Sennheiser HD 560S Open-Back Over-Ear Wired Headphones – Neutral, Natural Sound for Music, Gaming, and Content Creation, Black

TL;DR? The Sennheiser HD 560 S are extremely comfortable, lightweight, and easy to wear all day, with a secure fit that settles in nicely over time. Sonically, they offer outstanding value around $200 with an exceptionally neutral, well-balanced sound, wide soundstage, and strong resolution—making them excellent for critical listening, mixing, and mastering. --- These headphones are simply fantastic! For me, maybe the easiest headphones I have ever worn "all day." The clamp pressure is a bit tight out of the box, but not TOO tight. They WILL loosen up over time, so if you're sensitive to clamp, you might find yourself needing to "break them in." On some over-ear headphones, I can struggle in finding that "this is where they sit on my head" position. Beyerdynamic Headphones can sound great, but it can be annoying fiddling with how they sit on your head until you find the "just right" position. The HD560s? Easy. Put them on, adjust, and you're good to go! The materials here are what you expect! The earpads and headband are soft enough to comfortable, but firm enough to provide support. If you use them CONSTANTLY, you will eventually need to replace the earpads (1-2 years). The plastic is high quality, and there are nearly no metal parts. With that in mind: you could break these if you tried, but the plastic shouldn't fall apart any time soon. This makes them VERY lightweight, which is fantastic for comfort! SOUND: the single most important aspect of this product. These sounds good. Really Really good. I would argue that this is potentially the best sound you can get around $200. These are extraordinarily well-balanced. What does that mean? It means they are very very neutral. They are not hyped, they are not "exciting." They are perfect for checking a mix and more critical listening. These have enough resolution to pick out fine adjustments in sound (like slight tube saturation). The soundstage is wide without being "too much," allowing for a solid depiction of the "Stereo Image" without adding additional confusion. Overall? They sound incredible! Very Neutral; not too "warm," just the right amount of balance for critical listening. Overall? These are a fantastic choice for mixing and mastering. You can certainly use them for every day tasks as well, but some of the "punchy" or "crunchy" music might feel a little "anemic" under the microscope of the HD 560 S headphones. These are a true neutral. If you want to check balance? Pick these! The only scenario I have ever found myself "reaching for something else" is grabbing my Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X headphones for better resolution/ detail in the high frequency. The 900 Pro X are not as neutral (or wide) as the HD 560 S, but their additional top-end extension makes them solid for "sanity checking" high frequency information. For tracking and monitoring, I would reach for something else (ATH-M40x or DT770 (maybe the DT 900 Pro X, they are basically semi-open back)).

Stanton Nichols · 2026-01-25 · via amazon

These are outstanding headphones at any price, and an unbelievable value at their typical ~$150 street price. I'm a recovering headphone addict and these have been good enough to help me stay sober. I think if your budget is up to $300 and you don't want to fuss around with amps and DACs and other gear considerations, these are probably the best "plug 'em into anything" headphones I've ever owned. They're light, they're comfortable for average-sized heads (though see more below), and they sound great playing any content from any source. Highlights: - Value: I've owned a lot of headphones (including perennial darlings like the HD600+650 and Audio-Technica ATX-M50 and higher-end stuff like the Audeze LCD-X and Focal Clear) and honestly, the headphone world is a perfect case study for the Law of Diminishing Returns. In other words, you can spend $150 on the 560S and get 75% of the sound quality that's even possible, or spend $1500 to get to like 85%. For most people, this is the sane stopping point. - Weight: the all-plastic build lets these float on your head at 280g (9.9 oz). For comparison, the Hifiman Sundara (another highly regarded pair of <$300 headphones) weighs 379g (13.4 oz). Three ounces may not sound like much, but over the course of hours, you really feel every ounce that's sitting on your head. - Easy to drive: I use these plugged directly into a PS5 controller and they get plenty loud at roughly 50-60% volume. I've tried them with different combinations of amps and DACs as well, but such gadgets are totally unnecessary to get the most out of the 560S. - Perfect audio for gaming: the wide soundstage is great, as is the sharp treble for picking out things like voices, footsteps, and gunfire. These are very popular with FPS players, and I can see why. I don't play PvP games, but they've saved me from many a cheap off-camera attack with their amazing positional audio cues. The nicest surprise on these is the bass, which is meatier than you'd expect for open-backed headphones. Unfortunately, because of the proprietary cable jack, I had to buy a kooky adapter (ASIN: B07Z2MPW61) so I could use the V-Moda BoomPro mic I had lying around for voice chat. The overall setup is a bit klunky but almost certainly outperforms popular gaming headsets. - Surprising noise isolation: these are by no means going to block out the outside world like a pair of closed-back headphones, but there are enough layers of stuff inside them between the grille and your ear that you're not going to hear everything around you with them on. Lowlights: - Oddball connector: I despise proprietary connectors, and Sennheiser's 2.5mm recessed jack with a twist lock is one of the most obnoxious on the market. What they lose in compatibility with other cables is by no means gained in security—who cares if your headphones unplug at the earcup when subjected to intense force? - Not very comfortable for big heads and big ears: although the design of these is generally compared to the HD500 line, having owned the absurdly comfortable HD598SE, I can say these don't come close. They clamp kind of hard and worse, the earpad foam is thin and when it flattens out (immediately), it presses the driver units against the cartilage of my ears. Fortunately, I was able to modify these with some third-party 3d-printed adapter rings so I could use bigger, cushier pads from Brainwavz. Now I can use them for 4+ hours without major discomfort. This may not be an issue if you don't have big ears like I do. Also worth noting is that some styles of glasses will be agony with these. - Not as nice for music: the things that make them perfect for games (accentuated high frequencies) make them a riskier proposition for music. Your mileage may vary, of course, but these can be pretty spicy for certain instruments and effects. All in all, despite the added hassles and costs to make these comfortable for my anatomy, I'm still very happy with them and don't think I could do better for my use case (plugged directly into PS5 controller with an inline mic) at any price. For their usual price of $150-180, I can't see what anyone could complain about. Thanks for reading!

Tony · 2023-12-04 · via amazon

Yes you can do better but for the price it would be very difficult. My Sundara's are better in every way but they are also twice as much. My Focal Elex are in a different class all together. (These are all open back headphones.) The 560s is open back but more of a semi-open like the DT880. PROS: Quality Sennheiser plastic build that will last a lifetime. Very lightweight. Pleasantly comfortable. Dimpled headband foam for relieving skull pain. Very ample earcup size. Swivels well. Fits every size melon. Felt earpads pad well. (I picked up sheepskin leather pads because I prefer them for comfort, coolness, longevity and sound.) Very neutral sound signature for those that want to hear the music like the engineers wanted it to sound. Plenty of bass for those that listen to adult music. Since they are open they sound nice and wide. At 120 ohms you can drive them from your phone but a good DAP or amp will help. The IFI Zen DAC 2 makes them sound rich which would be good to round-out a desktop system. If you are familiar with the Sennheiser Sound and like it, you'll love these. Very inexpensive when on sale. CONS: The cable and adapter stink. I'm not even going to use it. Felt earpads are warm so not for everyone. No extras included. I own and have owned many headphones. My first audiophile headphone was a Sennheiser production model back in the 80s. If it wasn't 600 ohms I'd still own it. For the price you can't beat the 560s. I think it has a more natural sound then the 6xx which is highly regarded. Highly recommended

Steve Taylor · 2024-03-02 · via amazon

The Sennheiser HD 560S are a clear and revealing pair of headphones. On my other headphones and IEMs, when I apply EQ (Oratory1990 results from AutoEQ on GitHub) the effect is immediately apparent, the music seems to have greater clarity. I would liken it to the feeling of clear breathing after one has blown one's nose when waking up with clogged sinuses. The HD 560S, on my system, don't seem to need any EQ for greater clarity. You can of course EQ them to taste, specifically those who want more bass. The HD 560S have bass that go deep and sound good but they aren't boosted so those wanting a bass heavy tuning/signature may want to EQ by boosting the lows (or cutting the mids and highs depending on your approach to EQ). I find the HD 560S to be an excellent sounding pair of headphones. I use them a lot but not exclusively since I do have other headphones I also enjoy. Those looking to try a pair with that clear, revealing, linear sound should give these a listen. I generally use headphones with an amp but I've also used the the HD 560S with my Sony Xperia mobile phone and they aren't hard to drive. I have the volume at about 60% on the phone at my preferred listening level. The 560S's clarity helps here, I don't need to have the volume so high in order to hear the details I want from the music. Though compared to my other current headphones these do need the most amplification, but not by a lot. On a song that I would have my headphone amp's volume knob set at 10:30 for the Sony MDR-1AM2 or at 12:30 for the Philips Fidelio X2HR, the amp would be at 1:00 for the HD 560S (I try to volume match for vocals when listening to music). The HD 560S are comfortable enough for me to wear for extended periods. I do feel the clamping force on the sides of the head, surrounding the ear, but I don't find the pressure to be uncomfortable. The pads are large enough to fully go around the ear and deep enough so the drivers don't come into contact with the ear so no pressure is put on the ear itself. There is a little protrusion inside the cups that might touch the ears depending on how forward or back you have the headphones. I don't find them bothersome and in fact I use them to set the headphones consistently on my head by having them just barely touch the rear edge of my ears. However, these Sennheisers aren't a perfect set. For my purposes the cable is rather long. I use these at my desktop so a shorter cable would be better for me but others might be fine with the longer cable. They are open back in design so there is some sound leakage which might be an issue if you listen loud and share the room with others. Of course their open back nature is part of what gives them a less boxed in sound than the closed backed alternatives. I did encounter an issue that was easily fixed in my case. Out of the box I seemed to hear a channel imbalance. This was disappointing at first but I also noticed that the left and right ear pads of my set were not equally soft. I then swapped the left and right ear pads and the imbalance wasn't there anymore. I'm now perfectly happy with my pair and can recommend them for their sonic qualities but buyers should be aware of possible issues. I have had other Sennheiser headphones over the years and this is the first such issue I've had with them. The build quality is good but there are less expensive headphones that have equal or better construction. At this price ($199 when purchased, it's cheaper now) it would have been nice to have extra cables and a pouch. I got my MDR-1AM2 at a similar price and it has a more premium/luxurious feel, and includes two different cables (including balanced, since the HD 560S is wired for balanced it should have come with such a cable) and has a carrying pouch. The X2HR was about $50 less and feels like a more substantial set. Each of these headphones have different sound signatures and are good for diffent use cases but even though the HD 560S has really good sound (arguably better than others if that's the sound you're after) it doesn't deliver the best value overall. Because of that (as well as the issue I encountered above) I can only rate these headphones at 4 stars. If, however, sound is all you care about then I could maybe give them 5 stars since I do enjoy using them quite a lot.

Vale Rama · 2023-03-22 · via amazon

🎮 Gaming Audio & Positional Awareness These open-back headphones provide a wide soundstage and excellent imaging, which helps you accurately pinpoint footsteps, gunfire, and directional cues — a huge advantage in FPS games and competitive play. The neutral sound signature means you’re not getting exaggerated bass booms or bloated effects that can mask subtle movements, so distant enemies and spatial cues feel easier to locate than with typical bass-heavy gaming headsets. 🧠 Advantage in Competitive Play For titles where spatial awareness matters (like tactical shooters), the clarity and separation of sounds help you determine which direction an opponent is coming from and at what distance — making your audio cues more actionable than with many stock gaming headsets. 🎧 Comfort & Build for Long Sessions The headphones are lightweight and comfortable enough for extended sessions, so marathon gaming nights don’t feel fatiguing. However, keep in mind they don’t include a microphone, so you’ll need an external mic if you want to communicate in multiplayer games. 📈 Pros: • Great positional audio and imaging for competitive gaming. • Open design provides a natural, spacious soundstage. • Comfortable for long play sessions. • Wired connection means zero latency audio. 📉 Cons: • No built-in mic — requires a separate solution for voice chat. • Open-back design leaks sound and won’t isolate noise in busy environments. • Neutral tuning means less bass punch than some gamers might expect. 📍 Verdict: If you’re a gamer who prioritizes accurate audio cues and competitive awareness over booming bass or flashy RGB headsets, the Sennheiser HD 560S is a fantastic upgrade — especially for PC titles and competitive shooters. Just pair them with a dedicated mic and you’ve essentially got a high-performance gaming audio setup.

Lucas L. · 2026-01-16 · via amazon

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$24.99