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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
If you prefer an immersive listening experience at home, especially for music and movies, the HifiMan Edition XS's open design and planar magnetic drivers deliver excellent sound quality and exceptional soundstage, though it lacks isolation from ambient noise, making it unsuitable for noisy environments or air travel. It's also worth noting that these headphones may benefit from a dedicated amplifier for optimal performance. Conversely, the Sennheiser IE600 earbuds provide great sound quality and a closed design for better noise isolation, making them versatile for various environments, including outdoor use and travel, but they may not match the soundstage of the HifiMan. The Sennheiser earbuds also are more portable and have a better build quality. Neither option is suitable for sports as they are not sweatproof. Both lack wireless functionality; if that's a requirement, you might want to look elsewhere. Choose the HifiMan Edition XS for at-home use and a larger soundstage or the Sennheiser IE600 for portability and noise isolation. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the HifiMan Edition XS
- Good for gaming
- Best in class for TV and video
- Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sennheiser IE600
- The Sennheiser IE600 has no clear advantages over the HifiMan Edition XS.
Key differences
Music
8.8
8.3
The HifiMan Edition XS and Sennheiser IE600 are both very good for music, though the HifiMan Edition XS is somewhat better.
Gaming
7.4
6.7
The HifiMan Edition XS is good for gaming, while the Sennheiser IE600 is only fair.
Phone Calls
5.0
3.5
The HifiMan Edition XS and Sennheiser IE600 are both poor for phone calls, though the HifiMan Edition XS is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.9
5.4
The HifiMan Edition XS is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser IE600 is poor.
Noise Reduction
2.5
7.0
The Sennheiser IE600 is good for noise reduction, while the HifiMan Edition XS is poor.
Cost
$269
$600
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The HifiMan Edition XS has a price of $269 and the Sennheiser IE600 costs $600.
Build Quality
8.5
9.0
The Sennheiser IE600 has excellent build quality, while the HifiMan Edition XS has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
TV and Video
9.5
9.3
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HifiMan Edition XS to be best in class for TV and video, while the Sennheiser IE600 is excellent.
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How the HifiMan Edition XS and the Sennheiser IE600 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HifiMan Edition XS | Sennheiser IE600 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$269 | $600 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | HifiMan | Sennheiser | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | June 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 8.9/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 3.5/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 7.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 9.5/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.4/10 | 4.6/10 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 2.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | No | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | N/A | 2.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7.6/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 421 Grams | 6 Grams | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
HifiMan Edition XS
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphonesty
Eric D Hieger | January 2023
"The Edition XS easily compete with headphones in their price range with a very high price-to-performance ratio. The XS are an amazing value and offer performance not far off from headphones more than twice their cost. These will be a mind-blowing revelation for enthusiasts and music lovers who have only heard standard big-brand mainstream headphones."
Sennheiser IE600
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Soundguys
Jasper Lastoria | August 2023
"If you've got the bucks, the Sennheiser IE 600 is a nice, upscale set of in-ear monitors made of a lightweight metal with an unusual texture. It comes with a suite of extras, and performs well at virtually every task."
Get a great deal on the HifiMan Edition XS or the Sennheiser IE600
About HifiMan
HiFiMAN is a Chinese, high-end, audio product manufacturer, with 20 years of experience, that specializes in amplifiers, digital audio players and planar magnetic headphones, some of which have become a staple in the audiophile community such as the entry-level Sundara, the midrange Edition X, and the very well-regarded, high-end, Arya.
About Sennheiser
A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.
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Why trust us
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
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CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Earbuds and Headphones Expert
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