We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-03 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want the more neutral, reference-grade tuning for critical listening, choose Sennheiser HD 560; if you need a warmer, bass-forward open-back with a wooden build and a cable you can upgrade, choose SIVGA Anser HiFi Open-Back.
• Sennheiser HD 560 – biggest strength: a natural, accurate, reference-style tuning with angled drivers (e.a.r. acoustic refinement) that widen the soundstage and recreate an optimal listening triangle.
• Sennheiser HD 560 – biggest trade-off: it is a tool for accuracy, not for bass-heavy enjoyment, and it ships with a long 3 m cable plus a 6.35 mm plug that needs the included adapter for everyday 3.5 mm gear.
• SIVGA Anser HiFi Open-Back – biggest strength: a large 50 mm dynamic driver paired with solid wood earcups, aimed at deeper, cleaner bass and a wide, more musical presentation.
• SIVGA Anser HiFi Open-Back – biggest trade-off: the wood shell and velvet-leather earpads make it a heavier, more lifestyle-oriented object, and it is tuned for enjoyment rather than measurement-flat neutrality.
• For the analytical listener who wants the truth in the recording → Sennheiser HD 560.
• For the listener who wants warmth, character and an upgrade path → SIVGA Anser HiFi Open-Back.
The HD 560 is built around one idea: telling you what is actually on the recording. Its 38 mm dynamic drivers are angled inside the earcups to mimic the natural angle of your ears, which is the trick Sennheiser uses to build a wide, articulate soundstage. Combined with open-back earcups that let sound waves expand naturally, that design gives instruments room to sit apart from each other instead of piling into the middle of your head. If you spend your listening time picking apart a mix, this is the kind of headphone that helps rather than hides.
The spec sheet tells you a lot about how it behaves. Impedance is 120 ohm and sensitivity is 110 dB, with a frequency range of 6 Hz to 38 kHz. The 120-ohm figure is the important one: it is high enough that the HD 560 is not a phone-and-dongle headphone for everyone, but low enough that it plays nice with laptops, portable digital audio players, A/V receivers and audio interfaces. Sennheiser also uses a polymer-blend transducer membrane with highly linear excursion, which is the engineering reason the low end stays controlled rather than flabby. You get extended low-end reach with real presence — just not the boosted, thumping kind.
Physically it is a plastic-bodied, over-ear design weighing 240 g, and the lightweight build is a deliberate choice: the "barely there" feel is what makes long sessions easy. The included 3 m detachable cable gives you plenty of slack to reach a desk amp, and the 6.35 mm plug with a flexible 3.5 mm adapter covers both worlds. It ships with the headphones, cable and owner's manual, and it carries a 2-year manufacturer warranty.
SIVGA Anser HiFi Open-Back: Who It's For
The Anser takes the opposite approach. Where the HD 560 is engineered around neutrality, the Anser is engineered around presence. Its 50 mm dynamic driver is explicitly designed to produce deeper bass and to control the driver's movement better, which SIVGA frames as cleaner, clearer output. That larger driver diameter means more surface area moving air, and that is exactly what gives a headphone its sense of weight and slam. If your library leans on electronic, hip-hop, rock or film scores where low-end authority matters, the Anser's tuning philosophy is aimed straight at you.
The build is the other half of the story. The earcups are solid wood, finished matte so the grain reads as understated rather than glossy — and because it is real wood, each pair has a unique pattern. That is a genuine aesthetic difference from the HD 560's plastic shell, and it changes the ownership experience: you are buying something that looks like a piece of furniture rather than lab equipment. Impedance is a low 38 ohm, which makes the Anser easier to drive from modest sources than the 120-ohm HD 560.
Comfort and flexibility are handled thoughtfully. The headband is stretchable and wrapped in premium leather, the earpads use velvet leather, and both housings rotate up to 180 degrees — useful for single-side listening and for fitting different head shapes. The cable is a detachable 3.5 mm design, chosen specifically so audiophiles can swap in an upgraded cable without soldering anything. It comes with a 1-year warranty.
Buy it if you want a warmer, bass-forward open-back with real character, an easy load for portable gear, and a cable you can replace or upgrade. Skip it if you want the most neutral reference tuning available, if you prefer a featherweight plastic build, or if you dislike the idea of maintaining wood and leather over the years.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for bass weight and musical enjoyment → SIVGA Anser HiFi Open-Back. A 50 mm driver and a design explicitly aimed at deeper, cleaner bass give it more low-end presence.
• Best for easy driving from phones and laptops → SIVGA Anser HiFi Open-Back. At 38 ohm it is a much lighter electrical load than the HD 560's 120 ohm.
• Best for a more scalable source chain → Sennheiser HD 560. The higher impedance and 110 dB sensitivity reward a decent dongle, DAP, receiver or interface, and the 3 m cable plus 6.35 mm plug with 3.5 mm adapter suits desk setups.
• Best for long-session comfort → Sennheiser HD 560. At 240 g with a lightweight plastic frame, it is the easier all-day wear.
• Best for looks and materials → SIVGA Anser HiFi Open-Back. Solid wood earcups with unique grain, leather headband and velvet-leather earpads.
• Best for cable upgrades → SIVGA Anser HiFi Open-Back. The 3.5 mm detachable cable was designed to be replaced.
• Best for soundstage width → a genuine toss-up. Sennheiser gets there through angled-driver acoustic refinement; SIVGA advertises a wide soundstage from its large driver. Both are open-back, so both trade isolation for air.
• Best for fitting odd head shapes and single-side listening → SIVGA Anser HiFi Open-Back. The 180° rotating housings are the deciding feature here.
In my opinion, the Sennheiser HD 560 is the one I would buy if I had to pick a single pair for serious listening. The angled drivers, the 6 Hz–38 kHz range and the deliberately neutral tuning make it the better long-term reference: it will still be telling you the truth about your music after you have changed sources three times. The 240 g weight and the 3 m detachable cable with a 6.35 mm plug and 3.5 mm adapter make it painless to live with at a desk, and the 2-year warranty backs it up.
That said, I would steer you to the SIVGA Anser without hesitation if you want warmth over neutrality. The 50 mm driver, the solid wood earcups and the upgradeable 3.5 mm cable make it the more characterful, more enjoyable listen — and at 38 ohm it is friendlier to whatever you already own.
what is the best headphones for audiophiles
There is no single answer, because "audiophile" means different things. If you want accuracy, the Sennheiser HD 560's reference tuning, angled 38 mm drivers and 6 Hz–38 kHz range are aimed at that goal. If you want a warmer, bass-forward signature with a wooden build, the SIVGA Anser's 50 mm driver fits better.
what are the best headphones for audiophiles
I would frame it by priority rather than by brand. For analytical listening and long sessions, the 240 g HD 560 with its 120 ohm load and 3 m detachable cable is my pick. For easy driving from modest sources, the 38 ohm Anser with its detachable 3.5 mm cable and 180° rotating housings is the more flexible option.
what are the best wireless headphones for audiophiles
Neither of these is wireless — both are wired, open-back designs, and the HD 560 lists RF as its wireless technology rather than Bluetooth. If wireless is a hard requirement, look elsewhere. If you can accept a cable, both of these deliver open-back sound that wireless designs rarely match.
what are the best bluetooth headphones for audiophiles
Again, neither product here is a Bluetooth headphone. The HD 560 and the Anser are both wired, open-back models with detachable cables and no noise control. Choose between them on tuning and build, not on wireless features — and check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
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