Sennheiser HD 560S vs Sony WH-1000XM4

107 facts in comparison

Based on 4,146 Reddit opinions. HD 560S leads by 14 points.

4.1K opinions
HD 560S leads by 14pts
Reddit's Pick
Sennheiser HD 560S
85%
A-
Based on
5,999 Redditors
Winner

Sennheiser HD 560S

~$149.95
3,091 opinions

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

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VS
Sony WH-1000XM4
71%
B-
Based on
1,807 Redditors

Sony WH-1000XM4

~$254
1,055 opinions

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

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Sound QualityComfortValueBuild QualityFeatures
šŸŽµSOU
😌COM
šŸ’°VAL
šŸ”§BUI
⚔FEA
67
Points
68
Points

Score by Category

Sound Quality
80%50%
Comfort
62%74%
Value
95%92%
Build Quality
71%67%
Features
43%84%

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

  • Better features (84% vs 43%)
  • Better comfort (74% vs 62%)
  • Excellent ANC
  • Good sound
  • Comfortable
Based on 7,806 Reddit opinions
Clear Winner

Reddit prefers the HD 560S

Winning by 14 points (85% vs 71%)

Better sound quality
Better bass
Neutral analytical
High confidence (7,806 mentions)

šŸ’¬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 7,806 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

HD 560S
8.5/10
5,999 mentions
Sony WH-1000XM4
7.1/10
1,807 mentions
SOUND QUALITY
HD 560S8.0/10
Sony WH-1000XM45.0/10
COMFORT
HD 560S6.2/10
Sony WH-1000XM47.4/10
BASS
HD 560S5.3/10
Sony WH-1000XM44.1/10
BUILD QUALITY
HD 560S7.1/10
Sony WH-1000XM46.7/10
VALUE
HD 560S9.5/10
Sony WH-1000XM49.2/10
FEATURES
HD 560S4.3/10
Sony WH-1000XM48.4/10
āš”ļø

Head to Head

Head to Head

HD 560S: 4|Sony WH-1000XM4: 2
Sound QualityHD 560S
HD 560S80%
Sony WH-1000XM450%
ComfortSony WH-1000XM4
HD 560S62%
Sony WH-1000XM474%
BassHD 560S
HD 560S53%
Sony WH-1000XM441%
Build QualityHD 560S
HD 560S71%
Sony WH-1000XM467%
ValueHD 560S
HD 560S95%
Sony WH-1000XM492%
FeaturesSony WH-1000XM4
HD 560S43%
Sony WH-1000XM484%
HD 560S85%
Sony WH-1000XM471%
HD 560S wins by 14 points

Key Specs

SpecSennheiser HD 560SSony WH-1000XM4
Form
Open-back, over-ear
—
Impedance
120 ohms
51.55 ohms (wired, power on)
Frequency Response
6 Hz - 38 kHz (-10 dB)
4 Hz - 40,000 Hz
Sound Pressure Level
110 dB (1kHz, 1 Vrms)
—
Thd
< 0.05 % (1kHz/90 dB SPL)
—

Key Highlights

Sennheiser HD 560SWinner
šŸ“ Neutral analytical
šŸ’° Budget friendly
šŸŽ§ Mixing capable
āš ļø Less musical
Sony WH-1000XM4
šŸ“¶ Excellent ANC
šŸŽµ Good sound
😌 Comfortable
šŸ’° Often on sale

Topic Battles

HD 560S: 3|Tied: 0|Sony WH-1000XM4: 2
šŸŽµSound Quality
HD 560S wins
HD 560S
80%
Sony WH-1000XM4
50%
😌Comfort
Sony WH-1000XM4 wins
HD 560S
62%
Sony WH-1000XM4
74%
šŸ’°Value
HD 560S wins
HD 560S
95%
Sony WH-1000XM4
92%
šŸ”§Build Quality
HD 560S wins
HD 560S
71%
Sony WH-1000XM4
67%
⚔Features
Sony WH-1000XM4 wins
HD 560S
43%
Sony WH-1000XM4
84%

Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories

šŸ“ˆWhere They Rank

šŸ’¬What Redditors Actually Say

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Sennheiser HD 560S

Best Praise
+81 pts
ā€œ[half off MSRP, $100 off actual market price](https://www.thomannmusic.com/intl/sennheiser_hd_560s.htm)ā€
r/headphones
View
Top Criticism
+10 pts
ā€œI thought the 560s were unbearably clampy tbhā€
r/headphones
View
3 more quotes available below

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Sony WH-1000XM4

Best Praise
+74 pts
ā€œthe hyperbole lol, xm4 are way better, maybe not for the price but bruv...ā€
r/headphones
View
Top Criticism
+28 pts
ā€œI spent years using Sony XM4 closed back headphones and I'd continually get ear infections, I assume due to heat and moisture build up in the cup ie no better than IEM's (maybe even worse). I found moving to open back headphones solved the ear infection problemā€
r/headphones
View
3 more quotes available below

šŸ“ˆHistorical Price Data

Sennheiser HD 560S
Sony WH-1000XM4
$210$280$350$420Apr '25May '25Jul '25Aug '25Sep '25Oct '25Nov '25Dec '25Feb '26Mar '26Low: $179.95Low: $198Current: $397.42
Sennheiser HD 560S
All-time low: $129.95(2024-10)
$30 below 90-day avg
Sony WH-1000XM4
All-time low: $159.99(2025-11)
$92 below 90-day avg

Which is Better?

Sennheiser HD 560S Wins
85%
560S
vs
71%
WH-1000XM4

Sennheiser HD 560S leads by 14 points based on 7,806 Reddit opinions.

Why HD 560SWinner
  • šŸ“ Neutral analytical
  • šŸ’° Budget friendly
  • šŸŽ§ Mixing capable
  • More discussed (5,999 vs 1,807)
Why Sony WH-1000XM4
  • Better Features (84% vs 43%)

ā¤ļøThe Love/Hate Breakdown

Sentiment Breakdown

44%Positive
Positive
44%
Neutral
48%
Negative
8%
Based on 5,999 Reddit opinions

Sentiment Breakdown

41%Positive
Positive
41%
Neutral
42%
Negative
17%
Based on 1,807 Reddit opinions

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Sennheiser HD 560S or Sony WH-1000XM4?
Based on 7,806 Reddit comments, Sennheiser HD 560S is the preferred choice with 85% positive sentiment vs Sony WH-1000XM4's 71%. Sennheiser HD 560S leads by 14 percentage points.
Should I buy Sennheiser HD 560S or Sony WH-1000XM4?
If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, Sennheiser HD 560S has stronger approval ratings (85% vs 71%). However, Sony WH-1000XM4 may still be better depending on your specific needs, budget, or use case.
What do Redditors love about Sennheiser HD 560S?
Reddit users highlight: Neutral analytical. Budget friendly. Mixing capable. With 5,999 mentions and 85% 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 1,807 mentions and 71% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 7,806 Reddit comments: 5,999 about Sennheiser HD 560S and 1,807 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.

4,146 Reddit opinions analyzed Ā· Last updated 4/15/2026