Best Headphones for Music
Sennheiser HD 560S

#13 overall · open-back wired

Sennheiser HD 560S

The safe first serious open-back for accurate music listening at home.

AccurateHomeFirst serious pairUnder $200
People recommending
35
Say they own it
31
Mentions
402
Posts read
6,829
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 18 sources

Owner = the person says they use it. Recommendation = passed on without saying so. Dates are when the thread or video was posted.

Back to the leaderboard