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HiFiMan HE-560 V4 Premium Planar Magnetic Headphones
$229
$899
74% off
+ Free Shippingat Adorama
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Update: This deal is still available.
Adorama has HiFiMan HE-560 V4 Premium Planar Magnetic Headphones on sale for $229. Shipping is free.
Thanks to Community Member galaxial for finding this deal.
Key Features:
Adorama has HiFiMan HE-560 V4 Premium Planar Magnetic Headphones on sale for $229. Shipping is free.
Thanks to Community Member galaxial for finding this deal.
Key Features:
- Adorama Exclusive HE560 Headphones
- Designed for reference use
- The Power Of Magnetics: Single-ended drivers deliver a lifelike soundstage and spatial imaging
- Light Weight & Comfortable: 30% lighter than comparable headphones
- Cup Style: Closed-back
- Includes:
- HE-560 V4 Premium Planar Magnetic Headphones
- Cable
- 1/4" Adapter
- 1-Year Warranty
Editor's Notes
Written by SlickDealio- About this deal:
- This is $10 lower than the previous Frontpage deal from September 2021.
- This price is $670 lower (75% savings) than the list price of $899.
- About this product:
- 4.6 out of 5 stars rating at Adorama
- About this store:
- View Adorama return policy here.
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Update: This deal is still available.
Adorama has HiFiMan HE-560 V4 Premium Planar Magnetic Headphones on sale for $229. Shipping is free.
Thanks to Community Member galaxial for finding this deal.
Key Features:
Adorama has HiFiMan HE-560 V4 Premium Planar Magnetic Headphones on sale for $229. Shipping is free.
Thanks to Community Member galaxial for finding this deal.
Key Features:
- Adorama Exclusive HE560 Headphones
- Designed for reference use
- The Power Of Magnetics: Single-ended drivers deliver a lifelike soundstage and spatial imaging
- Light Weight & Comfortable: 30% lighter than comparable headphones
- Cup Style: Closed-back
- Includes:
- HE-560 V4 Premium Planar Magnetic Headphones
- Cable
- 1/4" Adapter
- 1-Year Warranty
Editor's Notes
Written by SlickDealio- About this deal:
- This is $10 lower than the previous Frontpage deal from September 2021.
- This price is $670 lower (75% savings) than the list price of $899.
- About this product:
- 4.6 out of 5 stars rating at Adorama
- About this store:
- View Adorama return policy here.
Community Voting
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Top Comments
Decent modern amps (both of these included) avoid audible distortion until they are very close to their maximum power output, and the K5/560 gets unbearably loud well below its maximum. I haven't noticed any noise or distortion.
It sounds like you mean that a weaker amp would be unable to provide peak RMS, which would selectively clip the waveform resulting in bass drop-outs or distortion. My home theater setup uses power-hungry old speakers and when I tried to drive them with underpowered amps both of these things happened. But it is volume-dependent. Up to a certain point, the amp is able to provide sufficient power, then it is unable to provide power for the peaks so the bass drops out despite overall volume rising, then it is unable to consistently power the signal, resulting in audible distortion followed by complete drops.
None of these things happen with the K5 Pro. Bass is strong. It remains strong as the volume increases. There are no dropouts or changes in tone even far beyond where the volume becomes uncomfortable. If the K5 is clipping from peaks exceeding 1000mw, it seems like the clipped portion should be materially different between an average 0.5mW signal and a 500mW signal, since the latter would kick in after 3db while the former would have a full 33db of headroom. It seems unlikely, then, that the sound would not change dramatically as I increased the volume, if the amp were in fact clipping on normal-volume material. But the tone doesn't change, and there are no other identifiable markers of underdrive distortion, so I would be surprised to learn that it was actually being underdriven at listening volumes. Still, it might have some other kind of aural inadequacy--but not because 1W is insufficient power, unless you're listening loud enough to permanently damage your hearing.
Here is an explanation of why the lower-powered JDS Atom is sufficient for the Audeze LCD-X:
https://www.audioscienc
Here is another thread explaining why an amp less powerful than the K5 is sufficient for the more-power-demanding Monolith M1070:
https://www.audioscienc
Here is a broader article about headphone/amp matching, recommending a benchmark max of only 110db (an order of magnitude less power than 120db):
http://nwavguy.blogspo
Here's a lucid explanation of headphone amp power with a focus on other amplifier issues that are commonly mistaken for insufficient power:
https://crinacle.com/2019/09/30/o...ord-power/
Here's an old thread laughing at the idea of 1W minimum for planars:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/p...ly.805936/
I'll stop there. There's also a good article from Audient, but I'll skip it due to the conflict of interest (their amps are >500mW). FWIW, I haven't tried the Hifiman on my Audient, but my Monolith planars sound great on it. Lots of bass, no distortion, tons of headroom. I'll let you know how it and the K5 compare to the Magni when I check it out.
And, to reiterate, I spent a lot of time on this because I like learning about stuff. I was hoping that you would send me off in a new direction to learn even more, so thank you for engaging with me. I apologize if I have come across as argumentative or personally insulting, neither of which were my intent--I was just trying to get a little more insight into your perspective while defending my own understanding, which seems to conflict. Thanks again, and have happy holidays.
*The 560s really shine though when they get fed power from balanced connectors. The Schitt Magnius ($199) does 5W @ 32 ohm in balanced mode.
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...and yes, I speak from experience.
P.S. I swapped both with the 560-v3 headband because my 560s v1.5 had bad yolks. Swapped them both out because I like them.
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Meanwhile, I picked up a used pair of Monoprice planars for half the price. They don't have the same clarity or detail, but they make a lot more stuff pleasant and fun to listen to. Obviously, all of this is extremely subjective, and I have read plenty of reviews that come to the opposite conclusions--with something this personal you really have to experience it firsthand.
Meanwhile, I picked up a used pair of Monoprice planars for half the price. They don't have the same clarity or detail, but they make a lot more stuff pleasant and fun to listen to. Obviously, all of this is extremely subjective, and I have read plenty of reviews that come to the opposite conclusions--with something this personal you really have to experience it firsthand.
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https://www.audioscienc
What do you suggest for a more powerful amp?
https://www.audioscienc
What do you suggest for a more powerful amp?
*The 560s really shine though when they get fed power from balanced connectors. The Schitt Magnius ($199) does 5W @ 32 ohm in balanced mode.
*The 560s really shine though when they get fed power from balanced connectors. The Schitt Magnius ($199) does 5W @ 32 ohm in balanced mode.
*The 560s really shine though when they get fed power from balanced connectors. The Schitt Magnius ($199) does 5W @ 32 ohm in balanced mode.
All that said, you inspired me to brush up on my math. Hifiman puts this revision at 50ohms and 90db/mw. Audio Science Review measures and earlier, less-efficient version, at 43ohms and around 86db/mw. Since P=V^2/R and planar impedance is not a function of frequency (as demonstrated by ASR's measurements, and unlike with dynamic drivers), that means an honest 1mw (using Hifiman's numbers) or 2.5mw (using ASR's) should drive the HE-560 at 90db.
Using ASR's less-optimistic numbers for the HE-560, you would in fact need 2.5W to drive the HE-560 at 120db. But if the v4 is actually as efficient as Hifiman says, you would only need around 1w to hit 120db. I calculated for 120db because that's a number audio people often spec amps out to, but as I understand it that is a rough rubric to ensure that an amp's power can accommodate dynamic drivers' frequency-variable impedance. As we know, variable impedance is not a factor with planar headphones like the HE-560. 120db is loud enough to damage your hearing in minutes. I prefer to stay below 85db, which as we have seen should require less than 2mw on the HE-560.
(Update: just as I was posting this I saw that ASR also has a review of the 560v4, which finds its impedance to be reduced to 39ohms and efficiency improved from the earlier review, much closer to Hifiman's estimate at around 1.15w for 120db).
Personally, I almost never raise my gain above the lowest setting or the volume knob past noon on the K5 Pro--it just gets too loud. I have not noticed any indication of bass dropping off as volume increases, which one would expect from an underpowered amp driving dynamic headphones but, again, this is not a surprise for planar headphones. All of this to say, based on my amateur understanding of audio circuits and acknowledging that the ultimate experience of audio appreciation is subjective, I cannot think of an objective indication that the K5 Pro is insufficiently powered for the HE-560 v4. If you have information that suggests otherwise, I would genuinely love to see it--I am new to this hobby and always trying to learn.
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All that said, you inspired me to brush up on my math. Hifiman puts this revision at 50ohms and 90db/mw. Audio Science Review measures and earlier, less-efficient version, at 43ohms and around 86db/mw. Since P=V^2/R and planar impedance is not a function of frequency (as demonstrated by ASR's measurements, and unlike with dynamic drivers), that means an honest 1mw (using Hifiman's numbers) or 2.5mw (using ASR's) should drive the HE-560 at 90db.
Using ASR's less-optimistic numbers for the HE-560, you would in fact need 2.5W to drive the HE-560 at 120db. But if the v4 is actually as efficient as Hifiman says, you would only need around 1w to hit 120db. I calculated for 120db because that's a number audio people often spec amps out to, but as I understand it that is a rough rubric to ensure that an amp's power can accommodate dynamic drivers' frequency-variable impedance. As we know, variable impedance is not a factor with planar headphones like the HE-560. 120db is loud enough to damage your hearing in minutes. I prefer to stay below 85db, which as we have seen should require less than 2mw on the HE-560.
(Update: just as I was posting this I saw that ASR also has a review of the 560v4, which finds its impedance to be reduced to 39ohms and efficiency improved from the earlier review, much closer to Hifiman's estimate at around 1.15w for 120db).
Personally, I almost never raise my gain above the lowest setting or the volume knob past noon on the K5 Pro--it just gets too loud. I have not noticed any indication of bass dropping off as volume increases, which one would expect from an underpowered amp driving dynamic headphones but, again, this is not a surprise for planar headphones. All of this to say, based on my amateur understanding of audio circuits and acknowledging that the ultimate experience of audio appreciation is subjective, I cannot think of an objective indication that the K5 Pro is insufficiently powered for the HE-560 v4. If you have information that suggests otherwise, I would genuinely love to see it--I am new to this hobby and always trying to learn.
When the 560 wants to generate the sub bass slam that differentiates it from other products in its class/price need the power delivery to be on-tap.
Think of it like a capacitor in car audio being used to keep the bass from dying out under heavy conditions.
The Schiit Amp can keep up, the K5 Pro can't.
You spent a lot of time on this only to miss the conclusion you'll need to hear it for yourself.
I wonder if you'll truly be curious or just defiantly trust what you read rather than try for yourself.
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