Head to head · for music listening
Sennheiser HD 650 vs HD 560S
More people recommend the Sennheiser HD 650 overall (127 vs 35). None of the 32 comments that name both says outright which one to buy, so read the loves and complaints and decide by taste.
- Comments naming both
- 32
- Say they own both
- 3
- Choose the HD 650
- 0
- Choose the HD 560S
- 0
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 | $345 | $180cheaper |
| Overall rank | #2higher | #13 |
| People who recommend it | 127more | 35 |
| Say they own it | 187more | 31 |
| Mentions | 1,161more | 402 |
| Type | open-back wired | open-back wired |
| Known for | VocalsJazzRelaxed | AccurateHomeFirst serious pair |
| Best for | The one headphone almost everyone in the hobby has owned; the safe buy for long, relaxed music sessions. | The safe first serious open-back for accurate music listening at home. |
| Buy | Amazon · $345 | Amazon · $180 |
#2 overall
Sennheiser HD 650 (also sold as Drop HD 6XX)
5 of the 32 comments naming both come from people who say they own this one.
What owners love
- The single most-recommended headphone across every forum read: warm, smooth and easy to listen to for hours
- Scales with better amps; several owners run it on expensive tube amps and say it keeps up
- Female vocals and mids that owners describe as amazing
- The Drop HD 6XX version sold for $199-220 for years, which made it the default first audiophile headphone
The complaints
- Needs an amp; from a phone it sounds flat
- No real sub-bass
- Clamp is tight on big heads
- Some find the slight bass tilt less balanced than the HD 600; soundstage is small
In their words
“Been using HD6XX for years and I love them for gaming”
A commenter under What GAMING Headphones AUDIOPHILES Use: 2024 Update! (BadSeed Tech) · Jun 2024
“I have both 600 and 6xx and i love them both”
A commenter under The NEW HD600!! (Joshua Valour) · Feb 2020
“I have the HD-6XX and love them”
A commenter under Why You SHOULDN'T Buy HD 600... & What To Get Instead (The Headphone Show) · Sep 2025
#13 overall
Sennheiser HD 560S
3 of the 32 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
“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
“i love my hd 560s to play apex legends and other games”
A commenter under What GAMING Headphones AUDIOPHILES Use: 2024 Update! (BadSeed Tech) · Jun 2024