Sennheiser HD 600 vs Sony MDR-7506: which needs more amplifier?

The Sennheiser HD 600 is 300Ω at 91.8 dB/mW; the Sony MDR-7506 is 63Ω at 106.0 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 14.2 dB more than the Sony MDR-7506 to reach the same loudness — 6.6 mW against 0.25 mW.

The numbers that decide it

SpecificationSennheiser HD 600Sony MDR-7506
Impedance300 Ω63 Ω
Sensitivity91.8 dB/mW106.0 dB/mW
Sensitivity (voltage)97.0 dB/V118.0 dB/V
Power for 100 dB6.6 mW0.25 mW
Voltage for 100 dB1.41 V0.13 V
Current for 100 dB4.7 mA2.0 mA
Highest source impedance
that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule)
37.50 Ω7.88 Ω
Sources that reach 100 dB
out of 280
261280

Where the two part company

19 of the 280 sources have the power for the Sony MDR-7506 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 Sony MDR-7506 (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: Sennheiser HD 600 and Sony MDR-7506. Every figure on this page comes from what Sennheiser and Sony published, or is derived from it — what Sennheiser publishes and what Sony publishes, both counted.