Sennheiser - HD 560S

The Sennehiser HD 560S. Probably the best sub-200€ option for competitive gaming.

Sennheiser HD 560s + Jcally jm6 pro.

Hot take, Sennheiser HD560, i use them as main headphones, and they have flat bass and mids, highs are pretty analytical. 

Audio engineer here, i use sennheiser HD560S, and KZ AM16. The sennheiser are more neutral and have a really flat frequency response, while the KZs are more V shaped with a fuck ton of bass. 

I just got these 2 weeks ago. I love them

560S has NO bass. This is a hard one to recommend. If its competitive 560S is king in that price range. If its immersion than the FT1 is a much better buy. Especially since op prefers closed back.

False. I can already tell you dont actually game . There is competitive gaming . In which case you DON'T want any bass. Footsteps and directional tonality is king. For IMMERSION. Making a situation FEEL REAL and ACCURATE then you NEED GOOD BASS. 560S wont give you that thump for explosions and gun shots and car accidents. I should know i own the set. You can try to eq but it wont thump hard enough before you get bad extortion. This is why I like to be as descriptive as possible.

I clearly already stated that. If its competitive. Than no bass isn't a problem . It actually benefits you. You keep regurgitating competitive like I already haven't mentioned it. The problem is immersion. Thats where the 560S fall apart. This is a fact. Bass roll off sounds like shit if you want realistic sounds like explosions m gun shots. Fucking dinosaur footsteps. Even on forza. The damn transmission gear changes sound like ass on the 560S lol. You NEED good ACCURATE bass for IMMERSION. If op wants competitive only then yeah. 560S is king in that price bracket.

Hmmm this is hard. You either get bass or no bass in that price bracket. 560S for footsteps steps Ft1 for immersion gaming. If eq is an option than the FT1 is a better buy. And lower the bass. I've tried eq the 560S and it just doesnt give you that accurate deep bass you want from explosions and gun shots. Explosions fall flat. Car accidents sound like you're in a can lol.

No way Senn’s 560s are better ranked than 660S2 😣😣

Hey everyone, I’m really confused about what headset to get and could use some advice. I’ve been using the HyperX Cloud 2 since around 2018. I mainly play FPS games, so footsteps and directional sound are extremely important to me. Lately I’ve been playing Arc Raiders, and with all the environmental noise in that game, my Cloud 2 has started to feel overwhelming and even painful on the ears. Even after tweaking EQ, it’s still very hard to clearly pick up footsteps. After reading tons of posts (literally spent a whole day researching), I decided to try the HD560S since it’s highly recommended in my budget range ($200–250) and supposedly doesn’t need an amp. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for me at all. The volume felt very low even at 100%, and the directional audio in Arc Raiders was confusing and hard to pinpoint. I used the Apple dongle and tried EQ to increase volume, but after 6–8 hours of testing different settings, I just couldn’t make it work and ended up returning it. Now I’m back to square one and not sure what to buy next. My budget is $250 max. What I’m looking for: Strictly for FPS gaming Excellent directional audio and pinpoint accuracy Clear footsteps No need for music or movies — gaming only Preferably no amp/DAC setup I’d really appreciate any suggestions. Thanks in advance.

Hey everyone, I’m really confused about what headset to get and could use some advice. I’ve been using the HyperX Cloud 2 since around 2018. I mainly play FPS games, so footsteps and directional sound are extremely important to me. Lately I’ve been playing Arc Raiders, and with all the environmental noise in that game, my Cloud 2 has started to feel overwhelming and even painful on the ears. Even after tweaking EQ, it’s still very hard to clearly pick up footsteps. After reading tons of posts (literally spent a whole day researching), I decided to try the HD560S since it’s highly recommended in my budget range ($200–250) and supposedly doesn’t need an amp. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for me at all. The volume felt very low even at 100%, and the directional audio in Arc Raiders was confusing and hard to pinpoint. I used the Apple dongle and tried EQ to increase volume, but after 6–8 hours of testing different settings, I just couldn’t make it work and ended up returning it. Now I’m back to square one and not sure what to buy next. My budget is $250 max. What I’m looking for: Strictly for FPS gaming Excellent directional audio and pinpoint accuracy Clear footsteps No need for music or movies — gaming only Preferably no amp/DAC setup I’d really appreciate any suggestions. Thanks in advance.

Maybe a Beyer 900 pro x. Semi-open, good imaging, natural stage. Also, designed to be plugged into mixing equipment; very easy to power A 560s is also a great starter option. They have better sound separation than the Beyer, but the imaging is less precise. You can find them for half the price of a Beyer, but you will need to invest in amplification, so the price works out to about the same For a closed back option, the Ft1 is the current pound-for-pound budget king If it was my money: I would skip the 560s and go for an HD 550 (better drivers, better tuning, better comfort), and pair that with an entry level signal chain. The Magni Piety is my top pick in the $200 range, but good luck finding one as they're out of stock year-round. A next-best option would be something like a Schiit Fulla

Well, the 550 would only be a marginal upgrade over the 560s. You may be underwhelmed. I say, stretch your budget. Buy a Heddphone D1 and get a headphone that does everything. That's currently my top gaming pick, if only I could find one (perma sold out) [https://headphones.com/products/hedd-audio-d1-headphones?\_pos=1&\_psq=heddph&\_ss=e&\_v=1.0](https://headphones.com/products/hedd-audio-d1-headphones?_pos=1&_psq=heddph&_ss=e&_v=1.0)

Audio Technica Rx50 are very good for gaming except no mic but you can get add on mics. They are also very light and comfortable. $US 170 Sennhesier HD560S is another good option. $US 200. The RX50 might have more soundstage, but both are good in that area. The R50X is a bit more sensitive, so it will be easy to drive and louder at same volume levels.

Yes, both the R50X and 560S would be good for sound location in games.

This is good advice. Get some good entry level Sennheiser hd560s now. Then spend the next months or till budget allows researching your next more expensive pair. The HD560s will give you a good foundation to decide what you actually want . More bass , more clarity , more warmth etc etc.

So I've had the HD560s a year , first step into good headphones and I love them.  However I do feel there is room for a bit more. I've been researching other wired headphones and it's really hard and confusing to work out a really good upgrade as there is always conflicting opinions. So I could probably do with a bit more personal advice. I listen to most genres but typically louder music. I sometimes find I'd like a bit more from the various sub genres of Metal , Shoegaze , Guitar heavy alternative and synth driven electronic. Synth is my favourite sound ....however I always need the vocals to be at the forefront and like to hear all the instruments ...however bass isn't a huge deal for me. I guess I'm looking for the holy grail of clarity and warmth. I'm saving work tips ( so frivolous purchase acceptable ) and expect to have about £500 by Christmas so that's a ballpark budget id go over for the perfect headphones. Also I'm aware of the concept of diminishing returns and know I already have good headphones ...I will happily keep the Hd560s but do want to experience a decent upgrade. Advice from anyone with similar taste highly appreciated. TDLR ....a good upgrade for HD560s for louder genres of music?

Just to let you know I bought the Meze 105 aer thanks to your recommendation and a bit of research. They are exactly what I was looking for and I love them so thanks again .

hd550 is a fairly affordable and safe pick imo. If you don't mind eq the 560s is another good set. If you love vocals get something from the hd6-line. HD660S2 can be found anywhere near $400 these days

go with the hd560s