Home Headphone Comparisons Beyerdynamic DT990 vs. Sennheiser HD600

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Greetings friend and Welcome aboard!!

Before we get into the Beyerdynamic DT990 vs. Sennheiser HD600 comparison, grab a snack, sit back and relax because..

You’ve come to the right place!!

What I will bring you in this review

Because I have already written about these two a lot, today I will provide a no nonsense comparison and then make a recommendation towards the end. ?

  1. Similarities & Differences
  2. Final Word

Now without further ado, let’s get rolling!!

Similarities & Differences

Similarities

  • Both are open back headphones. Closed back vs. Open back headphones.
  • Both have velour padding and are comfortable. The clamp force on each is tight at first, but opens up over time. 😉

Differences

  • Bass. The HD600’s have an articulate and detailed bass, but it kind of sits down in the mix and isn’t very prominent overall. It’s more immersed in with the music rather than being dominant. The DT990’s is vastly different; it’s got slam, impact, wallop, and whatever else you want to call it. It’s a bass-heads headphone while the HD600 isn’t.
  • Mid-range. The mid-range is the 600’s most standout feature. Vocals and instruments really come to life, and there’s a clarity and definition that really stands out. The 990’s mid-range is a bit recessed by contrast.
  • Treble. The HD600’s have been accused of being “dark” or veiled in the treble, and while there’s a bit of truth to this, it’s largely kind of a myth. Just know that the treble will not fatigue you much at all, though it can from time to time due to a small spike in the upper mid-range (around 3kHz). The DT990’s by contrast have a sharp treble spike around 8-9k, but it’s kind of masked because of their heavy bass response. What is the Sennheiser Veil? So in essence, the DT990’s will have a bit better clarity, but only because of that treble spike.
  • Overall sound. The HD600 is much truer to life, more analytical, and will sound very natural in comparison to the fun sounding DT990. That’s not to say that the 600’s aren’t fun – they definitely are. It’s just that you may find your self analyzing music more with them rather than simply enjoying them.
  • Amp. Both highly benefit from proper amplification, and I would say the HD600’s absolutely need an amp to sound good. How to choose a headphone amp!
  • Long term. The HD600’s are better for long term listening enjoyment because they’re more relaxed in presentation vs. the intense and hard hitting DT990.
  • Detachable. The HD600’s have a detachable cable while the DT990’s do not.
  • Build. The build on both is phenomenal, but the DT990’s may be a tad more durable.

Final Word

Here’s the deal: If you listen to more laid back, acoustic type of genres, classical, jazz, folk, or any type of music with real instruments, then the HD600’s are your best bet. However, I listen to them with nearly everything and they handle all genres incredibly well. Just know that they will replicate sound extremely true to life, and are better suited for mixing/mastering purposes. Interested in in the most in depth and informative review about them?

CHECK OUT MY OFFICIAL SENNHEISER HD600 REVIEW!!

The DT990’s are phenomenal for anything with artificial sounding instruments like synths, EDM, Rap, Hip-Hop etc. So both headphones are awesome, but used for very different purposes. I would say they compliment each-other very nicely. The 990’s are your standard bass-head outfit. Deep, euphoric lows, bright detailed highs. Interested in learning more about the 990’s?

CHECK OUT MY BEYERDYNAMIC DT990 PRO VS. PREMIUM COMPARISON!!


Well that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this Beyerdynamic DT990 vs. Sennheiser HD600 comparison.

Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Looking for something else? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!

Which of these tickles YOUR pickle? I would love to hear from you. Until next time..

All the best and God bless,

 

 

-Stu

[Xtr@Ba$eHitZ]

Can’t decide which headphones to purchase? Interested in a complete buyers guide outlining over 40 of the best options on the market? Click on over to the best audiophile headphones to learn more!!

Be sure to also check out my Reviews and Resources page for more helpful and informative articles!

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8 comments

Zach January 13, 2018 - 6:09 am

Hello! I have been looking at a lot of your articles about picking out headphones, and I am here because I think am ready for my second pair of ‘good’ headphones. I have now come down to picking between HD600s and DT990s (well, probably between these two…) After googling articles/forums comparing them head-to-head, it took me right back to your detailed and wonderful blog, so I thought I might as well ask the main thing I am wondering about (and is not addressed in this specific article).

My first pair has been Audio-
Technica ATH-A900xs, because I heard a lot of good things about them and that they had good positional audio for closed-back headphones. This was important to me because I am a PC gamer and was going from a 5.1 speaker system to headphones, and was worried I would lose some of that 3D-sound. However, now that I am in situations where I don’t think sound bleed will be much an issue (but still enjoy headphones), I am looking for a nice pair of open headphones that have a spectacular sound stage.

Which of the two headphones would you say do a better job at having a grand, precise, and separated/distinct sound stage? Especially in the context of positional audio in gaming, if you have any experience with that.

Thanks for your time and your blog!

Reply
Stuart Charles Black January 13, 2018 - 3:13 pm

Hey Zach!

As good as the HD600 is, you’re not going to get a very large Soundstage with it. It’s instrument separation and clarity is absolutely astounding, but the image isn’t very wide. I would say that the 990’s have a bit wider imaging, resulting in a more airy, open sound. The 600’s tend to be a little more in your head in comparison. The 990’s are also a great gaming headphone because of this. So yeah, I would say go for it.

Thank you for the kind words and for stopping by! Keep me updated on what you decide!

-Stu

Reply
Zach January 13, 2018 - 8:10 pm

Hey again Stu!

So, after a bit more googling and rummaging around, and seeing that some people recommended the Phillips X2 series over the DT 990s, and seeing those old AD700xs pop up over and over for being THE pair for ‘gaming’ headhpones, and even starting to look at the K702s that so many claim are stellar!… I decided to just go with my original inclination and try out the DT 990s. I like the fact that they are widely thought to have great bass (for a pair of open headphones at least) and of course known to have a wide soundstage. In the world of picking out headphones, sometimes there is just so much, nay, too much, to consider!

Perhaps they will be my final jack-of-all-trades headphones that I can game, watch movies, and listen to music (especially electronic/EDM type music that benefits from a punchier bass) all without switching cans. Maybe the next headphones will be a strictly listening to music pair, and then I will have to research tirelessly again, with the HD 600s front and center of that investigation I’m sure.

Thanks for the site! I’ll probably be back here in the future, but hopefully not too soon after getting my hands of the DT990s. Take care!

Reply
Stuart Charles Black January 14, 2018 - 11:06 pm

Thanks so much Zach! I was about to be like Oh noooo he’s got analysis paralysis. Then I kept reading and let out a breath of fresh air. Lol. What people have to understand about this stuff is that 99% of the time you’re going to pretty much love any headphone you decide on, as long as you’re in the ballpark of good ones if that makes sense (which you were). While there are some marked differences between various headphones, a lot of the time they are very subtle. For instance, I enjoy the HIFIMAN HE400i just as much as an HD600, as the sonic differences between them take a lot of listening time to really discern. By the way, yes, the HD600 should definitely be on your radar next, as well as the 400i. In fact I think you’ll probably go with one or the other when it’s said and done. The thing is, picking one over the other should never get you down and think you somehow missed out on some grand revelation that you didn’t get with the other headphone.

I look forward to hearing from you again. Let me know how you like those 990’s! (You’ll love them).

-Stu

Reply
Erik September 2, 2018 - 11:01 pm

Yo man,
I currently have a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 and finding it hard to discern whether it will not only successfully drive the hd 600, but give it enough juice for optimal sound; what say you?
Thanks.

Reply
Stuart Charles Black September 3, 2018 - 12:07 pm

Hey Erik!

I’ve tried the 600’s out of my 2i2 a few times and the sound was pretty good. I don’t know if I would call it optimal, but it definitely sounded loud enough. I’m actually not at my apartment right now but I can try it again for sure and let you know sometime tomorrow!

Even with that said, you may want to pick up a dedicated Amp/DAC with this beast. If you were to invest in something separate, what would your price range be?

Reply
Faham Gohari July 27, 2022 - 6:54 am

hi my friend
I am a music producer in Rock and Pop-Rock and some orchestral pop. I have to mix for a while out of the studio and at home. Which headphones are better for mixing and mastering these styles of music? HD 600 or DT990?
Thanks a lot.

Reply
Stuart Charles Black July 27, 2022 - 4:11 pm

Hey man! You may want to steer clear of mixing on the 990 for pop as it accentuates the bass. HD600 is probably better but check out my definitive list here and let me know what you think!

Reply

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