Short answer: the Sennheiser HD 600. It ranks #9 of 216 over-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 4.4/5, at $272.36; the Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X ranks #24, rated 4.3/5, and costs $279.99, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
The case for the Sennheiser HD 600: It earns a preference score of 91, with the midrange from 200 Hz to 6 kHz within about 0.1 dB of target, giving vocals and acoustic instruments a very natural tone. The catch: Sub-bass is about 7.9 dB below target, so bass lacks rumble and weight on electronic and hip hop tracks.
What the Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X does well: A preference score of 88 with a warm-leaning, near neutral tilt means most of the spectrum sits close to target, with bass within 0.3 dB and treble within 0.5 dB. Watch for: A 9.5 dB dip near 4 kHz is the largest deviation in this group and can pull the bite out of vocals, snares and guitars.
Buy the Sennheiser HD 600. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X and costs less, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Sennheiser HD 600 | Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $272.36 | $279.99 |
| Ranked | #9 of 216 in Over-Ear Headphones | #24 of 216 in Over-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | Over-ear | Over-ear |
| Back | Open | Open |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Harman Preference Score | 91 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) | 88 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.88 dB standard deviation | 2.08 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.02 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.04 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Falls 6 dB below target at 42 Hz (-8.6 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-4.5 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 42mm dynamic | - |
| Impedance | 300 ohms | 48 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 97 dB SPL/V | 100 dB SPL (1mW/500Hz) |
| Weight | 0.6 lbs (260 g) | 0.8 lbs (345 g) |
| Frequency Response | 12Hz - 40.5kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 5Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
Related Headphone Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Sennheiser HD 600:
- Sennheiser HD 550 vs Sennheiser HD 600
- Austrian Audio Hi-X60 vs Sennheiser HD 600
- Beyerdynamic MMX 300 vs Sennheiser HD 600
- Sennheiser HD 600 vs Sennheiser HD 505
- Sennheiser HD 600 vs Sennheiser HD 400 Pro
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The Two Headphones In Full
Sennheiser HD 600: $272.36 Amazon eBay
Pros: It earns a preference score of 91, with the midrange from 200 Hz to 6 kHz within about 0.1 dB of target, giving vocals and acoustic instruments a very natural tone. At 260 g it is light, and the long-running design from 1997 remains a reference for neutral midrange tuning. The warm and neutral tilt suits listeners who dislike bright treble.
Cons: Sub-bass is about 7.9 dB below target, so bass lacks rumble and weight on electronic and hip hop tracks. Treble from 6 to 10 kHz is about 3.6 dB low, with a 7.5 dB dip near 9.6 kHz that softens cymbals. At 300 ohms and 97 dB SPL/V it needs a dedicated headphone amp for proper volume, and the open back leaks sound. See headphone amps and DACs with enough power to drive it.
Full Sennheiser HD 600 review and specifications →
| Released | 1997 (29 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Open |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.88 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 42mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 12Hz - 40.5kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 91 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 300 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 97 dB SPL/V |
| Sub-bass Extension | Falls 6 dB below target at 42 Hz (-8.6 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.02 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.6 lbs (260 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.3 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 | +6.5 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 125 Hz | -2.7 dB | 0.55 |
| Peak | 8,445 Hz | +3.3 dB | 1.61 |
| Peak | 522 Hz | +0.7 dB | 1.02 |
| Peak | 1,298 Hz | -1.2 dB | 2.14 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -3.1 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 3,158 Hz | -1.8 dB | 3.67 |
| Peak | 2,166 Hz | +0.9 dB | 3.32 |
| Peak | 6,639 Hz | +2.2 dB | 5.82 |
| Peak | 5,433 Hz | -1.2 dB | 5.70 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Sennheiser HD 600 vs Austrian Audio Hi-X60
- Sennheiser HD 600 vs Beyerdynamic MMX 300
- Sennheiser HD 600 vs Sennheiser HD 550
- Sennheiser HD 600 vs Sennheiser HD 505
- Sennheiser HD 600 vs Sennheiser HD 400 Pro
- Sennheiser HD 600 vs Sennheiser HD 650
- Sennheiser HD 600 vs Sennheiser HD 599
- Sennheiser HD 600 vs Sennheiser HD 820
- See all 9 comparisons
Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X: $279.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: A preference score of 88 with a warm-leaning, near neutral tilt means most of the spectrum sits close to target, with bass within 0.3 dB and treble within 0.5 dB. At 48 ohms it plays loudly from most sources and its 345 g weight is moderate. It is rated the same as the Sennheiser HD 505 and Shure SRH840 and higher than the Audio-Technica ATH-M70x.
Cons: A 9.5 dB dip near 4 kHz is the largest deviation in this group and can pull the bite out of vocals, snares and guitars. The air band above 10 kHz is about 2 dB under target and sub-bass is about 3.5 dB light, so highs lack sparkle and deep bass lacks rumble. The open back leaks sound and gives no isolation.
Full Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X review and specifications →
| Released | Oct 2021 (5 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Open |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.08 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 88 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 48 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 100 dB SPL (1mW/500Hz) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-4.5 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.04 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.8 lbs (345 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -4.5 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 | +5.7 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 94 Hz | -2.3 dB | 0.22 |
| Peak | 6,103 Hz | -5.3 dB | 1.81 |
| Peak | 4,103 Hz | +3.8 dB | 4.69 |
| Peak | 6,339 Hz | +1.5 dB | 0.18 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -1.2 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 2,503 Hz | -0.8 dB | 3.03 |
| Peak | 59 Hz | -0.3 dB | 1.39 |
| Peak | 82 Hz | +0.7 dB | 3.97 |
| Peak | 2,966 Hz | +1.0 dB | 6.00 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons