Ready to call yourself an audiophile? Sound maven Sennheiser debuts its new IE 600 “audiophile earbuds” on Tuesday. These things are truly wired for sound. As in, they’re literally wired, not wireless. And while they cost less than Sennheiser’s flagship IE 900 earbuds, they’re not cheap.
But at launch you can only get the IE 600s in Europe. The U.S. launch comes in summer 2022.
Sennheiser IE 600 audiophile earbuds
The new Sennheiser IE 600 earbuds sit between the basic IE 300 and the top of the line IE 900. And they rank among the first products released after Sennheiser transferred its Consumer Electronics division to Sonova Holding, known for providing hearing solutions.
Tough metal casing
Sennheiser designed the earbuds in Germany and manufactures them at Sonova Consumer Hearing’s transducer production facilities in Ireland.
The facility uses a patented 3D printing process incorporating ZR01 amorphous zirconium, a metal with a glass-like atomic structure. The NASA Mars Rover used it in a drilling head. The company said it gives the IE 600s three times the hardness and bend resistance of high-performance steel.
You can learn more about the manufacturing process in the video below.
Inner workings = high-quality audio
Sennheiser said the IE 600s are built around acoustic back volume and precision-molded resonator chambers that provide a voicing with presence and intimacy. The nozzle houses dual resonator chambers formed to tight tolerances, which helps eliminate masking resonances.
The IE 600 buds feature Sennheiser’s TrueResponse transducer. The single 7 mm driver provides “extra-wide frequency range and ultra-low distortion.” The system is tuned for tonally neutral sound and optimized to produce a steep bass slope for a beefy low end.
Gold-plated MMCX connectors sit recessed in the housing, supporting cable diameters of up to 4.8 mm. That lets listeners plug into various audio sources, including hi-fi components with balanced outputs.
Both 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm cable jack sizes are included with the IE 600. A choice of earbud tips — silicone and memory foam — come in three sizes.
Sennheiser’s IE 600 earbuds become available in Europe starting March 8. They arrive in the U.S. by summer at a price of $699.95 a set.
Price: $699.95
Where to buy: Sennheiser
