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 Sennheiser HD 400 Pro ranks #27, rated 4.3/5, and costs $279, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
What the Sennheiser HD 600 does well: 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.
Buy the Sennheiser HD 600. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Sennheiser HD 400 Pro and costs less, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.
Want more options? Browse the full Headphones rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Sennheiser HD 600 | Sennheiser HD 400 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $272.36 | $279.00 |
| Ranked | #9 of 216 in Over-Ear Headphones | #27 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 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.88 dB standard deviation | 1.57 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.02 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | +0.31 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Falls 6 dB below target at 42 Hz (-8.6 dB at 30 Hz) | Falls 6 dB below target at 32 Hz (-6.6 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 42mm dynamic | - |
| Impedance | 300 ohms | 120 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 97 dB SPL/V | 110 dB SPL/V |
| Weight | 0.6 lbs (260 g) | 0.5 lbs (240 g) |
| Frequency Response | 12Hz - 40.5kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 6Hz - 38kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | - | No |
Related Headphone Comparisons
How Sennheiser HD 600 compares with other leading options:
- 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 Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X
- Sennheiser HD 600 vs Sennheiser HD 505
Prices on this page were last checked October 11, 2026 at 4:59 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
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 Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X
- Sennheiser HD 600 vs Sennheiser HD 505
- 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
Sennheiser HD 400 Pro: $279.00 Amazon eBay
Full Sennheiser HD 400 Pro review and specifications →
| Released | Nov 2021 (4 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Open |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.57 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 6Hz - 38kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 88 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 120 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 110 dB SPL/V |
| Sub-bass Extension | Falls 6 dB below target at 32 Hz (-6.6 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.31 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.5 lbs (240 g) |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons