Sennheiser HD560S Review: Open-Back Sound on a Budget

The HD 560S is Sennheiser’s attempt to bring open-back, audiophile-grade sound to buyers who aren’t ready to commit to the HD 600’s impedance demands or price point. It sits at the accessible end of the open-back headphones spectrum, and the measurements back up what the community has been saying: this is a genuinely flat-measuring headphone at a budget price band.

One product. One question worth answering honestly: does the HD 560S earn its reputation, and who should actually buy it over the HD 600?

What to Look For in Open-Back Headphones

Frequency Response and Tuning Philosophy

Frequency response is the single most informative specification for evaluating an open-back headphone before you hear it. A flat or Harman-adjacent target curve generally means the headphone isn’t adding coloration the recording engineer didn’t intend. It also means treble peaks and bass shelves are the exception rather than the baseline assumption.

The HD 560S measures exceptionally flat through the midrange, with a gentle bass roll-off below 100Hz. ASR’s published measurements confirm the curve audiophiles tend to praise: smooth, controlled, without the aggressive treble lift that makes some budget headphones fatiguing over long sessions. Understanding the curve , and whether it matches what you actually want to hear , matters more than any single reviewer’s impression.

Impedance and Drivability

Open-back headphones occupy a wide range of impedance values. The HD 600 family runs at 300Ω, which is high enough that laptop outputs and phone headphone jacks often can’t supply sufficient voltage for adequate volume. The HD 560S runs at 120Ω with 110dB/V sensitivity , technically easier to drive, though still not the same as a 32Ω IEM.

The practical implication: the HD 560S will reach comfortable listening volume from a laptop, a phone with a dongle, or a budget portable DAC without issue. That’s not a small thing for a first open-back purchase. The HD 600 will also work from a decent source, but the gap is more audible than the impedance numbers alone suggest.

Build Quality and Long-Term Ownership

Sennheiser’s HD series has a strong secondary market and a long service history precisely because the headphones are designed for part replacement. Earpads wear down. Cables develop intermittent faults. Having a detachable cable and replaceable pads transforms a headphone into a long-term investment rather than a consumable.

The HD 560S has both. The plastic construction won’t satisfy buyers who want the premium feel of an HD 800S, and it shouldn’t , that’s not what this headphone is. The comfort profile is good for long sessions, and the lightweight chassis reduces clamping fatigue. Exploring the full range of open-back headphone options before committing to a specific driver technology is genuinely worth the time, but build serviceability should be on that checklist.

Soundstage and Imaging

Open-back headphones produce a wider, more diffuse soundstage than closed-back designs because the driver isn’t operating in a sealed environment. The HD 560S has a notably wider stage than its price point implies , owner reports and community consensus consistently place it ahead of the HD 600 in raw soundstage width.

Imaging precision is a separate quality from width. A headphone can have a wide stage and still place instruments imprecisely. The HD 560S resolves instrument separation well for its price tier; where it concedes ground to the HD 600 is in depth and three-dimensional layering. For gaming, this matters in a specific way: positional audio cues come through clearly, which is one reason the HD 560S appears frequently in gaming headphone discussions.

Source Pairing

The ‘this headphone scales with source’ advice is worth taking seriously, with calibration. For dynamic driver headphones at this impedance level, the gap between a phone output and a dedicated stack is real but not transformative , the HD 560S won’t suddenly become a different headphone with a better DAC/amp. What a clean source removes is distortion, channel imbalance at low volume, and the high output impedance that some cheaper sources introduce, which can affect frequency response at low impedances.

A budget USB dongle DAC , something in the twenty-dollar range , solves the worst-case source problems. Dedicated separates are worth the complexity for planar magnetics, where source dependency is higher. For the HD 560S specifically, the floor is low and the ceiling isn’t far above it.

Top Picks

Sennheiser HD 560S

The Sennheiser HD 560S is the clearest entry point into serious open-back listening available at the budget price band. The FR curve that measurement enthusiasts have been citing since it launched is the right place to start: flat through the mids, controlled in the treble, with a gentle roll-off in the bass below 100Hz. What that means in practice is a headphone that doesn’t push a signature at you. Vocals sit naturally. Acoustic guitar doesn’t bloom or thin out artificially. The midrange is the kind that disappears and lets the recording speak.

Where the HD 560S concedes ground to the HD 600 is in bass weight and tonal density. The HD 600’s low end has more presence , not bass-head territory, but enough body that kick drums and upright bass feel grounded rather than present-but-lightweight. Owner reviews across Head-Fi and r/headphones are consistent on this point: the HD 560S is technically impressive for its price tier, but if bass weight matters to you, the gap is real and worth knowing about before you buy.

The soundstage is the pleasant surprise. Community consensus places it ahead of the HD 600 in width , not dramatically, but noticeably. For gaming, that translates to useful positional audio without EQ or processing. For music listening, it creates a more spacious presentation that some buyers will strongly prefer, particularly on orchestral recordings or anything with a complex mix.

The plastic construction is the most common criticism, and it’s accurate. The HD 560S feels like a budget-tier headphone externally. The detachable cable and replaceable earpads are meaningful long-term ownership considerations that offset the build concern, but if tactile quality matters to you, the HD 600 is a noticeably more substantial object. That difference costs real money; whether it costs enough to matter is a question only you can answer.

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Buying Guide

Who the HD 560S Is Actually For

The HD 560S serves a specific buyer well: someone entering the open-back category for the first time who wants accurate, measurement-validated sound without committing to a dedicated amplifier. Its low impedance makes it genuinely portable-source-friendly in a way the HD 600 isn’t. If the likely use case is a laptop, a phone, or a budget dongle DAC, the HD 560S is the more practical choice by a meaningful margin.

Buyers who already own an amp and are deciding between this and the HD 600 face a different calculus. The HD 600 rewards the cleaner source with more tonal density and low-end body. The HD 560S’s advantage in that scenario narrows significantly.

Bass Response: Managing Expectations

The gentle bass roll-off is the most commonly misunderstood aspect of the HD 560S’s tuning. This isn’t a broken or defective frequency response , it’s a design choice that prioritizes accuracy over warmth. For acoustic music, jazz, and vocal-forward recordings, the trade-off is invisible. For electronic music, hip-hop, or anything that relies on sub-bass extension for impact, the roll-off is more noticeable.

EQ addresses this directly. The HD 560S responds well to a low-shelf boost; the driver doesn’t distort under the added bass load the way some budget headphones do. If EQ is part of your workflow, the bass limitation is largely correctable.

The HD 560S vs. HD 600 Decision

The HD 600 is the reference starting point for anyone entering the hobby at the mid-range price band , three years into the hobby and having owned the gear in this collection, it remains the most-returned-to headphone. But the HD 560S isn’t a worse version of the HD 600. It’s a different tuning with a meaningfully lower barrier to entry.

The HD 600 has more tonal density, more low-end body, and a more premium build. The HD 560S has a flatter measured FR, a wider soundstage, and drives from nearly any source. Neither answer is wrong; the right choice depends on source hardware and listening priorities. Browse the broader headphone landscape to understand where both sit relative to competitors before deciding.

Gaming and Secondary Use Cases

The HD 560S appears in gaming headphone conversations for good reason. The wide soundstage and accurate imaging make positional audio genuinely useful without software processing. The low impedance means it connects directly to a PC front panel or controller without an external amp.

The open-back design means sound bleeds out and ambient noise comes in , a real constraint in shared spaces. For solo desktop gaming in a quiet room, the HD 560S is a strong performer. For streaming or voice-heavy sessions where microphone bleed is a concern, the open back is a practical problem, not a preference issue.

Cable and Source Upgrade Advice

Cable differences below a meaningful quality threshold , correct connectors, functional shielding , are not reliably audible, and the evidence for audible cable upgrades at this price tier is weak. The stock cable on the HD 560S is functional. If it fails or becomes inconvenient, replacing it with any well-shielded aftermarket cable with the correct 2.5mm locking connector is a practical decision, not an audiophile upgrade.

Source upgrades matter more than cable upgrades. A dongle DAC addresses the worst-case phone output quality concerns. Dedicated separates are worth the complexity for planar magnetics, but for the HD 560S, the performance ceiling from source investment arrives quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the HD 560S need an amplifier?

The HD 560S runs at 120Ω with high sensitivity, which means it reaches comfortable listening volume from a phone, laptop, or budget USB dongle without issue. A dedicated amp will lower output impedance and improve channel tracking at low volumes, but the gap is smaller here than with the 300Ω HD 600. A budget dongle DAC is the practical starting point , dedicated separates are not required.

How does the HD 560S compare to the HD 600?

The HD 600 has more bass weight, more tonal density, and a more premium build. The HD 560S measures flatter, has a wider soundstage, and is significantly easier to drive from portable sources. Owner consensus across Head-Fi and r/headphones generally places the HD 600 ahead for music listening with a proper source, while the HD 560S wins on accessibility and gaming use cases.

Is the HD 560S good for gaming?

Yes, and specifically because of its wide soundstage and accurate imaging. Positional audio cues come through clearly without software processing, and the low impedance means it connects directly to PC front panels and controllers. The open-back design is the relevant constraint: sound bleeds in both directions, which is a real problem in shared spaces or streaming setups where microphone bleed matters.

Can you EQ the HD 560S to add more bass?

The HD 560S responds well to EQ, and a low-shelf boost is the standard correction for buyers who find the stock bass roll-off too lean. The driver handles added low-end load without notable distortion , this is one of the reasons the headphone is well-regarded in EQ-friendly communities. If bass weight is important and EQ is part of your workflow, the stock tuning limitation is largely addressable.

Is the plastic build a long-term durability concern?

The plastic construction feels lightweight compared to the HD 600, but Sennheiser’s HD series has a strong service history and active parts availability. The detachable cable and user-replaceable earpads are the more relevant long-term ownership factors. Earpads wear down on any headphone; having the option to replace them without returning the unit to a service center meaningfully extends useful lifespan.