What You Get

Final Audio provides you a concise but comprehensive package to better your audio world. In the box comes the VR3000 earphones, five modular ear tips, a carrying pouch, and a warranty card. A set of ear hooks are the most interesting included accessory. They are strange soft plastic devices that are meant to prevent cable contact with your body and other surfaces. Though somewhat annoying to implement they really show Final Audio’s dedication to providing the listener with the seamless and uninterrupted listening environment that is necessary for VR Audio. They certainly do as the claim and reduce cable noise, allowing for a much more immersive experience.

Look and Feel

The VR3000 has a sleek, geometric chassis devoid of logos in a glossy black finish. It features modular eartips that allow you to find the perfect fit for your ear. According to Final Audio’s marketing material, the geometric shape is a conscious choice opposed to the more common organic shapes one will find in the world of earphones. They claim it will reduce long term ear fatigue caused by wearing earphones. While I felt they were slightly uncomfortable going in I have to admit that my ears felt great after multiple long sessions on the VR3000. 

Technical Details

The VR3000 has a 6mm brass dynamic driver. Its output impedance of 18 ohms means that any device on this planet will drive them just fine.

Sound Quality

Normally this is where I start talking about how these earphones sound pumping music into my ears. But with the VR3000 this would be inappropriate. They are not meant for music. Music sounds alright through them. At times the low end can get nasally and the soundstage can seem too wide (as hard as that is to believe with a pair of earbuds) but I did not mind listening to music on these. 

On the other ear, they absolutely shine in their intended role. Most of my testing for the VR3000 revolved around watching video game streams, film, and samples of binaural recordings. The huge soundstage provides an immersive experience. Meanwhile the balanced audio response tailored to gaming audio ensures that everything I heard was crisp and detailed. I spent a decent chunk of time with gameplay from Overwatch and it was an absolute treat to hear gunfire and explosions sound distinctly from every direction. Overwatch’s sensory experience is at times crowded but at least the audio seemed neatly organized enough for my overwhelmed brain to track. 

Finally, binaural recordings were a special treat. I’m a big fan of the technique and I always get a huge kick from listening to random, mundane, activities captured with a binaural rig. After my experience on the VR3000, I have no doubt the it was designed with binaural in mind. As a result, every recording I listened to sounded at their best. I’d love to try these out with a VR unit, such as the oculus, but sadly I haven’t been able to justify the expense to our accountants. 

Summary

The Final Audio VR3000 is a really cool and unique pair of earphones that fill an important niche. While there are a lot of over ear headphones meant for gaming, there are not a lot of earbuds meant to do the same. Whether you’re a VR maniac or just playing games on your phone to pass the time, these are a fine choice that will greatly improve the quality of your experience. Final Audio has met their mark here with flying colors. 

Find the Final Audio VR3000 for the best price at Audio46

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They don’t have an english website, instead choosing to be represented by Chinese Hi-Fi curators LinSoul Audio, but they do have a brand new pair of In Ear Monitors. The LZ-A7 In Ear Monitor are a fun unit now available to western markets. They are clearly gunning for the high end market with these very impressive and extremely modular IEMS that offer a lot to any listeners willing to take a chance on them. 

What You Get

Even before you get a chance to load the LZ-A7 into your ear holes, LZ Hifi wants you to feel like you’re getting your money’s worth. They run for $338 and come with plenty of accessories and goodies. The IEM’s sit in the box below a gear-lust inducing carrying case. The engraved green leather cylinder invoked feelings inside of me usually reserved for high end microphone cases and I was ecstatic from aesthetics alone before I disappointedly realized, these would definitely not fit in my pocket. I suppose it’s true that beauty comes with sacrifice. Inside the carrying case was the detachable cable, a MMCX eight core 6N OOC silver plated cable with a 3.5mm jack. If this high quality cable doesn’t fit your tastes, the LZ-A7 is compatible with all of your favorite after market cables. 

Underneath the foam casing holding the earphones and their case is a small plastic box holding sixteen alternative ear tips. It doesn’t matter what shape or size your ears prefer, LZ HiFi wants you covered. In the same plastic box is a little metal tool meant for removing ear tips from the nozzles but I also found it quite handy for toggling some tiny switches mounted on the Earbud’s chassis.

Finally, four nozzle pairs (in addition to the pair already mounted on the earbuds) were the most interesting accessory. These are the main selling features of the LZ-A7. By switching these nozzles these IEMS can achieve a wide variety of sonic profiles that I will describe in more detail later in this review.

Technical Details

The LZ-A7 doesn’t so much feature a hybrid driver design but a veritable cocktail of different drivers. It features a grand total of seven drives to achieve a balanced and high quality sound. The low end is handled by a dynamic driver that utilizes a liquid crystal polymer diaphragm. Mids and highs are handled by two pairs of Knowles balanced armatures. Knowles is probably the most reputable manufacturer of balanced armature drivers so clearly LZ HiFi isn’t cutting that corner.

Finally, there are two piezoelectric ceramic drivers that are designed to project ultra high frequencies. More drivers don’t always equal a better sound. In fact, there’s some great IEMs on the market with only a single driver to their name. But in the case of the LZ-A7, it produces some impressive specs. The lows and highs are extended well past the audible range and provide the listener with a measured range of 5Hz to 40kHz. They boast a <1% distortion rate and are quite sensitive, running at thirteen or fifteen ohms depending on tuning settings. 

Tuning Features

Three hundred dollars isn’t bad for a high end IEM, but the LZ HiFi is trying to do the most for you and provide ten different earphones for the price of one. The LZ-A7 has two mechanisms with which to alter the tuning. The first one is a simple and straightforward switch that switches between two modes, Pop and Monitor. The labeling of the switch is slightly confusing, featuring an “on” and “1” next to each mode label, but just ignore these and flip to switch to toggle a mid range dip from 100 Hz to 2 kHz of -5 dB at its most extreme (500-700Hz).

Though IEM’s have found their way into the consumer market, they are designed as a reference tool for working musicians. This is LZ HiFi’s way to cater to both markets, allowing the user to choose a more balanced reference sound from the “Monitor” option or the hyped sound of the “Pop” setting. If you’re popping these in for a listening session you’ll probably opt to do much as I did and listen through the pop setting which lives up to its name. The Monitor setting did not sound as “good” but I could hear its value for playing in an arrangement.

If I was a drummer looking to lock in with a bass player and rhythm guitarist the pop setting has too much focus on the vocals and high end that wouldn’t be of much use to me. These two different settings each come with a different output impedance. While its only a two ohm difference, your volume settings won’t stay the same while switching between these.

The second tuning mechanism is a lot more hands on. The LZ-A7 features a removable nozzle that has its own unique acoustic properties. If these properties are not to your liking you have four other nozzle pairs to experiment with. Color coded for convenience, these nozzles get progressively brighter for the most part, starting with the red and moving through gold, black, blue, and silver.

For the average consumer, the choice in nozzle seems pretty clear. The brightest one creates a pretty ideal frequency response (especially in conjunction with the pop setting). But having worked as both a musician and mixing engineer on either side of the mixing desk, I adore the options the LZ-A7 provides. A working musician can save the mix engineer a lot of time and trouble by coming to the gig or session knowing their preferred nozzle and switch pairing. Switching between different sounds is a cumbersome process so I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone dreaming of switching sounds on the fly, but if you are willing to sit down and get to know each setting they are distinct enough to find one that works better for you. 

Look and Feel

Despite the luxury vibe of their packaging, the LZ-A7’s are quite plain. They follow basic design principles of IEMs with an ergonomic bud shape. And despite their plain look, these are remarkably comfortable IEMs. Truth be told, if I’m in the studio, I will choose to wear a pair of cans over IEMs nearly every time. The LZ-A7 is one of the few that wouldn’t have me switching for a pair over ears. I spent an entire day at the MajorHiFi office with these in my ears. I was not great for a conversation that day but my ears sure did feel great. 

Sound Quality

Overall I found the LZ-A7’s to have a fantastic profile. Though they lean slightly towards a warmer sound, they sounded very crisp and balanced to me. They deliver a lot of detail, courtesy of those dedicated ultra high frequency drivers. You can clearly hear the air being pushed by cymbals and the subtle textures of string arrangements with these earphones. The detail coupled with the soundstage makes for a very realistic listening experience that puts you in the room with a performance. While listening to “Private Execution” by the Drones I really enjoyed the punctuations of the arrangement since I could really feel them coming from all directions as the groove of the song chugs along in the center. Even as these sparse elements began to thicken up into a continuous soundscape, the positioning of the band remained clear and nothing in the mix was lost. 

Lows

Here’s a warning to all you bassheads out. These are not for you. These are In Ear Monitors, they are meant to provide an accurate reference for musicians playing in an ensemble. You can’t have a big boomy low end if you’re trying to hear every possible detail in the most revealing way possible. In this sense, the LZ-A7 does its job perfectly. Bass guitars have a full bodied sound while still retaining their mid range growl and while kick drums have their characteristic thud, you can hear the air and clicks of the beater. Low end instruments sound realistic rather than like a cartoon version of themselves. 

Mids and Highs

To be honest, it’s difficult to describe what you’re going to get from the LZ-A7 above the bass range. It’s not that I’ve suffered a stroke and no longer have the language facilities to describe sounds that I hear. It’s just that with all the tuning options, one has a wide range of options for your mids and highs. At its extremes, the LZ-A7 is either a punchy, warm set of earphones that deliver songs in meat and potato format or a perfectly crisp soundscape that allows you to take in the details of every cymbal hit. Under no combination of tunings did I ever find a song that came off as harsh. Vocals can pop, or they can not. You may even find that certain nozzles work better when working with vocalists in a different range. These can’t do it all, but as long as you aren’t looking for a super bright listening experience, I’m sure they will do pretty much anything you want them to do.

Summary

Maybe it’s my obsessive affinity for “dialing in” a setting, but the LZ HiFi LZ-A7 is the funnest offering from the Chi-Fi wave I’ve had the pleasure to stick in my ear in a long time. Do you enjoy listening to the same song over and over again under slightly different conditions like I do? Then you probably want a pair of these just for the experience. I honestly wish I had a couple more days to really do some side by side comparisons. Do you hate making choices? Well then you should probably steer clear buddy, there’s some other great IEM’s in this price range that just give you sound you get and nothing more.

These are probably my ideal pair of IEMs for a working environment. I’d love to use them on the stage or in the studio. In the other ear, despite LZ HiFi clearly aiming to appeal to consumer listeners as well, I probably wouldn’t pop these in for a pleasurable listening experience while I was out and about. I appreciate a little hype in my headphones for that and the LZ-A7’s are no hype man. Overall, I really enjoyed these pair of earphones and I’m looking forward to trying my next pair from LZ HiFi.

Find the LZ Hifi LZ-A7’s on Aoshida Audio or at Aliexpress.

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What You Get

There is nothing in the packaging that hints at something out of the ordinary. The box contains a little cloth sack holding the earbuds and two pairs of alternate ear tips. Besides that, there is a small manual and a one-year warranty.

Look and Feel

Design-wise the EM205 earbuds are an unassuming unit. They have a simple black dual cylindrical design with modular eartips. Though they are comfortable enough for prolonged use, there is nothing ergonomic about them. They don’t fit snugly into the folds of your ears, they have no sort of structure that ensures they’ll never fall out, they aren’t even wireless! There is a remote control built into the cable which allows basic commands and volume control and a feeling as if you’re back in the early aughts. What we have here is a simple and serviceable pair of wired earbuds. 

Design

Nothing to see here folks. The EM205 has 9mm drivers and a 20Hz – 20kHz frequency range. Pretty normal specs for earbuds. Their output impedance of 32 ohms makes them compatible with any phone, computer, or media player.

Soundstage

This is where the EM205 starts to stand out from the herd. The truth is, I didn’t know how much these things cost when I first listened through them. Afterward, my boss asked me how much I thought they were worth. Their remarkable detail and clarity led me to assume these were a pair of audiophile earbuds rather than another box for the bargain bin. Even the stereo field is rather expansive for a pair of earbuds, a weakness inherent to that entire category of listening device. Open backs these are not, but when a song such as “My Foot” by the Pillows get wide, you can feel the dramatic panning of the dual guitars on either side of your stereo field. 

Lows

The lows are thick, powerful, and defined. The EM205 definitely leans towards a warm and bass centric sound. They are not quite a “bass-head” earphone but Hip Hop fared extremely well on these. Kick and bass dominated songs like EARTHGANG’s “Top Down” pop off like a club in your head. You get everything the low end offers, from punch to body to attack and even some boom.

Mids

I often find that bass heavy headphones have a tendency to get muddy when playing mid range heavy material. I am pleased to say that EM205 does not. The chorus of Jawbreaker’s “Accident Prone” are fuzzed out and thick with guitars but these earbuds present it with grace. The bass stands on its own among a wall of guitars that are blended but with perceptible distinctions that distinguish each separate building block. The defined and forward mids really establish their warm quality of sound.

Highs

If there is a weak point to the EM205’s sound it is the high end. Drums have a pleasant shimmer but there seems to be a roll-off that prevents the sound from getting too harsh, or even bright. As long as I’m not mixing I prefer warmer listening devices. Those of you who prefer a brighter sound may want to steer away from these (though good luck because your best alternative is significantly more expensive). If you cornered me, you might even get me to admit that these have strayed too far into the warmth. There were a couple of times while listening to songs with female singers where I felt like the vocal performance was getting lost in the mix, such as on the climactic moments of I Eat Grandma’s “Donnie Darko.” 

Summary

I am truly blown away by Strauss & Wagner’s EM205’s earbuds. They truly lived up to their motto, “Best in class sound, at an affordable price.” Forty dollar headphones have absolutely no business sounding this good, yet, here I am stopping just short at running down the street shouting the news. If you want a brighter sound of comparable quality and you have an extra $260, you may prefer the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless. Otherwise, if you just want an amazing pair of earbuds with incredible value, I strongly recommend you snag a pair of these. I would love to see these made in a true wireless format one day, but for $40 dollars I can deal with a little bit of cable. 

Get the lowest price on the Strauss & Wagner EM205 wired earphones at

Audio46

Strauss & Wagner

Radioshack

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What You Get

As is typical these days, you get your earbuds, charging pod and cable, and a pair of three rubber eartips to make sure you get that perfect fit. There’s some proper documentation so you can learn the ins and outs of controlling your new ANC-860 and a twelve-month warranty card that has an option for an eighteen-month extension for a total of thirty months. 

Look and Feel

These are a modest pair of earbuds despite their relatively bulky size. Committing to neither your standard oval or block shape, the black and gray ANC-860 features an oval earbud mounted on to a block with a control pad. They don’t seem to fit snugly into the folds of your ears and while I couldn’t shake them out, I’m not confident in their ability to remain in place. But at least they are quite comfortable, especially with the modular ear tips. The charging pod is a particularly classy one with a removable leather knot that allows attachment to a keychain.

Design and Functionality

The ANC-860 is a feature laden pair of buds. The first and foremost is obviously the noise cancellation feature. It’s not the most powerful noise cancellation I’ve come across but it significantly reduces room sound without any impact on sound quality. The six microphones they use to implement the ANC also come into play during phone calls and ensure a crystal clear quality for calls. Alongside the noise cancellation feature, there is an ambient mode that allows outside noise to come through, an important feature if you like to use your earbuds in day to day life. If the ambient feature isn’t enough for you, they feature a solo earbud mode. While this is a pretty common feature, I find that most of the time you’re limited to one earbud to use this way. I greatly appreciate that the ANC-860 allows you to use either. To top this all off they have a waterproof rating of ixp7 meaning they can more than handle any rain or sweat. Controlling all of this is smooth with the touchpad surface that still leaves enough room to adjust the fit without accidentally issuing a command.

Bluetooth

The Bluetooth chipset for the ANC-860 is a fully modern Bluetooth 5 and supports standard codecs. The signal range is about 30-40 feet.

Battery life

The ANC-860 features a fairly impressive playtime. Using the ANC feature you will get five hours out of a single charge, with twenty-five more hours in the charging pod. That grand total of 30 hours can be further extended if you don’t care much about using the noise cancellation. Without that battery-draining feature, the total playtime runs to 41 hours. 

Soundstage

The sound quality you get from a pair of earbuds varies quite a lot at the sixty dollar price range. The ANC-860 falls firmly in the middle of the pack. There’s nothing exemplary about it but they provide a serviceable and balanced sound with no glaring flaws.

Lows

The ANC-860 boasts 12.5mm drivers, a bit larger than many earbuds. This shows in the low end where basses and kicks have a light boom that is often missing from smaller drivers. That said, this isn’t a pair for bass heads. The low end is present and distinct but doesn’t dominate the sound.

Mids

These are a warm pair of earbuds. The mids dominate the mix giving the mix plenty of articulation without mud.

Highs

The highs contribute to the overall warm sound by not contributing very much. They are there and present but without a sense of brightness or shimmer. 

Summary

The Coumi ANC-860 is a feature-laden pair of earbuds with great sound quality. An audiophile may turn their nose up in favor of other brands. However, if you’re trying to find the most convenient and flexible pair of earbuds for less than a hundred these are a strong contender.

Find the Coumi ANC-860 on the Amazon Marketplace.

$28.99 (50% OFF) with multi-used code LYRAT7J3 and coupon
Original Price: $57.99
Start Date: 11/03/2020 00:00 AM
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What You Get

As one would expect, the T8 buds come along with a charging pod and cable, and one alternate pair of tips. There’s a manual with instructions for set up and issuing commands.

Look and Feel

The T8’s are built around the more traditional oval design. I usually find these to have a less stable fit, but with the addition of a stem, they feel locked in enough for everyday wear. The modular tips ensure a level of comfort we have all come to expect from earbuds. They are a simple matte black with no eye popping features.

Design and Functionality

The control surface is limited to the body of the buds, which, in conjunction with the stems, makes these quite easy to adjust and control. The touch controls are super responsive to the touch and have a full set of commands such as play/pause, volume, and phone call commands. Normally a very responsive touch surface can make a pair of earbuds hard to adjust but the stems allow you to easily alter the T8’s position without accidentally issuing any commands. They have an impressive ipx7 waterproof rating so I wouldn’t worry about getting these things wet. Finally, a small feature that tickles my fancy, is the implementation of solo mode. A lot of earbuds on the market limit solo mode to either the left or right ear but the T8 has no designated master bud, allowing you to pick whichever ear you will when you want to hear your environment. Perhaps it’s a small feature but I like not having to remember which ear works solo.

Bluetooth

The T8 comes with a fully modern Bluetooth 5 chipset, giving it compatibility with the standard codecs. They’re not audiophile buds but are functional within a range of 25-30 feet.

Battery life

Dudios delivers a sizeable battery life for the price range. The buds will last 5.5 hours on a single charge and the pod carries an additional 30 hours of charge. 

Soundstage

These are earbuds we’re talking about so the stereo field is quite thin. Despite this they offer quite a lot of detail and even with their strong mid-range, they have an overall bright sound that doesn’t get muddy.

Lows

These are not a pair of earbuds that thump. The low end is very modest, and instead, the focus seems to be on the low mids. Bass guitars have growl and definition, kick drums have punch, but there is no big boom in the low end. 

Mids

The T8 really shines in its mid range, having a strong and defined sound throughout the mid range spectrum. Instruments don’t lack anybody through these buds. 

Highs 

The highs are bright and crisp without any excessive harshness. The T8 keeps a well defined and airy sound that is pleasant to listen to.

Summary

The Dudios T8 might be the low priced bud of choice for those seeking a brighter pair of earbuds. Most pairs that I’ve listened to in this price range tend for a scooped sound with a strong (and often flabby bass) that dominates the mix. While that may be a good formula for working out, it’s not ideal for most mixes. The T8’s provide an alternative to that which might be appreciated by certain parties. 

Find the Dudios T8 true wireless headphone at the Amazon Marketplace

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What You Get

Both headphones come with a basic set of accessories, a protective hard case and the necessary cables. In the case of the LCD-2, I would feel confident tossing the case off a cliff with the headphones inside. The braided cable has a quarter inch tip that connects to the headphone via two 4-pin mini xlr. The T1’s protective case is less hardy but provided you aren’t tossing it off any landmarks you should be fine. Its cloth coated cable ends in a 3.5mm jack and comes with a quarter inch adapter should you need one. 

Look and Feel

Much like their sound, the headphones differ quite strikingly in their presentation. On one hand you have the sleek and modern Beyerdynamics. These lightweight headphones use a black leather headband and lacquered, stainless steel casings that end in anodized aluminum yokes. The ear pads have a sleek surface of velour with an inner layer of memory foam. They cup your ears firmly but comfortably and I imagine with the memory foam layer it only improves with age. They don’t leave as much room for your ears as some other open backs but deep into a listening session this didn’t bother me at all. 

On the other hand, the Audeze have a classic look. The wooden casings are made of either rosewood or shedua tonewood. With their wood grain and trademark Audeze grill they take you back to an earlier era of stereo equipment. This is further highlighted by the much more minimal and industrial headband. I particularly like the exposed notches which allow you to clearly see what position you like your headphones to sit for the perfect personalized fit. Audeze has a reputation for making heavy headphones and clocking in at 590 grams these are no exception. Personally I find this no issue, I use the LCD-XC as my primary mixing headphones so I often wear the Audeze build for hours on end. I find that the wide leather of the headband distributes the weight quite comfortably but if weight is an issue for you, this is something to take note of. It also bears mentioning that the structurally exposed Audeze headband has a habit of snagging a stray hair here and there. I don’t mind, but after a long mixing session I do find myself picking a few hairs out of the pegs.

Design and Output

As we dive underneath the hood to see what gives these headphones their kick, we find once again that they are very different breeds. The LCD-2 uses a planar magnetic driver with their own proprietary magnet array. This “Fazor” technology prevents phase issues, enhances diaphragm response, and improves imaging. The output impedance is 70 ohms. Audeze recommends that they are used along with a headphone amp but you can get more than enough volume straight from a computer or smartphone if you want to. 

The T1’s are more mysterious to me, using their patented “tesla technology” dynamic drivers. If the idea of a dynamic driver turns you off, rest assured, these cans have an absolute quality sound and hold up next to any planar magnetic driver. At 32 Ohms they have no issue getting volume from any source. Their detractors would say that this is a problem but I enjoy being able to use them with any device and they still pair quite nicely with a good amp.

Sound

Now that the tech and the specs is out of the way, let’s start talking about the real reason we’re all here, sound quality. Both headphones deliver a fantastic sound yet offer such different sonic experiences. The LCD-2 delivers absolute clarity. When I listen to music every element of the arrangement is crystal clear no matter how busy the mix gets and listening to podcasts it is as if I am in the room with them. The width and depth of space particularly shine while watching movies. The movement of ambient noise is easy to hear and the balance between dialogue, vocals, and music remains balanced. While I wouldn’t describe the sound as hyped, it treats the full range of the frequency spectrum beautifully, though arguably inaccurately. Their bass is defined and rich in low mids, giving you the punch of low end instruments without excessive boom. I couldn’t find a song that could sound muddy on these. They have a well defined mid range that sits exactly as it should. The highs, though crisp, seem slightly rolled off, preventing any harshness. Even in a fully driven rock song I could hear the nuance of a drummer’s cymbal playing. All put together it makes for a pleasantly warm pair of headphones that hide nothing yet presents everything in its best light. I would not immediately grab these for mixing or mastering but I could spend all day listening to just about anything through them.

Maybe I wouldn’t listen to anything on the T1’s but when I would, I greatly prefer it. There are certainly a hyped pair of headphones with a powerful, deep low end, in your face mids, and crisp highs that are at times overbearing. I often found myself inadvertently moving and grooving to what I was hearing through Beyerdynamic’s flagship, even when in a fluorescent lit office. I didn’t just hear the music, I felt it. Unfortunately, with more crowded music, such as the fast paced rock and roll of Modern Baseball, I found that the low and mid range elements would grow somewhat muddy. At first I was less than impressed by the soundstage. It seemed relatively small for an open backed pair of headphones. But upon further inspection I was misled by the headphone’s strong focus on low end and mids. I put on Ty Segall’s cover album, “Segall Smeagol” which has an abundance of interesting and inventive mix decisions, including an opening track with the bass panned to the far left. Needless to say the soundstage is quite expansive, giving elements the appearance of being above, below, and to either side of the listener. On more bass heavy songs, a traditionally center panned low end can distract from that, but when listening to folk or classical I found I could experience the breadth of the stereo field without distraction. The hyped sound of the headphone led to podcasts sounding strange but I found that it lent itself well to film in a different way than the Audeze, where I could really feel the emotion behind the sound.

Summary

Two wildly different headphones that each provide a stellar experience. As I compared the headphones I often found myself reluctant to reach for the other yet as soon as I did, I found myself wondering how I stayed away for so long. The Audeze played everything well, even with dense rock and roll numbers that had layers upon layers of guitar competing with rolicking drums and driving bass. If you have varied tastes, or plan on using them for uses beyond music, or just really enjoy picking apart a piece of music and focusing on every element, I’d highly recommend the LCD-2’s. Still nothing I listened to on the Audeze had the impact that I felt through the Beyerdynamic T1. On one end of the spectrum hip hop and modern pop music slammed, turning your world into a club meant for one. Sensitive music such as post rock and classical also fared well, the T1 really pushed forward the emotion of a musical piece. Everything on the TI’s felt like a listening experience. It seems that depending on what you want to do with a pair of headphones, the choice between the two of them will seem as clear as day. Or perhaps you’ll be more like me and start wondering how you can finagle buying the both of them.

Get the Audeze LCD-2 or the Beyerdynamic T1 at Audio 46

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Back in September, Sennheiser’s announcement that they were releasing a new budget friendly open back headphone, dubbed the HD 590S, piqued a few ears. As the selection for low cost open back headphones increases I wondered how the innovators of the open back concept would make their newest entry stand out from competitors from other manufacturers and from their own stable of headphones. 

What You Get

Naturally, a pair of headphones aiming to find a niche in the budget market isn’t going to come packed with accessories. Besides the headphones themselves, you get a three meter detachable ¼ inch cable that has a single entry point into the left ear of the headphones. Not to leave smartphone and computer consumers in a bind, there is a ¼ inch to 3.5mm adapter.

Look and Feel

These are a no frills pair of headphones with a straightforward but comfortable construction. They may not feel luxurious but the hard plastic assembly sits nicely on the listener’s head, utilizing a foam pad to ensure a comfortable listen. The headband itself felt a little tight on my head, but I can’t claim to have a small skull. The velour earpads are sizable and after listening for about half an hour, I nearly forgot I was wearing them. Though made of plastic, Sennheiser has a good reputation for durability so I’m confident that their build quality is just fine, if simple and bare boned.

Design

The HD560S sports a 38mm polymer dynamic driver that utilizes Sennheisers E.A.R. technology (Ergonomic Acoustic Refinement) that positions the transducers in a way that increases perception of room and space. This along with the open back design aims to create an immersive listening environment that should placate even die hard audiophiles.

Output

The output impedance of the HD560S is 120 ohms, a somewhat uncommon rating for a pair of headphones. This allows them to be driven by both the output jack of your smartphone or by a headphone amplifier. I started out my listening session through my phone jack and progressed to a variety of iFi amplifier/DACs and while I noticed an improvement in sound detail and quality, it was not a drastic difference. The frequency range is 6Hz – 38kHz, clearly showing Sennheiser’s intent for a low cost open back with a strong performance in the low end. 

Soundstage and Detail

Moving on to sound quality, it’s if the HD560S hits its mark as an affordable headphone with audiophile grade performance. I was very pleased with the detail, presence, and depth of my listening experience. Sennheiser touts the HD560S as suitable for reference and listening and it certainly meets these expectations. The soundstage was not the most expensive I’ve ever heard but it was enough for me to focus on any singular aspect of most arrangements. On the other hand, this lack of absolute separation between left and right elements wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The playful panning of Sydney Gish’s “Presumably Dead Arm” from her 617 Session was immediately apparent and I was able to enjoy the interplay between the multiple rhythm guitar layers while still experiencing a blending effect.

I spent some time listening to podcasts and I found the headphones to be suitable for the task. I put them to the film test with Bee and Puppycat, an acclaimed cartoon with wonderful sound design and a great soundtrack. Listening to the rich soundscape demonstrated the depth of the soundstage and it’s attention to detail, though once again I found that it was slightly lacking in the width that I would associate with a high quality open back headphone.

Lows

Sennheiser’s documentation really sells the low end of the HD560S and it really is one of it’s strong suites. When I put on Childish Gambino’s “This is America” the bass was big and boomy while never overpowering the mix. I followed it up with Pepe Deluxe’s swinging, stage musical inspired  “Surrealist Woman” whose retro style demanded a more low mid focused and subdued bass sound. The HD560S delivered with no unnecessary boom or mud. Throughout my time on these headphones I always found the bass to be true to the song, with a sharp and snappy transient response.

Mids

The middle frequencies fare quite well through the HD560S as well. When listening to thick guitar driven music such as Freebee Honey by the famed Japanese rockers the Pillows, multiple guitar parts and bass lines would always find a happy balance without getting muddy and indiscernible. 

Highs

While I found these headphones to perform well under most conditions, I did have a little trouble with their high end response. Vocal centric music usually fared well with the singer sitting strong above the mix, but as I turned to a variety of instrumental songs, I found higher end instruments could sometimes feel harsh. The noise synth of Merzbow’s “Promotion Man” was overbearing for me, and while I’m sure most people would agree with that assessment through any listening device, if you are into music that pushes the edges of the sonic landscape, tread carefully on the HD560S.

Summary

Sennhesier set out to create an accurate and versatile pair of open back headphones and they certainly hit their mark with the HD560S. It’s an extremely practical and versatile headphone. Though not flawless, it is certainly one of the better headphones I’ve listened to at this price point. It won’t always be my first recommendation for those with a more specific need from their headphones but these are certainly a workhorse pair that perform well under almost any setting.

Sennheiser HD560S is now available at Audio46

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