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It’s not like the term “wireless” has suddenly come to mean “portable” when it comes to listening to music. Therefore, the concept of on-ear headphones with cables on them seems about as modern as a steam train. Then why on earth would Sennheiser, or any other firm, be attempting to sell you a pair of pricey wired in-ear monitors? A wired connection is more reliable and capable of offering better levels of audio performance, whereas wireless headphones depend on Bluetooth connectivity and codecs to manage audio signals.
Sennheiser is making the wager that enough consumers take advantage of mobile listening to make a product like the IE 600 commercially viable. And seriously enough to have purchased a specialized portable music player, too, as modern phones no longer include a headphone jack. However, Sennheiser has accomplished a lot with the IE 600, whether or not it can find its audience. They are consistently impressive and occasionally exhilarating in every area of music-making, including sound staging, detail retrieval, dynamism, control, and uncomplicated musicianship.
Sennheiser IE 600 review: Design
The actual earbuds are constructed of ZR01 amorphous zirconium and are created through a 3D printing method. This metal’s use in the aerospace sector is due to the fact that it is three times as hard and three times as bend-resistant as high-performance steel. Here, it has an exterior surface treatment that prevents corrosion and scratches while still making it look distinctive. On the inside, it is shaped to include a small, tight-tolerance dual resonator chamber at the nozzle and an acoustic back chamber. These are intended to cancel out masking resonances and, as a result, give a tonally neutral and accurate sound.
Sennheiser includes two aramid-reinforced cables in the very opulent packaging, one terminating in the standard 3.5mm unbalanced jack and the other in a more upscale 4.4mm balanced equivalent. The earbuds are connected to their cable using gold-plated MMCX connectors. Since the IE 600 is modular, you can use any correctly terminated cable, however the included cables are of excellent quality and come with highly practical flexible ear-hooks, so they are more than adequate for the job. But they’re not above sending out a little thump and noise.
Sennheiser IE 600 review: Comfort
Sennheiser currently has another outstanding IEM available. The IE 600’s tiny soundstage is both vast and concentrated, and the bass has force and shape, making it simple to fall in love with it. This IEM is among the best in its price range for pure accuracy because the mids and highs are also pleasant and natural.
The IE 600 doesn’t change anything if you didn’t like the size of previous IE models, but that doesn’t imply they can’t provide any comfort at all. Sennheiser has created their ideal mid-fi IEM with the IE 600 and now seriously competes with the more popular options in this price range.
Sennheiser IE 600 review: Sound performance
The soundstage presentation provided by Sennheiser will always be of the greatest standard. This is a remarkable accomplishment, especially considering their series of IEMs, and fortunately the IE 600 accords you the same respect. The IE 600’s spatial capabilities don’t initially go as far as you might expect, but after some time, I found myself totally engrossed in its expansive image and close-quarters headspace. Although the stage is not quite in your brain, the sphere of sound does close in on you and make it appear as though all the imagery is being done for you. The stereo field still warps around you in a semi-holographic way, and there is still a ton of space and air between the elements. Simply said, the stage’s vibe is more natural than open.
Of course, you get an accuracy that is only possible with Sennheiser IEMs, and the IE 600’s excellent layering gives the imaging more depth and dimension. Although the standard for the IE 600’s spatial features embraces a wide range of musical styles, I discovered that its staging suited heavier genres like heavy metal and bombastic electronic music. Jazz and orchestral tunes are still well performed, but the IE 600 lacks the width and openness that some instances require from an IEM. You can buy this wireless earbuds from its official website
Sennheiser IE 600 review: Price and availability
You’ll need to shell out £599 to purchase a pair of Sennheiser IE600 in-ear monitors in the UK. In the US, they are priced at $699, while in Australia, they are priced at $1,199. You already know that the price is too high for in-ear monitors of any kind, let alone IEMs with a wire. In order for the IE600 to make any sense at all, they will need to make the strongest case for wired mobile listening that is conceivable.
Sennheiser IE 600 review: Final words
When it comes to pure sound quality, “wired” has consistently outperformed “wireless,” but “portable” devices have always placed a higher priority on convenience than on performance. The IE 600 are therefore about as specialized a product as one the scale of Sennheiser is ever going to produce. The Sennheiser IE 600 will charm and delight you if you take your mobile listening seriously enough to spend money on a dedicated digital audio player rather than relying on your smartphone to do the job.