HiFiMan Edition XS vs Sennheiser HD 560S
A spec-by-spec look at two of the gaming headphones competitive players cross-shop. Sennheiser HD 560S needs only ~8.3 mW for clean 110 dB peaks vs ~63.1 mW for the HiFiMan Edition XS — easier to run loud and clean off a modest amp or even a dongle. The HiFiMan Edition XS rewards (or needs) a real amp. The full breakdown — and which to buy for your style — below.
Specs compared
| Spec | HiFiMan Edition XS | Sennheiser HD 560S | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Open-back | Open-back | Even |
| Impedance | 18 Ω | 120 Ω | Even |
| Sensitivity | 92 dB/mW | 110 dB/V | Even |
| Power for 110 dB peaks | ~63.1 mW | ~8.3 mW | Sennheiser HD 560S |
| Price class | Premium | Premium | Even |
Sound reproduction
Footstepsedge5/55/5
General use4/54/5
Music5/5 ✓4/5
Only Footsteps is a competitive axis — and it saturates: any clean open-back clears the bar, so a higher score above baseline buys little advantage. General use & Music are comfort/preference.
Imaging notewide, deep planar stage, precise imaging; clean, detailed, brightishwide stage, precise imaging; near-reference tonality, slightly bright
Which should you buy?
- Both are open-back — imaging comes down to tuning. HiFiMan Edition XS: expansive planar stage with excellent separation — top-tier positional cues; low Z + low sensitivity wants a capable amp.
- Sennheiser HD 560S needs only ~8.3 mW for clean 110 dB peaks vs ~63.1 mW for the HiFiMan Edition XS — easier to run loud and clean off a modest amp or even a dongle. The HiFiMan Edition XS rewards (or needs) a real amp.
Specs are sourced (each product carries a source + verified date in our catalog); buy links are affiliate links to your regional store — AimBench may earn a commission at no cost to you. Live pricing shows on the retailer page.
Compare other headphones
Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X vs Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO (250Ω)Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X vs HiFiMan SundaraBeyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X vs HiFiMan Edition XSBeyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X vs Truthear Hexa (IEM)Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO (250Ω) vs HiFiMan SundaraBeyerdynamic DT 990 PRO (250Ω) vs HiFiMan Edition XS
Open the full calculator → tune DPI, friction & bottlenecks