Sennheiser HD 560S open-back headphone

AIMED SQUARELY AT the audio enthusiast, Sennheiser’s HD 560S isn’t exactly awash with modern features – there’s no Bluetooth or noise cancellation, no smartphone app or microphone for taking calls. The earpieces can be adjusted to get a good fit, but they don’t fold flat for travelling and you don’t even get a carry case. In fact, the only accessories included are a 3m cable with a 2.5mm connector for attaching to the left earpiece and 6.3mm for an amp along with a 3.5mm adaptor for other audio devices.

Sennheiser gets the basics right, however. The large, padded earpieces fit right around the ears, with the adjustable headband providing a firm but comfortable fit. The earpieces house a pair of 38mm drivers, and while the design of the HD 560S is subdued to the point of anonymity, the headphone does stand out in one respect. Models at this price generally provide a standard frequency response of 20Hz-20kHZ, but the HD 560S boasts an impressive 6Hz-38kHz, with Sennheiser promising strong, defined bass performance. Who needs fancy features, anyway?

Happy talk

Curious about that claim, we kick off with the mournful depths of Górecki’s Symphony Of Sorrowful Songs, performed by Beth Gibbons and the Polish National Radio orchestra. The HD 560S immediately captures the mood of the piece, with the double bass and cello in the introduction sounding monumentally world-weary, like an ancient giant stirring from its sleep. There’s an ominous sense of restraint as the rest of the strings slowly join in, as though wary of the sadness to come. It’s a precise, well-balanced performance too, with the headphone producing a striking contrast between the deeper strings and the sharper cry of the violins. Then, as the strings pause, the tremulous tones of former Portishead singer Gibbons pierce the air with their sense of utter heartbreak.