver, just like what I found with my first pair. I decided to take off the right earpad and stick a screwdriver into the three screws directly underneath where the earpad is. The screws weren't extremely loose but they were definitely not tight, so I tightened them.

After putting the earpads back on and playing some bass, I found that the rattle has completely disappeared!

I also took off the left earpad and tightened the three screws there as well for good measure even though it wasn't rattling. It seems like the screws are not tightened properly out of the factory. It's fairly easy to fix, at least, but it pains me to imagine how many pairs of HD 560s are out there with rattle issues (causing distortion) which would probably never get fixed because it's not obvious that the three loose screws underneath the earpad is the culprit. The rattle was also very difficult to hear unless the volume is loud so most HD 560s owners with this problem will probably not even know about it.

@Evshrug

oh man then this quality control is the real thing?

Really want to get the 560s soon, but this plus my order getting cancelled recently have dampened my interest in this pair.

 

[goodyfresh]

oh man then this quality control is the real thing?

Really want to get the 560s soon, but this plus my order getting cancelled recently have dampened my interest in this pair.

I've learned the hard way, and through research, that there's basically no such thing as audiophile headphones at this price-point that don't have some quality-control issues, except for the Massdrop stuff (like the HD 58x or 6xx) since they sell stuff cheaply that would normally cost way more if it was from elsewhere. As you know from my posts in the thread about them, I had to go through THREE pairs of the Fidelio X2HR's before i got a pair that didn't have weird issues with channel-imbalance or distortion, and that's a headphone that originally sold for $300 a few years ago before the priced dropped.

In this case, the quality-control issues are something really minor and easily fixed. All you do, if you notice the issue, is take off the pads (super-easy), tighten a few screws, and then put the pads back on (easy). This is MUCH better than something like a pair of X2's with an audible left-right channel-imbalance, which is something that literally cannot be fixed by the customer and requires a return and exchange.

These are BUDGET/CHEAP audiophile headphones. In this price-range, just about EVERY headphone company has units with QC issues. But Sennheiser is much better at such things than most other companies: For example, Sennheiser headphones ALMOST NEVER have channel-imbalance The only QC issue that people are reporting for the 560s is something very easily fixed. I still HIGHLY recommend them. I'm listening to them right now, after I tightened the screws a few days ago, and they sound AMAZING for only $200 with EVERY genre of music, every TV show, and every movie I play through them. They're FAR better than the other 500 series cans like the 579's, 598's, 599's, etc.

 

[SBMonster]

Update on the rattle / buzzing problem: I received my second pair of HD 560s today and was very disappointed to hear the exact same rattling. It only happens with the right driver, just like what I found with my first pair. I decided to take off the right earpad and stick a screwdriver into the three screws directly underneath where the earpad is. The screws weren't extremely loose but they were definitely not tight, so I tightened them.

After putting the earpads back on and playing some bass, I found that the rattle has completely disappeared!

I also took off the left earpad and tightened the three screws there as well for good measure even though it wasn't rattling. It seems like the screws are not tightened properly out of the factory. It's fairly easy to fix, at least, but it pains me to imagine how many pairs of HD 560s are out there with rattle issues (causing distortion) which would probably never get fixed because it's not obvious that the three loose screws underneath the earpad is the culprit. The rattle was also very difficult to hear unless the volume is loud so most HD 560s owners with this problem will probably not even know about it.

@Evshrug

+1
I had the same problem and i shared this solution a few pages earlier. On my pair also the right driver.
And i can confirm that the screws do get loose time to time.

 

[GearMe]

I've learned the hard way, and through research, that there's basically no such thing as audiophile headphones at this price-point that don't have some quality-control issues, except for the Massdrop stuff (like the HD 58x or 6xx) since they sell stuff cheaply that would normally cost way more if it was from elsewhere. As you know from my posts in the thread about them, I had to go through THREE pairs of the Fidelio X2HR's before i got a pair that didn't have weird issues with channel-imbalance or distortion, and that's a headphone that originally sold for $300 a few years ago before the priced dropped.

In this case, the quality-control issues are something really minor and easily fixed. All you do, if you notice the issue, is take off the pads (super-easy), tighten a few screws, and then put the pads back on (easy). This is MUCH better than something like a pair of X2's with an audible left-right channel-imbalance, which is something that literally cannot be fixed by the customer and requires a return and exchange.

These are BUDGET/CHEAP audiophile headphones. In this price-range, just about EVERY headphone company has units with QC issues. But Sennheiser is much better at such things than most other companies: For example, Sennheiser headphones ALMOST NEVER have channel-imbalance The only QC issue that people are reporting for the 560s is something very easily fixed. I still HIGHLY recommend them. I'm listening to them right now, after I tightened the screws a few days ago, and they sound AMAZING for only $200 with EVERY genre of music, every TV show, and every movie I play through them. They're FAR better than the other 500 series cans like the 579's, 598's, 599's, etc.

Would agree with the Massdrop 6XX and 58X comment. I've had no issues with either of the cans!

That said, I picked up a cheap set of closed Senns (598cs - NIB for $99) a while ago on Amazon and have had no quality issues with them either.

 

[Evshrug]

Hey now, let’s keep from jumping to conclusions and hyperbole. The HD 560S and other $200 headphones are generally midrange products, not “CHEAP” things with careless QC. There have been maybe three people that have stepped forward here and said they can hear loose screws, when they play test tones very loud. Both of you have not reported an issue while playing music at listening levels, wearing the headphones. Someone here even said “you can hear it better when you aren’t wearing the headphones and hold the side of the ear cups next to your ear, and turn the volume up.” Of course, transducers react differently in the free field environment; when you wear them, the air between your ear and the driver acts as a sort of spring, not to mention the driver is closer so you can’t stand the volume turned up as loud without feeling pain (not recommended).

Sennheiser has a two year warranty on all their headphones, and can provide service during and beyond that time. They certainly want everyone to have a good time and enjoy their gear. I am certainly going to be mentioning this the next time I have a call with Sennheiser, and have already brought it up in one on one conversation, but this has only entered the discussion thread in the past couple weeks rather than being a pervasive issue.

 

[GearMe]

As far as Senns QC go...have owned many of their cans over decades starting with the HD414 years ago and have never had a quality control issue.

The lone Senn I had a problem with was used and was returned to Amazon Warehouse (received a prompt refund btw)

 

[SBMonster]

there has been maybe three people that have stepped forward here and said they can hear loose screws, when they play test tones very loud. Both of you have not reported an issue while playing music at listening levels, wearing the headphones.

Actually i did mention that i noticed it first while listening to this:

I had the same problem, but only on the right driver. When I noticed this for the first time, i was listening to Juicy J - Smoke a n***a. That track has some long and deep alternating bass from 00:12 to 00:25. I figured out what the problem is. If you remove the earpads, there are 3 tiny screws, (I don’t know if you lose warranty if you touch them, but) all you need to do is to tighten them, because they are a bit loose. It worked for me, hope this helps.

 

[Evshrug]

I’ll watch that YouTube video right now.
Edit: So here’s something interesting. When I play the video, embedded here from YouTube, there’s a subtle high-pitched ringing sound that accompanies the sub bass tones. It’s there every time I replay that section. Could this be the rattle you referred to? The interesting part is that when I played the same track on Spotify Premium, the compression artifact is gone and there’s no high pitched buzz/ringing.

I am glad that you mentioned the screws though, because I can advise the product managers to look into it and research. They’ll try to replicate the issue, check their manufacturing, and so on. I can tell you though that it isn’t difficult to ensure proper tightening tension with screws every time... there are ratcheting screwdrivers that start free-spinning (and not turning screws anymore) once they meet a certain resistance to tension.

 

[SBMonster]

I’ll watch that YouTube video right now.
Edit: So here’s something interesting. When I play the video, embedded here from YouTube, there’s a subtle high-pitched ringing sound that accompanies the sub bass tones. Could this be the rattle you referred to? The interesting part is that when I played the same track on Spotify Premium, the compression artifact is gone and there’s no high pitched buzz/ringing.

Now I listened both. I can also hear the high-pitched ringing on the yt video, but actually i own the whole album in 320kbps mp3 and there is no ringing on that. What i said before was a buzzing noise only on the right which can't be heard after tightening the screws.