HD 490 PRO Open-Back Professional Headphone

This headphone is my first I believe hi-res headphone, so I would first focus on the physical aspect: weight, comfort, design etc. 1. Weight: This headphone is light and I am able to wear it 8 hours straight without any issue. 2. Comfort: Very Very comfortable and it does not feel tight to my head. Because the ear cups are flexible and twistable, it covered my ear perfectly. 3. Design: Very simplistic (which I really like). Although 490 pro is very light, when I hold it, it feel very sturdy, the headband doesn't feel cheap and the adjustable part feel easy to adjust while also hold it position fairly tightly. Notable mention: The cushion is not leather like surface, so no need to worry about the surface get peeled off one day and stuck to your hair. So in terms of the physical aspect of headphone itself, it is 5/5. Now comes to sound quality: - please note: I am not any music creator or professional musical listener. I am just a normal consumer and this is my first time step into this territory. The sound is crisp compared to my previous gaming headphone and it is further enhance if you do some EQ. It is ok if you don't do any EQ but I still feel like do some adjustment is better as after I did some EQ, without it feel a bit plain. But again, the sound itself is very clear and crisp. Very good! New user friendliness: Although the product state it is "Professional Headphone", I feel like it is still very friendly for new user, and here is my reason- no need a bunch of setup for it to work. HD 490 pro has a low enough resistance and fairly high sensitivity to plug directly into your pc and drive using your motherboard. Compare to some other high resistance and/or low sensitivity headphones which needs dedicated amp and/or DAC, HD 490 pro doesn't need you to pay a fortune for it to work. I feel like it is a pretty good entry point for new users who just into music and want to enjoy more on music (like me). You can just get this headphone first to feel the sound enhancement, then after you can by those frontend and get other headphones which needs dedicated frontend. Worth every single penny for this headphone.

I bought these on an impulse really. I am not a pro of any kind, I am just looking for the good stuff. So I saw new Sennheiser's actually being marketed to working professionals instead of their usual "cool guy" marketing I decided it give it a go. Reviews on the usual sites like rtings were good too. I have to say these things are fantastic. They are actually MORE comfortable than Hifiman Edition XS. In part because they weigh less than half those weigh. My ears are on the large size and they fit in the cups just fine. And I listen to music all day long while working, and so far these clear 8 hours a day with comfort. Oh and I have a huge head. Like I have to get the largest sizes for hats. They fit me fine, no hot spots. Now onto build. The new adjustment mechanism is very nice, the headband is spring steel, and the earcups and hinges are fiberglass-reinforced polymer. So the stuff they make tools and firearms out of. Sure it doesn't feel all that nice to the touch, its a bit like fine sandpaper, but the stuff is 2nd only to steel in terms of durability. This is a HUGE step up from the usual simple plastics of my other headphones. This gives me hope these headphones will stand up well without physically breaking like a few have over the years. I also really like the standard 4 pin mini-XLR connector. This means these are balanced capable right out of the box. And you can switch sides. Now at present its hard to find these since not many companies offer it for headphones, but it means the cable will be easily replaceable when it inevitably breaks. Speaking of cables, the little coil near the headphones really does eliminate "microphonics" from the cable rubbing your shirt. Now for the big one. Sound. I am no pro, and I don't have a fancy set up. But I can say I really like these. I am using the velour "producer" pads because I enjoy that softer sound profile. First of all these ARE producer/mixer headphones. Meaning they are flat, and rather uncompromising. Despite that, they manage to deliver an enjoyable listening experience directly out of my DAC/amp. I can't say the same for some of the Beyerdymanics or Sony production headphones I've tried. They also are sensitive enough to run off typical audio devices like your laptop without an amp, but they do appreciate an amp. What really shines here? They are bright and detailed on the top end yet extend nicely down to give a rich, full bass. Quite possibly the strongest, best bass you are going to find in open-backed dynamic driver headphones. Its deep, rich, clean, and with a nice bit of thump/punch. I find I notice more high end details in my songs wearing these. All while avoiding the piercing, sibilant nature found in so many production headphones. They manage to keep that characteristic "Sennheiser veil" which makes these easy to use and enjoy. The bass its rich, deep, and full. Bass has always been a weakness of open back headphones. These extend down deep and loud like closed backed headphones. It even honestly thumps when the song was mixed for it. And despite this I have never felt the bass was muddy or distorted. Honestly these sound like quality planar magnetic headphones, all while using dynamic Drivers. These also have amazing sound stage, making both games and music a joy to enjoy with these. This is probably the best spatial audio I have ever heard. In games the location of audio is so good I have to resist instinctively looking over my shoulders, and I have been honestly confused if it was storming outside for real, or it was just the game until I checked the game. I have about 6 different pairs of headphones in the $400 range. These are BY FAR my favorite and the ones I keep going back to. I am not sure I am going to find better headphones unless I am willing to spend double the price they go for. I think we can rest easy that Sennheiser Pro still has their magic.

Good build quality and comfort. Recommend for music and gaming

crazy good headphones, with comfortability to match with subtle looks. Highly recommended

Muito leve, confortável e soa como eu esperava que soasse (baseado na minha experiência prévia com outros fones da Sennheiser). Demorou um pouco para chegar, mas o vendedor foi super atencioso e teve boa comunicação durante o processo.

Ich nutze die Sennheiser HD 490 Pro nun seit einiger Zeit und bin insgesamt wirklich sehr zufrieden. Was mir direkt positiv aufgefallen ist, ist der Klang. Die Höhen sind klar und sauber, ohne unangenehm scharf zu wirken, und die Bässe sind präsent, aber nicht übertrieben. Insgesamt wirkt das Klangbild sehr ausgewogen und detailliert – ideal sowohl für Gaming als auch für längere Sessions mit Musik oder Content. Zum Vergleich: Ich hatte zuvor die Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro. Das sind definitiv keine schlechten Kopfhörer, aber im direkten Vergleich wirken sie für mein Empfinden deutlich extremer abgestimmt. Die Höhen sind dort teilweise zu spitz und auf Dauer anstrengend, während die HD 490 Pro deutlich angenehmer und natürlicher klingen. Gerade bei längerer Nutzung ist das ein spürbarer Unterschied. Ein weiterer großer Pluspunkt ist der Tragekomfort. Ich habe einen eher größeren Kopf und kenne das Problem, dass viele Kopfhörer nach einiger Zeit drücken oder sogar Kopfschmerzen verursachen. Das ist hier überhaupt nicht der Fall. Die HD 490 Pro sitzen angenehm, ohne zu drücken, und auch nach mehreren Stunden bleibt der Komfort erhalten. Die Ohrpolster fühlen sich hochwertig, weich und sehr angenehm an. Besonders gut gefällt mir auch, dass das Kabel abnehmbar und somit problemlos austauschbar ist. Das macht den Kopfhörer langlebiger und flexibler im Alltag. Gleiches gilt für die Polster, die ebenfalls ersetzbar sind – ein klarer Vorteil. Zusätzlich überzeugt die hochwertige Verarbeitung insgesamt. Der Kopfhörer wirkt stabil, sauber verarbeitet und auf langfristige Nutzung ausgelegt. Auch das offene Design sorgt für eine natürliche, räumliche Klangwiedergabe, was gerade beim Gaming und bei Musik einen echten Mehrwert bietet. Fazit: Für mich ein rundum gelungener Kopfhörer mit sehr gutem, ausgewogenem Klang, hohem Tragekomfort und durchdachten Details. Klare Empfehlung – besonders für alle, die von eher „extrem“ abgestimmten Kopfhörern kommen und etwas Angenehmeres suchen.

Are they great value? Honestly no, they are overpriced. BUT, if you want the most comfortable headphones that you have likely ever worn, then these are it. It's up to you if you want to pay for it. I did and don't regret it. In terms of sound they are great as expected, nice and open, large soundstage so you can really pin point where individual instruments are coming from, like you are sitting in the middle of an orchestra. They do need a bit of EQ to take away some sharpness.