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).

It's one defect - the low subbass can be relieved by using 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.
• Being an open-back headphone, sound leaks out 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)