Hello, I have recently purchased my first set audiophile headphones, I went with HD 560s after reading tons of reviews to clarify it was a great choice for gaming and music , As I’m also playing videogames and I wanted a headphone that would suit for both needs, I’ve had Hyperx Cloud 2’s Before for 5 years, they did suit my needs and got what I wanted but it was time for an upgrade , And so far I really don’t like my experience with HD 560’s, It’s really uncomfortable on my head for long sessions, the grip is too much like it actually HURT me on the first day, Songs do not sound as enjoying, pleasing and soulful like it was, I have tried different EQ profiles, the one that Oratory posted aswell but I just simply cannot get the same enjoying experience from same songs, it just steals away all the musical experience and joy, it’s missing sharpness, Treble sounds kind of grainy, Soundstage is… off, Is it my ears that don’t like “analytical” Or what’s going on? Sounds is not as warm as it was on my last headphones, I’m running them with my FiiO K3 which I think is enough for running those headphones Its’ been quite uncomfortable and disappointing experience so far unfortunately, I have seen subreddits people comparing HD 6XX’s with HD 560s and why/how hd 560’s are better, Should I get rid of them? If so , what kind of headphones would you recommend me buying? I just can’t believe that my Cloud 2’s sound better and enjoy music way better than HD 560’s, I was expecting vice versa.
OP, sorry to say that the 560s will never satisfy you if you mainly listen to electronic music. I was in the same boat as you when I got mine, and even after making my own eq, you can get the 560s to kick, but not really rumble if that makes sense.
Luckily, I also listen to jazz a lot and 560s are great at that. I suggest you don’t bother testing these for a month and just return these if you don’t plan on listening to other genres in the future. Get a pair of closed backs (I got a pair of SHP8000, borderline subwoofers) and you’ll never look back.
Sounds is not as warm as it was on my last headphones
Well yes, the HD560s are pretty well known for their relatively neutral sound signature.
Soundstage is… off
What I think you’re experiencing is the difference between open back and closed back (Cloud 2) headphones. Your brain is “trained” to expect the Cloud 2 sound, so the difference with the 560s sounds off. Open backs generally have better soundstage than closed backs.
I had the same effect first 20 minutes putting on the hd600s i was like wtf is this did i waste my money. and then 1 hr later i was like holy shit okay now i hear it wow… went back the next day and sat for 3 hrs straight and i loved what i was hearing. love my hd600 because i also went from closed to open back. i just gave it time and that was it. no need for me to get an amp they are plenty loud with my lgv20 running uapp or poweramp depending on my mood.
Yeah all of this is subjective.
It’s about finding something that’s right for YOU
My wife loves her APM and thinks my K612 sucks.
Most friends of mine have similar opinion after several tries.
I couldn’t disagree more, but I do think their opinions are valid to them. People have different taste, and open back headphones sound might not be enjoyable to everyone.
Neutral open back headphones can take some getting used to, it’s a whole different world than the mainstream staples which tend to be V-shaped, sort of overbearing sometimes bloated bass and very forward highs to compensate which can leave the mids mostly inaudible or bled into. These aren’t BAD headphones, they’re just different and the hobby is all about neutrality these days. The downside of V-shapes is that an enormous amount of detail and separation, imaging, etc is in the mids and you don’t get much mids I’m from them.
You might like the 599 SE, it’s inexpensive and has a V shape signature that’s less neutral than the 560. The emphasis is on mid bass and treble in an open back which is sort of unique.
The Philips X2HR is another option to consider, it’s a neutral listening headphone but emphasizes high bass with impeccable mids to give a sense of a stronger low end. Great musical headphone, it’s a popular choice for people transitioning into neural listening because it retains some “fun”.
You can check Crinacle’s rankings here and look for cans noted as a V-shape or U-shape, or ones he complains about it being too bassy because he’s a neutrality and Harman diehard. I wouldn’t pay attention to the actual rankings as much because of this if that sound just isn’t for you at present time. If you strike out on open backs, there are many closed back options that are more dynamic without the primary focus on being flat or on Harman.
I’ve heard or owned many, many permutations of open and closed back $100-$300 headphones, including every gaming headset under the sun. I have never heard the hd 560 personally but nothing comes anywhere close to the hd 650/6xx in this price range. They are an absolute steal.
I would go so far as to say I’ve been disappointed with every headphone and gaming headset in this price range *but* the hd 650/6xx and Hifiman Sundara. Especially closed backs in this price range are ‘meh’ IMO.
The only issue comes down to comfort and isolation. Maybe that’s not working for OP?These days my living situation is too loud to enjoy open back so I’ve been daily driving IEMs for the isolation… Truthear Hexa is great for $80USD, Moondrop Blessing is similar sound profile but better imaging.
I could see if your room is just too loud, not enjoying open-backs. I’ve moved to IEMs for this reason. Honestly you get way more bang for your buck with chi-fi IEMs… Truthear Hexa kills any cheaper closed-backs.
Just my two cents.
The 6XX at its price (I’d throw the 600 in as well) and Sundara at any of its prices just wipes the floor with everything else in Mid-Fi as well as a lot of headphones higher up the ladder.
There’s some other notables like the Audio Technica ATH-R70x which is just a warmer 600 and the Shure headphones being textbook technical examples of their respective types, but outside of that you can skip everything else up through maybe the Aurorus Borealis, Focal Clear and not miss much. I have yet to hear a Hifiman headphone outright better than Sundaras minus the Susvara I haven’t heard though the Edition XV2 was close. I like the X2HR when it’s $100, the 599 when it’s $80 but for another $100-$200 you can get a headphone a person could easily retire on.
The 6XX at its price (I’d throw the 600 in as well) and Sundara at any of its prices just wipes the floor with everything else in Mid-Fi as well as a lot of headphones higher up the ladder.
There’s some other notables like the Audio Technica ATH-R70x which is just a warmer 600 and the Shure headphones being textbook technical examples of their respective types, but outside of that you can skip everything else up through maybe the Aurorus Borealis, Focal Clear and not miss much. I have yet to hear a Hifiman headphone outright better than Sundaras minus the Susvara I haven’t heard though the Edition XV2 was close. I like the X2HR when it’s $100, the 599 when it’s $80 but for another $100-$200 you can get a headphone a person could easily retire on.
I think your brain is just used to the sound and timbre of a closeback headphones with a much bassier response than the hd560’s which is neutral give your brain a time to adjust and listen again to to hyperX then compare for sure it will sound muddy
I went from the Gameone OPEN back to the 560s and I didn’t like them much either.Too analitical and as a person who likes to listen to alot of music/videos/streams these headphones really reveal bad audio and put it on the front and there’s aloooot of bad audio out there.
Also the earpads are too thin and the plastic creaks way too much.
The only thing I liked about the 560 was the soundstage but I still went back to my old headset.
You’re probably used to the bass response in your cloud 2s and the unequal sound profile. Neutral headphones some people don’t like because they’re not as “fun” (in terms of their sound profile). Audiophiles like high fidelity sound reproduction. It includes reproducing sound without distorting or changing it, which nearly all headphones do to a large extent. Audiophile headphones do it to a much lesser extent. It can take some getting used to.
THe hd599 is a great headphone, very little clam great soundstage for gaming. The hd599se is the same headphone it’s on amazon for a good price ATM
tygr 300r if you want something warm and bassy
You may like Beyerdynamic DT770 32 ohm.
Try stretching it out, so it can fit better, because I’m quite sure it’s a fit issue. If it still sounds bad then return it.
You should try demoing the Focal Clear og.
Bro recommending $890 headphones when op spent $150-$200💀
I bought them because everyone recommended them, at first I thought they sounded a bit too analytical and lacked bass, even after using Oratory’s EQ, that was 20 days ago, now, after regular listening to variety of genres, movies and games, I think it’s the best headphone purchase I’ve made, dang I wish I had this kind of sound available anytime anywhere, sadly they’re not very portable. Regarding the clamping force, you can use the box they came in to loosen the clamp, I’ve read about people doing this to fix their comfort issues.
I felt like my 560s was uncomfortably tight and clampy at first too, but you can stretch them out to loosen them up a bit. Take a bunch of books, slightly wider than your head, put the headphones over the pile, and leave them for a couple days to stretch.