#8 overall · open-back wired
Sennheiser HD 560S
The safe first serious open-back for accurate music listening at home.
AccurateHomeFirst serious pairUnder $200
- Owners on record
- 10
- Threads
- 6
- Say they own it
- 2
Check price on Amazon · $180
Own these? Vote
Typical price, checked Sep 2026. Sennheiser's US store listed $279.95 on the check date; Amazon listed $179.99. The Amazon price is used as typical.
Why people like it
- Still the default open-back under $200 on Head-Fi; the 2024 thread asked if anything had replaced it and nobody named a clear successor
- Neutral, accurate sound that works across genres
- One Steve Hoffman owner calls it the most comfortable audiophile headphone he owns, out of five pairs
What owners complain about
- No microphone, so it fails for people who also want calls
- Plain plastic build
- Neutral tuning can feel unexciting to bass lovers
Where opinions split: Little disagreement on value; the only pushback is from people who want more bass or a wireless option.
The 6 sources
Owner = the person says they use it. Recommendation = passed on without saying so. Dates are when the thread started.
- Headphone recommendations?Steve Hoffman Music Forums · Nov 2023 · owner
- Best Headphones for under $200AudioKarma · Jul 2021 · owner
- Suggestions under $200Head-Fi · Dec 2024 · recommendation
- Headphone RecommendationsWhat Hi-Fi? Forum · May 2023 · recommendation
- Under $400 allrounder headphonesHifiGuides Forums · Jul 2022 · recommendation
- General Recommendations under $300Head-Fi · Jan 2023 · recommendation