Short answer: the Sennheiser IE 600. It ranks #819 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.5/5, at $699.95. The SymphonyEars PRE5TIGE ranks #889, rated 3.4/5, at $679, $20.95 cheaper, a saving that is not big enough to make up the sound-quality gap.
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. The tradeoff: 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.
Why pick the SymphonyEars PRE5TIGE: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 66 against the Harman target. Watch for: Treble about 3 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
Buy the Sennheiser IE 600. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $20.95 saving on the SymphonyEars PRE5TIGE is not enough to make up the difference.
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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.
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A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 66 against the Harman target.
SymphonyEars $679.00 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 16, 2026 at 5:46 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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Specifications Side By Side
| Sennheiser IE 600 | SymphonyEars PRE5TIGE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $699.95 | $679.00 |
| Ranked | #819 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #889 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 67 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) | 66 (median of 4 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.46 dB standard deviation | 2.41 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.80 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.79 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+2.3 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.0 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Quadbrid (1 DD + 1 Bone Conduction + 2 BA + 1 Magnetostat) |
| Drivers | 1 x 7mm dynamic | 10 Balanced Armature drivers (4 Sonion, 6 Knowles, 5-way crossover) |
| Impedance | 18 ohms | - |
| Sensitivity | 118 dB SPL/V | - |
| Frequency Response | 4Hz - 46.5kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Built-in Microphone | No | - |
| Weight | 0 lbs (6 g) per earbud | - |
Frequency Response Compared
Both headphones’ measurements overlaid on the Harman target. Above the target sounds louder in that range, below it quieter. Each curve is the median of several independent measurements, shifted so its 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB, so only the tuning is compared.
Measurement data: the Sennheiser IE 600 from achoreviews, adri-n, aftersound, animagus, aquaphobic, atechreviews, audioamigo, boizoff, csi-zone, dentreviews, digaoreviews, dl, ekaudio, eliseaudio, fahryst, freeryder05, gadgetrytech, harutohiroki, hbb, hobbytalk, hu-fi, iemocean, iemworld, jaytiss, kazi, lestat, mmagtech, musicafe, nymz, precog, recode, seanwee, sl0the, soundignity, superreview, theaudiostore, therollo9, timmyv and treblewellxtended; the SymphonyEars PRE5TIGE from audioamigo, isaiahse, jaytiss and pw, all via squig.link.
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