Sennheiser HD 600

The core identity and a broad agreement: neutral, natural and close to target, with a slight mid-forward tilt rather than the HD 650's warmth. The measured deviations are small; the complaints are about what the balance lacks (sub-bass, excitement), not about colour.

“Their flat sound profile is well-aligned with our target curve, with the exception of the bass range, which is rolled off due to their open design.”

RTINGS

“It is exceptionally ‘flat’ from 30Hz to (at least) 20kHz +/- 3dB.”

DIY-Audio-Heaven (Solderdude)

“Great for natural, normal tonal balance with a hint of sweetness and flare to keep it interesting. Awesome for vocals”

Resolve, headphones.com ranking list

The headline strength: vocals and acoustic instruments are where nearly every source says the HD 600 is at its best, several calling its timbre the benchmark. The one caveat is the presence region around 3 kHz — a minority hears it as shouty or harsh on loud or poorly recorded material.

“vocals were tonally correct with a very warm sound character making them non-fatiguing.”

Gene DellaSala, Audioholics

“Specifically, the vocal reproduction on the HD600 is in my opinion the best.”

Mark Ryan, Super* Review (YouTube)

“Be aware that bad recordings can make the 600s sound a bit shouty and in your face.”

Stuart Charles Black, Home Studio Basics

Sources split. Most hear the top end as smooth, well judged and non-fatiguing — the 'Sennheiser veil' dismissed as a myth born of comparison with brighter headphones. A critical minority hears it as veiled, dark or dull, lacking air and clarity next to planars. The split tracks something physical: worn pads measurably darken the 5–8 kHz region.

Agreement on the fact — the sub-bass rolls off below about 50 Hz and there is no bass shelf — and a split on the result. Most sources, owners included, find it too light for modern music, missing rumble and 'oomph'. A minority hears the mid-bass as tight, quick and punchy enough that the roll-off stops mattering. EQ in the sub-bass is the common fix.

The most repeated knock after bass: intimate, close and narrow — 'headstage' — which rules it out for many gamers. A few reviewers hear it open up on a strong amplifier, and some owners call it natural rather than small.

“This is a notoriously intimate sounding headphone, and it is not a wide presenting sound stage.”

Mark Ryan, Super* Review (YouTube)

“The soundstage is narrow, just a touch above iems, it’s pretty much headstage at this point, but the imaging and timbre is, perfection”

DarkSideAudioReviews, Head-Fi (4★)

Better than the stage suggests: instrument separation and placement are consistently praised, and Crinacle ranks it above the HD 650 on imaging. Amazon owners mention separation 50 times positively to 5 negatively.

“The legendary neutral reference. Slightly better clarity and imaging than the HD650.”

Crinacle, headphone ranking list

“The instrument separation is nothing short of exemplary.”

Stuart Charles Black, Home Studio Basics

Revealing and transparent for its price — it lays a recording bare — but not a detail monster: modern planars and flagships out-resolve it, and the owners who find it veiled also find it short on clarity.

“For one, it’s a very revealing recording that you can hear details in the instruments and background noises that simply wash away on less than stellar equipment.”

Gene DellaSala, Audioholics

“The HiFiMan Sundara offers a step up in performance over the Sennheiser HD 600 at a competitive price, with the tradeoff that it’s much heavier and less comfortable than the headphones being reviewed here.”

Christian Thomas, SoundGuys

Sources split on engagement. Well-amplified, many hear it as snappy, articulate and involving; others find it the definition of 'boring' — polite, unexciting and dull on fast material. Amplification is part of it: from a phone or weak source it measurably and audibly flattens.

Light (260 g), breathable velour, fine for hours — Headphonesty calls it the summit of over-ear comfort. The caveat is well documented: a firm clamp out of the box that eases with time or a gentle headband stretch, snug on larger heads, and a four-pad headband some find hard. Amazon's clamp topic is the nearest to even (39 positive, 22 negative).

“you should be able to handle very long listening sessions without discomfort—I sometimes forget I’m wearing them.”

Christian Thomas, SoundGuys

“Most people find these headphones very comfortable, but they do tend to be a bit tight on the head, and those with larger heads may experience them as a bit too constricting.”

Tyll Hertsens, InnerFidelity (Stereophile)

Plastic and utilitarian rather than premium — thin, dentable grilles, a long cable, a headband RTINGS calls weak — but durable in practice and, unusually, fully user-repairable: every part is sold separately. The recurring cost is pads, which compress within a year or two of daily use. A handful of recent owners report a channel cutting out.

“just about every single part is replaceable through Sennheiser or one of its many resellers.”

Christian Thomas, SoundGuys

“The Sennheiser's build quality also feels somewhat cheap for their price range, especially compared to other premium open-back headphones like the Audeze MM-100.”

RTINGS

“Right side crackling/going out only been a few months and I’ve taken good care of them.”

Amazon owner (1★)

Open-back by design: next to no isolation and plenty of leakage both ways. Expected for the type — but it is a quiet-room headphone, not one for offices or commutes.

“The Sennheiser HD 600 have a terrible noise isolation performance, though this is by design, due to their open-back design.”

RTINGS

“very little noise isolation from the outside world along with excessive sound leakage making them less than ideal for the cubical office environment.”

Gene DellaSala, Audioholics

Strong value at street price: the $500 list is rarely paid, and at $260–300 reviewers call it one of the best buys in the hobby — decades of parts support included. The case softens when the price climbs, and the near-identical Drop HD 6XX costs less still.

“the HD 600 is simply one of the best buys in the world of audiophile headphones.”

Tyll Hertsens, InnerFidelity (Stereophile)

“The price of these headphones varies wildly depending on supply and time of year—sometimes the HD 600 is a steal and other times it’s a bit tough to justify.”

Christian Thomas, SoundGuys