Sennheiser HD 600 vs Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro: Open Backs
The HD 600 is one of the most neutral headphones available at any price and it is a genuine mixing reference. The DT 990 Pro is more exciting, with a boosted treble and a lifted low end, which reveals detail and encourages you to mix the highs too dark. Both are open back, so both leak sound and neither can be used for tracking near a microphone.
At a glance
| Sennheiser HD 600 open back headphones | Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro, 80 ohm | |
|---|---|---|
| Design | Open back | Open back |
| Voicing | Close to neutral | Boosted treble and low end |
| Impedance | 300 ohm, wants an amplifier | 80 ohm on this version |
| Soundstage | Moderate, accurate | Wide |
| Mixing reliability | High | Lower, compensate for the treble |
| Leakage | Substantial | Substantial |
Choose the Sennheiser HD 600 open back headphones if…
Choose the HD 600 if these are for mixing decisions. It is close enough to neutral that what you hear is close to what is there, which is the only property that matters in a reference. It is 300 ohms, so it wants a proper headphone amplifier or a capable interface output to reach a controlled volume, and a phone will not drive it well.
Check Sennheiser HD 600 open back headphones on Amazon
Choose the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro, 80 ohm if…
Choose the DT 990 Pro if you want to hear detail and are willing to account for the voicing. The lifted treble makes small problems easy to spot, which is genuinely useful for editing and for finding noise. The risk is that mixes made on them come out dull elsewhere, because you turn the highs down to compensate for what the headphones added.
Check Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro, 80 ohm on Amazon
Related
- Open back vs closed back headphones
- Monitors vs headphones for mixing
- How to mix on headphones
- Sennheiser HD 600 review: the midrange reference, and the amplifier it needs
- Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X review: the open back an ordinary interface can actually drive
Comparison based on published manufacturer specifications and the general consensus of owner reports. We have not tested these products side by side. Confirm current specifications and prices before buying. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked questions
Can you mix on headphones alone?
Yes, and a great many records are made that way, but it needs discipline. Headphones give no crossfeed between the ears and an unnaturally wide image, so panning and reverb judgements go astray. Reference tracks you know well, a crossfeed plugin, and checking on any set of speakers before finishing all reduce the risk substantially.
Do open backs need an amplifier?
The HD 600 effectively does, at 300 ohms. The 80 ohm DT 990 works from most interface headphone outputs. A dedicated amplifier is less about volume than about control: an underpowered output runs out of headroom on transients and sounds soft and vague, which is exactly the wrong failure mode for a reference.
Why can open backs not be used for recording?
They leak enough that a microphone in the same room will pick up the backing track, and that bleed cannot be removed afterwards. For anything recorded with a microphone in the room you need a closed back pair. Open backs are for mixing and editing, and the two jobs genuinely need different headphones.
How much do worn pads change the sound?
More than most people realise. Compressed pads move the driver closer to the ear and change the seal, which alters the low end and the treble balance. On a reference pair that matters, because your judgement is calibrated to how they sounded when new. Replace pads every few years and expect a short readjustment period.
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