If you want a feather-light, open-air headphone that feels like nothing on your head during long sessions, choose Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X; if you need neutral, reference-grade accuracy for analytical listening and gaming, choose Sennheiser HD 560S. Both are wired, open-back designs, so neither is a fit for blocking out a noisy room — and neither is a real answer if you're shopping for a toddler. If you landed here searching for the best noise cancelling earbuds for toddlers or the best bluetooth headphones for toddlers, this comparison won't serve you: both of these are corded, adult-oriented, open-back headphones. Read on if you want a serious wired pair for music, mixing or gaming.
• Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X — biggest strength: its 53 mm drivers with CCAW voice coils and self-adjusting 3D Wing Support make it a light, pressure-free headphone with deep bass and strong vocal presence.
• Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X — biggest trade-off: the open-air design leaks sound both ways and isolates almost nothing, so it's a quiet-room headphone only.
• Sennheiser HD 560S — biggest strength: linear, neutral tuning with angled drivers that recreate a loudspeaker-style listening triangle and a wide, articulate soundstage.
• Sennheiser HD 560S — biggest trade-off: it's the more analytical, less forgiving listen, and it leans bright — poorly recorded tracks will sound exposed.
• Who the ATH-AD500X is for: listeners who prioritize comfort and a natural, unpressured feel over absolute neutrality.
• Who the HD 560S is for: detail-chasers, gamers and anyone doing A/B comparisons who wants an honest window into the recording.
The ATH-AD500X is built around comfort first. The 3D Wing Support Housing self-adjusts to your head instead of relying on a clamping slider, and the raised-fabric earpads sit softly against the ears. Combined with the lightweight honeycomb aluminum casing, the whole point is that you stop noticing you're wearing headphones. The open-air design means no sealed pressure builds up around your ears, which is exactly the "completely natural sensation" Audio-Technica is aiming for. If you've ever taken off a tight closed-back pair after two hours and felt relief, this is the opposite experience.
How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-09 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
Who should buy it: casual and semi-serious listeners who want an easy, comfortable headphone for music, movies and long YouTube sessions, and who mostly listen in a quiet room. Who should skip it: anyone who needs isolation on a train or in a shared office, anyone who wants a strictly neutral reference curve, and anyone who mostly games competitively — the forward, musical tuning is fun but not the last word in positional precision. Also skip it if you're looking for headphones for a toddler; the open-back, wired, adult-sized design isn't built for that at all.
The HD 560S is the more purpose-built tool. Sennheiser tunes it for what it calls natural and accurate reference sound — linear acoustics meant to hold up over extended listening sessions, with smooth bass rather than boosted bass. The E.A.R. (Ergonomic Acoustic Refinement) angled driver alignment recreates the triangular listening position you'd get from a proper hi-fi speaker setup, which is why the soundstage comes across as wide and articulate without any room treatment. You're hearing a neutral version of your music, not a flattered one.
That neutrality makes it a genuinely useful comparison tool. The transducers are tuned for accuracy, so swapping between components, remasters or file formats actually tells you something instead of just sounding "different." The open-back, around-ear design also keeps the ventilated cup cool and off your ears, and the velour earpads are chosen so every contact point stays soft. At 240 g, it's a light headphone, and the "barely there" fit is a deliberate part of the package.
Specs worth noting: 120 ohms impedance, 110 dB sensitivity, and a frequency range of 6 Hz to 38 kHz. The higher impedance and the 6.3 mm jack (with a 3.5 mm adapter in the box) mean this is a headphone that rewards a decent source — a headphone amp, audio interface or a computer with a capable output. Plugged into a weak phone jack it'll still play, but you're not getting what it can do.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for long-session comfort → Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X. Self-adjusting wing support plus raised-fabric pads and a light aluminum frame.
• Best for neutral, reference accuracy → Sennheiser HD 560S. Linear tuning designed for honest evaluation of gear and recordings.
• Best for competitive gaming positioning → Sennheiser HD 560S. The angled drivers and detailed highs make direction easier to pick out.
• Best for a fun, bass-forward listen → Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X. Deep, impactful bass and forward vocals.
• Best for easy driving from basic sources → Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X. At 48 ohms it's the friendlier load; the 120-ohm HD 560S wants a better source.
• Best for a cool, pressure-free fit → both, since each is open-back and vented — but the ATH-AD500X's wing system is the more hands-off fit.
• Best for quiet-room listening only → both. Neither isolates, so don't buy either for commuting or a noisy office.
• Best for toddlers → neither. These are wired, open-back, adult headphones; for a young child you'd want a completely different category.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the Sennheiser HD 560S. In my opinion it's the more versatile long-term headphone: the neutral tuning makes it useful for music, gaming and comparing gear, and the velour fit stays comfortable through long sessions. I'd only steer you to the Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X if comfort is your top priority and you want a warmer, more forgiving, easier-to-drive listen from basic sources. Just be clear on one thing: neither of these is a toddler product. If your actual search is the best bluetooth headphones for toddlers, this isn't your category — skip both.
FAQ
No. Both are open-back, wired designs. The ATH-AD500X uses open-air cups with no sealed pressure, and the HD 560S lists no noise control at all. If you need isolation, look at closed-back headphones instead.
It helps. At 120 ohms with 110 dB sensitivity, it performs best from a headphone amp, audio interface or a computer with a solid output. The 48-ohm ATH-AD500X is the easier pair to drive from modest sources.
No. Both are wired, open-back, adult-sized headphones with no volume limiting or child-focused design. For a toddler, you'd want a dedicated kids' headphone category instead. If you're weighing these two, check the current price on Amazon before deciding — value matters, and the page's button will take you there.
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