Sennheiser HD 560S Headphones Review

The Sennheiser HD 560S share a passing resemblance to other headphones in the manufacturer's HD 5 lineup, like the Sennheiser HD 598 and Sennheiser HD 599. Similar features include its swept-back ear cup mounts and oval-shaped ear cups.

These headphones are very comfortable. The headband and ear cups feature liberal amounts of plush padding. They feel quite lightweight and shouldn't apply too much pressure to the sides of the head, even for people who wear glasses. Overall, they should be comfortable enough to wear for extended listening sessions.

These over-ears aren't very portable. While their audio cable does detach, which reduces the chances of the plug getting caught on something, the ear cups don't swivel flat, and the headband doesn't fold, so they have a pretty bulky footprint.

These over-ears don't have a case or pouch.

These headphones are decently well-built. Their headband and ear cups are made of dense matte plastic, and the audio cable is detachable and replaceable. Unfortunately, the yokes and ear cup hinges feel a little flimsy and represent weak points in their overall construction. If you're looking for better-built audiophile headphones, check out the Meze Empyrean or the Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X.

These headphones have a stable fit. Due to their somewhat tight but not uncomfortable fit, they shouldn't fall off your head even with severe head movements. However, it should be noted that they're clearly not designed for workouts.

• Sennheiser HD 560S headphones
• 1/8" TRS to 1/4" TRS audio cable
• 1/4" TRS to 1/8" TRS adapter
• User pamphlet

The Sennheiser HD 560S have a sound profile tuned to yield a reasonably balanced frequency response that trends towards a bit bright. Overall, they should be very well-suited for listening to different types of audio content from pop, classical music, jazz, and any instance where you want to listen analytically.

Like most open-back headphones, they lack rumble in low-bass and body in the mid-bass if you prefer a fuller bass extension to feel the deep bass of sub-bass synths. That said, the upper-bass' tuning is very even for a good amount of boom on kicks and bass guitar, and that flat response carries through the mid-mids. Their mid and treble ranges are very well-balanced overall, yielding clear, present, and detailed vocals and lead instruments, which can sound a little harsh.

The frequency response consistency is great. Aside from a little bit of variance in the treble range, you should be able to achieve a consistent listening experience on separate occasions, even if you have long hair or wear glasses.

The headphones' bass target compliance is good. The entire range de-emphasizes low frequencies with a roll-off that's common in open-backs. Still, the high-bass is flat and close to our target, supplying a good amount of boom to the pulse of the kick and synth bass in tracks like Cerrone's Supernature. However, it's not exactly going to translate to feeling the full-bodied thump of deep bass due to that roll-off in the lower bass regions.

If you're looking for a pair of open-backs with a more prominent bass response, it's worth checking out the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro instead.

These over-ears have superb mid-range target compliance. Vocals and lead instruments should sound full-bodied, present, and clear in the mix, absent of any thinness. There's a touch of emphasis in the high-mids, which pushes vocals up slightly in the mix.

The treble's target compliance is impressive. The low-treble sits a bit above our target, highlighting the details and articulation of vocals and lending a slightly bright sound. The mid-treble is more uneven, with a dip in the center bookended by small peaks. This causes harmonics of elements like cymbals to sound either dark and a little hollow or a bit piercing, depending on the pitch. In all, the headphones' treble conveys clear and detailed vocals with slightly hollow cymbals.

The peaks and dips performance is very good. Most of the headphones' range is even, indicating they control their sound profile very well. The tiny dips and peaks in the bass and mids are virtually imperceptible. In the low-treble, a small, wide peak pushes vocals forward a bit, while a series of narrow peaks and dips alternately highlight details or veil them slightly. The narrow dip in the center of the mid-treble darkens harmonics and hollows cymbals out somewhat (depending on the pitch), while the peak that follows the dip adds piercing emphasis and creates a more airy and crisp top-end.

The Sennheiser HD 560S's stereo imaging performance is great. Their weighted group delay falls beneath the audibility threshold, yielding tight bass and transparent treble reproduction. The L/R drivers are well-matched in regards to amplitude and phase response, with very minor frequency mismatch. Objects should be accurately localized within the stereo image, which is important in creating an immersive listening experience. It should be noted that these results are only valid for our test unit, and yours may perform differently.

These over-ears have a decent passive soundstage. Due to their open-back enclosure, it should be perceived as being speaker-like and open, but also a little small. If you're looking for open-back headphones with a wider and more natural soundstage, check out the Audio-Technica ATH-R70x.

The weighted harmonic distortion is excellent. There are no spikes across the frequency range, so audio reproduction should be clean and pure.

These are the settings used to test the Sennheiser HD 560S. Our results are only valid when they're used in this configuration.

Like most open-back headphones, the Sennheiser HD 560S have terrible noise isolation. They let in ambient noise across the frequency spectrum, so you should hear everything from the low rumble of bus engines to the higher-pitched whine of a computer fan, not to mention the chatter of people nearby. These are headphones meant to be worn in quiet spaces, like a mixing room, or at home alone while listening to your music collection.

In common scenarios, their noise isolation is terrible, which is expected of open-backed headphones that lack passive isolating materials. Consequently, only the highest frequencies, like the upper harmonics of street construction outside your window, receive a nearly unnoticeable bit of attenuation. In all, you don't want to take these with you to the office to focus because you'll hear all the chit-chat and keystrokes of your colleagues.

These over-ears leak a lot of noise, which is normal for open-back headphones. You're likely to disturb people nearby if you listen to your music in a crowded room.

These headphones don't have a microphone. If you're looking for Sennheiser headphones with a mic for gaming, check out the Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X.

The Sennheiser HD 560S have a 1/8" TRS to 1/4" TRS cable for latency-free audio. They also come with with a 1/4" TRS to 1/8" TRS adapter.

You can connect these headphones to your PC's headphone output port for audio playback. However, they lack a microphone, so you'll need an outboard mic for gaming and work meetings.

These headphones can connect to your PS console's controller to receive audio, but they don't have a mic. You'll need a separate microphone if you want to chat with teammates.

These headphones only receive audio when you plug their 1/4" TRS cable into an Xbox controller.