Sennheiser IE 600 Review

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Sound

Sound – Intro

Let’s first see what Sennheiser has to say about the tuning of their latest universal IEM.

The IE 600 according to Jermo Köhnke, Product Manager at Sennheiser delivers a neutral reference tuning. The IE 600 will be a reference for the most demanding mobile audio enthusiasts.

The IE 600 is tonally neutral, intimate and has an emotional sound. This ensures a true-to-life voicing that is especially expressive for vocal performances. This voicing lends a presence and intimacy that brings listeners closer to the music, allowing them to discover new accents and details. Next to that you get a steep bass slope resulting in a powerful yet fast and accurate low-end response.

Before going into detail on the IE 600’s tuning I feel it’s important to quickly summarize the tuning of the IE 300 and IE 900. (A full comparison will follow later in this article) From our previous reviews:

IE 300:

The IE 300 has a more U-shaped sound signature but it to me in the graph looks more extreme than it really is. The bass is impressive and addictive, the mid timbre is to die for and the treble is energetic. It’s just an easy end engaging IEM to listen to, no matter the music you throw at it.

IE 900:

The Sennheiser IE 900 has a tuning in which energy, clarity, extension and vocals play a key role. The IE 900 does respond nicely to different sources, tips and cables and it as such allows you to fine tune the sound to your liking. If you’re on the look for a high end, dynamically driven IEM with a high-quality sound, then the Sennheiser IE 900 should be on your list of IEMs to audition. It does have its own specific tuning/sound, but if you’re into the high-end type of tuning, then you’ll be very pleased.

Is the IE 600’s tuning a blend of both? Let’s find out ourselves!

Sound – General

For our testing we have used a mix of sources such as the Astell&Kern SP2000T, the EarMen Colibri and the Ferrum ERCO. The tips used are the memory foam ones provided by Sennheiser, and the cable is the 4.4 balanced one. More on tips and single ended use comes later in this article.

I know that this sounds a little as expected, but the IE 600 tuning-wise really is situated between both other Sennheiser IE inears.

It’s not as neutrally tuned as the reference IE 900 is but it’s also much more neutral compared to the fun IE 300. However I do feel it’s closer to the neutral side than it is to the fun side, but this in a musical and slightly warmer way with a smooth delivery. (though the IE 600 is not full warm sounding IEM). The IE 600 is very natural and effortless sounding and it’s actually quite linear (see the bass part later) and balanced.

I would say the IE 600 has just a bit more body, impact and presence as a fully neutral tuned IEM. The IE 600 is not overly full and heavy, and everything is perfectly in control to keep things with their boundaries. It has just enough impact and push to keep things lively and exciting, yet controlled and precise.

The precision and detail retrieval is good and totally on par with this price segment. Of course, it’s not as refined and outspoken as the IE 900, but the IE 600 makes up for this with its natural delivery and excellent stereo imaging. The IE 600 is a more intimate sounding IEM (like the IE 300), but this was done intentionally so. You will never have the impression of getting a narrow stage though, the IE 600 always keeps things realistic and life like.

Even if the IE 600 sounds more intimate, the IEM’s spaciousness and airiness is natural. Separation-wise the IE 600 scores well, but it’s not as pronounced as in its big brother’s.

The IE 600, like the IE 900, has a perfectly black, silent background and a very clean delivery. The IE 900 scores a bit higher regarding cleanness but the IE 600 makes up for that with its sweet mid timbre and super sensual vocals.

Sound stage and extension-wise the IE 600 scores well but as the IE 900 shows, there still is margin for improvement. This is valid for both the extension on top and at the bottom, as well as the note extension and decay. So overall I would label the IE 600’s technicalities as good and on the level it should be at this price.

As you read previously, Sennheiser’s communication specially mentions the IE 600’s vocals and bass, so let’s have a closer look at those.

Sound Classics

Bass

The bass is the typical dynamic kind of bass. Powerful and with good impact. The bass presence is probably boosted a little bit, as Sennheiser also states, but it never becomes too much. The IE 600 driver most of the time is perfectly in control and the bass never becomes too much. It’s the typical bass which most of the DD driven and more neutrally tuned IEMs in this price range have. If you’re looking for a big bass presence, you better look at the IE 300 as the IE 600 will not give you that.

In the IE 600 you get less presence than in the IE 300, but it has more technical qualities. Bass reaches down fairly low and the layering is quite good. The IE 900 on the other hand, is still technically stronger in this regard. You here really get a mix of the bass presence of the 300 and the skills of the 900.

Do make sure to get a good seal & fit, as this will highly impact the bass experience.

Mids

The mids have the same amount of body as the bass and they perfectly connect to each other. The delivery here is smooth with a tint of warmth but it all sounds very natural. As said before the mids sound nicely spacious and they have just the right amount of air to keep things light and not overly intimate. The mid timbre is soft and very easy/pleasant on the ears. The vocals – which blend in nicely – are really impressive. They sound natural and smooth and that with the mid timbre make the mid section very musical and joyful.

Technically the mids are on the same level as the bass section. Good, but not as pronounced as in the IE 900. All-in-all it’s a great mix of technicalities and musical fun, and that makes the mid section addictive and very pleasing to the ear.

Treble

As expected, based on the description of the bass and mids, the treble section is very smooth on the ears. The upper section is soft, musical and very easy to listen to. The treble detail is there even if it isn’t the most extended.

Treble is tuned in a safe way but at the same time it’s so pleasing and natural to listen to. A sharper, more energetic, aggressive treble tuning would not have been right within the IE 600. If you like very lively, more forward kind of treble, then the IE 600 with the foam tips is not the IEM for you (but check the part on silicone tips). If you like a softer and smoother, yet very musical type of treble, you will love this.

 The review continues on the fourth page. Click here or use the jumps below.

Page 1: Sennheiser, IE 600, Technical Specs

Page 2: Box & Accessories, Design, Build Quality, Cable, Fit, Comfort, Isolation

Page 3: Sound – Intro, General, Classics

Page 4: Sound – Balanced vs Single Ended, Tips, Comparisons, Conclusion