Sennheiser HD 600 Headphones Review

These headphones have a generally flat sound profile that's well-suited for professional sound work and audiophile listening. While they more closely match the SoundGuys.com Studio Curve than our own target, the Sennheiser still lacks in the low-end, which can be underwhelming for some.

Their frequency response consistency is excellent. Due to their open-back and ear pad design, these headphones have a very consistent bass delivery across multiple users and re-seats. There's a little more deviation in the treble delivery, but if you take the time to find a solid fit, you'll be rewarded with consistent audio delivery. 

Their bass-range compliance is passable. As with many open-back headphones, they have a somewhat underemphasized bass response that deviates from our target in the low- and mid-bass. This takes some of the boom and slam out of 808s and basslines, which can make listening to genres like techno and house less exciting. That said, there's a touch of warmth in the high bass, as this range isn't as underemphasized as the rest.

The mid-range compliance is outstanding. The response throughout the range is very even and flat and follows our target extremely well. This allows for vocals and lead instruments to be reproduced crisply and with a lot of detail. There's very little deviation in this range from our target curve, so they're an excellent reference point for accurately analyzing mid-range instruments. In songs like Pharoah Sanders' Love Will Find a Way, the alternating saxophone, guitar, and keyboard solos all sound well-defined, with accurately reproduced timbres.

These open-backs have incredible treble compliance. Their response is generally well-balanced across the entire range. There's a slight bump in the low treble that adds presence to the upper harmonics of vocals and lead instruments. There's also a slight dip in the mid-treble that ensures sibilants don't sound too harsh.

The peaks and dips performance is very good, meaning that their frequency response generally follows their flat sound signature. Most of the deviations occur in the treble range, with a peak in the low-treble that helps bring out the upper harmonics of vocals, followed by a dip and a peak in the mid-treble. The result is that sibilants alternate between sounding slightly dull and bright depending on their pitch.

The Sennheiser HD 600 have a great stereo mismatch performance. There's hardly any mismatch between the L/R drivers when it comes to amplitude and frequency, which indicates good quality control and tight tolerances between the drivers. Similarly, with phase, mismatches are negligible and limited to the upper range of human hearing, so they likely won't affect everyday audio playback.

Their group delay performance is okay. Group delay falls most below the audibility threshold across the entire frequency range, except the low-bass, resulting in transparent treble and mid-range reproduction. While there are some spikes in the low-bass, this is a range that these headphones struggle to reproduce anyway, so the elevated group delay isn't particularly audible. 

They have a middling PRTF performance. While their open-back design allows for a good amount of audio interaction with the outer ear, creating the impression of width, the soundstage still sounds closed-off and lacks an immersive quality. While these open-back headphones may feel more open and spacious sounding than closed-back headphones like the Drop + THX Panda Wireless, they still fall short of the spatial qualities created by angled reference speakers. 

The Sennheiser HD 600 have an incredible harmonic distortion performance. Even at elevated listening levels, there's very little degradation of audio fidelity, and certainly no coloration that will be audible in everyday listening. 

You'll need a dedicated amp to drive these headphones if you plan on using them with mobile end devices, like smartphones and laptops. 

These are the settings we used to test these headphones. Our results are only valid in this configuration.

The Sennheiser HD 600 look very similar to the Sennheiser HD 650, with a few differences in the headband design. These headphones have large open ear cups with a suede-like finish on the padding that gives them a premium appeal. Their cool blue patterned finish makes them stand out from the other models in the Sennheiser HD series. However, newer units are only available in a monochrome black finish.

These headphones are comfortable but a little tight. They have large ear cups that easily fit around most listeners' ears. They're well-padded and covered in a suede-like material that adds to their comfort level. Unfortunately, the headband exerts a little too much pressure on the head compared to the Sennheiser HD 650 and the Sennheiser HD 598, which can get uncomfortable during long listening sessions. If you want a more comfortable pair of audiophile headphones, look at the HiFiMan Sundara 2020.

These headphones don't have a control scheme or an audio cable with an in-line remote.

They're big, bulky headphones that don't fold into a more compact design for transport. They're not made to be carried around often, and they don't come with a case to easily store them in your bag, which makes them less portable. The box they come in can be used as a substitute for a case. Unfortunately, it's far too large and cumbersome for mobile use.

They have a good, solid build quality. The open ear cups feel dense enough not to crack or get damaged by a few falls. However, the headband feels fragile. Also, the metal frame that links the ear cups to the headband is connected by a thin joint that looks weak and feels susceptible to breaking under moderate physical stress.

These headphones aren't designed for sports. However, they deliver a tight, stable fit that will remain in place during casual listening sessions and more intense headbanging. They aren't ideal for the gym due to their bulky design, but they offer a tight enough fit to be stable in most situations. Unfortunately, the detachable cord won't disconnect before yanking the headphones off your head if hooked on something.

• Sennheiser HD 600 headphones
• 1/8" to 1/4" adapter
• Audio cable
• Manual

These headphones have poor isolation due to their open-back design. In the bass range, where the rumble of airplane and bus engines sit, they offer no attenuation. They do a similarly poor job blocking out mid-range noise, like background conversations. They offer a small amount of attenuation against treble range noise, though, so they'll diminish the perceived volume of sounds like computer fan whine. Still, if you need better isolation, closed-back headphones like the Sennheiser HD 620S provide more of a buffer between you and your environment.

The Sennheiser HD 600's leakage is poor, although this is to be expected given their open-back design. Leakage is loud and concentrated in the upper-mid and treble ranges, so escaping audio sounds thin. Even at regular listening volumes, your audio will be detectable by others around you, especially if you work in a quieter environment, like a co-working space.

These headphones have a simple 1/8" TRS audio cable with no in-line remote/microphone, so they'll only provide audio when connected to your PC, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles. Latency via analog is very low, so you won't experience any sync issues between audio and video if you use them to watch video content.

These headphones can be connected to PCs using their analog connection. You can use them to receive audio, but you'll need to purchase a separate microphone if you want to input audio.

These headphones can be connected to PlayStation consoles via the AUX port of your controller. You can use them to receive audio, but you'll need to purchase a separate microphone if you want to communicate with teammates.

These headphones can be connected to Xbox family consoles via the AUX port of your controller. You can use them to hear game audio, but you'll need to purchase a standalone microphone to communicate with teammates.