Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Sennheiser - IE 600 | Shure - AONIC 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Impedance | 18 Ω | 36 Ω |
| Driver count | 1 | 3 |
| Sensitivity | 118 dB | 119 dB |
Between the IE 600 and AONIC 5, the IE 600 comes out ahead in impedance, while the AONIC 5 wins on driver count / sensitivity. Overall, the IE 600 scores 61.5 and the AONIC 5 scores 66.4 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The AONIC 5 edges ahead on the Mars Score (61.5 vs 66.4), but the 4.9-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the IE 600 if you care most about impedance. The biggest gaps in its favor are impedance. The single most decisive one: Impedance — 18.00 Ω less. 18 vs 36.
Pick the AONIC 5 if you care most about driver count / sensitivity. Its strongest claims are driver count, sensitivity. The single most decisive one: Driver count — 2.00 more. 3 vs 1.
Both ship with comparable detachable cable, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Sennheiser - IE 600 or Shure - AONIC 5?
Shure - AONIC 5 leads the current Mars Score by 4.9 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare driver count, impedance, sensitivity against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Sennheiser - IE 600 if…
Sennheiser - IE 600 has the measurable edge on impedance ohm.
Choose Shure - AONIC 5 if…
Shure - AONIC 5 has the measurable edge on driver count, sensitivity db.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Sennheiser - IE 600 wins
- ▲Impedance — 18.00 Ω less. 18 vs 36.
Why Shure - AONIC 5 wins
- ▲Driver count — 2.00 more. 3 vs 1.
- ▲Sensitivity — 0.85% more. 119 dB vs 118 dB.
Spec comparison
Drivers
| Spec | Sennheiser - IE 600 | Shure - AONIC 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver count | 1 | 3lead |
| Driver types | Dynamic (TrueResponse) | Triple Balanced Armature |
| Impedanceⓘ | 18 Ωlead | 36 Ω |
| Sensitivityⓘ | 118 dB | 119 dBlead |
Build
| Spec | Sennheiser - IE 600 | Shure - AONIC 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Detachable cable | true | true |
| Connector | MMCX | MMCX |