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Sennheiser HD 560S Headphones
$229.95
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Sennheiser HD 560S Headphones
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$229.95
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METTTAL
2
Mar 21, 2022
acuiteI highly recommend the HD560s over PC38x. For Escape from Tarkov it's is insanely better the soundstage and imaging. I used the PC38x for almost a year and I struggled so much to pinpoint the sound direction. It's just not accurate enough for a hardcore shooter like EFT. Also, more recently the volume dial started to be bug, sometimes unbalancing L&R channels.
Evshrug
3780
Community
Jul 17, 2022
METTTALHuh.
The soundstage and imaging shouldn’t be that much different between the HD 560S and PC38X. I mentioned the HD 560S and PC38X together because they are remarkably similar in construction and design, with just a slightly different tuning.
This might get overly-technical. The short version: angled drivers more naturally reproduce depth and directional cues, while drivers mounted “flat” are commonly perceived as having more intimate soundstage and imaging.
HD 560S and PC38X, the latter two are in acoustically similar enclosures that angle the drivers to match the angle of the ear. This causes sound waves to interact more with the shape and folds of our outer ear, as they bounce around and are redirected towards our ear canal from different distances Both ought to have superior sense of stage depth and a bit more realistic frontal imaging due to this, and their performance will be similar in other areas as well. I kind of think of the PC38X as a more consumer “v-shape” fun tuned version of the HD 560S, plus the headset has a microphone obviously.
While the HD 58X Jubilee’s driver is the same size as the other two, the HD 58X Jubilee’s driver (and enclosure) directs the sound directly towards your ear canal. It’s perception of soundstage mostly comes from mildly less emphasized upper mids (to make things sound a bit distant, because higher frequencies reduce in intensity more as distance increases… like how thunder gets more bassy over a distance). Which is valid… but while soundstage depth is OK, and you can tune a headphone to include the average “EQ effect” that angled outer-ears have on a sound recording, fact is that an average won’t accurately match most people’s ears… so while the “direct” flat angle approach of the HD 58X Jubilee was great in the earlier HD 600 series models for evaluating detail and professionally evaluating music production, I prefer angled drivers in my gaming headphones.
I would say the HD 58X Jubilee, PC38X, and HD 560S have similar performance in presenting detail, though the more analytical, less bassy presentation of the HD 560S makes it easier to focus on highs. In competitive gaming, bass doesn’t usually contain much tactical information, so it might be a distraction to have some of the “fun” bass that most consumers are accustomed to and expect.
With that said, the most extreme “competitive” type of headphone would actually be very bass light and possibly irritating and fatiguing quicker than a more balanced and natural tuning. My old Audio Technica AD 700 was like this, but my AKG K612 Pro and HD 800 don’t go that far and IMO are more enjoyable because of it. Neither does the HD 560S, it’s more balanced than “treble heavy.” YMMV, but my personal stance is that just having headphones at all, with good clarity and low muddiness, provides a substantial improvement over speakers built-in to a TV, monitor, or handheld device. Even the top prize-earning pro eSports gamers usually use in-ear headphones with closed headphones over top to help block crowd noise and distractions, and they can have amazing situational awareness through practice and training.
So, if you’re playing at home for fun, it’s OK to enjoy your audio instead of making it weird just for the sake of a slight edge. If you truly want to see the best advantage headphones can have over stereo speakers or even a 7.1 surround speaker system, then I recommend looking into how to add spatial audio processing (or HRTF Binaural Stereo, or virtual surround sound processing) into your setup. Our two ears are able to distinguish sound coming from any direction (including up and down) in real life, so adding that dimension adds to realism and tactical awareness. All three headphones respond well to this processing, though I would still pick either the more balanced/“flat” HD 560S for more focus or PC38X for more fun competitive gaming.
I own an HD 560S, PC37X, PC 38X, HD 58X Jubilee, HD 800, AKG K612 Pro, and many other headphones besides (collected over the course of 14 years!).
(Edited)
573V0
225
Nov 1, 2021
Why do you have to go tempting me like this Drop?
I do not own thiese, but everything I have read/personal research is that they have a similiar sound signature to most of the HD series with it's own variation. Build quality is supposed to be more plasticy, but the headphones are super light and clamping power is not as strong (yes please). Pairs well with tubes. Lackluster cable. Needless to say, I think I might be purchasing these.
(Edited)
Evshrug
3780
Community
Dec 5, 2021
573V0I’ve got tons of headphones, but these still steal ear time.
Sennheiser was aiming for a reference headphone and the sound signature is “linear,” so it will be mostly true to the recording, but your own ears will act as a filter and change the sound a bit.
What’s the opposite of “plasticy build quality?” These are indeed mostly plastic (with metal grills and metal parts where it’s important), but it’s a nice plastic with a matte texture, good strength, feels pretty stiff without being like hard candy prone to cracking (like Monster Beats by Dre that eventually crack just from the stress of putting them around your ears). And of course, that also means they’re super lightweight… they will spoil you so you won’t want to wear +350g headphones. Clamp… the clamp force is still “snug” not ethereal and cloud-like, but the headband is flexible enough to give for most people’s head and not cause pressure headaches like Pro (musician’s) headphones, and the pressure from weight and clamp is evenly distributed without any focused hotspot (I am starting to bald, and I love the divot at the peak of the headband padding). Eventually, just through wearing them (like about a week), the pads and headband will relax just enough so that the headphones mold perfectly to your head. It’s just like breaking in a pair of new jeans. I have “forget I’m wearing them” headphones and love them too, but sometimes I prefer the snug HD 560S (like when standing, walking, playing video games, or laying back in a chair, hammock, or bed) because it doesn’t slip around.
The HD 560S has a fairly high sensitivity, so it’s easy to amp and doesn’t require tons of power (works great on a small Bluetooth dongle), but it has the sweet spot of impedance where it’s just enough to dampen some background noise and allow amps to drive power through it more stably. Any less and it might not be good for many tube amps.
The cable is certainly decent, durable and not too heavy, resists kinds, but it’s long and a bit springy. That means it’s a good cable for connecting to your home theater or living room setup, but any cable made for the HD 598 or HD 559 can also be used if you want something different for walking around or on the go (you can even get balanced cables if your amp sounds best like that).
Pads are also replaceable and inexpensive, so you could decide to use these for the rest of your life.
OZ.Bloody.Rabbit
192
Nov 10, 2023
EvshrugAgreed, Senn did outdone themselves this time, if you can get it at the discount price it's absolute steal. (I did, I paid sub 180 on "that" famous online A-to-Z seller, free one day shippping, not evil-bay)
Certainly not truely "reference" and/ or "mastering" level but nonetheless a nice tiptoed into the (audiophile) realm kind of headphone, easy to drive, angled, HiDef driver for daily driver.
It's kind of the headphone I am confident I can leave it at public library unattended when I went out for lunch or answering a phone call and when I come back it will be left as it is, I wont say the same for my now-discontinued HD700 with costumed copper-silver twisted 6ft cable, it just stand out too much and to the untrained eyes they keep being mistaken for a knockoff HD800.
Evshrug
3780
Community
Nov 28, 2022
Fluxor1LOL, this sounds so wild and random, it’s probably based on a true story.
Gummo
6
Apr 30, 2023
GodsOwnDj369Hey there, sorry to disappoint but I'm not him, and had never heard of him.
petar.staynov
10
Nov 26, 2021
I have these and the HD 6xx, and I like these more.
Deeper bass, wider soundstage, better highs (no veil), more comfortable and require less power.
wcg66
139
Keyboard Club Member
Oct 13, 2023
petar.staynovI have the 58x too and the 560s really is the best of the bunch.
Bitvar
0
Dec 13, 2021
Kinda wild how much better these are than the HD6XX and HD599. Naming scheme outta wack. Also cheaper at Amazon and Best Buy.
(Edited)
StavrosHalk
1
Dec 7, 2021
ZillionAbsolutely, the clarity difference alone is crazy, along with a much wider soundstage. As long as you're not bothered by more treble content, it's an amazing set of headphones.
fdgdgee
0
May 3, 2024
The sound is fantastic and the soundstage is pretty solid for the price. My one complaint is the tight clamping force, which can make them undesirable for prolonged listens. https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-Over-Audiophile-Headphones/dp/B08J9MVB6W
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