Sennheiser IE 600 vs Sennheiser IE 900

Short answer: the Sennheiser IE 600. It ranks #56 of 115 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.5/5, at $699.95; the Sennheiser IE 900 ranks #66, rated 3.1/5, and costs $1,299.95, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.

The Sennheiser IE 600 is the better-sounding option. 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.

What the Sennheiser IE 900 does well: Oratory1990 measured sub-bass and bass within about 1.2 dB of target, so the low end is tidy and controlled. The catch: Presence from 3 to 6 kHz is about 6.7 dB below the Harman target, with an 8.8 dB dip near 3.6 kHz, which recesses vocals and removes some bite.

Buy the Sennheiser IE 600. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Sennheiser IE 900 and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.

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Specifications Side By Side

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How Sennheiser IE 600 compares with other leading options:

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• Sennheiser IE 200 vs Sennheiser IE 900
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The Two Headphones In Full

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)

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 200

Sennheiser IE 900: $1,299.95 Amazon eBay

Pros: Oratory1990 measured sub-bass and bass within about 1.2 dB of target, so the low end is tidy and controlled. Sensitivity of 123 dB SPL/V and a 16 ohm impedance make it easy to drive from a phone, and the 7mm dynamic driver is rated to reach from 5 Hz to 48 kHz. Top-octave air sits about 3.6 dB above target for an open, detailed treble.

Cons: Presence from 3 to 6 kHz is about 6.7 dB below the Harman target, with an 8.8 dB dip near 3.6 kHz, which recesses vocals and removes some bite. A preference score of 63 is modest for such a premium product, and the HIFIMAN RE2000 has a higher rating at a lower price.

Full Sennheiser IE 900 review and specifications →

Released	2021 (5 years ago)
Back	Closed
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	2.82 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Drivers	1 x 7mm dynamic
Form Factor	In-ear
Frequency Response	5Hz - 48kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	63 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	16 ohms
Sensitivity	123 dB SPL/V
Sub-bass Extension	Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.7 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	-0.92 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)

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	-2.3 dB	0.70
Peak	4,081 Hz	+5.0 dB	2.86
Peak	204 Hz	-2.6 dB	1.13
Peak	1,472 Hz	-2.7 dB	2.33
Peak	2,956 Hz	+5.2 dB	2.42
High shelf	10,000 Hz	-4.4 dB	0.70
Peak	67 Hz	+0.6 dB	1.76
Peak	26 Hz	-0.9 dB	3.19
Peak	729 Hz	+0.4 dB	2.54
Peak	376 Hz	-0.4 dB	2.69

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