Sell HD 560S for HD 550, or just use Oratory PEQ on Qudelix 5K?
I currently own the Sennheiser HD 560S and I’m considering whether it’s worth selling them to buy the newer HD 550.
Right now, I use the HD 560S with a Qudelix 5K, usually with Oratory’s PEQ preset. Because of that, I’m wondering if the HD 560S is already close enough in tuning and overall performance once EQ’d, or if the HD 550 still offers a noticeable improvement that can’t really be matched with PEQ.
I mostly use headphones for music, gaming, and general media. For music, I care about overall tonal balance, clarity, detail, bass quality, vocals, and whether the sound feels natural or engaging. For gaming, imaging and positional accuracy matter to me, but I’m not necessarily looking for something purely competitive or analytical. I still want it to be enjoyable for casual listening.
The HD 560S already seems pretty technically capable to me, especially with EQ, but I’m curious if the HD 550 has better refinement, smoother treble, better bass, improved imaging, or a more enjoyable presentation overall. I’ve seen some people describe the HD 550 as a more refined or easier-to-like headphone, but I’m not sure if that difference is big enough to justify selling what I already have.
For those who have heard both the HD 560S and HD 550, especially with EQ on the HD 560S, how big is the actual difference?
Would the HD 550 be a real upgrade, or more of a sidegrade?
And if I’m already using the HD 560S with Oratory PEQ through a Qudelix 5K, would I be better off just keeping it instead of spending extra money on the HD 550?