Sennheiser is quite possibly the most popular headphone manufacturer right now – especially in the audiophile world. There is no doubt that they make some of the best headphones out there and that’s why we decided to write a dedicated article about them.
We are going to be mentioning different kinds of headphones across all price ranges so that all of you will be able to find something that suits your tastes and budget. So, without any further ado, let us get right into it!
Things to Keep in Mind
As we mentioned above, Sennheiser, just like most headphone manufacturers, makes different kinds of headphones. Each option has its own pros and cons and buying headphones isn’t as easy as just getting the most expensive variant that you can find.
You first need to understand what you’re after and then there are some things to keep in mind which will help you find the ideal option. Here is what you need to look after:
- Enclosure: Enclosure is the first thing that massively impacts the sound. Closed-back headphones are generally boomier with a narrow soundstage while open-backs are the exact opposite. You can learn more about that in this article
- Soundstage: Soundstage refers to how wide (or not) headphones sound. Open-backs generally have a much wider soundstage but the exact results can vary depending on the driver design, ear-pads, and more
- Noise isolation: Noise isolation and audio leakage isn’t an issue if you’re indoors on your own. However, it can be quite a big deal when you need your headphones for outdoor usage or around other people, in general
- Sound signature: You can always make headphones sound more bassy or neutral with an equalizer. But, certain models are naturally boomier or neutral out of the box. It’s important to decide what sound you’re after before ordering
- Comfort: Pretty self-explanatory
- Build quality: Most Sennheisers are rather well built. But, the premium models tend to be more solid
- Impedance: Headphones with a high impedance need an amp in order to work properly. Otherwise, you’re losing a lot of volume and clarity
Our 5 Best Sennheiser Headphones
So, with that out of the way, we’d say that now is the time to start checking out some headphones. Again, keep in mind that each option has different pros and cons and there is no such thing as the “general best”.
1: Sennheiser HD 599
Most Comfortable Sennheiser Headphones
Comfiness is very important. After all, what’s the point of having great sound if your ears are too fatigued to enjoy it? So, as far as comfort is concerned, we’d say that the HD 599s are currently the comfiest model you can get!
- Impedance: 50 ohms
- Enclosure: Open-back
- Weight: 0.60 lbs
- Features: Removable 3.5mm cable, replaceable ear-pads
We’d normally go with the HD 598s since they come with slightly less clamping force. But, since they’ve been discontinued, the 599s get this position instead. Just their weight and very low clamping force are more than enough to give them the first position in terms of comfort.
Other than that, the ear-pads are made from some sort of velour/micro-fabric that’s very soft on the ears and the headband is very well-padded as well.
Comfort aside, the sound is also pretty decent – especially for the money. They lean more towards neutral sound but they can get a bit boomy as well.
One more good thing about them is that thanks to their open-back design, they deliver a very wide soundstage and a lot of breathability which makes them even more comfortable for long listening sessions.
They also come with low impedance. So, you should be able to use them on pretty much everything from cheap MP3 players and smartphones to premium DACs.
The only downside is that since they are open-back headphones, they’ve got very poor noise isolation and quite a lot of audio leakage. So, we’d say that the HD 599s are not suitable for outdoor use – especially if you tend to play music rather loudly.
Pros:
- Very comfortable
- Good value
- Relatively neutral sound
- Wide soundstage
- Good breathability
- Decent build quality
- Great imaging
- Low impedance
- Lightweight
Cons:
- Bad noise isolation
- Quite leaky
- Not stable at all on your head due to the low clamping force
2: Sennheiser HD 600
Best Value for Money
The HD 600s cost twice as much as the cheapest HD 599 variant. But, they also sound so good that they are easily the best Sennheiser headphones you can get for your money.
- Impedance: 300 ohms
- Enclosure: Open-back
- Weight: 0.57 lbs
- Features: Replaceable ear-pads (Only from Sennheiser. 3rd party pads need to be modded)
They are very neutral-sounding and their soundstage is neither too wide or too narrow. If you want to get a pair of really good-sounding headphones without going into enthusiast territory, the HD 600s are probably the ones that you should be after.
That said, do keep in mind that their high impedance makes them unusable for most smartphones. There are some phones and other gadgets that can push past the 300-ohm resistance just fine. But, it can be a bit of a gamble. If you can’t afford to get both the headphones and an amp, maybe just get the HD 599s instead as they’ll work loud and clear on pretty much everything.
Comfort is a bit of a hit or miss with these ones. While they are extremely lightweight, the HD 600s do noticeably squeeze on your head. That makes them rather stable and even suitable for some light workouts but they can be fatiguing for people with large heads or sensitive temples.
We’d say that build quality is just okay. They are not built like tanks and they don’t feel they are about to snap at any moment either. Just something in-between.
If there’s one downside, then that would be noise isolation. The same goes for every other open-back headphone out there, though, which is to be expected. Other than that, due to them neutral-sounding audio signature, the bass will be rather weak for bass lovers – but that’s a matter of personal preference.
Pros:
- Great neutral sound
- Decent build quality
- Very lightweight
- Good soundstage
- Stable
- Comfortable for most people
Cons:
- The high impedance can be a problem for some
- Relatively high clamping force (Can also be a pro)
- Zero noise isolation due to their open-back nature
3: Sennheiser Game One
Best for Gaming
If you want a pair of decent Sennheiser headphones for gaming without spending a fortune on them, the Game One is probably the one you should be checking out! There’s also the more expensive GSP 600. But, we personally find it to be a bit too bulky and aggressive-looking.
Besides, you know what they say – “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Still, let us know if you prefer the more premium version in the comments down below.
- Impedance: 50 ohms
- Enclosure: Open-back
- Weight: 0.6 lbs
- Features: Replaceable ear-pads and an attached microphone
In many ways, the Game One headset is just a slightly inferior version of the 599s with a microphone attached to them. It shares a very similar design with an open-back enclosure, low impedance, and very comfortable velour ear-pads.
However, as you can probably expect at this price point, the Game One is also slightly worse in terms of audio. The base is slightly lacking and the highs may be decent, but they are also noticeable worse compared to the HD 599s that are slightly more expensive.
As far as comfort is concerned, we’d say that their clamping force and weight feels rather similar to the Cloud 2s. Even the velour ear-pads are strikingly similar with the main difference that there is much more breathability thanks to the open-back design.
So, if we can even compare the Game Ones to what is known by many as the king of gaming headsets, you know that it’s hard to go wrong with them. Just keep in mind that the clamping force can get a bit high if you’ve got a small head or sensitive temples.
Pros:
- Relatively cheap
- Surprisingly good microphone
- Wide soundstage
- Decent build quality (Even if a bit plastic-y)
- Very comfortable
- Good breathability
- Lightweight
- Lots of padding
Cons:
- Inferior sound compared to our other picks
- No noise isolation
- Non-removable cable
4: Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless
Best Wireless Sennheiser Headphones
All of the aforementioned headphones are great in their own, unique way. But, they also share a couple of characteristics that make them useless for some of us:
- They are wired
- They are open-back
Both of them are a big deal-breaker if you tend to travel a lot or if you generally need headphones for outdoor usage. That’s where the Momentum 2.0 comes in!
- Impedance: 28 ohms when passive and 480 active (Shouldn’t matter since they are wireless)
- Enclosure: Closed-back
- Weight: 0.57 lbs
- Features: Replaceable ear-pads, removable cable, integrated microphone, and wireless usage with up to 22 hours of battery life
Before we say anything about them, know that the only reason we picked these instead of the Momentum 3s is due to the fact that we’ve seen lots of complaints about them. Complaints about connectivity issues and ear-pad problems that are almost non-existent on the Momentum 2s.
With that out of the way, these headphones are more or less a jack of all trades (And a master of none). You can use them for listening to music indoors and outdoors without any issues and they are not the worst for gaming while being used wired either.
Their superb noise isolation and noise cancelation make them an outstanding choice for commute use and the wireless capability only improves the situation. Not to mention that they feel pretty solid and well-built.
In terms of downsides, the integrated microphone is frankly bad. Comfiness takes a small hit because while the clamping force is just right, the ear-pads are a bit stiff and there is little to no padding at the top. Not to mention that breathability suffers a bit due to the closed-back design as well.
Pros:
- Wireless is a welcome addition for those who need it (Even though it arguably sacrifices audio-quality quite a bit)
- Strong base which is good if you love that kind of sound (And bad if you’re an audiophile)
- Clamping force is just about right
- Great noise isolation/cancelation
- Lightweight (Especially for wireless headphones)
- Very solid
- Integrated microphone
Cons:
- The sound gets a bit too bright at times
- Narrow soundstage (Which is to be expected with the closed-back design)
- Microphone quality is horrible
- The earpads are a bit stiff
5: Sennheiser HD 800 S
Best High-End Sennheiser Headphones (Consumer-Grade)
Let us start by saying that these headphones are only for the minority of audiophiles who are willing to spend more than 10 times the price that you’d pay for most kinds of audiophile headphones – including the ones we mentioned in this list. It’s only for those who want the absolute best and if you’re going to spend this much on headphones, you’ll probably also want to invest in a decent amp as well!
- Impedance: 300 ohms
- Enclosure: Open-back
- Weight: 0.82 lbs
- Features: Replaceable ear-pads and removable cables
There is not much to say about them, really. They are just the best-sounding consumer-oriented headphones. If you want something better than that, you’ll probably want to venture into Orpheus territory which is going to set you back at thousands and thousands of dollars.
We’re looking at an overall neutral sound reproduction, good levels of comfiness, good build quality, great soundstage, and great imaging as well. So, if you have the money, it’s hard to go wrong with these.
That said, just like with any other pair of open-back headphones, the HD 800 S is a bad pick for outdoor usage and their base is slightly lacking without proper EQing. So, we’re not saying that they are perfect. We’re saying that they are probably the best open-back, dynamic transducer headphones with all the positives and negatives that open-backs come with.
If there’s one downside, then that’s probably going to be the rather thin earpads. They don’t take away a lot of comfiness, though, and we suppose that this is a necessary sacrifice for the kind of audio that they provide. After all, it’s no secret that earpads are just as responsible for sound shaping as they are for comfiness.
Pros:
- Superb sound
- Good build quality
- Relatively low clamping force
- Pretty comfortable
- Very wide soundstage
- Great imaging
Cons:
- Bad noise isolation by design
- Earpads are a bit thin
Wrapping Up
These are our top 5 Sennheiser picks for now. If you’re a bit confused at this point, here’s everything you need to know about them as quickly as possible:
- Sennheiser HD 599: The most comfortable pair in this list and the second cheapest. This is going to be a very decent pick for the average person who loves open-back headphones
- Sennheiser HD 600: A pair of superb headphones at a superb value. Just keep in mind that they are a bit harder to drive due to their high-impedance and they are also noticeable tighter on your head compared to the HD 599s
- Sennheiser Game One: Basically a slightly inferior and cheaper HD 599 with a great microphone attached to it. Good for gaming and chatting but definitely worse for listening to music when compared to our aforementioned picks
- Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless: A bass-heavy set of headphones with a closed-back design. Much better for commute and outdoor usage but the sound isn’t nearly as audiophile/neutral-targeted as anything else in this list
- Sennheiser HD 800 S: By far the best and most expensive headphones in this list. They are all-around great for indoor usage. Just keep in mind that you’ll most likely need an amp not just to drive them, but also to get the best out of it
And that’s all there is to it for now. If you want to make any other recommendations or if you feel that one of our picks isn’t worthy of being on this list, feel free to let us know about it in the comments down below. And, of course, the same thing goes for any questions.
