Sennheiser has repeatedly proven that they can develop and manufacture good to excellent studio headphones at a reasonable price. So far, we have mainly focused on the headphones from the HD 600 series, but with the HD 560S, Sennheiser has had another headphone in its range since the end of 2020 that appears to be suitable for home recording and semi-professionals. Therefore, we have taken a closer look at the advertising message “linear acoustics and high precision at an affordable price.
Roland has gradually taken over the headphone manufacturer V-Moda. The company, which is now 100% owned by Roland, kept the name under which the headphones are marketed. After the M-100, which was promoted for a long time as V-drum or DJ headphones, the company has now developed “reference headphones” for the first time. Reference sounds like a neutral sound; let’s see if and how the M-200 holds its own in everyday life.
Today we are comparing SENNHEISER HD 560S vs V-MODA M-200. Headphones for beginners and intermediates.
Pros and Cons
| SENNHEISER HD 560S | V-MODA M-200 |
| Comfortable design | Excellent balance |
| Solid build and finish | Customizable plates |
| Professional Looks | Exceptional build and materials |
| Consistent audio delivery | Expensive |
| Not more feature | Mediocre mic |
| No Sound Profile | Clamping force is excessive |
The cable of the HD 560S is interchangeable, which underlines the professional approach of the headphones. However, the supplied 3 m long cable, locked to the headphones with a screw cap, does not seem to be the best quality. The cable ends on a 6.3 mm jack plug. A short adapter cable to 3.5 mm jack is an excellent alternative to the otherwise typical adapter plug.
Otherwise, you will only find a leaflet with the safety instructions in the packaging of the HD 560S. A bag for transport or even a storage box is not included, which is a shame.
The manufacturer specifies the frequency range as 6 Hz to 38 kHz and the maximum sound pressure as 110 dB. The distortion factor is <0.05% (1 kHz / 90 dB SPL), the impedance is comparatively high at 120 ohms. With the HD 560S, Sennheiser is resisting the trend of giving headphones the lowest possible impedance. They also play louder on mobile devices because the impedance is specified as 120 ohms. The HD 560S is designed as open, dynamic over-ear headphones.
V-Moda delivers the M-200 with two 135 cm long cables. The cables are connected on one side on the left side of the headphones and locked with a half turn. Unintentional slipping is excluded.
The cables are covered with fabric and differ in that the so-called “SpeakEasy 1-Button” microphone is built into the orange cable. This means that you can not only listen to music but also make calls. The black cable does not offer this. Both cables end on a 3.5 mm jack plug, a gold-plated adapter to 6.3 mm jack is included. Overall, the cables look pretty thin, and the plugs are made of cheaper plastic. Unfortunately, that is not Neutrik quality. With these cables and plugs, the road suitability that is so often conjured up cannot be attested to.
In addition, the M-200 comes with a sticker, a snap hook (for attaching the transport box to the backpack or similar), an instruction manual, and the guarantee conditions.
Relatively large 50 mm drivers are used in the M-200. According to V-Moda, the dynamic, enclosed headphones offer a frequency response of 5 to 40,000 Hz. I couldn’t measure it and certainly not hear it, but we will see whether and to what extent this affects the sound quality of the headphones. The impedance is given as a low 30 ohms, the sensitivity (1 kHz, 1 mW) is 101.5 dB.
Specification
| SENNHEISER HD 560S | V-MODA M-200 | |
| $ | CHECK PRICE | CHECK PRICE |
| Model | HD 560S | M-200 |
| Brand | Sennheiser | V-Moda |
| Released | April 22, 2021 | January 11, 2021 |
| Dimension | 154 x 144 x 78 mm | 219 x 182 x 118 mm |
| Weight | 240 g | 290 g |
| Earpiece Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Type | Over-Ear | Over-Ear |
| Foldable | Yes | Yes |
| Frequency Response | 6 Hz to 38 kHz | 5 Hz to 40 kHz |
| Sensitivity | 110 dB | 102 dB |
| Impedance | 120 Ohms | 30 Ohms |
| OS Support | Android, iOS | Android, iOS |
| Colours | Black | Black, Silver |
| Driver | 6 mm | 50 mm |
| ANC | No | No |
| Controls | No | No |
| Audio Connector | 3.5 mm | 3.5 mm |
| Cable Length | 3 m | 3 m |
Design
The HD 560S is suitable for mixing and mastering. For the recording area, it will probably emit too much sound to the outside, so that microphones positioned nearby and armed would also record the playback given to the ear. Before we get to the sound, let’s first say a few words about the construction, materials used, and their quality.
The HD 560S is modern and, in contrast to the 600 series, has significantly more curved shapes. Compared to many other studio headphones, the construction of the headband is no longer or less straight into the ear cups but instead makes two opposing 45-degree curves beforehand. Directly at the transition between the headband and the suspension of the auricle, it can be tilted forwards and backward. The auricle itself can also be easily adjusted vertically so that the headphones adapt well to your head shape. It sits on the head with a lot of pressure; the moderate weight of 240 g is almost negligible.
However, the headphones don’t fit my head are not designed for the HD 560S. The lateral size adjustment, with which the outer sides can be extended by 5.5 cm each, does not change anything.
The HD 560S is mainly made of plastic; metal is only used in a few places. Overall, the headphones seem to be built robustly, so nothing stands in the way of use in the studio and at home. A clear haptic difference to the HD 600S or HD 660S is there. The inside of the ear cups is lined with velour, which sits comfortably and softly on the ears. No problem, even for longer listening sessions.
The V-Moda headphones have always been an eye-catcher because the hexagonal shape of the ear cups, which all headphones from the manufacturer have except for the in-ears, make them immediately noticeable. In principle, optically, it is almost the equivalent of the Swedish Nord keyboards. You always recognize them immediately.
The visual concept is also continued with the M-200. It is also delivered in a futuristic-looking transport box. Suppose the outer box is still a conventional box. In that case, even if it is nicely printed, most buyers will probably hear the following after opening the box: “Oooohhhh …”. Because V-Moda delivers the M-200 to its customers in a transport box reminiscent of a lifestyle product design. You can have the M-200 provided with your logo or design. V-Moda offers a configurator for this on its website.
The headphones are more than compactly folded in the box. There is a clear plus point for mobile use or those who often take the headphones with them when they travel.
Thanks to a clever folding mechanism, closed headphones can be brought to their average size. At 290 grams, it belongs in the middle class in terms of weight. The construction looks robust and solid and consists of a metal frame that gives the headphones a stable basic shape. Otherwise, you will find mainly plastic on the M-200. The headband is covered with synthetic leather and padded on the underside, making it very comfortable to wear.
The outside of the headphones can be pulled out by almost 3 cm. The headphones can easily be placed wide enough, and the contact pressure is always moderate. Due to the hexagonal shape of the auricles, the area that covers the auricles is smaller than that of round auricles. A little too small for my taste.
The earpads themselves have soft memory foam and are only magnetically docked to the headphones. A quick exchange is possible without any problems. They sit soft and comfortable.
Sound
An OPEN headphone has no sound wave isolation on the outside, so everything penetrates to the outside without being attenuated. The advantage is that the sound is exceptionally airy and accessible, and an excellent spatiality can be conveyed. However, these headphones are only suitable for mixing or mastering at the mixer; they are not ideal as monitor listeners for musicians, as the emerging sound is picked up all too clearly by the microphones.
The first impression gives hope because the Sennheiser headphones play relaxed and loose from the front and leave a very spatial impression. Just as expect from open headphones. The bass range is nicely taut and has a suitable foundation, perfect for headphones in the 200 $ range. In a direct comparison to the AKG K812 Pro, crisp bass lines are not accurate enough, but this is not surprising given the price.
The mid-range is nicely differentiated, but with instruments close to the frequency, it is sometimes difficult for the HD 560S to separate them well and display them appropriately. The necessary richness of detail is available, however, so that you can hear a lot of acoustic background information in classic productions, for example, which some other headphones cannot display so well.
The HD 560S can undoubtedly shine in the higher frequency ranges. S-sounds that are too sharp are relentlessly uncovered, so the Sennheiser does not mince words (or in front of the auricles).
The depth gradation is good, the stereo field excellent. If you position instruments and vocals on a wide stereo stage, the HD 560S does it very well, and you can follow the individual positions acoustically.
As expected, the radiation of sound to the outside of the perception of external sound events is quite large, i.e., the headphones are not suitable for recording.
In practice, the headphones prove that they have little in common with their brother M-100, who often boast in the bass range. The headphones react quickly and cleanly, and the impulse fidelity is correspondingly good. The location of individual signal sources on the stereo stage as well. Fortunately, one looks in vain for the extended bass range of the M-100 in the M-200.
At $350, the M-200 is not one of the cheapest headphones, so it has to be measured in terms of sound with an ADAM Audio SP-5, possibly also, if the budget allows, compete against the very good Neumann NDH 20.
The M-200 offers a solid and balanced sound. Nothing is glossed over here, and specific frequency ranges are not promoted significantly. The bass range is good but does not push too much or unnecessarily play itself in the foreground. The mids also sound clean. I mean, I can hear a slight increase in the upper mids, but that’s going well. The high-frequency range comes brilliantly to the ear. It doesn’t get sharp but occasionally sounds a bit pointed. These are nuances, but they stand out.
In detail, however, it is noticeable that it cannot keep up with an NDH 20. Small instrument-specific noises, be it from strings or acoustic pianos, are not as detailed as the Neumann can. In direct comparison, it often sounds a bit harsher. A direct comparison to the ADAM Audio, precisely because the two are priced closer together, would have been nice.
If you take the V-Moda for itself, you are not doing anything wrong. It offers a balanced frequency response and is ideal for external monitoring due to the excellent signal attenuation. In the final mix, too, he will reveal most of the mistakes so that you can bring a good all-rounder into the studio. Due to the direct comparison with the AKG K812 that is otherwise used only comes to a “good,” but with a clear upward trend.
The compact design invites you to take it with you on your travels. However, they do not have the robustness of Beyerdynamic DT headphones due to the cables and plugs.
Conclusion!
With the HD 560S, Sennheiser has developed good headphones for studio use and music enjoyment at home. The sound is good to excellent, the quality is good. As open headphones, the HD 560S is recommended for mixing and mastering, but it emits too much sound to the outside for recording purposes.
Due to the almost linear frequency response, beginners and intermediates can use the HD 560S to bring good headphones into the studio, which are very good at uncovering incorrect mixing processes. The price-performance ratio is perfect.
After the M-100, V-Moda, part of the Roland Group, launches the M-200, a good pair of studio headphones. Marketed as “reference headphones,” they have a good, balanced sound that makes them a good all-rounder for monitoring and the final mix. The quality is solid. The look is chic.
The sound of the M-200 is good and impresses with its clear, brilliant sound. Some weaknesses only become apparent in a direct comparison. It reproduces specific sound components less well and therefore lags behind the competition from time to time when assessing the mix. Overall, however, a solid performance.
