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Author Topic: HiFiMan HE-560 measurements  (Read 41145 times)

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CCS

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Re: HiFiMan HE-560 measurements
« Reply #170 on: October 03, 2014, 02:55:32 AM »
Quote from: Tor4 on October 02, 2014, 07:08:27 PM
Quote from: CCS on October 02, 2014, 12:45:05 AM
I think I may prefer the HE-560 to the Slants. Bass is a bit more neutral, but still has some oomph and is very detailed. I feel that bass textures and details are easier to pick out on the 560. The midrange is similar, but a little less thick. The bump in the upper midrange adds a little bit of bite when compared to the Slant, but never seems too aggressive to me. Treble seems flatter, resulting in a brighter sound, whereas the Slant is a touch dark in comparison, yet the HE-560 seems a little less prone to sibilance on most of my marginal recordings and makes it easier to listen to formerly problematic tracks. There's a sense of effortlessness to the treble that the Slant can't quite match.

I'd say the HE-560 is a bit better overall, though the Slants make for a more relaxing listen, when the extra edge of the 560's upper mids is less appreciated. Quite a nice headphone.

Edit: The Slant is also vastly preferable, with regards to comfort. The HE-560 is reasonably comfortable, but the Slant is like wearing high quality leather furniture. Very soft and gentle.

Interesting on the sibilance... I haven't heard HE-560s yet but my personal pair of Slants is very sibilance-free. Like more sibilance-free than both LCD-2 and HE-500 (and pretty much every other audiophile headphone I have owned so far). Really smooth and sibilance-free sound even with black metal stuff or Taylor Swift :-P Well, there is always room for improvement I guess but hard to imagine as far as sibilance goes here, IMHO...


It's definitely not a severe problem on the Slants, but there are certainly tracks where I get a "sharper" sound from syllables containing the letters S or T, using the Slants. The number of tracks I have where this is a problem amount to maybe six or seven, at most, but it is something that I have noticed. It's not that the Slants have more treble energy, either. I just perceive the HE-560 as having slightly smoother treble versus the Slant.

If you ask me whether I would generally consider the Slants to be a sibilant sounding headphone, I'd most certainly say no.
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snip3r

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Re: HiFiMan HE-560 measurements
« Reply #171 on: November 18, 2014, 12:58:12 PM »
Hi guys,

Looking at upgrading my HE-500. I was wondering if HE-560 is a sidegrade ( not an upgrade ) in terms of SQ with respect to HE-500.

Thanks
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ThurstonX

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Re: HiFiMan HE-560 measurements
« Reply #172 on: November 18, 2014, 03:02:29 PM »
Quote from: snip3r on November 18, 2014, 12:58:12 PM
Hi guys,

Looking at upgrading my HE-500. I was wondering if HE-560 is a sidegrade ( not an upgrade ) in terms of SQ with respect to HE-500.

Thanks

I find them different enough to keep both.  For me, the HE-560s do detail retrieval, imaging and sound stage much better, and with jerg's Enhancement Mods, the bass moves up a level to achieve depth, impact and precision beyond the HE-500s.  That said, there's something about the HE-500s with certain stuff that keeps me reaching for them.  Call it the wall/wash-o'-sound which presents as a lushness the HE-560s don't have.  Variety being the spice of life, I'm keeping both.

FWIW, both pairs of cans have been heavily jergified, but I'm using the new memory foam HM5 velour pads on the HE-500s, and a pair of DIY pads on the HE-560s (about to be replaced, possibly, with a new DIY design).  Unless you really love big, roomy pads, the FocusPads or FocusPad-As will do fine.

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Hands

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Re: HiFiMan HE-560 measurements
« Reply #173 on: December 09, 2014, 02:48:56 AM »
Big thanks to aufmerksam for letting me borrow his HE-560! I've been looking forward to trying these out quite a bit.

Unfortunately, I just do not care for these at all. Bass and mids are generally pretty good. Measured distortion more or less maxes out what my setup is capable of.

Otherwise, these just sound really hashy to me. Just way too rough and over-emphasized in the low-to-mid treble or so. Honestly a bit hard for me to listen to for more than a minute. This was with the FocusPad-A, and I didn't even bother to try the newer iteration of the pads.

I wasn't crazy about the stock HE-500, but I liked it more than this by a good margin. I liked it a whole lot more with modded pads than the HE-560, even with the HE-500s inherent downsides.

Note that I foobared the measurement settings, as it should read 90dB @ 1KHz on the measurements. Oops. Just bump it up in your mind. Large dips are probably artifacts, at least partially. Oh, and probably messed up the pad seal on a couple of those left measurements.

Oh, I do like the new headband. Clamping force is a bit weird. They feel kind of cheap in some areas overall. I don't care for the fake wood look. Cable connectors feel better.
« Last Edit: December 09, 2014, 03:38:09 AM by hans030390 »
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aufmerksam

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Re: HiFiMan HE-560 measurements
« Reply #174 on: December 09, 2014, 03:46:01 AM »
Eep! Those csds look terrifying!! I know it isn't as bad as it looks, but right now I feel like a guy who has bought a drink for a woman across the club, who was attractive from that distance, but now that she is much closer, and in that awful light they have right next to the bar, so the bartender can see better...

I can still find a way to enjoy the encounter, but those csds will haunt me.
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thegunner100

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Re: HiFiMan HE-560 measurements
« Reply #175 on: December 09, 2014, 04:04:55 AM »
Doesn't like quite like Marv's CSDs of the stock he-560s or the modded he-560s.
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Hands

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Re: HiFiMan HE-560 measurements
« Reply #176 on: December 09, 2014, 04:08:41 AM »
Eh, Marv and I use different methods. They're just measurements. Use your ears to tell you what you like. :) (And do remember my measurements actually use my ear/head, so not necessarily 100% representative of what others will hear.)

Also, trust me, you can do a lot worse than those CSDs.
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aufmerksam

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Re: HiFiMan HE-560 measurements
« Reply #177 on: December 09, 2014, 04:29:48 AM »
No no, I know. I have no intention of stopping enjoying them, as I said I know it's not as bad as that looks. What I hear is not as bleak as the little scene I described above, and I've been missing them while they are away. It's just funny the little games the mind plays when you see a couple of polite daggers run through a csd.

Sorry you didn't like them as much, but glad you won't be lingering with them. Many thanks for the measurements and review!
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thegunner100

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Re: HiFiMan HE-560 measurements
« Reply #178 on: December 09, 2014, 04:38:20 AM »
FWIW, I don't hear any of the ringing with my modded pair. Marv's measurements have the ortho wall around 4khz as well, so I guess it's really not too different now that I took a better look.
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Re: HiFiMan HE-560 measurements
« Reply #179 on: December 09, 2014, 07:03:36 AM »
whöp. thanks for sharing those measurements, Hans! I just need to ask... mind elaborating on the HE-500 vs HE-560, in regards to the roughness?
I have not had the chance to compare these yet, and I don't have either at hand currently, but I'm kind of considering the HE-560... and I don't like rough treble much :P

is it something that can be alleviated with the right DAC/amp setup, or is there something else going on here maybe?

I only have LCD-2 and MA900 currently, but I don't know if comparing it to those is going to make sense at all. and my memory of HE-500 is probably too vague currently.

cheers!
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