Sennheiser HD600 headphones

For the past 10 years, I have been using the Sony MDR-7506 headphones for all my audio listening. Having recently upgraded to a Topping DX5 II DAC/headphone amplifier, I decided it was time to upgrade to more audiophile-quality headphones as well.

After doing some research, I found the Sennheiser HD600 highly recommended by everyone (including ChatGPT, Gemini, and AVScience).

Its one defect is the low subbass, which can be addressed with Topping DX5 II's equalizer or Foobar2000's DSP module.

Sennheiser HD600 Review

Positives

• The benchmark for uncolored sound. The tonal balance is nearly perfect and consistent across the range.
• Reasonable Price ($279 on Amazon.com)
• The HD 600 is renowned for its natural, lifelike, and forward-midrange sound
  . Vocals and acoustic instruments sound exceptionally correct and articulate.
• The high frequencies are extended but smooth and controlled, avoiding harshness or sibilance, making it ideal for very long listening or mixing sessions.
• Very lightweight (260g) with plush velour earpads and an elliptical cup shape that fits around most ears. 
• Known for lasting decades. The entire headphone is modular—virtually every single part (cable, pads, headband, grille) is easily replaceable and available from Sennheiser.
• Lots of replacement ear pads and compatible cables are available

Negatives

• The bass is tight and clean, but the deep sub-bass frequencies lack the presence, impact, and "rumble" expected in modern music or from planar headphones.
• The soundstage is accurate but generally small and "in-your-head." It lacks the expansive width and airiness of competitors like the HiFiMan Sundara.
• Out of the box, the headband clamping force can be quite tight, especially for larger heads. It needs a "break-in" period or manual stretching to become comfortable.
• Its 300-ohm impedance makes it unusable or poorly driven by most phones, laptops, or portable music players without a dedicated amplifier.
• As an open-back headphone, it leaks sound significantly, making it unsuitable for use in shared spaces like offices or libraries.

Topping DX5 II PEQ Settings for Sennheiser HD600

Here are ready-to-enter EQ profiles for the HD600, created using the Topping Tune DX5 II PEQ software. You can copy these directly into Topping Tune → PEQ → Add Filter.

Filter #	Type	Frequency (Fc)	Gain (dB)	Q Factor
Preamp	N/A	N/A	-10 dB	N/A
1	Low Shelf (LS)	105 Hz	+5.0 dB	0.71
2	Peaking (PK)	125 Hz	-3.6 dB	0.45
3	Peaking (PK)	1310 Hz	-2.1 dB	1.7
4	Peaking (PK)	3100 Hz	-3.9 dB	2.2
5	Peaking (PK)	3500 Hz	-1.0 dB	4
6	Peaking (PK)	5000 Hz	-1.8 dB	6
7	Peaking (PK)	5900 Hz	-5.7 dB	5
8	Peaking (PK)	6000 Hz	+3.0 dB	0.71
9	Peaking (PK)	8100 Hz	-3.2 dB	5
10	High Shelf (HS)	13000 Hz	-5.0 dB	0.71

Links

• Sennheiser HD600 Headphone
• Balanced Headphone Cable for Sennheiser Headphones HD650 HD600 HD580 HD535 HD545 HD565 HD265 with 4pin XLR (1.2m, 4pin Male)
• MassDrop Sennheiser HD6xx Headphones (HD650 clone)