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Head to head · for music listening
Sennheiser HD 560S vs HIFIMAN HE400se
More people recommend the Sennheiser HD 560S overall (35 vs 15). None of the 22 comments that name both says outright which one to buy, so read the loves and complaints and decide by taste.
- Comments naming both
- 22
- Say they own both
- 1
- Choose the HD 560S
- 0
- Choose the HE400se
- 0
Preference evidence:Limited0 explicit choices among 22 comments naming both.What the levels mean
Counted across 17 review videos, harvested Sep 2026. A comment counts as a choice only when it says so in plain words (prefer X over Y, upgraded from Y to X); questions never count. Quotes are whole sentences of 12 words or fewer, linked to where they were said. How we count.
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical price | $180 | $109cheaper |
| Overall rank | #20higher | #27 |
| People who recommend it | 35more | 15 |
| Say they own it | 36more | 13 |
| Mentions | 384more | 187 |
| Type | open-back wired | open-back planar wired |
| Known for | AccurateHomeFirst serious pair | PlanarBudgetAmp helps |
| Best for | Recommended as the safe first serious open-back for accurate music listening at home. | Recommended as the entry ticket to planar sound for just over $100. |
| Buy | Amazon · $180 | Amazon · $109 |
#20 overall
Sennheiser HD 560S
1 of the 22 comments naming both come from people who say they own this one.
What owners love
- 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
The complaints
- No microphone, so it fails for people who also want calls
- Plain plastic build
- Neutral tuning can feel unexciting to bass lovers
In their words
“My Daily driver Headphones are the Sennheiser HD 560S open backs”
A commenter under Open vs Closed Back Headphones for GAMING - Which Is Best? (Hardware Canucks) · Jul 2019
“I do love my HXX from Massdrop/Senny, even more than the HD560S”
A commenter under The Headphones Everyone Needs To Own (DankPods) · May 2026
“The Senneheiser HD560s are my favourite headphones already”
A commenter under Sennheiser HD 560S Review in FIVE MINUTES: Best BUDGET AUDIOPHILE headphones? (SoundGuys) · Oct 2023
#27 overall
HIFIMAN HE400se
1 of the 22 comments naming both come from people who say they own this one.
What owners love
- Cheapest planar-magnetic headphone people take seriously; called hands-down the best budget headphone by one owner
- Open, fast sound well above its price
- Open-box units direct from HIFIMAN keep the full warranty
The complaints
- Needs more power than a phone gives
- Same HIFIMAN quality-control worries as the Sundara
- Basic comfort and build
In their words
“I have the Hifiman HE 400SE and Love them with a dac”
A commenter under The Best Deal in Audio... Period. (Joshua Valour) · Nov 2024
“Nice I can buy the HE400SE vs the Susvaras now ;P”
A commenter under Stealth Magnets for UNDER $200!? HE400SE Review (Joshua Valour) · Sep 2021
Questions people ask about this pair
Every answer is built from the counts on this page, not from our own listening.
- Is the Sennheiser HD 560S better than the HIFIMAN HE400se?
- None of the 22 comments naming both says outright which one to buy. Overall, 35 people recommend the Sennheiser HD 560S and 15 the HIFIMAN HE400se. Read what owners love and complain about below and decide by taste.
- Which is cheaper, the Sennheiser HD 560S or the HIFIMAN HE400se?
- The HIFIMAN HE400se is cheaper: $109 against $180 when we last checked. Prices move, so the buy buttons show the live price.
- Which do more people recommend, the Sennheiser HD 560S or the HIFIMAN HE400se?
- The Sennheiser HD 560S: 35 people recommend it against 15. On the site-wide leaderboard the Sennheiser HD 560S is #20 and the HIFIMAN HE400se is #27.
- Do people own both the Sennheiser HD 560S and the HIFIMAN HE400se?
- Yes. 1 of the 22 comments that name both come from people who say they own both pairs. 1 say they own the Sennheiser HD 560S and 1 the HIFIMAN HE400se.
- What do owners complain about on the Sennheiser HD 560S and the HIFIMAN HE400se?
- The most repeated complaint about the Sennheiser HD 560S: no microphone, so it fails for people who also want calls. About the HIFIMAN HE400se: needs more power than a phone gives. The full lists are on each side below.