expired Posted by iconian | Staff • Apr 23, 2021
Apr 23, 2021 9:10 PM
Item 1 of 1
expired Posted by iconian | Staff • Apr 23, 2021
Apr 23, 2021 9:10 PM
HiFiMan HE-560 V4 Planar Magnetic Headphones
+ Free Shipping$249
$899
72% offAdorama
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The HE-560 has more bass than the Sundara, I personally like the HE-560 (both versions) better, but the Sundara has perhaps smoother mids, highs, and a bit more detail. The 560 is one of my all time favorite headphones.
The discount from $800 is a bit fake (cause only Adorama sells them and they are frequently sold for $280). Still at $250-$280 I think there are few or no headphones that sound as good.
They do sound better with a headphone amp, but I do not think it is an absolute necessity. There are a lot of cheap amps that work GREAT with it like the JDS Atom, Schiit Magni (both versions) and Monoprice Liquid Spark (all about $100). Some dongles that put out a lot of power into low ohm headphones like the E1DA 9038D and the bargan Tempotec Sonata HD Pro work great.
ADD: "Noticeable sound difference compared to Sony XM4?" - Yes, they are totally different. The XM4 is a closed cup headphone that blocks outside noise, the 560 is open back that lets all noise in and lets others hear your music. HE-560 is much more audiophile listening in a quiet space. The HE-560 is much less audiophile listening in an airplane or on a bus.
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Great reviews in the above link if you're on the fence
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I own about half a dozen low to mid-fi headphones and these are unquestionably the best in my collection in terms of clarity. I've already encountered several moments in songs hearing things I've never heard before. They are fairly neutral and don't have a lot of punch (typical of planars), but they do reach low into the sub-bass frequencies without struggling. They also respond very well to EQ so you can bump the bass a few db (I did) without ruining the overall sound. Hardcore bassheads should look elsewhere IMO, but from a technical standpoint the lows are clean and they go VERY deep. Soundstage and separation are both excellent and they feel as if you can wear them for hours without fatigue...quite comfortable design.
The reports of them needing to be amped are accurate, I'm powering them with an Ifi nano black label and it does the job, but there's not as much headroom as with my other headphones. As for comparisons, the 560s sound better than my Fidelio X2s and Audeze Mobius—-both of which are solid in their own right. My Ultrasone Pro 900s hit harder but those are closed back and some of the all-time great basshead cans, so not a fair comparison...but the 560s absolutely trounce them in the mids and highs; no contest.
All in all, if you're prepared to amp them and you're looking to take the next step up from budget champs like the X2, I seriously doubt you'll find better sound new for under $250. These are an excellent value.
Unfortunately I quickly ran into some problems. A big issue was that I found them really fatiguing to use for long listening sessions. Also, I kinda found the sound signature not as enjoyable to listen to. For some reason I just enjoy the sound signature of my X2HRs more. My ears find them more fun to listen to in most genres. Sadly I ended up sticking with the X2HRs.
m guitar riffs. Open back headphones sometimes give you the feeling of almost being there. The downside is all of the cords. I can't leave my desk. Also I feel my ears get tired more quickly. I can and sometimes do wear the mx50's all day. I do think it's nice to have both. The liquid spark amp at 75% power and 3* gain is enough power, or at 30% and 6* gain with computer audio set to 70%.
The HE-560 has more bass than the Sundara, I personally like the HE-560 (both versions) better, but the Sundara has perhaps smoother mids, highs, and a bit more detail. The 560 is one of my all time favorite headphones.
The discount from $800 is a bit fake (cause only Adorama sells them and they are frequently sold for $280). Still at $250-$280 I think there are few or no headphones that sound as good.
They do sound better with a headphone amp, but I do not think it is an absolute necessity. There are a lot of cheap amps that work GREAT with it like the JDS Atom, Schiit Magni (both versions) and Monoprice Liquid Spark (all about $100). Some dongles that put out a lot of power into low ohm headphones like the E1DA 9038D and the bargan Tempotec Sonata HD Pro work great.
ADD: "Noticeable sound difference compared to Sony XM4?" - Yes, they are totally different. The XM4 is a closed cup headphone that blocks outside noise, the 560 is open back that lets all noise in and lets others hear your music. HE-560 is much more audiophile listening in a quiet space. The HE-560 is much less audiophile listening in an airplane or on a bus.
Don't hesitate at this price.
The cushions are absolute trash however. Not very durable at all. Make sure that you are awfully gentle when placing them on and off your head, and keep them away from sun and moisture (obviously).
Cheers 🥂
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There is a very noticeable rolloff in the upper vocals of the V4 but this is hidden by the V-curve. When I first got the V4, I thought they sounded "different" to the V1 but not inferior. It's not until I switched from my HD800S to the V4 that I realized the V4 sounded significantly worse than when I switched to the V1. The V1 is in the same league as the HD800S but the V4 is not. In fact, the HD800S can be fatiguing because of its treble, but the HE560-V1 got it exactly right-- you can listen for hours without ringing in your ears.
My opinion and conspiracy theory is that HiFiMan made the V1 "too good" and it was cannibalizing into their higher, more expensive models so they started tinkering with the sound to make it inferior.