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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you're looking for portability and the convenience of wireless connectivity, the Beats Studiobuds may be a better choice, especially if you're on a tighter budget. They're good for on-the-go use, have a compact design, and come with active noise cancellation. However, if you prioritize sound quality and are engaged in critical listening, the Sennheiser 560S, despite being pricier, provides superior audio fidelity and a more natural soundstage but these are wired headphones that may not be as convenient for mobile use and lack the noise cancellation feature of the Beats. Keep in mind the Sennheiser's open-back design leaks sound, which might limit their use in quiet environments. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Beats Studiobuds
Good for phone calls
Good for exercise
Very good for air travel
Excellent for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sennheiser 560S
Best in class for music
Excellent for TV and video
Key differences
Music
7.2/10
9.5/10
The Sennheiser 560S is best in class for music, while the Beats Studiobuds is good.
Gaming
5.2/10
6.9/10
The Sennheiser 560S is only fair for gaming, while the Beats Studiobuds is poor.
Phone Calls
7.0/10
5.1/10
The Beats Studiobuds is good for phone calls, while the Sennheiser 560S is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.0/10
8.1/10
The Beats Studiobuds is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser 560S is very good.
TV and Video
5.6/10
9.1/10
The Sennheiser 560S is excellent for TV and video, while the Beats Studiobuds is poor.
Noise Reduction
6.5/10
2.5/10
The Beats Studiobuds is only fair for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser 560S is poor.
Battery
6.0 Hours
N/A
The Beats Studiobuds has 6 hours of battery life. The Sennheiser 560S does not have a battery.
Cost
$80
$180
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
The Beats Studiobuds has a price of $80 and the Sennheiser 560S costs $180.
Build Quality
8.8/10
8.0/10
The Beats Studiobuds and Sennheiser 560S both have very good build quality, though the Beats Studiobuds has somewhat better build quality.
"For less than the price of the AirPods, the Beats Studio Buds delivers a good fit, great sound, and active noise cancellation. This is also the first set of Apple-owned Beats earbuds to feature quick pairing with Android devices, albeit at the expense of some key features for Apple users."
"Sennheiser made a near perfect pair of studio monitors with the HD 560S. Flat bass response? Check. Neutral and uncolored midrange? Check. Extended treble with a bit of lower-treble emphasis to highlight mastering flaws? Check. Fairly easy to drive? Check. Good soundstage and imaging? Check, and check."
Get a great deal on the Beats Studiobuds or the Sennheiser 560S
About Beats
Beats is an American, consumer-focused, audio products manufacturer. Founded originally by American rapper and producer Dr Dre, the company is now a subsidiary of Apple. Beats sells a wide range of audio products, including several models of headphones, earbuds and speakers as well as full car audio systems.
About Sennheiser
A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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