Sennheiser IE 4 vs Sennheiser IE 600

Short answer: the Sennheiser IE 600 on measured sound quality, the Sennheiser IE 4 on price. The Sennheiser IE 600 ranks #81 of 148 in-ear headphones, rated 3.5/5, at $699.95. The Sennheiser IE 4 ranks #123, rated 2.3/5, at $89, $610.95 cheaper.

Why pick the Sennheiser IE 4: Sub-bass and bass both sit more than 6 dB above target and extend fully to 20 Hz, a good match for listeners who want big, rumbling bass and a V shaped sound. The catch: A huge 15.3 dB peak near 5.1 kHz and presence about 10 dB above target make vocals and snares sound shouty and fatiguing.

The Sennheiser IE 600 is the better-sounding pick. 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. The catch: 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 Sennheiser IE 4 when the price outweighs sound quality for you, and the Sennheiser IE 600 when sound quality outweighs the price instead.

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Specifications Side By Side

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• Sennheiser IE 200 vs Sennheiser IE 600
• Sennheiser IE 600 vs Sennheiser IE 900
• Sennheiser IE 4 vs Sennheiser IE 900
• Sennheiser IE 200 vs Sennheiser IE 4
• Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 vs Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2

Prices on this page were last checked October 10, 2026 at 5:37 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.

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The Two Headphones In Full

Sennheiser IE 4: $89.00 B&H Photo Video eBay

Pros: Sub-bass and bass both sit more than 6 dB above target and extend fully to 20 Hz, a good match for listeners who want big, rumbling bass and a V shaped sound. The 16 ohm impedance and 106 dB/V sensitivity let it run fine from a phone. It is rated level with the CCA PLA13 at a similar price.

Cons: A huge 15.3 dB peak near 5.1 kHz and presence about 10 dB above target make vocals and snares sound shouty and fatiguing. The KZ ZAS is rated higher and costs less.

Full Sennheiser IE 4 review and specifications →

Released	2005 (21 years ago)
Back	Closed
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	3.59 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Drivers	1 x dynamic
Form Factor	In-ear
Frequency Response	40Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	53 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	16 ohms
Sensitivity	106 dB SPL/V
Sub-bass Extension	Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+5.6 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	-0.43 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -5.2 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	-3.3 dB	0.70
Peak	1,393 Hz	+6.5 dB	0.39
Peak	4,512 Hz	-13.3 dB	0.97
Peak	8,609 Hz	+6.4 dB	1.20
Peak	200 Hz	-2.3 dB	1.14
High shelf	10,000 Hz	-1.0 dB	0.70
Peak	2,324 Hz	+2.4 dB	3.14
Peak	3,227 Hz	-4.2 dB	4.39
Peak	64 Hz	+0.9 dB	2.17
Peak	4,107 Hz	+2.7 dB	6.00

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Sennheiser IE 4 (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs Sennheiser IE 900
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs Sennheiser IE 200

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
  • Sennheiser IE 600 vs Sennheiser IE 900
  • Sennheiser IE 600 vs Sennheiser IE 200