Sennheiser HD 559 Open Back Around Ear Headphone - Black/Anthracite

Product Information

It's not really a big deal, but at this low price you will need to add ~20euros for a new cable if you need it.

Sennheiser HD 559 Open Back Around Ear Headphone - Black

The first device I tried was a walkman with modest output power (2 x 5mW) and it was able to drive them nicely without feeling the need for more power. Volume wasn't super loud, but more than enough for casual listening. This sounded promising. So in regard to comfort, for the money you're paying (as of 2023 these are available for ~70euros) you really get very good comfort. Overall the build quality is good and there are few reports of construction flaws or damage beyond normal wear and tear. It's defintely wider than the HD 650, and most definitely wider than the HD 569. I'd say the sound stage is about on par with the LCD-2F. There's no 3-headed blob here. Sounds pan left and right very nicely. There's no congestion, either. The torture test I put them through is Brian Eno and David Byrne's "Home." The HD 559 passed with mostly flying colors. I also play Rush's Tom Sawyer to hear how the drums pan right to left. No issues here. In lesser headphones, they pan from your right ear, over your head, to your left ear. With the HD 559, they pan through your head. Impressive.

This means that the sound signature may not be perfectly balanced, but the performance is very good for the price. The low-end only starts to distort and breakup a small amount at higher volume levels. Overall, bass response is still up to entry-audiophile standards and you’ll have a lot of fun with it. I personally don't like leather pads and headbands as they tend to be a magnet for the slightest trace of sebum on your skin or hair (requiring cleaning almost every time you use them) and leather also tends to make your ears get hot after longer periods of use. Of course not all leather pads are bad, but I clearly prefer velour.

Sennheiser HD 559 review - Which?

Sennheiser also offers a 2-year warranty and there are replacement earpads available if you ever need new ones. The SR80e is more high-mid-centric. As a result, vocals are beautifully detailed and crisp in addition to sitting a bit higher in the mix than they would otherwise. This high-mid emphasis combined with the warm and colorful high frequencies — a Grado signature in my opinion — makes vocal breath and cymbal sustain sparkle in a unique and warm way across genres and vibes. As a result, the high-mids have a nice sense of depth and contribute to the detail of its expansive sense of width. Note that if you're a basshead this headphone is not for you. If you're used to the V-shaped sound signature with bass region elevated by as much as +10dB compared to the Harman curve, these will seem like they don't have bass. Before I jump into my review, I feel it's important to give some context about myself that ultimately influenced my review.Carroll is a headphone junkie residing in Brooklyn. He's a huge fan of Grado, UK hip hop, and the English Language in general. When not testing audio equipment or writing, you'll find him taking photographs or fiddling with circuit boards. To be completely honest, at the price these sell for the only serious complaint I have is the recessed treble. Being made of velour, the pads are way more comfortable than leather and they will also last much longer.