HiFiMan HE-560 V4 Premium Planar Magnetic Headphones Expired

Killer deal! I picked these up a while ago at $230 to add them to my collection (50ish headphones ATM) since I was curious how they compared to other HE-series 'phones and they are insanely good for the price. Still the best headphone I have heard under $300. Period. I personally think they deserve more attention.

Detailed, great bass slam, respond well to pad rolling and EQ, all while being light on the noggin. They also probably have the best looking cup finish of any Hifiman, IMO (although it's a fingerprint magnet). They aren't exactly easy to drive, though, so you do need an amp for them but nothing crazy.

Certainly This is the majority of my collection (34) and the ones in my main listening rotation (my HE560v4 is on the second shelf from the top, 3rd headphone from the left). https://imgur.com/a/RouPxOn There are another 10 not pictured here that are stashed on random shelfs and wherever I had space and I didn't feel like taking that many pics. The rest are IEMs or in their boxes and stored away because they aren't great but aren't valuable enough to bother selling.

Just to be clear, I don't own any of what are considered "flagships," since the law of diminishing returns is brutal and I find variety more fun. Every headphone is like a different flavor of ice cream and when you can choose just the right flavor that fits the music and my mood, it's an awesome experience!​

As a person who has upgrade upwards several times throughout the years, I can attest to this. I started out 16 years ago thinking whatever Sony MDRs at the time ($75 at Fry's) was good but got tired of replacing them over and over again since they broke easily so I got the Sennheiser HD650s around the same time. The HD650s served me well over a decade. Since then, more recently, I got the Focal Utopias about 2 years ago and just this year, the Hifiman Susvara.

You definitely will hear diminishing returns but I will attest to that with caveats. First, there is still a huge sound upgrade (in general, depends on the actual comparisons) within the sub $500 range. Going from a $200 headphones to $500 there is quite a noticeable difference. After $500, there are severe diminishing returns though this will wane over time when your brain gets adjusted/habituated to your current headphones' sound signature.

I used to think my HD650s which I used for a good 10+ years were the best sounding headphones ever, until I got curious and decided to jump on an open box deal for a Utopia (which was RMAed for a brand new one later no extra charge due to a headband defect). It was a night and day difference in sound quality/clarity. There's not as much a difference going from a Utopia to a Susvara, but as polygonbronson pointed out, it's a different flavor, but I will say the Susvara is better overall.

I had a skeptic friend who said he wouldn't be able to hear a difference in sound quality and when I had him sample all the headphones I collected over the years, he couldn't stop wanting to listen to the Susvaras. He said for the first time he thought of music as something that could be enjoyed or relaxing to listen to. He walked away wanting to get a decent pair so I recommended the Edition XS for his budget which turned out great for him. (He had bought those noise canceling Bose headphones from Costco previously, which aren't exactly cheap)

Don't get into thinking there's not a big increase going closer towards the $500 headphones, there's lots of headroom improvement. It's past that price point that you need to rationalize is it a 'like' or a full blown 'hobby?' A good $500 pair will last you well over a decade. If it turns into a hobby, you will be chasing that better sound for a lifetime.