Sennheiser HD 569

The ear-enclosing Sennheiser HD 569 headset is aimed at Hi-Fi enthusiasts, gaming fans and cinema aficionados who want to enjoy their sound without being disturbed by external influences and without leaking noise into the environment themselves.

Scope of Supply, Design & Functions

The Sennheiser HD 569 headset comes in a small package. Neither a carrying bag nor an adapter are included with the headphones, although they do come with an exchangeable cable. At just over 3 m long, this is equipped with a large jack plug for Hi-Fi applications. The standard cable, on the other hand, is 1.20 m long, making it practical for everyday use. It has an integrated one-button remote control and uses a mini-jack plug for connection to a smartphone, tablet or laptop.

When it comes to design for the HD 569, Sennheiser relies on E.A.R. (“Ergonomic Acoustic Refinement”). The design of the headphones not only follows an ergonomic ideal, but should also provide an optimal sound angle for the ears. Otherwise, all components are dominated by the colour black. Yet, anyone who thinks that the functions of the Sennheiser HD 569 are instantly recognisable is mistaken. Under the hood, these headphones do more than you can see. The remote control integrated into the short cable features both a microphone and a call-answer button, which means that telephone calls can also be made on a smartphone without having to remove the headphones.

Processing & Handling

Although almost all external components, including the headband rail, are made of plastic, the headphones still look robust and resistant to me. This is also due to the compact, ergonomic design. Memory foam ensures that the HD 569 headset fits perfectly in both the ear pads and the headband, and the relatively high contact pressure allows it to sit securely, especially during outdoor use. Depending on head width, the pressure is not too much for small to medium head sizes as the ear cushions are soft enough to prevent any unpleasantness. On the other hand, the HD 569 headphones are relatively lightweight, considering their size. This has a positive effect on handling as the size adjustment is smooth and just firm enough to avoid accidental movement. Overall, the handling therefore makes a good impression.

By the way, the plug connection of the interchangeable cables has an effective holding mechanism. If the cable is plugged in and turned, it is bombproof.

Sound Character & Application Areas

What I immediately notice when testing the sound is the immense volume impression these Sennheiser headphones make on me. Since their maximum sound pressure level is no higher than that of other headphones, it must be due to the combination of the factors “low impedance”, “closed/ear-enclosing design” and “acoustic irradiation angle of the ear canal”. However, I also think that the richness in height of the reproduced signal also contributes as the HD 569 headphones are positively aggressive at high frequencies. Depending on the music production and headphone amp, however, the treble boost could be too strong for some users and runs the risk of being perceived as “sharp”. From my point of view, however, the presence of the brilliant treble up to the airiest regions has a positive effect on the stereo impression and the depth gradation is also of benefit. Despite the subjective nature of the signal resolution, I welcome this brilliance, as well as enjoying the associated room impression. Lastly, despite the high treble, the headphones have no excessive problems with hissing sounds.

In the bass range, the HD 569 headphones deliver sub-bass sovereignty. However, their powerful reproduction of low-frequency transients is unclean as, at almost all low frequencies, a cabinet resonance can be heard that makes the bass sound a little sleepy. Speech intelligibility in audio signals, on the other hand, is guaranteed by the special mid-frequency image of these headphones; voices in speech productions and pop music can therefore always be heard very well. You should, however, exercise caution – depending on the production, guitar music can sound harsh.

The playback of the Sennheiser HD 569 appears quite dynamic, but at higher playback volumes it quickly reaches its limits (especially in the bass range) and then tends to rumble. In games and cinema sound, audio material with pronounced program dynamics becomes a problem as sound effects, such as explosions, can not only hurt the protagonists in the game/movie. The attenuation of external noise and the acoustic isolation, on the other hand, are fine for this price class.