When i got myself Sennheiser 6xx and started to listen, i was blown away, no muddy bass, just pure enjoyment. The bass hits when it should and stops when it should. Going back to my pc speakers and gaming headsets is no go. I also do have xm3 and while they are good to take with you. I just dont think its a good sound.
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
Game-changer, right?
@hanfpeter41902 жыл бұрын
exactly what i think about sonys, though their sound isnt audiophile its still fun to listen to and their incredibly convenient to travel around with them due to insane battery and very nice anc
@cassiecat70383 жыл бұрын
I’m just new to audiophile headphones and tried both the dragonfly cobalt and the Chord Mojo amp/dacs both very good
@maurycyzych31293 жыл бұрын
Sennheiser HD560s sound really good paired with Dragonfly Cobalt.
@richardbuckingham43293 жыл бұрын
Great review, very informative and nicely presented 👍🏻
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
Thank you Richard!
@AZG905 ай бұрын
Hi Mark! Thanks for great video. I use Fiio K7 with audio technica ath-m50x. the set is connected to my turntable via line input. when I listen to music I find that I need almost maximize the volume knob on the Fiio to hear the music on a level I like . what do you might be the reason for it? Thanks!
@jjcornelio77413 жыл бұрын
next upgrade for you is buying HifiMan Sundara and Zen Can!
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
Don't tempt me!
@jjcornelio77413 жыл бұрын
@@MarkEllisReviews buy your HD560s a new cable. A balanced one, 4.4mm and plug it on your Zen Dac. You'll love it!
@monstamac20053 жыл бұрын
Agree, planar magnetics are my favorite type of headphones.
@2134yanto Жыл бұрын
Excellent video. Just as an update, Apple Music IS lossless and with quality up to 24/192. Minimum is 16/44.1 ALAC ie CD Lossless quality. It’s actually extremely good
@wyattandwill124 ай бұрын
I was gonna post the update as well - current options for the lossless files are ALAC up to 24-bit/48kHz then high-res ALAC up to 24-bit/192kHz
@NegativeLegend11 күн бұрын
Great video. I only need to upgrade my headphones to complete my audio setup but I was wondering if it was worth it. You paint a great picture that other videos really dont.
@Core_VII3 жыл бұрын
I would recommend you stay away from "master quality" as MQA as it actually is as a very lossy codec unlike flac. MQA adds to much static and makes your sounds kinda mushy. While if you select Hifi ifs just a flac file Wich is better than MQA. You can find a great vid by golden sounds if your interested.
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the info. Still learning plenty about this, and your advice helps.
@tsohgallik3 жыл бұрын
Like for example using the Dragonfly Black/Red/Cobalt Then wondering if MQA is "really" the best?
@Id0ntca7e3 жыл бұрын
You are the perfect person to ask something about it. In the last couple of days I used Tidal with a Fiio BTR5 bluetooth transmitter/Moondrop Starfields and Sony WF-1000XM4. Only on Tidal I have background noises on both devices with or without music playing. With my own flacs or other service have nothing like that. Does this have something to do through the MQA file format?
@tsohgallik3 жыл бұрын
@@Id0ntca7e Are the earbuds set to Hear through, transparency, ANC? NC? Noise Canceling? Usually these wireless earbuds settings will create static
@Id0ntca7e3 жыл бұрын
@@tsohgallik I just tested it again to verify. The mode on the XM4 seems nothing to change. It is also on the BTR5/Starfields combo that don´t have such a feature. The quality of the stream (normal-master) also don´t change it. But what I regognized by switching from Smartphone to PC, that on PC it isn´t that loud and disturbing like on the smartphone.
@delpinsky2 жыл бұрын
MQA is a joke, as they advertised it as lossless, while it's not. I bought recently a pair of Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro and I'm very happy with them. I just need to think whether to upgrade my Amp/DAC or not. I have an LG G5 Hi-Fi Plus which despite is thin, can handle well my 250ohm headphones, and also an old Yamaha A/V Receiver. I would be curious how much richer sound an Amp/DAC like the Zen DAC V2 would give me.
@rags0153 жыл бұрын
I am the proud owner of the following AKG headphones: K240 MII, K371, K612 Pro, K275, K245 (open/semi-open), K175 (On Ear), K92, K182. In addition I’m also an equally proud owner of the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80 ohms, DT 880 Pro, DT 240 Pro, and the DT 990 Pro!!!!! As a classical music lover I love my Beyerdynamic and AKG headphones!
@InTeRnaLPr14 күн бұрын
If you had to choose between the DT 770 PRO and the AKG K271 MKII, which one would you pick?
@flabbybum95622 жыл бұрын
Congratulations on explaining all of this so well. I'm a newbie to quality audio, and this made more sense than any other video I've watched.
@MarkEllisReviews2 жыл бұрын
Awesome, thank you!
@bestvapor11362 жыл бұрын
@@MarkEllisReviews Mark, I second that comment. You did such a phenomenal job! I too am brand new to this audiophile world and I feel like you just gave me what I needed to get started. Will definitely be watching more of your content!
@MarkEllisReviews2 жыл бұрын
@@bestvapor1136 That means a lot - thank you!
@dylon49062 жыл бұрын
11:09 it is so true that it's a rabbit hole. I started looking into headphones to replace my aging turtle beach gaming headset. I didn't want much just an improvement to my not even expensive gaming headset. my budget was at most 100 bucks but after doing a lot of research, experimentation, and buying and returning headphones I finally ended up with beyerdynamic dt 990 pros for 180 dollars and I'm likely going to buy an external dac/amp for at least 60 dollars. it's still pretty budget as far as audiophiles go but the most important thing is that now I have a lot more ear for the subtleties of my music. can't tell if it's a good thing because of toll it's taken (and probably will continue to take) on my bank account but hey, at least my music sounds glorious
@qupeter12242 жыл бұрын
for $100, get apple type c / lightning to 3.5 and get a 9500/9600 and you will be happy
@Levnyan28 күн бұрын
Sennheiser HD560S has done me good since I bought it on sale for 80-90 bucks last year. I use it with an antlion modmic usb and it's worked amazing for me for all of my needs
@rolfviehmann6240 Жыл бұрын
To be honest, I got a weird problem, and I don't know why. I bought the "iFi ZEN DAC V2" (basically the same as in the video, just the newer version) and the "Sennheiser HD 560S" (same as in the video) and really wanted to be impressed (the first audiophile hardware I ever used in my whole life), but ... These headphones sure sound nice, but not really better (according to my ears) than the consumer grade headphones I had before ("Sony WH-H900N"), bought in 2018. Just to point it out: They don't sound bad, and they are not defective somehow, but I just can't hear any meaningful improvement compared to my Sonys, even though the Sony ones are normal consumer grade ones for everyone, so not audiophile at all. And I even have the subjective impression that the Sony ones are more comfortable to wear, especially when listening to them for a long while. And they even got bluetooth and active noise cancelling, which is all quite nice. So, what am I doing wrong? Back when I bought the Sonys, I was absolutely impressed by the sound quality, much better than every other pair of headphones I ever used, but the Sennheisers don't give me the same feeling, more like a "eh, they are fine, but not really better IMHO". Not really the upgrade I was looking forward to.
@fredeugineadomako774918 күн бұрын
Try to use them with high res music
@rolfviehmann624014 күн бұрын
@@fredeugineadomako7749 OK, where can I find such high res music?
@rags0153 жыл бұрын
Hi Mark! I highly recommend you get the German made Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80 ohms/DT 880 Pro 250 ohms/DT 990 Pro 250 ohms. These are fantastic investments with a superb build quality and superb sound quality. By the way Apple uses high quality dacs in their products be it iPads, Macbooks, or iMacs! You can use the Equaliser on the Sony app to tune it to the same frequency response as the HD 560s.
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
I love the DT series - I use them for monitoring purposes.
@GoezTo113 жыл бұрын
@@MarkEllisReviews How do the DT770s compare to the 560s? I've heard that open back headphones are better but I needed closed back ones so I wouldn't bother my wife while playing video games.
@rags0153 жыл бұрын
@@GoezTo11 The DT 770 Pro has quite a wide soundstage for a closed back. Highly recommended!
@oscarpinochet3 жыл бұрын
@@GoezTo11 just remember that if you go with a high impedance headphone, you will need a dac
@louisantonio24623 жыл бұрын
I am a beginner in all this as well and I would probably stay that way for a while but my personal setup would be the Hifiman HE400SE paired with the Ifi Zen Dac. They are very competitively priced but still performs very much on par with the 560s I'd say. Heck, I do think I prefer the 400SE after demoing the 560s at the audio shop the other day. But when it comes to these things I recommend demoing it for yourself if possible.
@DanielLundh3 жыл бұрын
I had a similar revelation when I bought my first "audiophile" headphones, the Hifiman HE400i. I bought them used (they have since come down in price to something similar to the Sennheisers you use), I'm more of a casual listener but I have fallen into the rabbit hole anyway and have upgraded headphone amps and DACs along the way. Great video!
@Sweet-Vermouth3 жыл бұрын
Do you have the HE400i with the SMC connector or the regular headphone jack?
@monstamac20053 жыл бұрын
Love my planar magnetics have the HE400i and the HE4XX.
@DanielLundh3 жыл бұрын
@@Sweet-Vermouth Mine has 2,5mm jacks.
@j.d.46972 жыл бұрын
One major misconception I also fell for for a while is that a DAC/amp with too little power for a particular pair of headphones would only result in lower volumes. In reality, it will also result in messed up sound. Sound distortions, compressed sounds, crackles and pops, lots of bad attributes of which some will be very subtle but make you feel unsatisfied with the sound.
@tuckertech3 жыл бұрын
I also have a headphone addiction. I have the Fiio K5 pro it’s a combo dac/amp. I like it a lot. It’s powerful enough to power my Beyerdynamics and Sennheisers.
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
It's not a bad addiction to have ;)
@markrichmond68603 жыл бұрын
Thanks for a great video l have a very similar setup as yours. My headphones are sennheiser 599 open back my dac amp is ifi hip dac they both work brilliantly together. I would also recommend beyer dynamic dt 700 Pro although they are closed back they have a wide sound stage. I stream my music through amazon HD which is all CD quality. Sounds great to my none audiophile ears and it only cost about 300 pounds
@hugolosada3 жыл бұрын
For what it’s worth, do try to get your hands on a Grado. Of all the entry level cans I’ve tried, they can give you the most unique (and IMHO enjoyable) listening experience. Many audiophile headphones (specially Sennheisers) are too reference/flat for me and become boring quite fast. I’d like to hear your thoughts after you try any Grados such as SR60 or SR80.
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
I have my eyes on them...
@6643bear6 күн бұрын
Great and interesting video, I have ifi zen v2 dac and 560. Headphones and it’s a good all rounder , for general listening, I have 6xx with the custom cans bass mod with sound pretty good just a bit better than 560 , the 560 is a good starter headphones coming in about £130, good price point. The 6xx is really good price but at the moment the hd650 is at £229 with a great price for these headphones. Regards mark
@1989gem3 жыл бұрын
This video was really interesting; it was nice to hear about the basics, as there are a lot of videos that come across as being quite stuck up & don’t actually explain anything. I got the trial of Amazon HD, however I’ve just got “normal” headphones (decent but not top of the line) & I couldn’t hear any difference, so it would be interesting to hear, using a set up like yours.
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
Thanks! I think the fact I’m far from an expert helps there! I’d 100% recommend an amp/DAC/headphone setup to get the best from it though.
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
I think the fact I’m far from an expert helps, there! Definitely recommend investing in a little setup like mine to get the most from it, though.
@KeithBonedoc3 жыл бұрын
Add a headphone Dac (like a Dragonfly red or black if that’s in your budget) and you’ll be blown away with the difference.
@Ducatijay722 жыл бұрын
This was the best comparison between consumer and high end I've ever seen! I was searching what the difference was for few days, thanks for the amazing review, subbed 😃👌
@benkeen3 жыл бұрын
Always a good tip to go for headphones from the music production market rather than consumer or fashionable products. Sennheiser and Beyer Dynamic are a good starting point. More money on the sound rather than image and marketing.
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
True, Ben. But there are some superb cans in the other bracket, too.
@KeithBonedoc3 жыл бұрын
Great review thanks. Now that Apple Music is lossless the difference is amazing. Although Tidal has some hires music I find the quality with lossless/cd is excellent. With an audio quest Dragonfly red and budget earphones like the sound magic E80’s I can’t believe how much better music sounds compared to my EarPod pros. The convenience of wireless earphones can’t be denied though. I also enjoy my Grado SR 60’s but my wife gets irritated when I don’t answer her. The transparency function with the EarPods helps then but you sacrifice sound quality obviously. The answer is to have several pairs of earbuds/headphones for different occasions. What was that you said about being a headphone addict…..
@markaprill6501Ай бұрын
I cut to the chase…I got Meze empyrean one headphones and a chord mojo 2. I don’t care about upgrades, it just sounds good and you are done. Yes it was expensive but sooo worth it.
@celticlofts3 ай бұрын
I only really listen through headphones when I'm on the bus or on a plane so this whole audiophile things is, thankfully, over my head. I don't need to be spending money I simply don't have.
@damnbrosky Жыл бұрын
Something is wrong with this audiophile description , is kind a shallow in my opinion. An audiophile is not a person who search for most detailed and technical sound like i understand from your bit distanced opinion but person who understand and enjoying beauty and complexity of music using advanced gear which can provide real unsurpassed joy and black hole in home budget. Its more like art understanding where real passionate dive bit dipper than normal people that touch only a surface for moment of fun. If someone concentrate only on technicalities and enjoying only upgrading gear is not an audiophile is a gadgetphile haha
@nicolescutiberiu840 Жыл бұрын
But Apple Music has High-Res audio, isn’t that enought instead of Tidal ? Please answear cuz i allready got used to Apple Music
@SobaKick8 ай бұрын
Apple music now has high quality lossless on PC Apple music preview on microsoft
@VladVexler3 жыл бұрын
What a perfect and non intimidating video to get people in....
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
Cool, thanks!
@josephkong75472 жыл бұрын
Thank you for this Mark - did anyone tell you that your voice sounds like a very smooth DJ? BTW, did you find the Sennheiser HD560S lacks a bit of bass? It will be interesting to get your feedback on this as I found the Sony WH-1000 XM4 to be bass heavy
@MarkEllisReviews2 жыл бұрын
Haha - thanks! I really like the bass response on the Sennheisers - it's more refined than the XM4s, as you might expect.
@josephkong75472 жыл бұрын
@@MarkEllisReviews thank you for the feed back with regards to the question on the bass response Sir!
@BillyKueekSG3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the video. What you said in the first minute connected with me. Currently, I have a Sony WH-1000XM2, AirPods and AirPods Pro. In my cars, I listen to Mark Levinson in my Lexus and Bose with upgraded speakers in my GTR though the exhaust sound goes into the mix. I can tell all something is lacking, it’s not excellent sound. So, I am going to try better equipments to listen to. To start of, I am getting the FiiO BTR5. Headphones options by prices are the Philips Fidelity X1S ($127), Sennheiser HD599 ($199), X2HR ($245), ) or 58X (may not be able to get locally, around ($280). The cheaper options are Philips SHP9500 ($99) seems too sharp for me (from reviews), 9600 is more expensive than the X1R ($245 vs $127) so… what are your recommendations? These are Singapore dollars. I listen to a variety of music, classical, vocals, opera, Pop, R&B and lots of movies. I mostly use Apple products
@Levnyan28 күн бұрын
I have the HD560S headset as well. I did change out the velour headband cushion with some pleather ones that were similar in size meant for another headset, but since it was adhesive it worked (Geekria Protein Leather Headband Pad Compatible with Sennheiser HD201, HD201S, HD180, Headphones Replacement Band, Headset Head Cushion Cover Repair Part (Black)). I replaced the earpads with some black and gold ones with coolgel padding. They get really cold if you drop some water on them, or if you sweat a lot lol.
@Levnyan28 күн бұрын
I did use super glue to secure the replacement headband tho. the adhesive was a lil weak
@czondag4 ай бұрын
Spotify will come with their high quality audio… haha good joke…
@billy1207453 жыл бұрын
As someone who is starting to get a mature headphone/sound game I appreciate this direction. Now if I can only decide on a mechanical keyboard...
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
Funny you should mention that...
@ProductivePM3 жыл бұрын
Just got the Keychron with brown switched, love the feel and the sound. Works great with M1 MacBook Air, iPad Pro, and work pc laptop.
@iikatinggangsengii247110 ай бұрын
lul, grab ducky or steelseries theyre great
@cedricw5183 жыл бұрын
Did you comparing using the 560s without the zen dac VS with the zen dac and was the difference very noticable? I myself bought a 560s last month and I've been loving the listening experience, but something tells me I still want to get the zen dac. How was your experience?
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
I haven't yet, tbh, Cedric. I should do, though!
@andreasschultze66443 жыл бұрын
That‘s exactly the question I‘d have. Right now I‘ve got some dt880 here and they work straight from the mainboard as well as my marantz avr. Don’t know how much better they potentially get, when powered „correctly“
@monstamac20053 жыл бұрын
Saw this video and would add like others, planar magnetic next. Warmer and a bit more bass with same clarity. For budget the Hifiman HE4XX or next level the Sundara's.
@jandekker60083 жыл бұрын
Oh dear. This has reawakened my inner audiophile. I've got Beyer Dynamic DT1350s, which I absolutely love. I do always wonder what open-back cans would be like, though. I got my Beyers when I still commuted, but I don't have that constraint any more. That DAC looks a sensible buy too. A friend let me try his Chord Mojo, which is more cash than this, I think, but it was awesome.
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
Haha - oh dear, apologies 😉
@monstamac20053 жыл бұрын
Open backs will open the soundstage and surround of the music mix, you will probably notice a bit less bass since it is not trapped in the cups but the flow of sound is amazing. You will be sharing the music with anyone in the room 😁
@yayaholistic3 жыл бұрын
This was helpful, thank you Mark!
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
No, thank you!
@antoinep97333 жыл бұрын
Really enjoyed the video, you’re very good at what you do. As you say a set-up like that will highlight bad recordings and mixes, but even 320 kbit/s out of Spotify sounds better than on wireless consumer headphones. I trialled Tidal hi-fi (4 months free), but the slight improvement in SQ wasn’t worth the cost of the service in my part of the world.
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
Thank you! And you’re right, it isn’t for everyone.
@panzer32793 жыл бұрын
Tidal MQA is actually lossy, better to use Apple music or other services.
@drezzy5 Жыл бұрын
I never personally noticed a issue with mqa back when i used tidal. Would play out of dragonfly red and shure se846’s. With that said for half the price apple musics quality is just as good
@brychaus90593 жыл бұрын
I really liked this perspective on these HD-560S headphones. I've been worried about them being too analytical, but it looks like I shouldn't worry about that.
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
Don’t be 😊
@rdotskeven3 жыл бұрын
Hey from the very cold land of Igloos and Polar Bears aka 🇨🇦. LOVE LOVE LOVE this review into the world of Audiophile Music Mark. I am like you and have just gotten into this world of hearing music the way it’s meant to be heard. My first step into the world are the Worlds First wireless headphone with THX technology and are the THX Panda Headphones by Drop with dual AAA THX AMPS built into the headphones. They are absolutely phenomenal and they will soon have the worlds first APP with a headphone parametric amp to help tune them a little more to your liking. I too have heard GREAT things about the Senn 560s. I am now looking at buying a second pair of Audiophile Headphones (either the Sennheiser HD58x, HD6xx or Hifiman Sundara), and my first Dac/Amp combo. I was looking at the iFi Hip DAC which is a portable DAC/Amp combo so that I can use them with my Bluetooth THx Pandas but I’m kinda liking this iFI Zen DAC you have shown us. Now that you are here in this world, I’d like you to maybe go a little further and help more of us like you and I that are just entering this world. . A few videos that explain the terms that are commonly used, LOL at a few other options. You gav a great choice in the $300 range but maybe looking at the $400 and $500 range stepping up a bit more each time. NO ONE else is doing this and personally I think I it would be popular. Once again, thanks for this video and I’m sure I’ll see in some more. Until then, stay safe and happy listening 🎧. Kevin 👊
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
Love this comment - thank you! I think you've got some solid ideas there, and they're similar to my own. So, stay tuned ;)
@rdotskeven3 жыл бұрын
@@MarkEllisReviews Thanks Mark, I’ll be watching to see what’s coming.up. I’m just learning and a lot of the terms like wide sound stage vs closed, what’s a DAC, do you need it AND the amp or just an amp or. . . . 🤷🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️. Then another thing I’m still trying to learn is the difference between something like the iFI Zen DAC you showed and a desk top tube amp. Looking at a graph and understanding it for if you want to tune / EQ your own headphones. Where are the lows, the sub bass, mids and highs etc. Learning how to read them and knowing how you like your soundstage helps for when you buy another pair of headphones so you are getting something out of the box that’s better suited to you and your ears. It definitely is and has been a learning curve but your video was a big help. Thanks again and keep doing you. Stay safe and happy listening 🎧 Kevin🎗
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
@@rdotskeven Thanks! I think there's lots of potential content there. I'll mull it all over :)
@endody95192 жыл бұрын
I use this exact combo for a few weeks now: HD560S with Zen Dac V2 and Tidal. For around €300 this sounds awesome. Can recommend it to anyone. And the truebass function on the zen dac really makes everything better on the hd560s in my opinion.
@north082 жыл бұрын
Add the iFi Can Amp to the mix, use the 4.4mm interconnect and cable to your headphone and you’ll notice it go up another level.
@retrosai2 жыл бұрын
@@north08 Connecting a non balanced headphone (like 560s) to a balanced audio source using a 4.4mm adapter can fry the Amp and potentially damage the headphone. On the other hand, using a balance headphone and connecting it to an unbalanced (using adapter) or balanced audio source, both is fine.
@Gwinter45210 ай бұрын
How is the Zen Dac powered? Do you plug it into a wall/power supply, or is it powered straight from the device you play music on?
@endody951910 ай бұрын
@@Gwinter452 In my case it’s powered through USB via my PC. But it has a DC connector as well so you can also use a power adapter (not included usually i believe) as well.
@Gwinter45210 ай бұрын
@endody9519 Thank you. All this technical stuff is confusing, lol. But maybe one day I'll splurge and give it a try. For now, I'm thinking of purchasing the M4 headphones... I'd still use them wired (usb-c) for the best quality.
@akeaveney3 жыл бұрын
Hi Mark. I'm currently running a pair of 15+ year old Sennheiser HD580s off a Behringer FCA202 Audio Interface. I'm thinking of moving to the 560S's mainly for comfort reasons, I use headphones 10+ hours a day. I'm just wondering did you try anything besides the ifi Zen Dac/Amp? Did you consider any valve/vacuum headphone amps? I agree with you about the importance of the source. I'm used to using Tidal as a source but find it so muddy when I'm listening to a lot of stuff on KZbin.
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
Hi, Alan. Thanks for tuning in. I'm afraid I haven't tried anything beyond the iFi Zen DAC yet, but I will be this year!
@MobileDecay Жыл бұрын
Ha!!! This setup is for children! You need to spend at least 3 million dollars on the DAC alone!!! Lol, I'm just messing with you! I'm happy if I can afford ramen noodles for dinner! 🤣🤣🤣
@kurt1200320022 жыл бұрын
it literally makes me vomit. "I will make a quick audiophile system over here, let me start wit the single most garbage sounding DAC out there." For context, SMSL M7 hit the market 3-4 years with Zen Dac, it is a very similar unit, both devices were 150$ at the time of their release, and my M7 is still in use to this day while I gave the Zen Dac away for free with around 30h total of use. This is how bad Zen Dac is. So what is a cheap good setup? Well HD560, Hip-Dac is actually nice and if you can find Hip-Dac 1 that is around 100$ and spend some 30-40$ on a Raspberry pi Zero 2W, that you will run on any power bank we all have 2-3 around the house. And you can now load some good FLAC files, in to your streamer, with a nice relaxing DAC, and you can sit on your porch and relax. 3rd. NOOOO! "Master quality authentication" short MQA, does NOT MEAN MASTER QUALITY. It is a lossy expensive format, made to please the audience. It may hide some faults, but it degrade the quality of good file. It is not small file, it does not prevent data degradation. In fact MQA mafia went on numerous events literally harassing anyone who dare to question what the format does to the music file, and if you pay for top tier tidal, and if you have a compatible DAC, you don't even get to chose to not use it, and just have the FLAC files streamed instead.
@MarkEllisReviews2 жыл бұрын
Sorry I made you throw up. Would you like me to send you some cleaning products?
@kurt1200320022 жыл бұрын
@@MarkEllisReviews correction not you or the video. The memory of how sharp and painful that DAC sounded. And is not the iFi brand ether just that line is bad. It is the M50 of DAC world.
@AI-PhotographyGeek2 жыл бұрын
Enjoyed, I’m in somewhere close to your situation to trying out HIFI headphones and DAC. Certainly it’s worth compared to spending huge money on AirPods max!
@MarkEllisReviews2 жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed!
@stuclark50812 жыл бұрын
Really nicely presented, unpretentious & 'to the point'. Every one of us has 'opinion' that is naturally pushed to a degree, even subconsciously but 'agenda' is very different & it's refreshing to have an overt explanation of a 'learning curve' rather that somebody being protectionist about previous years of listening. I am still leaning all this stuff, & will be forever & furiously haemorrhaging cash in the hope that will educate me lol. But I do it with a smile lol. Just to note....... If you want a really good very mobile option, the Dragonfly Cobalt into the Apple Camera adapter then into the iPhone is awesome when Streaming your Tidal. Thanks again, Subscribed. Kind regards.
@MarkEllisReviews2 жыл бұрын
Thank you!
@fincaalcanara Жыл бұрын
Hi I have recently watched this video and was really inspired to look at my equipment so far and my sources for music. BUT I am confused…on the one hand most reviewers say that, Dac, amp plus cable plus good over ear open or iems. Then I read about the Fiiio latest Bluetooth dac amp being the latest budget system which offers incredible sounds plus the convenience of less cable hanging around. Then I read that bluetooth can never deliver the sound dynamics of lossless music…. SO CONFUSION… what do I believe …. Can you help?
@texasbassranger11 ай бұрын
I fell down that Bluetooth headphone and earphone rabbit hole nonsense and no matter how much the manufacturer claimed their product was just as good as a wired option, they failed to perform anywhere near as good as the wired counterparts. I blow by the wireless choices, having spent way too much money on empty promises.
@fincaalcanara11 ай бұрын
@@texasbassranger I have now bought the topping g5 plus moon drop Kato’s. Let’s hope this works for me. I’ve yet to try the Bluetooth connection via this system. But am very happy so far. 👍
@FatNorthernBigot2 жыл бұрын
ifi DAC + Amiron wired headphones + Tidal for me. I'm very happy with my choices. The law of diminishing returns hits hard very quickly with more expensive gear. Great video! 👍
@k3iler057 ай бұрын
Hi. Which IFI dac do you have? Also looked up the Amiron headphones and they look great. Extra points that they are made in Germany. I would like to get into good audio and I'm looking for a decent mid tier headphone set up. Can't have speakers for now. Budget would be 1k USD for the setup but can strech it out to 1.2k if need be. Care to share any suggestions? Thank you
@mikes68443 жыл бұрын
I'm adding an additional comment as a thank you to Mark, I purchased the iFi pocket DAC. Weren't that impressed with Spotify high res as an input source - however most of my CD collection (remember those round silvery things) are stored on my Mac as Apple Lossless. Using my new M1 iMac (fab) I connected the DAC to it and the detail and definition of this source is quite revealing - not sure it would be up there with Tidal but for an old audiophile I'm happy with the extra the DAC gives me. Give it a try!!!
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
Awesome - glad you’re happy, Mike!
@LewisVideoArchive3 жыл бұрын
Brilliant review Mark. I’m going to grab the 560s soon, do you think I’d need the amp to use them with my MacBook Pro?
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
Thank you! And, yes, I'd recommend getting a headphone amp to get the best out of them. Try the iFi Zen DAC.
@bubblebubble503 жыл бұрын
Do you think hd560s is better than hd58x?
@jleetj3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the very straightforward advice using relatively affordable equipment. I've always been tempted to delve into the audiophile world but have been confused by the options out there and don't want to make a costly mistake. A question I have, though, is whether there any benefit to be gained by listening to standard streaming (Apple Music or Spotify) music with this equipment? Obviously highest quality is best, but an expensive subscription is a big consideration. Should I not bother unless I'm prepared to get the expensive sub?
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the nice words! That's a great question. You'll notice a slightly difference, possibly, but probably not enough to justify the expense, if I'm honest. At worst, you might hear the inadequacies of lower quality streams more, as I noted in the video. I really do recommend pairing this with a high quality streaming service :)
@mikes68443 жыл бұрын
Where you notice the difference between the music sources is where Mark says it is, the better quality source the more engaging it becomes and yes you really do start to hear more detail and nuances. I’m not a total anorak when it comes to hi-fi but I like to have good source components and decent speakers. I could spend lots of money but like most things it’s a compromise, with the components Mark has reviewed for a few hundred pounds you are getting a sound experience that would cost thousands in a traditional setup. Have fun 😃
@shared292 жыл бұрын
It's almost impossible to hear the diference between a mp3 320 and a 16 bit flac
@sumanth30363 жыл бұрын
I am thinking to go with these things. Is the Zen Dac really good? Please help with your suggestion.
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
It is brilliant.
@Nicnackity Жыл бұрын
I Griffin hate that subliminal advert. Will never subscribe
@MarkEllisReviews Жыл бұрын
Ooh this is an old one. I can’t remember what I was peddling - what was it?
@deekod1967 Жыл бұрын
Shout out to qobuz for best quality sound
@peat381low85 ай бұрын
the 560 S is so great. Most music I listen to is CD quality and only 44.1 hz 16 bit. And I love listening to the details every now and then since I am using AirPods Max for everything else. AirPods have spatial audio for wathching my shows and movies. But for a clear detailed audio from watching games or FaceTiming someone in a quiet room I’ll always grab the Sennheiser over any Bluetooth connection.
@Hammid Жыл бұрын
The REASON for THAT!
@bentobox314011 ай бұрын
For any beginner about to spend on dacs and amps, I've tried a ton of the lower to midfi dac/amps. It doesn't really matter if it's burr brown, AKM or ESS. There's next to no difference. Zero difference in the AKM and ESS ones, mild difference from the burr brown (that's more to do with ifi adding bass boost buttons on their dac/amps). Between a 50 dollar megatron into a zen air can, and a 300 dollar FiiO K7 to the zen dac v1 into the OG zen can. There is ZERO difference when pushed through a HD600 headphone. Just buy something that works, has an easy to claim warranty, pre-outs for speakers if you have them and RCA outs to connect an EQ like the JDS Subjective 3. Or learn to use Peace EQ and spend hours tweaking sound.
@JohnRoss-t6p8 ай бұрын
Hi Mark. I knew the audiophile bug would catch up with you eventually. No need to spend a fortune to get serious audio improvements and enhanced musical enjoyment. I have tried all the hi res streaming services including Apple, Amazon and Tidal. However for sheer musicality and serious engagement the Qobuz hi res service - in my opinion - is the best by a country mile!!!
@aawannaveed3 жыл бұрын
Very sound advice! Apple has since caught up with their Hi Res Lossless offer.
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it - thanks!
@neilbissett12403 жыл бұрын
Great review mate have a listen to a song by a band called yes the song is called owner of a lonely heart it’s an incredible mix 😎
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
Thanks, Neil. And that’s one of my favourite songs, ever. Trevor Horn at his best.
@Bootrosgali Жыл бұрын
Ive been WH XM3 throiuggh and through and thats all i know but I have collected 40000 IDM tracks, EP and LPs over the last 12 years and im ready to spend 600Euros on FOCAL ELEGIA and go wired portable and have a rather large audiophile closed back for my usual moving around. Its perfect, I wil get spacious sound signtaure in a closed poratabl and they used to cost 900Euro.
@coliningram606611 ай бұрын
Hi Mark. I've followed your content for ages. I'm about to bite this bullet. Are your thoughts about lossless entry the same as this video, or have other tech caught your eye>. Thanks. Keep them coming.
@johnniekeymer Жыл бұрын
I just got a pair of B&W px8. If I get a ifi zen dac, would the B&W headphones work well when wired compared with an open backed pair of audiophile headphones?
@6643bear Жыл бұрын
Great informative video, I use ifi zen dac , currently using Senn. Hd575 of which the Rotel a11 is driving well even if it’s 120 ohm impedance of the headphones , I use my zen dac phono o/p to amp. Like you I have a few headphones momentum 2 denon etc , now have hd560s and found to pretty good , and happy with them on your recommendation. Regards mark
@Dovndyr13 Жыл бұрын
Great video If you like headphones isn't it always a rabbit hole? You can get cheap headphones for 10$ but when you go to your nearest electronic store and see the brand new Sony/Sennheiser/iPod product you dream of those. And yes sure the Sennheiser he1 is more expensive than the Momentum's But yes the sound quality is better at Audiophile gear. A friend of mine uses some Bose bt headphones for like 200$. I let him listen to my Focal Clear and Schiit Asgard 3 amp/ Modius dac (in total 1300$ gear). It made him cry
@Angel-ek5xz Жыл бұрын
Would this ifi zen dac work with a turntable/record player? Im interested in this combo for it if it works. My turntable has a built in pre-amp
@deadandburied76263 жыл бұрын
Going on your recommendation Mark, I bought a pair of 560s. 👍
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
You won't regret it :)
@JustLearning Жыл бұрын
Glad your trying out HIFI stuff. I recently got started. First I bought a Fosi DS1 Dongle ($70) and then I purchased Fiio BTR 7 ($200) that can be used tethered to an iPhone or device or you can use Bluetooth. And the Bluetooth sound great! I also have a Sony MDR 7506 that is closed back and does not insert a profile except how the audio was recorded. And I just bought a pair of Sennheiser HD 660s. The sound is great and loud like I like it. I am trying not to go down the HIFI rabbit hole and buy more stuff. But I am eyeing a DAP (Digital Audio Player) where you can store your music (FIIO M11S). But I am trying to wait a spell before purchasing it. Thanks for you video and I am glad you are stepping into the High Audio world.
@katelinsu2 жыл бұрын
My dream pair of over ear, wireless headphones: great sound for listening to music (duh!), removable boom mic for work calls (ugh), and an optional line in cord (+ mic still working with line in). Does this exist? 🥺🥺🥺
@germanrottweiler2811 Жыл бұрын
I just bought Momentum 4 and I phones 13, can I purchase BTR 7 to make it louder
@ProductivePM3 жыл бұрын
Mark the timing of this is perfect. I am trying Tidal and Amazon HD. I want to try the iFi Zen DAC (based on your recommendation). I recently bought the Sony MK1000XM4's and wondered, for now, would this work well with the iFi Zen DAC directly plugged in. Also, have you tried the software called BOOM audio that gives 3D spatial audio? Thanks again for another great informative video . . .
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
Awesome! I haven’t tried the Sonys through the iFi yet, but will. As for Boom I’ve used it for EQ but wasn’t that impressed, to be honest.
@ProductivePM3 жыл бұрын
@@MarkEllisReviews Mark, you have pushed me down the rabbit hole . . . I bought the iFi Hip Dec (like the Zen Desk only portable so I can take it with the M1 MacBook Air). I just bought and am waiting for the iFi Zen Blue which will give my stereo streaming capability through my computer. it has a DAC built-in, but I may look to add a DAC to it. I am looking at also still getting the iFi Zen Deck for my desktop. I started exploring the whole HiFi Audiophile environment and you could just sink substantial amounts of money into this hobby/passion
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
@@ProductivePM Oops 🙈
@mannykhan77522 жыл бұрын
Good explanation Mark but personally I think the audiophile alley is one dark place and that once you go to, you don't wanna come back. I dont think that to enjoy music, you need to lose an arm and a leg in equipment to get the right sound. That's why I love Bose or Sony because I know that, although not perfect, they have what it takes to deliver a good sound and enjoy some good music in a single package AND have the convenience of having bluetooth for pertability.
@13ig13oots3 жыл бұрын
Some people listen to their equipment rather than enjoying the music, I personally don't see the point. I recently got myself a pair of Musical Fidelity balanced headphones and the matching headphone amp, since I live in a flat it means I can listen to music late at night without disturbing my neighbours.
@hi-fi_phile_hunters Жыл бұрын
Zen dacs are great, but I think too many people overlook analog systems that use small tube amps to power headphones. I do highly highly recommend checking out the Little Dot mkII amp. The way this would work is it allows you to use a mixer to connect things such as a turntable, CD player, cassette and even a direct hookup for your computer through the headphone jack. The warmth you get from analog is insane and it feels much more natural. As an audiophile myself, I prefer my analog setup vs the digital one. Ear fatigue is real and digital signal can really boost ear fatigue. Side note, love those Sennheisers, those are absolutely fantastic as entry level!
@callumelcombe3703 Жыл бұрын
Nice to see some content from someone else new to the audiophile world. I'd definitely recommend trying out Qobuz for a streaming source, arguably better than Tidal.
@celestialbalisongs3651 Жыл бұрын
As someone who uses hearing aids I've been really wanting to get a set of nice headphones, since any audio I hear is slightly messed up just by the nature of headphones being an extra layer of microphones and speakers that the sound has to go through. But I'm worried that even if the audio input is better that the output from the hearing aids will be the same
@michaelwall1721Ай бұрын
Yesssss
@CoolGameKanaal Жыл бұрын
I have one of the previous iterations of the Seneheiser headphone you showed, I have had them for about 10 years and they have survived alot of abuse. I'd trust Senheiser to do the same with the newer version, it's honestly a steal!
@mikes68443 жыл бұрын
At last someone reviewing reasonably priced equipment, thank you. 👍🏻
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
Very kind, Mike - thank you.
@rajendrabiswas2 жыл бұрын
I am fasinated by getting good sound out of tv optical Out
@blejzerosamigos6115 Жыл бұрын
Wher is that interview with the audiophile that you mentioned in the beginning of your video,thanks
@allen00882 жыл бұрын
U dont even have headphones when considering abyss line. Hifiman line or focal
@k-rup47722 жыл бұрын
Dumb question: can you make the sound "surround" like dolby atmos with amps?
@deadandburied76263 жыл бұрын
Mark can you recommend any Bose headphones model please?
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
Haven’t tried their current line up unfortunately, but I’ll be keeping an eye on what they do this year.
@rajendrabiswas2 жыл бұрын
Love to know how to get Dolby or loseless audio’s in headphones
@peterscrace35303 жыл бұрын
Mark if you think HD560s is impressive try the HD660s ;)
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
I reckon that'll be my next upgrade :)
@KingdomKey573 жыл бұрын
@@MarkEllisReviews, To be honest, I have been in this hobby for 3 years now and I don't recommend doing small incremental jumps like the HD560s to HD660s. In order to really hear a big difference, I recommend making big jumps after you have gotten used to your current setup. You will save more money this way haha. I slowly moved my way up to a Beyerdynamic T1 Gen 2 with a Schiit Audio Jotunheim 2 amp and Modius Dac and I regret all of the incremental equipment purchases I made haha
@taintedbulge3 жыл бұрын
He needs to try a pair of gold planar gl2000s dual magnet. For the price there is nothing else like it.
@edwarddodge79372 жыл бұрын
Great video! Another more affordable option for those who just want to dip the toe in audiophile grade audio is to get a pair of Koss PortaPros : $40-$50. You won’t get as much of the soundstage but it’s still a good introduction to what clean neutral headphones sound like.
@chriscarbajal96883 жыл бұрын
What happens when you plug in the xm4s into the amp?
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
They work :) But I haven't done much testing. I'm not much of a fan of running headphones like the XM4s through amps - they don't really need it.
@RealAleksandarBlagojevic3 жыл бұрын
To be honest, i was drawn to it. I use the Sony MX4 and today I got a Tidal Hifi trial subscription. I tested the service against apple music on a few songs. I couldn't really tell the difference. Am I doing something wrong?
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
What Tom said. You really need a wired headphone/amp/DAC setup to discover what you’re missing.
@RealAleksandarBlagojevic3 жыл бұрын
@Tom Herbert oh, thank you very much for the hint! a real shame
@ProductivePM3 жыл бұрын
Just use the included cable with the MX4’s and try it. There is a difference.
@RealAleksandarBlagojevic3 жыл бұрын
@@ProductivePM thank you for pointing me out. I forgot that there is a 3.5 jack for the mx4! Unfortunately, the iphone doesn't have one, so I ordered a 3.5 jack adapter today. I'm curious. maybe i'm too old but i'm currently testing the music app with the same song via bluetooth on the iphone with the jack on the mac ... i don't hear any difference. is that normal? EDIT: I don't have an amp/dac setup... it that the reason why there is not really a difference?
@RealAleksandarBlagojevic3 жыл бұрын
I'm officially giving up. After I got the Fiio Q3 DAC and connected everything wired, I couldn't see any differences with the Tidal App or Qobuz. Actually, I would have expected a distinction such as "day and night". Disappointed, I give up and will send the Q3 back. A friend of mine said that the MX4 weren't audiophile headphones, but even if they weren't, I should have heard significant differences as they are quite suitable for hi-fi. Setup was: iPhone XR with Lightning to USB-C to the DAC and with 3.5 jack to the MX4. Source were 24bit 96Khz songs from the apps mentioned above.
@MichaelSidneyTimpson3 жыл бұрын
How do you wear headphones for long periods of time without your ears hurting (I mean my actual eardrums.). My Senheiser HD6XX are definitely the best, but at the end of the day, my eardrums are in pain.
@Nick_2i Жыл бұрын
If your actual eardrums hurt, you either have a medical problem that you should get checked out or you are listening at dangerously high volumes.
@sedraniM3 жыл бұрын
I am between Sennheiser 560s and Beyerdynamics DT990 Pro 250 Ohm, both with a Fiio K5 pro Amp/DAC. Which ones do you think are better for mainly gaming and listening to music for a lot of hours in a row?
@mikafoxx27173 жыл бұрын
Definitely the 560s, the Beyers have fatiguing treble if not piercing treble for some people
@dsslimone Жыл бұрын
Love this review/ post. Got a sub from me. Could I ask if Focal have an equivalent to the Sennheiser . Love your manner and delivery. 👍👍
@iikatinggangsengii247110 ай бұрын
already forgot how they sound lul, just trust the rank
@lilian8963 жыл бұрын
Thanks for info🎧
@davidbock18013 жыл бұрын
First-time viewer. Good video, man.
@MarkEllisReviews3 жыл бұрын
Thanks, David!
@cgazlan3 жыл бұрын
even the SHP9600 sound better than the 1000XM3.... hihi