HIFIMAN RE2000 vs Sennheiser IE 600

Short answer: the HIFIMAN RE2000. It ranks #339 of 450 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.6/5, at $799. The Sennheiser IE 600 ranks #357, rated 3.5/5, at $699.95, $99.05 cheaper, which does not close the gap in sound quality.

What the HIFIMAN RE2000 does well: Crinacle’s measurement gives a Harman preference score of 69 with a deviation of 2.63 dB, a respectable match to the target most listeners prefer. The catch: A score of 69 is only middling for a flagship in-ear, and a response that deviates from the target by 2.63 dB leaves audible coloration.

What the Sennheiser IE 600 does well: Sub-bass extends to 20 Hz with a slight 1.7 dB lift, and bass, low mids and upper mids all sit within about 1.3 dB of target, so the core of most music sounds full and natural. Watch for: In oratory1990’s measurement a 7.6 dB dip near 5.9 kHz and a presence band 5.5 dB under target take bite out of vocals and guitars, while a 4.7 dB peak near 9.7 kHz can sound sharp.

Buy the HIFIMAN RE2000. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $99.05 with the Sennheiser IE 600 does not make up for the sound-quality gap.

Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.

Specifications Side By Side

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The Two Headphones In Full

HIFIMAN RE2000: $799.00 Amazon eBay

Pros: Crinacle’s measurement gives a Harman preference score of 69 with a deviation of 2.63 dB, a respectable match to the target most listeners prefer. The tonal balance is close to neutral, with a tilt of only 0.32 dB toward brightness, so it avoids sounding either dark or harsh.

Cons: A score of 69 is only middling for a flagship in-ear, and a response that deviates from the target by 2.63 dB leaves audible coloration. The wired-only design has no built-in mic or wireless option. The FiiO FD5 carries a higher rating at a notably lower cost, which makes this model a hard sell on sound value.

Full HIFIMAN RE2000 review and specifications →

Back	Closed
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	2.63 dB standard deviation
Form Factor	In-ear
Harman Preference Score	69 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ)
Tonal Tilt	+0.32 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -4.8 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	+7.5 dB	0.70
Peak	76 Hz	-4.7 dB	0.24
Peak	916 Hz	+5.3 dB	0.86
Peak	4,638 Hz	-5.1 dB	5.93
Peak	1,592 Hz	-2.1 dB	1.01
High shelf	10,000 Hz	-4.6 dB	0.70
Peak	6,553 Hz	+3.5 dB	5.51
Peak	8,895 Hz	+3.3 dB	2.20
Peak	5,174 Hz	-1.3 dB	5.99
Peak	7,469 Hz	-0.3 dB	5.72

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the HIFIMAN RE2000 (crinacle measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • HIFIMAN RE2000 vs SoftEars Twilight
  • HIFIMAN RE2000 vs Symphonium Audio Triton
  • HIFIMAN RE2000 vs JVC HA-FW1500

Sennheiser IE 600: $699.95 B&H Photo Video eBay

Pros: Sub-bass extends to 20 Hz with a slight 1.7 dB lift, and bass, low mids and upper mids all sit within about 1.3 dB of target, so the core of most music sounds full and natural. Air above 10 kHz is lifted about 5.6 dB, adding sparkle to cymbals and room sound. At 118 dB/V it is easy to drive from a phone, and it suits listeners who like a bassy or warm tilt.

Cons: In oratory1990’s measurement a 7.6 dB dip near 5.9 kHz and a presence band 5.5 dB under target take bite out of vocals and guitars, while a 4.7 dB peak near 9.7 kHz can sound sharp. The FiiO FD5 and iBasso IT04 both carry higher ratings for considerably less money.

Full Sennheiser IE 600 review and specifications →

Released	Mar 2022 (4 years ago)
Back	Closed
Built-in Microphone	No
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	2.46 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Drivers	1 x 7mm dynamic
Form Factor	In-ear
Frequency Response	4Hz - 46.5kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	67 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	18 ohms
Sensitivity	118 dB SPL/V
Sub-bass Extension	Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+2.3 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	-0.80 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)
Weight	0 lbs (6 g) per earbud

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -5.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	-2.7 dB	0.70
Peak	4,374 Hz	+5.0 dB	1.28
Peak	196 Hz	-1.9 dB	1.50
Peak	1,727 Hz	-2.8 dB	1.16
Peak	798 Hz	+1.5 dB	1.45
High shelf	10,000 Hz	-7.6 dB	0.70
Peak	72 Hz	+1.4 dB	1.93
Peak	5,857 Hz	+3.3 dB	5.80
Peak	143 Hz	-0.7 dB	3.18
Peak	4,796 Hz	-0.6 dB	4.12

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Sennheiser IE 600 (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
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  • Sennheiser IE 600 vs Symphonium Audio Triton
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