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.

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.

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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.