HD 569 Closed-Black Wired Audiophile Headphones

Let me start by saying I'm not an audiophile or an audio expert of any sort. This is the first time I've really splurged on audio equipment at all. In fact, it's 3 times the price of my previous headphone purchase, and even 50 bucks more than I spent on my speakers for my gaming PC. So was it worth it? In short, YES. Yes it very much was! The audio quality is in extreme excess, FAR better than anything else I own to the point that comparing them directly just feels unfair. I have MP3s that I've had on my phone and hard drive for almost 20 years, and I listen to them with these headphones and realize I've been missing details of my absolute favorite music for all this time. The noise cancelling is almost too good too. When I'm listening to music with these, the rest of the world is shut off to me. Much to my roommate's annoyance often times. However the noise cancelling does seem to be tied to being listening to something actively. When the audio is paused, the noise cancelling is a lot less effective. Maybe that's normal, maybe not, like I said, I am a total amateur. But I love the way it works. If I want to tune everything else out, these absolutely work fantastically! Finally, I did choose these because I wanted closed backs that don't bleed much audio, so I can listen to whatever I wish without concern about bothering those around me - and because I like my privacy. These work well for that too. And lastly, I think they are immensely comfortable. Certainly better than any cheaper pairs I've owned. The padded headband is nice, and the headphones themselves are adjustable enough that they fit over my ears and I can wear the headset for hours at a time without complaint. Even with my glasses on, and the headphones pressing my frames on my head. These do feel like a luxury item. I wouldn't say anyone really needs these. But I would say that they feel like a luxury item, considerably nicer than more average purchases in the same area. Honestly, I'm ruined for cheaper headphones now. Going back to my old no-name pair any time that I have - just feels so glaringly inferior now - despite having used them for years without issue. The audio, comfort and noise cancelling are just THAT much nicer.

Have the same pair for 9 years. I was 16, and getting into music and gaming around the time. Anyone my age would've said to get a pair of Razer whatever's with the lights and the green, but my grandpa had been an audio nerd since the dinosaurs roamed and Buzz Armstrong was still in Korea. And he was in charge of my birthday gift. And when i said i wanted headphones this is what i ended up with. However the were $68 then. These headphones are durable, light, and very comfortable. The original velvet pads are holding up well and the cables still mostly have their gold plating. Thanks to grandpa, i got into audio much more than i would've otherwise and i can say that wven among some of my more expensive headphones these hang right along with them. The sound is crisp and detailed with just enough bass to let you know what's supposed to have it. Id say they were well worth the price they were then, but a bit of a stretch with the current price being about double. But i wouldn't be disappointed even with the price. Because there are headphones twice this price that still sound bad and wont last half as long. They look really sleek, and conform to your head well. Inwtill have all my cords, the coil is nice to have it i want to listen from the couch into my amplifier and need a longer cable.

My husband uses these headphones while working at his desk from home, and they’ve been fantastic. They do a great job of blocking out the everyday noise around the house, so he can stay focused and work in peace. He also says they're very comfortable, even when wearing them for several hours at a time. The ear cushions are soft, and they don't feel heavy or uncomfortable during long work sessions. Overall, these are excellent headphones if you're looking for comfort and good noise isolation for working from home. Highly recommend!

As someone who likes to write music on my free time, I bought these headphones to help me improve my mixing decisions. I also wanted something relatively durable since I’m tired of replacing my $30-40 headphones every year. As a college student, these 569s were an investment for me. COMFORT: The HD 569 is my first pair of cans over $40. And it’s the first pair that I can honestly say is comfortable for long listening and mixing sessions. Ear cups encapsulate my ears, and the padding provides a nice cushion and passive noise isolation. NOISE-ISOLATION I go to a military college and it’s common to hear yelling in the hallways. These headphones actually block out a lot of that noise, making it easier to study. I can still hear what’s going on outside my room, but it’s not distracting. Note that the noise-isolation is passive, not active. SOUND QUALITY Sound quality is great as far as I can tell. It seems very mid-centric but that’s fine by me. It just took a little getting used to as my brain adjusted to this new normal. However, I wish the highs were emphasized a bit more so I could get a better sense of what’s going on up there. However, it’s also true that recessed highs means less listening fatigue. In other words, these headphones can work fine for mixing, while also being great for casual listeners who just want to enjoy music or watch movies. Soundstage is good too. DURABILITY It looks and feels like it will last for at least several years. But take everything I say here with a very small grain of low-sodium salt, because my experience with headphones is limited compared to the many audio professionals here. I appreciate that it doesn’t use a hinge-style mechanism to clamp the earcups because in my experience those can wear out or break easily. The build quality of this 569 seems better than the MD-7506s I’ve used at a studio. Bear in mind these are just my first-impressions. Regrettably, I missed the time-traveling lesson my friends said I missed in elementary school. So unfortunately, I cannot at this moment tell you how these headphones will hold up in the next few years. But don’t worry - if I remember, I’ll post a 4 month update when I finish my fall semester. DUST PROBLEM This is not a huge problem, but I feel it is worth mentioning. The smaller black circle on the outer face of each earcup easily attracts dust. The padding material on the earcups and headband also suffer from this. It’s frustrating because now I have to pick out/wipe off the dust every few days, especially from the outside. Again, it’s not really that bad if it’s just one or two day’s worth of dust (only takes a minute or so getting it out), but if I let the dust settle for even a week, I imagine it would be a nightmare getting it all out. I dust all horizontal surfaces in my dorm room every day out of habit, so it feels unnatural for me to leave something with dust on it. This is purely aesthetic; it has zero effect on comfort or sound quality. CONCLUSION So far so good. I recommend these HD 569s to anyone looking for a pair of headphones that is comfortable, durable, and has sound quality that is good for both mixing and casual listening.

I've seen a few complaints about these cans here concerning headband and ear cushion wear issues. I cannot comment on that yet, but I have to say that these are the best headphones I've ever worn and I've been around for 65 years. Comfort A+ These are closed-back and other than the closed in sensation, which is to be expected, they are a dream so far. That's saying something because I have a huge melon and I haven't even stretched them out yet! I own the HD 58x Jubilees and they took some time to break in and it took some "gorillaing" to stretch them out to help that. These felt great out of the box. Weight - what weight? Sound: Keep in mind that I'm coming at this from an audiophile perspective. I won't grade them on a scale because everyone is looking for something different. These are no dubstep or hip-hop phones unless you are mixing with them. These are more like real professional monitors than entertainment cans. They could use maybe 3dB more bass, but I'd rather have a little less than too much. Compared to the Jubilees, they are a little thin, but I feel that the 58x's can be a bit too much and the bass seems to overload (distort) too soon. The mids are perfect and vocals are clean and accurate. I can't speak for the highs because I'm old and lost the highs long ago. I do wear hearing aids and they seem fine, but I don't even remember what natural high frequencies sound like. These artificial (Oticon) highs do sound great thru these though. I'll leave it at that. Put it this way: I currently have a pair of Buchardt s300s (traded in KEF LS50s.) and these are a lot closer to what those sound like than anything else I've heard. All cans seem bass-heavy to me lately (other than Apple Airpods and some on-ear sets - honorable mention to the Cooler Master 751, which I game with). These are a relief from the usual mud. Gaming: No mic, but if you just want to hear them coming, these are great. Sharp with detail and no artificial boom or slop. If you are familiar with the Cooler Master 751, these are balanced like those, but have much better detail and similar comfort. If you crave bass, I'd recommend the Jubilees. They have that and more. They will need breaking in on the comfort end though. Efficiency: Easy to drive! On an iPhone, I'm about about 35% through the Apple DAC dongle. You don't have to waste money on an amp. I would recommend a good DAC on a PC though. A Dragonfly Black would suffice. It sure beats an onboard chip. In short, I wouldn't recommend these for someone buying their first set. They are for the "mature" listener. If you want something that can use a small bass boost to get you there, these are great. If you hate boosted bass, these are perfect. You won't have to change a thing.

Updating after almost 2 years of daily use. Purchased here on Amazon. These are the best headphones I have ever owned. They truly have withstood the test of time. I have abused these headphones so much. Tossed into a backpack, plugged into phones, laptops, external DACs, you name it. They work as great now as the day I opened the box. Both the cables included have held up well and this is the amazing. I have accidentally ripped them out of my phone and laptop so many times. The smaller cable is starting to separate at the plig but still works fine. No it isn't a quality issue, that is from me accidentally dropping the headphones and them getting ripped out of the devices. Still works. These headphones are tough and sound great. I listen to metal and rap. Everything sounds great. For best results you will need an amp/dac. These aren't Walmart headphones. They thrive on power. I pair mine with a Soundblaster G6 external soun card. I can use the software to increase the base to ear shattering levels. These headphones punch way above their price point. I see amazon has a warning that these get returned frequently. I honestly have no idea why. I would buy these again without question but I don't need to as mine are still working loke new after 2 years. 2 cables means even if 1 ends up breaking, you have a longer bigger backup. You just need a 3.5m adapter for it. Both cables have 0 issues with background noise when moved. They are good cables. If you are on a budget and you want audiophile grade headphones that don't break the bank, These are the best closed back headphones you will find. Big fan if Senheiser. I have owned many over the years. These ones are an excellent option in a long line of quality headphones.

First off, the sound quality is fine. It seems to work well. I have no issues with the highs or mids. The lows could be better IMO, but hey, I'm not an audiophile. But I do have a few complaints to make that have forced me to give this a 3 star. First off, it seems like the right ear cup is just slightly quieter than the left one. I can't be 100% sure but at times it just seems like I'm not getting the same level of sound from both sides and it always seems like it's the right side that's a smidge quieter. To be clear, it's not a HUGE difference, but it does feel like it's there. However, it could also be my ears playing tricks on me. I'm not an audiophile and I am getting older. But if it is there like I think it is, that's completely unacceptable for a $130 headset. Second, and this one is a big one, is I paid $130 for these headphones and they give you this tiny 3 foot long 3mm to 3mm cable. I can't even connect my headphones to my computer normally b/c the distance from the back of the computer to my head is WAY more than 3 feet (as is almost any PC setup). I had to move my computer forward on my desk, relocate my DAC to my frontside USB port, and then run the cable over my side monitor and across my mic stand for it to actually reach me. And it does...JUST BARELY. If I move back in my chair, I'll yank the cable out of the computer. That's some BS and I just can't fathom why they'd give such a short cable. Yes, there's a 3mm to 6.3mm cable that's much longer but I can't use that. For $130, you'd think they'd give you something with a more useful length. Other than a laptop user, who's going to make use of such a short cable?! Provide a 6 foot one at minimum! Third complaint is still about the audio cables. Both of them are made from an EXTREMELY cheap feeling and looking plastic. I was honestly expecting a braided cable for something over $100. I've had a few headsets and everything that cost more than a Benjamin had decent cables (both in quality and length, mind you). Not these! The plastic feels like something you'd get with a $10 headset. I'm not joking. I'm shocked and disappointed that such a well known headset brand that has a reputation for being quality has such shoddy cables. Maybe they're durable and I just don't realize it yet, but they damn sure feel cheap and look cheap. Now I'm stuck spending another $20 on 3mm to 3mm copper tipped cable that should've come with this overpriced headset. Fourth, the quality of the ear pads is...lackluster at best. It feels EXTREMELY thin and I'm dreading the day when they start to come apart. Maybe I'm wrong and they're made of some super material that can be thin and lasts...but I'm not about to hold my breath on that one. If I could go back and pick a different headset, I would've. Or, if these only cost like $40-$50, sure, they'd be a good buy. But for $130, these are a joke. I'd rather go buy another pair of BlackShark headphones. They cost 1/2 as much as these, sound just as good, come with better cables, and unlike the Sennheisers, they have an audio dial on the side that lets me change my headset volume on the fly. Again, the sound quality is fine. No complaints about that. My complaints lie in the design and cheap materials. If they end up lasting a while, I'll come back and update the review...maybe give it another star for longevity. But for now, I can't give it above a 3 star in good conscience (and I think 3 stars is being generous). My two cents on this product.

Great beginner audiophile headphones. They are definitely worth it for the money and they are very loud, somewhat portable, adjustable, and have a long or short cord.

I really like these head phones they replace some 20 year old Sennheiser's and for a rare occasion I notice a more than marginal improvement in sound quality. The 'phones are well built ,strong and comfortable and don't get too hot. They exclude sound from the outside just as well as sound going out. They seem to have a flat response across the frequency range and a very good dynamic range just right for orchestral works. The bass is not exaggerated which I don't like anyway. i tested them on digital music files of jazz, acoustic folk, rock and classical music. I also tested music from YouTube and voice from the BBC: they performed very well. I compared a completely analogue(vinyl)recording against a so called" HIRES" digital equivalent to see if I could tell the difference. Th recording in question was a from " Chasing The Dragon" records where a vinyl record is rehearsed and performed live and mixed and cut directly to vinyl; no tape recorders involved. At the same time a 24/192 recording is made digitally. The work in question was Espana with two operatic arias from Bizets " Carmen" and two orchestral works from Chabrier and Rimsky Korsakov respectively. Rosie Middleton's rich and wonderful voice was reproduced almost perfectly on both the analogue and digital recordings. The orchestral works work were reproduced with wide dynamic range and the orchestra sounded just like an orchestra. Headphones reveal more detail then speakers and it proves to me once and for all that digital recordings are better for sound quality than their equivalent vinyl ones. But if you ignore the inevitable surface noise of an LP the analogue versions come very close to digital. When you consider that LPs were invented in 1948 it shows how far we have come regarding sound quality, which is what really matters. Whatever, the medium these 'phones make a very good account of themselves and the music and I recommend them thoroughly. Pity no case was supplied but what can you expect for a hundred quid or so. It's the sound quality that really matters.

Confort son équilibré, travaille mieux avec un dac

I have had these for a couple of years now and they are the best. - No EMF (no wireless technology) - Comfortable for long hours - Good audio - Cord can be replaced if needed Honestly, what more do you need in a headset? Note that these headphones allow quite a lot of audio from outside so if you need total quiet I recommend buying some second hand quietcomfort 25 (they are also wired and dont have bluetooth which is good)

Clear discrimination of sounds. A little bit weak in low&high freq

The Sennheiser HD 569 is an amazing headphone, and produces excellent highs and lows easily, whilst blocking out a lot of noise for a headphone that does not have active noise cancellation. Now for the detailed version: 1. This headphone has good bass response, and every once in a while I wish Sennheiser would have given it a bit more kick, but then I listen to other headphones with excess bass and I love the lows in these again; a balanced level of bass. 2. This headphone produces high pitches almost perfectly; they are crystal clear, but unfortunately it seems my ears actually prefer a slightly tinnier (as in cheap earbud quality) treble sound. However, after listening to these for about a month, I started to appreciate how incredibly clear and full the highs are. 3. The midrange is where I think the sound quality of this headphone suffers the most, but that isn't saying much. My only comment would be that it seems to portray the midrange frequencies slightly less clearly than the highs and lows; still good, just the weakest frequency range on these headphones in my opinion. 4. THE COMFORT! One of the main purposes of purchasing these headphones was to have something that I could take anywhere, and wear for any amount of time, and these deliver both of those qualities excellently! I can now wear them for like a full day, and barely notice that I'm even wearing a giant over-ear headphone; it's great! 5. The build of these headphones is actually the only place where I'm a bit disappointed; some of the screws came loose between the band and the actual headphones within about 6 months, and the cord started cutting in and out for one headphone at about the same time. However, a small screw driver and one replacement cord did the trick and they were just as good as before. 6. Compatibility is great, as Sennheiser gives HD 569 headphones both the regular Aux-sized jack and the larger jack for real stereo/studio equipment, which is great when you're someone like me who actually does utilize both. 7. Sound cancellation is pretty good, and I would say it is slightly better than the average noise-isolating headphone, which is great, because I use these headphones in a lot of noise-saturated environments. Overall, I think that Sennheiser has done a good job with the HD 569, and it is definitely worth the $200! UPDATE: I couldn't believe that I ordered these in 2017 when I checked back to update this review. These headphones still operate flawlessly (provided you keep replacing the cord every 8 months - 1 year). The bass response has reduced slightly, and so the sound is not quite as full as it was almost three years ago when they were new. However, the headphones are extremely durable, and work consistently in -30 C and +35 C. I carry them in my backpack everywhere, and the plastic does not break or crack. The pads are still just as comfortable after threee years as they were when new; I can still wear these for an 8 hour workday without issue. Overall these headphones are spectacular and I would STILL highly recomend them, especially at the price they are offered at (which was about $200 when I purchased them).