Sennheiser's new affordable HD 505 headphones are here, and I compared them to the HD 600

Sennheiser HD 505 and HD 600 headphones held in a man's hand
(Image credit: Future)

Sennheiser has just unveiled the latest entry-level headphones in its more 'analytical' line-up of headphones, the HD 505. The 500-series is always Sennheiser's more affordable line, and the HD 505 sits just beneath the Sennheiser HD 600 in the line-up.

Sennheiser says that the new headphones have an adapted transducer that was designed to give better bass and treble extension compared to previous 500-series options, while maintaining transparency for the music.

They have a frequency range of 12Hz - 38.5kHz from 38mm drivers, and an impedance of 120 ohms, though they have a high sound pressure level of 107.9dB per volt which means they're still driveable from something like a phone or laptop, just about.

They have a 1.8m cable, with a 3.5mm plug on the end, and a 6.3mm adapter included. The cable locks into place on the headphones but is removable.

Sennheiser HD 505 headphones held in a man's hand, showing the earcup mesh

(Image credit: Future)

They cost $249 / £229 (about AU$450), which makes them notably more affordable than the official price of the Sennheiser HD 600, which is $449 / £399. However, the HD 600 are regularly available for under £250 in the UK, and have fallen as low as $249 in the US as well (they're $349 as I write this, which is not during a big sales event or anything), so it's not hard to get the step-up model for the same price as the new entry-level option.

I have a much-loved pair of Sennheiser HD 600 headphones (that I built myself on a visit to Sennheiser's factory in Ireland), so with this close real-world price match in mind, and with a pair of HD 505 in hand, I compared them directly to the HD 600.

Sennheiser HD 505 headphones held in a man's hand

(Image credit: Future)

Head(phones)-to-head(phones)

We're going to dig into a fuller, longer period of testing for our full Sennheiser HD 505 review, so this is just my initial comparison – I tested them with Apple Music on my iPhone 16 Pro, with a USB-C DAC from Hidisz.

First, a note about driving them from a phone through a small DAC with no powered amp element: yes, I could drive them from this easily, but I had to have the volume at around 85% of maximum. I had the HD 600 at 90% of maximum to reach the same perceived volume level. So sure, they're not hard to drive, but you will need to keep your foot down.

One of the elements Sennheiser said it focused on for the new headphones was a light and comfortable design without much clamping force, and I really liked this in the HD 505. They keep in place nicely, but with a little less grip on the fiber earpads, they didn't warm my head as much over the same hours-long listening time as the HD 600. I don't have an issue with the HD 600's grip or warming nature, but I could tell a clear difference with the HD 505.

Sennheiser HD 505 and HD 600 headphones on a table

(Image credit: Future)

Obviously, it's all about the sound, though, so let's dig in there. The HD 505 has the bigger bass and treble kick of the two, that much is obvious right away. It feels like it’s hitting slightly lower in the bass range than the HD 600, but it's clearly very controlled – it can hit with good sudden impact, and finish just as neatly.

The low-end is heftier than I might have expected based on my familiarity with the HD 600, but it all feels quite natural – the prominent treble feels like more of a surprise, though.

It’s not harsh, at least not that I’ve heard so far, but does feel like it’s poking its head out of the mix in a way that doesn’t feel neutral. This means you get to really dig into the detail in higher vocals or treble percussion, and the combo of the prominent highs and lows make the sound feel high-energy too.

Sennheiser HD 505 headphones held in a man's hand showing the transducer

(Image credit: Future)

However, the HD 600 has an extra level of naturalness in the overall sound that's especially evident in the mid-range. It feels like there's more space for the elements to move around throughout those frequencies – a bigger room to play in when they're not fitting between the steeper bass and treble of the HD 505.

This means that big swelling instrument arrangements are more transporting, and I felt more enveloped by rich, dense mixes. It also means that the different instruments in really busy songs felt a little more organized in the soundstage – not in a way that robs them of life, but in a way that gives them the extra capacity to shine, and show off extra detail.

It means that the HD 600’s overall soundstage feels more unified to me, with a smoother flow from top to bottom, and crucially a more natural sound through that whole transition. Do I miss a bit of the extra bass thump in certain songs when switching to the HD 600 from the HD 505? Yes, at first – but once I'm into the complexity of what the HD 600 offers, I'm happier there.

Of course, none of this is a surprise given that the HD 600 are theoretically a big price jump over the HD 505 – but as I mentioned above, you can find them for so close in price in practice, that I think the HD 505 may have trouble stepping out of the shadow of the HD 600, unless they get their own price drops before long.

The Sennheiser HD 505 are available immediately from Amazon, and we'll have our full review soon to see if they can make our list of the best wired headphones.

You might also like…

Matt Bolton
Managing Editor, Entertainment

Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Entertainment, meaning he's in charge of persuading our team of writers and reviewers to watch the latest TV shows and movies on gorgeous TVs and listen to fantastic speakers and headphones. It's a tough task, as you can imagine. Matt has over a decade of experience in tech publishing, and previously ran the TV & audio coverage for our colleagues at T3.com, and before that he edited T3 magazine. During his career, he's also contributed to places as varied as Creative Bloq, PC Gamer, PetsRadar, MacLife, and Edge. TV and movie nerdism is his speciality, and he goes to the cinema three times a week. He's always happy to explain the virtues of Dolby Vision over a drink, but he might need to use props, like he's explaining the offside rule.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
The Sennheiser HD 505 headphones held in a man's hand
I tested Sennheiser's HD 505 wired headphones, and they give you a taste of the high end at a real-world price
Meze Audio 105 AER headphones in a hi-fi testing room, on gray background
Meze Audio 105 AER open-backed headphones are a lesson to high-end audio brands: you can let us mere mortals in on it too
Sennheiser HD 550 headphones profile shot
The new Sennheiser HD 550 might just be the gaming-focused audiophile headphones I've been waiting for
Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 on a wooden table
Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 review: awesome wireless headphones in almost every way
Shanling HW600 wired headphones on a white surface
Shanling HW600 review: wired over-ear headphones that pack a sonic punch, if you've got a big head...
Fiio FT7 headphones on a shelf, showing the grille
My favorite affordable audiophile brand just launch new flagship wired headphones – though these ones are pushing the 'affordable' part
Latest in Headphones
FiiO FX17 IEMs
Our favorite budget audiophile brand unveils wired earbuds with 26(!) drivers, electrostatic units, USB-C ultra-Hi-Res Audio, and a not-so-budget price
AirPods Max with USB-C in every color
Apple's AirPods Max with USB-C will get lossless audio in April, but you'll need to go wired
Sony WF-C710N in blue glass on beige background
Sony WF-C710 earbuds land, and I think they'll be the 2025 budget buds to beat
Visual Intelligence identifying a dog
AirPods with cameras for Visual Intelligence could be one of the best personal safety features Apple has ever planned – here's why
The Apple AirPods Pro 2 on a purple background with text saying price cut.
The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are the earbuds I love and they're down to their lowest price this year
Bose QuietComfort Headphones and QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds on a blue background next to TechRadar deals don't miss badge
I've loved these Bose headphones for years and they're now $100 off at Amazon
Latest in News
DeepSeek
Deepseek’s new AI is smarter, faster, cheaper, and a real rival to OpenAI's models
Open AI
OpenAI unveiled image generation for 4o – here's everything you need to know about the ChatGPT upgrade
Apple WWDC 2025 announced
Apple just announced WWDC 2025 starts on June 9, and we'll all be watching the opening event
Hornet swings their weapon in mid air
Hollow Knight: Silksong gets new Steam metadata changes, convincing everyone and their mother that the game is finally releasing this year
OpenAI logo
OpenAI just launched a free ChatGPT bible that will help you master the AI chatbot and Sora
An aerial view of an Instavolt Superhub for charging electric vehicles
Forget gas stations – EV charging Superhubs are using solar power to solve the most annoying thing about electric motoring