Question 1

How do these compare to the 58x and 6xx?

Accepted Answer

I have all three.
The HD 6XX has the highest technical performance out of all three, and has the best dampening and least distortion. It’s tuning came from the studio-monitor like HD 600 sound, but the treble was intentionally reduced a bit so that mixing professionals or music enthusiasts could listen for hours and hours with less fatigue, and there’s just a bit more midbass to sound more like a home speaker system. So it has less sensation of “air,” but the drivers are quite articulate and detailed, also most people’s brains acclimate to the sound quickly so it sounds “normal” and pros can make mixing decisions based off it. The HD 6XX is a visual variant of the HD 650, and overall it is one of the most common HiFi headphones ever and a good reference point that has been compared to pretty much everything else. If I could describe the HD 6XX in one word, it would be “beguiling.”

The HD 560S is close behind the HD 650 in technicalities, with almost as much detail, and very low distortion. The HD 560S’ slightly smaller driver is also more efficient and needs less power to sound good, though the 120 Ω impedance is like a sweet spot that helps with some dampening and stability in amplifier operation, while being a bit less impedance than the 300 Ω HD 6XX. The longer, 1/4” terminated cable is great for listening to a TV or turntable while you sit in a comfy chair, but it also includes the best kind of 1/4” to 3.5mm adapter to prevent damage to your equipment. Things get interesting when you consider the HD 560S’ driver is set at a 9° angle, meant to interact with your outer ear more, and also the HD 560S has more treble “air” than the HD 6XX, so it’s easier to hear positional directions and recording venue acoustics... the HD 560S has better soundstage than the other two. Overall, the HD 560S is tuned closer to a studio monitor speaker, and maintains its deepest sub bass more than the other two, but has also the most linear sound... it sounds the most “reference” like a studio monitor speaker.

The HD 58X has an enclosure and flat-angle like the HD 6XX, and a driver size and impedance like the HD 560S, but it is the most “fun” sounding of the three, also the least expensive. A short cable, efficient to drive, more bass and treble to excite you, the HD 58X is lively and ready to immediately bring you a lot of fun. In one word, I think the HD 58X is “Perky!”

YMMV, hopefully from my description you can decide which appeals to you the most. I know it’s tough since they’re all between $180 and $220. Personally, I’ve been using the HD 560S the most lately, but it’s also the newest, so... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Question 2

How much do they weigh? How long can you wear these before getting a hotspot on your head?

Accepted Answer

Without cable, they weigh only 240g.
That is unusually light for a full sized over ear headphone. To further prevent a hot spot from forming at the usual spot at the top of your head, the HD 560S have a gap where the headband doesn’t touch the top of your head, instead distributing the weight to the sides and some to the earcup clamp. The clamp is snug... you won’t exactly forget that they’re there, but they won’t slip around, and the padding is pretty soft. I will literally wear these all day for 8 hours or so, though I give my ears a break from sound every hour or so (that’s just good hearing health!).

Question 3

Can I plug these into my phone and get good sound? If not, how is it for Xbox gaming?

Accepted Answer

These are efficient: you will get good volume out of most sources. Yes, you can use them out of an Xbox console controller.

However, the HD 560S are also high quality. You will be able to hear how much better an iPhone dongle can drive headphones than an Xbox controller. Also, the HD 560S stock cable is very long, with a 1/4” plug and a (very good) 1/4” to 3.5mm mini plug ponytail adapter.

Xbox controllers are limited... out of their $60 or so purchase cost, most of the parts cost goes to the button input electronics and wireless transmission, with only a tiny fraction going towards audio parts. Also, wireless requires some audio compression. Lastly, very little battery power is spared to power headphones.

In summary, yes you can use it with an Xbox controller out of the box, but you will have a much better experience if you use the HD 560S’ long cable to your benefit and plug it into your TV or AVR/receiver instead.

Question 4

What country are these made in?

Accepted Answer

They’re an international headphone, haha. The transducers (aka drivers or headphone speakers) are made in Sennheiser’s exclusive Ireland factory, pads are from Germany, enclosure and final assembly is in China. They are triple-checked for QC throughout production and just before being packaged for retail and shipping.

Control Method	Touch
Control Type	control
Unit Count	1.0 Count
Cable Length	3 Meters
Item Weight	240 Grams
Water Resistance Level	Not Water Resistant
Is Electric	Yes
Antenna Location	Audio Monitoring
Compatible Devices	Desktops
Cable Features	Detachable
Additional Features	Lightweight
Enclosure Material	Velour
Specific Uses For Product	Music
Headphone Folding Features	Over Ear
Earpiece Shape	Over-Ear
Headphones Ear Placement	Over Ear
Style Name	Contemporary
Color	Black
Wireless Technology	Wired
Connectivity Technology	Wired
Headphone Jack	3.5 mm Jack
Frequency Range	6 Hz to 38 kHz
Audio Driver Type	Dynamic Driver
Impedance	120 Ohm
Noise Control	None

Sennheiser HD 560 S Over-The-Ear Audiophile Headphones - Neutral Frequency Response, E.A.R. Technology for Wide Sound Field, Open-Back Earcups, Detachable Cable, (Black) (HD 560S)

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