Sennheiser HD 560S vs Sony WH-1000XM4

96 facts in comparison

Based on 2,647 Reddit opinions. Close raceβ€”HD 560S edges ahead.

2.6K opinions
HD 560S leads by 3pts
Reddit's Pick
Sennheiser HD 560S
91%
A
Based on
6,351 Redditors
Winner

Sennheiser HD 560S

~$149.95
1,928 opinions

tldr; Analytical budget king. Neutral, revealing, affordable. Mixing and critical listening.

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VS
Sony WH-1000XM4
88%
A-
Based on
2,205 Redditors

Sony WH-1000XM4

~$348
719 opinions

tldr; Wireless benchmark. Great ANC, good sound, all-day comfort. The safe pick.

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Sound QualityComfortValueBuild QualityFeaturesBass
🎡SOU
😌COM
πŸ’°VAL
πŸ”§BUI
⚑FEA
πŸ”ŠBAS
34
Points
37
Points

Score by Category

Sound Quality
31%34%
Comfort
45%46%
Value
33%33%
Build Quality
35%36%
Features
27%35%
Bass
30%36%

Why is Sony WH-1000XM4 better than Sennheiser HD 560S?

  • Better features (35% vs 27%)
  • Better bass (36% vs 30%)
  • Excellent ANC
  • Good sound
  • Comfortable
Based on 8,556 Reddit opinions
Too Close to Call

Reddit prefers the HD 560S

Winning by 3 points (91% vs 88%)

Neutral analytical
Budget friendly
Mixing capable
High confidence (8,556 mentions)

πŸ’¬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 8,556 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

HD 560S
9.1/10
6,351 mentions
Sony WH-1000XM4
8.8/10
2,205 mentions
BUILD QUALITY
HD 560S3.5/10
Sony WH-1000XM43.6/10
COMFORT
HD 560S4.5/10
Sony WH-1000XM44.6/10
SOUND QUALITY
HD 560S3.1/10
Sony WH-1000XM43.4/10
FEATURES
HD 560S2.7/10
Sony WH-1000XM43.5/10
BASS
HD 560S3.0/10
Sony WH-1000XM43.6/10
VALUE
HD 560S3.3/10
Sony WH-1000XM43.3/10
βš”οΈ

Head to Head

Head to Head

HD 560S: 0|Sony WH-1000XM4: 3
Build Quality
HD 560S35%
Sony WH-1000XM436%
Comfort
HD 560S45%
Sony WH-1000XM446%
Sound QualitySony WH-1000XM4
HD 560S31%
Sony WH-1000XM434%
FeaturesSony WH-1000XM4
HD 560S27%
Sony WH-1000XM435%
BassSony WH-1000XM4
HD 560S30%
Sony WH-1000XM436%
Value
HD 560S33%
Sony WH-1000XM433%
HD 560S91%
Sony WH-1000XM488%
Close race - HD 560S edges ahead by 3 points

Key Specs

SpecSennheiser HD 560SSony WH-1000XM4
Brand
Sennheiser
Sony
Manufacturer
Sennheiser
Sony
Color
Black
Black
Weight
0.5291094288 pounds
0.5625 Pounds
Height
5.66928 inches
9.94 inches

Key Highlights

Sennheiser HD 560SWinner
πŸ“ Neutral analytical
πŸ’° Budget friendly
🎧 Mixing capable
⚠️ Less musical
Sony WH-1000XM4
πŸ“Ά Excellent ANC
🎡 Good sound
😌 Comfortable
πŸ’° Often on sale

Topic Battles

HD 560S: 0|Tied: 3|Sony WH-1000XM4: 3
🎡Sound Quality
Sony WH-1000XM4 wins
HD 560S
31%
Sony WH-1000XM4
34%
😌Comfort
HD 560S
45%
Sony WH-1000XM4
46%
πŸ’°Value
HD 560S
33%
Sony WH-1000XM4
33%
πŸ”§Build Quality
HD 560S
35%
Sony WH-1000XM4
36%
⚑Features
Sony WH-1000XM4 wins
HD 560S
27%
Sony WH-1000XM4
35%
πŸ”ŠBass
Sony WH-1000XM4 wins
HD 560S
30%
Sony WH-1000XM4
36%

Based on Reddit sentiment across 6 categories

πŸ“ˆWhere They Rank

πŸ’¬What Redditors Actually Say

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Sennheiser HD 560S

Best Praise
+235 pts
β€œThe HD 560S is one of our most popular models and we run good promotions on a variety of headphones.”
r/headphones
View
No negative quotes found
3 more quotes available below

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Sony WH-1000XM4

Best Praise
+41 pts
β€œThere are three sides to the story, general consumers opinions, audiophiles opinions (a lot of this subreddit), and objective measurements/issues.Β  General consumers tend to not care as much about sound quality. They focus on ANC, connectivity, comfort, and usually brand recognition. For that, the XM4s, 5s, and 6s are good headphones that have long battery life and a wide range of users. Parts are plentiful and you don’t have to worry about long wait times if something goes wrong with them under warranty. Audiophiles, especially on r/headphones, say they sound horrid. I agree. However, our basis is on headphones that often are confined to our desks with dacs, preamps, amps, fancy cables, etc. We dislike them because they don’t fit our standard for a β€œgood” headphone but these standards are wildly different than your average consumer. For objectivity I’m only gonna talk about build quality. The hinges on the XM5 are downright stupid and designed to fail. I would avoid them specifically for that reason. The XM4s I don’t believe have anything major outside of the headband creaking. Although the XM4 does have a laughably bad microphone. Keep in mind that Sony headphones use a synthetic leather for the earpads and headband that will crack and peel after a few years. I’m not sure about the XM6 because it hasn’t been out that long. TLDR: Don’t mix up consumer and audiophile reviews. Build quality with the XM4s is fine, avoid the XM5s because of its hinge issues (imo).”
r/headphoneadvice
View
No negative quotes found
3 more quotes available below

πŸ“ˆHistorical Price Data

Sennheiser HD 560S
Sony WH-1000XM4
$140$210$280$350Mar '25Apr '25May '25Jul '25Aug '25Sep '25Oct '25Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Low: $149.95Low: $198Current: $149.95Current: $348
Sennheiser HD 560S
Sony WH-1000XM4
All-time low: $159.99(2025-11)

Which is Better?

Sennheiser HD 560S Wins
91%
560S
vs
88%
WH-1000XM4

Close race, but Sennheiser HD 560S edges ahead by 3 points based on 8,556 Reddit opinions.

Why HD 560SWinner
  • πŸ“ Neutral analytical
  • πŸ’° Budget friendly
  • 🎧 Mixing capable
  • More discussed (6,351 vs 2,205)
Why Sony WH-1000XM4
  • Better Features (35% vs 27%)

❀️The Love/Hate Breakdown

Sentiment Breakdown

28%Positive
Positive
28%
Neutral
69%
Negative
3%
Based on 6,310 Reddit opinions

Sentiment Breakdown

29%Positive
Positive
29%
Neutral
67%
Negative
4%
Based on 2,181 Reddit opinions

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Sennheiser HD 560S or Sony WH-1000XM4?
Based on 8,556 Reddit comments, Sennheiser HD 560S has a slight edge with 91% positive sentiment vs Sony WH-1000XM4's 88%. The difference is small, so both are solid choices.
Should I buy Sennheiser HD 560S or Sony WH-1000XM4?
Both have similar approval ratings (91% vs 88%), so focus on specific features, pricing, and what matters most to you.
What do Redditors love about Sennheiser HD 560S?
Reddit users highlight: Neutral analytical. Budget friendly. Mixing capable. With 6,351 mentions and 91% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.
What do Redditors say about Sony WH-1000XM4?
Reddit users highlight: Excellent ANC. Good sound. Comfortable. With 2,205 mentions and 88% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 8,556 Reddit comments: 6,351 about Sennheiser HD 560S and 2,205 about Sony WH-1000XM4. Data was sourced from headphones community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.

2,647 Reddit opinions analyzed Β· Last updated 3/7/2026