Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X vs Sennheiser HD 600: which needs more amplifier?

The Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X is 48Ω at 100.0 dB/mW; the Sennheiser HD 600 is 300Ω at 91.8 dB/mW. This page is only about what they ask of an amplifier — not how they sound, which no specification on either sheet can tell you.

The Sennheiser HD 600 needs 8.2 dB more than the Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X to reach the same loudness — 6.6 mW against 1.0 mW.

The numbers that decide it

SpecificationBeyerdynamic DT 900 Pro XSennheiser HD 600
Impedance48 Ω300 Ω
Sensitivity100.0 dB/mW91.8 dB/mW
Sensitivity (voltage)113.2 dB/V97.0 dB/V
Power for 100 dB1.0 mW6.6 mW
Voltage for 100 dB0.22 V1.41 V
Current for 100 dB4.6 mA4.7 mA
Highest source impedance
that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule)
6.00 Ω37.50 Ω
Sources that reach 100 dB
out of 280
280261

Where the two part company

19 of the 280 sources have the power for the Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X but not for the Sennheiser HD 600 — Apple USB-C dongle (US), Apple USB-C dongle (EU), JadeAudio JA11, 16 more.

19 sources are low enough in output impedance for the Sennheiser HD 600 under the one-eighth rule but not for the Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X (Zoom AMS-22, Arturia MiniFuse 2, Arturia MiniFuse 1, 16 more).

261 of the 280 sources here reach 100 dB on both. That count is about power only — the output-impedance and hiss lines above are separate questions, and a source can pass this one and fail those.

Both pages in full

Each model has a page of its own with the full source list, the hiss estimate and the provenance of every figure above: Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X and Sennheiser HD 600. Every figure on this page comes from what Beyerdynamic and Sennheiser published, or is derived from it — what Beyerdynamic publishes and what Sennheiser publishes, both counted.