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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 10, 2024·
For an immersive music experience with an excellent soundstage, the HifiMan Sundara headphones are a strong choice; however, their open-back design and lack of wireless capability make them less versatile for on-the-go use and they offer poor noise isolation, which can be a drawback for noisy environments or travel. The Sennheiser IE600 earbuds provide best-in-class sound quality with a more portable and closed design, offering better noise isolation, but are less suitable for gaming and TV due to fair and good performance respectively in those areas. Both options may not serve well for exercise or calls, as they both have poor microphones and are not optimized for those activities. The Sundara's planar drivers and recommendation for a dedicated amplifier suggest that a high-quality audio setup is needed for optimal performance, which could be a consideration if you're looking for simplicity. 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 Sundara
- Excellent for music
- Good for gaming
- Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sennheiser IE600
- Excellent for TV and video
Key differences
Music
9.3
8.3
The HifiMan Sundara is excellent for music, while the Sennheiser IE600 is very good.
Phone Calls
4.9
3.5
The HifiMan Sundara and Sennheiser IE600 are both poor for phone calls, though the HifiMan Sundara is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.8
5.4
The HifiMan Sundara is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser IE600 is poor.
TV and Video
8.8
9.3
The Sennheiser IE600 is excellent for TV and video, while the HifiMan Sundara is very good.
Noise Reduction
2.5
7.0
The Sennheiser IE600 is good for noise reduction, while the HifiMan Sundara is poor.
Cost
$279
$600
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The HifiMan Sundara has a price of $279 and the Sennheiser IE600 costs $600.
Build Quality
8.2
9.0
The Sennheiser IE600 has excellent build quality, while the HifiMan Sundara has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Gaming
7.2
6.7
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HifiMan Sundara to be good for gaming, while the Sennheiser IE600 is only fair.
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How the HifiMan Sundara and the Sennheiser IE600 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HifiMan Sundara | Sennheiser IE600 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$279 | $600 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | HifiMan | Sennheiser | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2020 | June 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 9.3/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5/10 | 3.5/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 7.2/10 | 6.8/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.8/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.5/10 | 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 | N/A | No | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | N/A | 2.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.2/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8.4/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 394.6 Grams | 6 Grams | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
HifiMan Sundara
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Christian Thomas | July 2023
"The HiFiMan Sundara is the set of headphones to get if you want high-end audio, but don't want to shell out a king's ransom for it. These planar magnetic headphones are comfortable, straightforward, and excellent performers."
Sennheiser IE600
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Dig into reviews and images
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 Sundara 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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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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.
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