Sennheiser HD 518 Review: Ranked #225 of 382

Last updated: October 13, 2026

The Sennheiser HD 518 ranks #225 out of 382 total Over-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.

Brand: Sennheiser

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Sennheiser HD 518 - ranked #225 of 382 Over-Ear Headphones · Editor's rating 3.5/5

#225 Sennheiser HD 518 Discontinued eBay

Pros: Measured response gives it a solid Harman preference score of 70 with a 2.73 dB spread.

Cons: Discontinued, so it is mainly found used. Sub-bass is 9.2 dB short at 30 Hz, so deep bass lacks rumble.

Released2010 (16 years ago)
BackOpen
ConnectionWired
Deviation From Target2.73 dB standard deviation
Driver TypeDynamic
Form FactorOver-ear
Frequency Response14Hz - 26kHz
Harman Preference Score70 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance50 ohms
Sub-bass ExtensionFalls 6 dB below target at 42 Hz (-9.2 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt-0.64 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)
Weight0.6 lbs (255g)
EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.2 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.

FilterFrequencyGainQ
Low shelf105 Hz+8.1 dB0.70
Peak101 Hz-4.9 dB0.25
Peak1,521 Hz+4.9 dB1.58
Peak36 Hz+1.8 dB2.67
Peak8,744 Hz+1.5 dB0.39
High shelf10,000 Hz-0.3 dB0.70
Peak104 Hz+1.8 dB4.84
Peak77 Hz-0.8 dB2.37
Peak2,520 Hz-0.9 dB3.39
Peak2,016 Hz+0.6 dB3.37
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