Headphone Product Library · Full specs
| Series | HD 600 |
| Form | Over-Ear |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Driver Size | 42 mm |
| Impedance | 300 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 97 dB |
| Frequency Range | 12-40500 |
| Weight | 260 g |
| ANC | No |
| Microphone | No |
| Waterproof | — |
| Released | 1997 |
Acoustic specs
Spec comparison · relative to this model
| Product DB | Sennheiser HD 600 ★ | Sennheiser HD 490 Pro | Audeze MM-100 | Audio-Technica ATH-R70xa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | Dynamic | Dynamic | Planar | Dynamic |
| Impedance | 300 Ω | 130 Ω↓-170 | 32 Ω↓-268 | 470 Ω↑+170 |
| Sensitivity | 97 dB | 108 dB↑+11 | 100 dB↑+3 | 97 dB |
| Frequency | 12-40500 | 5-36000↓-4500 | 10-40000↓-500 | 5-40000↓-500 |
| Weight | 260 g | 260 g | 320 g↑+60 | 199 g↓-61 |
| Battery | — | — | — | — |
| ANC | No | No | No | No |
| Year | 1997 | 2024↑+27 | 2024↑+27 | 2025↑+28 |
| Price | $399 | $399 | $399 | $379↓-20$ |
↑↓ = difference vs the ★ model; lighter, longer battery and wider response are shown in green. “—” means the maker does not publish that figure.
The Sennheiser HD 600 is an open-back dynamic over-ear launched in 1997 and still in production, at $399: a 42 mm driver, 300 Ω, 97 dB sensitivity, a rated 12 Hz–40.5 kHz and 260 g. Its spec sheet is unremarkable today — the same price bracket already holds the 130 Ω HD 490 Pro, the 32 Ω planar MM-100 and the 470 Ω ATH-R70xa — yet it remains the textbook example of a headphone that demands an amplifier.
1. Where it sits on the shelf
Of the 102 over-ears with a price it ranks 43rd, and 17th of the 27 models in the $300–500 band — dead centre. Its impedance is high: 300 Ω is the 6th highest of the 62 over-ears that publish one (tied with the HD 660S2 and HD 800 S at 300 Ω), while 97 dB ranks 21st lowest of 68. On the position chart it sits to the right and low: high impedance, low sensitivity — the most amplification-hungry corner of this shelf.
2. Driving demands: what 300 Ω means
At 300 Ω and 97 dB it needs more voltage than the 130 Ω HD 490 Pro for the same loudness: 2.3 times the impedance and 11 dB less sensitivity. The conclusion is blunt — straight out of a phone you get "loud but flat", so a desktop amp or a decent dongle is part of the purchase. That one fact shapes real use more than any description of tuning.
3. Fit and build
At 260 g it ranks 32nd lightest of the 101 over-ears with weight data — mid-pack, slightly light. But it is 61 g heavier than the ATH-R70xa (199 g) at the same price, and 60 g lighter than the planar MM-100 (320 g). The open-back structure gives no passive isolation and no water-resistance rating is published — this is a desk headphone, not a commuting tool.
4. Choosing between its three closest rivals
The three closest rivals are the HD 490 Pro (also $399, also 260 g, but 130 Ω and 108 dB and far easier to drive), the Audeze MM-100 (also $399, planar, 320 g, 32 Ω, 100 dB) and the ATH-R70xa ($379, 199 g, 470 Ω, 97 dB). For the easiest load pick the MM-100 or the HD 490 Pro, for the lightest pick the R70xa; the usual reason to keep the HD 600 is not the spec sheet but that you know its voicing and already own something that drives it well.
5. Three weaknesses worth stating
- It needs a proper front end: 300 Ω plus 97 dB is a hard load for a phone, so an amp or dongle belongs in the total price.
- No isolation, no microphone, no wireless: the open-back design confines it to home or a quiet office.
- The spec sheet has not changed in 29 years: the 1997 design carries on, while the same-price HD 490 Pro (2024) is 11 dB more sensitive and the 2025 ATH-R70xa is 61 g lighter.
- It is not cheap for the tier: $399 matches three 2024–2025 models and ranks 17th of 27 in the $300–500 band.
6. What to buy instead at the same price
- Easier to drive: Sennheiser HD 490 Pro, $399 — 130 Ω, 108 dB, 260 g. Same price and weight, far lower demands on the front end.
- Lighter: Audio-Technica ATH-R70xa, $379 — 199 g, at the cost of 470 Ω and 97 dB sensitivity, which is harder to drive.
- Planar instead of dynamic: Audeze MM-100, $399 — 32 Ω, 100 dB, 320 g. The easiest load and the heaviest of the three.
- Further along the same 300 Ω path: Sennheiser HD 660S2, $499 — 300 Ω, 104 dB, 260 g, more sensitive than the HD 600.
- A different open-back route: Sony MDR-MV1, $499 — 24 Ω, 100 dB, 223 g. Lighter and easier to drive, but a completely different design.
7. Who it is for — and who it is not
- For anyone who already owns a desktop amp or a good dongle: its ceiling is set by the front end.
- For long seated listening: 260 g and an open structure keep ear pressure low.
- Not for straight-out-of-a-phone listening: 300 Ω with 97 dB is a real struggle.
- Not for anywhere you need isolation: an open-back cannot block sound, so commuting and libraries are out.
Data note: every claim comes from maker-published specs in our own product database and same-price comparisons (price, weight, impedance, sensitivity, frequency response, driver and release year are all checkable fields). No unmeasured listening impressions are included; prices and specs follow the maker's latest published figures.