Short answer: the Tangzu Xuanwu Gate. Both are rated 3.5/5 for sound quality (#783 and #819 of 1291 in-ear headphones), and the Tangzu Xuanwu Gate costs $649 against $699.95 for the Sennheiser IE 600, so with nothing between them on sound quality, price settles it.
Why pick the Sennheiser IE 600: 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. Watch for: 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 case for the Tangzu Xuanwu Gate: Bass sits close to target and holds down to 20 Hz, so low end sounds full without bloat. Watch for: Presence sits about 5.5 dB low with an 8.1 dB dip near 6.3 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
Buy the Tangzu Xuanwu Gate. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $50.95 less than the Sennheiser IE 600.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked 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.
B&H Photo Video $699.95 eBay
Bass sits close to target and holds down to 20 Hz, so low end sounds full without bloat.
Linsoul $649 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 | Tangzu Xuanwu Gate | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $699.95 | $649 |
| Ranked | #819 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #783 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 67 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) | 68 (median of 10 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.46 dB standard deviation | 2.28 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.80 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.51 (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 (-1.7 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Tribrid |
| Drivers | 1 x 7mm dynamic | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 4 x balanced armature + 2 x Sonion electrostatic |
| Impedance | 18 ohms | 10.5 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 118 dB SPL/V | - |
| Frequency Response | 4Hz - 46.5kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 7Hz - 20kHz |
| 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 Tangzu Xuanwu Gate from audioamigo, breampike, dl, eliseaudio, hbb, iemocean, koi, lown-fi, scboy and therollo9, all via squig.link.
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