Sennheiser - MX 560 review

Sennheiser has built a deserved reputation for designing high-performing ‘phones at reasonable prices, and if you're not willing to spend hundreds of pounds on high-end models from companies like Shure, they should be your first port of call.

The new MX 560 headphones are updates to the company's already extensive range of in-ear models, and are available in a range of five colours, most of which are finished with a rather elegant metallic/pastel effect. Like most of Sennheiser's in-ear range, they're extremely light, to the point where they feel completely hollow, which can cause some issues, as we'll highlight below.

The rest of the design is pretty swish, though; there's a silver panel running down each earpiece for aesthetic value, and they are fashioned into a ‘hook' design to help them fit more comfortably in the ear. This does admittedly make them pretty comfortable to wear, but a combination of the completely circular design (rather than a shape moulded to fit the ear), smooth finish and light weight means that they fall out quite easily, so you'll have to use the foam earpiece covers supplied to really make them usable.

Elsewhere in the box you'll find a leather carry-case and ‘cable winder', which is well advertised on the packaging but almost impossible to find. When you do notice it tucked away inside you'll realise why: this is simply a piece of rubber with two earpiece holders and a hole to feed the cable through, the ‘winder' mechanism being the action of you physically wrapping the cable around a bit of rubber. Since the main cable is rubberised to improve flexibility and durability, it had a tendency to unwind itself and invoke the ‘spaghetti junction' effect, rendering this added bonus almost useless.

That's about it in terms of accessories and design, so we'll move on to the all-important performance to see how the 560s fare in today's ‘bud earphone dominated market. Sennheiser makes a point of headlining its ‘basswind' system for added bass response, a predictable move considering the advantages of the design for handling lower tones.

We were sceptical about the impact this would really have, considering how difficult it is block out ambient noise with these designs, but in fact we were impressed. There's distinct bass here, and while not as punchy as ‘bud designs like Shure's SE420, it's encompassing enough and combines very well with mid and high tones to produce a nicely rounded sound environment.

Minor issues such as a faint but audible hiss during quiet points in songs (which didn't seem to be due to our test media players or tinnitus), along with the fact that audio separation isn't as clear as you'll find with other designs, are not really an issue when you look at the price. The MX 560s retail for £19.99, which, when you throw in the leather carry pouch and (cough) cable winder, means you're getting a hell of a lot for your money.