Our editors hand-pick these products using a variety of criteria: they might be direct competitors targeting the same market segment, or they could be devices that are similar in size, performance, or feature sets.
The Sennheiser HD 560S is a set of open, passive headphones that are in a price range that has long been crowded with wireless options. Convenient, yes, but the sound is far from what you get here. In fact, the HD 560S sounds better than any wireless headphone I can think of – regardless of price range.
The Sennheiser HD 560S are great for neutral sound. While they're slightly lacking in low-bass, most mixes should still have adequate body and warmth. Vocals and lead instruments are present, detailed, and clear in the mix, and audio is delivered with impressive consistency. They have a decently immersive soundstage, too.
Sennheiser’s HD 560S sits between worlds and feels very much at home with this. They are not travel headphones, nor are they a DJ product, but rather a consumer model for home use. They are aimed at those who are interested in a very high sound standard but do not consider themselves audiophiles and therefore also shop in a different price range. The concept works, because for 199 Euros you get comfortable, cleanly tuned and really great sounding headphones, which sweeten the pleasure of listening to music and watching films. There are no extras, and why should there be, because they clearly do the job they set out to do.
If it’s insight you want, and absolutely crystal-clear understanding of a recording, the HD 560S make an awful lot of sense. If you’re just here to be entertained, though, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
Sennheiser's new HD 560S is a no-nonsense, neutral and – yes, that's right – analytical pair of headphones. With no-frills, sleek black styling and non-offensive comfort, the entire package will cost less than the cheapest iPod Touch. True, it lacks fancy packaging, lavish construction materials and a sound tailored to gangsta rap – but you do get an even and enjoyable reading of whatever music you choose to listen to.
The Sennheiser HD560S does not replace the HD6XX for the best value headphone in 2020, but rather it improves on certain aspects (bass and soundstage) at the cost of others (treble and detail scaling). In my mind, it simply provides an alternative for anyone looking for a slightly different presentation