For some discerning headphone enthusiasts, the Sennheiser HD600 is the go-to headphones due to their exceptional sonic performances and modest price tag. The high sound quality of the HD600 also makes it an ideal choice for professionals. Even so, without headphone gears such as a matching DAC to support it. you might not be able to fully enjoy your digital music playbacks.
The Sennheiser HD600 is capable of delivering a massive amount of music details with pristine clarity and the accuracy of the sound reproduction is top-notch when compared to other headphones within the same price range. Since it is an open-back design, the HD600 doesn’t have punchy bass performances but it is tightly controlled and agile. If bass accuracy is what you are looking for then these Sennheiser dynamic headphones are certainly for you. The soundstage is not as large and spacious as we have expected. it is still capable of producing highly defined musicians thanks to its amazing stereo imaging and separation.
They may sound a bit too bright sounding so we need to be cautious when pairing them with a DAC which might overly excite the Sennheiser HD600 treble. All in all, the music presentations delivered by the Sennheiser HD600 sounded natural and realistic, a bit more bass weight might help to add more depth and body into the music. Its music handling is impeccable, able to remain in control even when the passage gets really busy. It would also sound more fun if the soundstage is slightly bigger though. Anyway, we shouldn’t nitpick a headphone with this price point as the level of sonic performance we are getting is already well worth the investment.
More Info at Amazon – Sennheiser HD 600 Open Dynamic Headphones (Black)
Pairing the Sennheiser HD600 with a matching DAC that will complement its sound quality is important but the chosen D/A converter must be able to meet your requirements as well. This is why we need to work on your DAC requirements. We will be sharing with you some of the potential D/A converter requirements that you might want to consider. Once you are firm with what you need, it will help you to better decide which DAC to go for and so without further ado let us start.
Table of Contents
Your DAC Requirements
The type of high res audio files you are listening to and the sample rates you need will be a requirement worthy of your consideration. Since the Sennheiser HD600 is an open-back headphone, it won’t be ideal to use them outdoors as environmental noises will interrupt your music listening experience so needing a portable DAC may not be necessary unless you will be moving it around often at home. It could also be due to limited space and you want to keep the D/A converter after use. In such a case you can also get a digital-to-analog converter of a specific dimension or size that fits your desktop.
You may want to go for a DAC with a built-in headphone amplifier as the Sennheiser HD600 will sound better with a matching amp driving it. Going with a dedicated D/A converter may provide higher overall sonic performance but getting a headphone amplifier with a built-in DAC might help you save a bit of money and space. This requirement will also be depended on the budget you have allocated so you should start working on it soon if you haven’t done it yet. Needless to say, the higher your budget the more D/A converter choices you can aim for.
The kind of sonic traits you want from a digital-to-analog converter can be a requirement as well and you should write it down somewhere plus rank them accordingly based on importance. Going for specific brands can be a requirement especially if you are already used to their house sounds. You should take some time to walk through these DAC requirements and do add in more of your own. When you have considered all the potential DAC requirements, you might want to take a look at the list of the best DACs which you can choose and partner with your Sennheiser HD600 dynamic professional headphones.
Best DACs to partner with Sennheiser HD600
The Schiit Audio Modius will be an ideal match for your Sennheiser HD600 headphones and it has a modest price point to go with it too. This is a desktop DAC and it is considered one of the best entry-level D/A converters thanks to its well-balanced sonic performance. Schiit Audio Modius is capable of delivering a detailed music presentation with articulation and the polished background also helps to let the music stand out more. This DAC also makes the music delivery a bit more enjoyable without letting it sound tonally unnatural. If you are using entry-level Schiit headphone amps, the Modius is certainly worth your serious consideration.
More Info at Amazon – Schiit Modius Balanced DAC D/A Converter (Silver)
Chord Mojo is an award-winning portable DAC and will be a worthy match for the coveted Sennheiser HD600 dynamic headphones. The compact size of the Mojo D/A converter allows you to transport it around with ease and you can easily keep it inside your drawer. This is an enthusiastic performer with an innate ability to deliver an energetic musical performance. Its music presentation is informative and detailed, the Sennheiser HD600 helps to add more clarity to the overall sound reproduction. Chord Mojo doesn’t add additional brightness to the treble.
More Info at Amazon – Chord Mojo Black DAC
Topping D50 is another top-notch DAC with a modest price tag and pairs well with the Sennheiser HD600. The USB input will provide its users with sample rates up to 32-bit/768kHz and decodes DSD512 natively. These features alone should cater to most digital music playback requirements. There is a hint of warmth coming from the DAC and this helps to add more body into the overall sound reproduction. Topping D50 is capable of digging out plenty of music details as well as subtle nuances. This DAC will be suitable for both casual music listeners and professionals.
More Info at Amazon – Topping D50 ES9038Q2M2 USB DAC XMOS XU208
The iFi Zen DAC V2 is the latest iteration of the award-winning Zen DAC and has higher quality components than its predecessor. It will be a suitable match for your Sennheiser HD600 open-back headphones. The Zen DAC V2 has a smooth music delivery and doesn’t sound overly bright when pushed which makes it even more suited to be used with the HD600. The iFi Zen DAC V2 also has astounding clarity and is able to dig out plenty of music details, complementing the Sennheiser HD600 really well. If we were to choose, we will go with the Zen DAC V2 instead of the earlier version.
More Info at Amazon – iFi Zen DAC V2 Desktop Digital Analog Converter
The FiiO K5 Pro is another high-quality DAC which have received an upgrade, the current version will be the FiiO K5 Pro ESS and it even comes with a built-in headphone amplifier that you can use to drive the Sennheiser HD600. FiiO K5 Pro ESS supports up to 32-bit/768kHz sample rates and decodes native DSD512 high-res audio files. This latest iteration also sounds more analytical and a tad more neutral than the older version. The price point of the FiiO K5 Pro ESS is still modest and is definitely worth your while to have an audition with them.
More Info at Amazon – FiiO K5 Pro Headphone Amplifier DAC (K5PRO ESS)
For listeners who have a higher budget, you might want to take a look at the Schiit Audio Bifrost 2, it has received plenty of accolades over the years and will be more than a worthy match for your Sennheiser HD600 headphones. The Schiit Audio Bifrost 2 adds musicality without compromising the precision and resolution of the music. Its overall sound reproduction has a hint of warmth and doesn’t sound harsh when pushed. It can project an open and spacious soundstage which will work really well with the Sennheiser HD600 headphones. The Schiit Audio Bifrost 2 stereo imaging is equally impressive too.
More Info at Amazon – Schiit Bifrost 2 True Multibit Autonomy D to A converter
To Sum It Up
If you are unable to find your favorite brand on this list, please feel free to use some of the listed DACs as references after you have auditioned them. Only after hearing them in action, you will be able to fully understand how they really sound when partnered with your Sennheiser HD600. You can shortlist the D/A converters based on your DAC requirements such as sonic traits, features, and others. Another way is to filter out the DACs which do not fit your budget.
