Sennheiser HD 490 PRO Professional reference Openback studio headphone

This item was used for a total of 3 hours at a moderate listening level while in my possession. I understand that the return "window" was closed 4 days prior to one side not working, but considering what I paid for this, what do I do now? This is crazy and frustrating. They sound great, but I'm now stuck with a $500 paperweight.

Just amazing man. This headphone is so worth the price and I have 3 reasons why: 1. The imaging, oh my gosh the imaging, when I was playing cs2 I was able to hear footsteps in exact space, I could pinpoint that they were in the room above and to the left of me with just utterly alot of clarity. 2. The comfort is truly understated, wow the comfort, I have glasses and with some headphones it gets a bit uncomfortable to wear them for like 3 hours, man I was grinding in games for 4 hours straight without any noticeable fatigue and the velour headband pad really just like sticks to my hair and that means I can have it a bit more loose and still not feel that way. 3. The flexibility, now for most of the review I’ve just been talking about gaming performance, that’s because I think it’s a metric where I can definitely tell the ups and downs of headphones with music on the other hand I dont really have the same sureness, all headphones sound good but they just feel different in a way I cant point out much, it’s still the same story for these but the difference between the pads is actually noticeable and if you’re guessing I’m using the velour(producing pads) most of the time, you’d be wrong! The velour pads to have some body on them but on some songs with some certain beats, the beats feel a bit fatiguing or too much, with the mixing pads I dont feel that and everything feels equally represented on the mixing pads, bass feels in control, the mids breath fine and the treble doesnt feel obtrusive nor really missing so yeah, take my review with a grain of salt cause I certainly know alot of trivia about headphones, I dont necessarily have experience but from a gamer who’s been on the audiophile space for more than 3 years, it’s definitely great.

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 war ehrlich gesagt lange auf der Suche nach „mehr Bass“. Mehr Druck / punch, mehr Kick, dieses typische Gefühl, dass die Musik einen richtig anschiebt. Habe viele geschlossene Hörer und auch Bluetooth-Modelle ausprobiert – alles klang erstmal beeindruckend, aber irgendwie auch immer ein bisschen künstlich, aufgeblasen oder auf Dauer anstrengend. Dann kam der HD 490 Pro. Mein erster Eindruck war sogar eher enttäuschend. Ich dachte: „Wo ist der Bass? Warum klingt das so dünn?“ Wenn man von bassbetonten Hörern kommt, wirkt der 490 am Anfang wirklich unspektakulär. Aber, und das ist entscheidend, man muss ihm Zeit geben. Nach ein paar Stunden (oder Tagen) passiert etwas: Das Gehör „kalibriert“ sich neu. Und plötzlich merkt man, dass der Bass gar nicht fehlt. Er ist einfach nicht aufgeblasen. Stattdessen ist er unglaublich präzise, räumlich und „greifbar“. Man hört nicht nur Bass, man versteht ihn. Was mich komplett umgehauen hat, sind die Mitten und Vocals. Stimmen klingen so real, dass man teilweise das Gefühl hat, die Sänger stehen direkt vor einem. Gerade bei emotionalen Tracks (z. B. ruhigere Songs oder auch komplexere Metal-Sachen) ist das einfach Gänsehaut pur. Beim Metal / harsh vocals kann man hören, wann der Sänger False Chords oder Fry nutzt. Man hört ob die Kehle feucht oder trocken ist. Man spürt quasi die Stimmbänder. Auch spannend: Live-Aufnahmen klingen wirklich wie live. Man hört den Raum, die Atmosphäre, die Unterschiede zur Studioaufnahme. Das hatte ich so noch bei keinem Kopfhörer. Die Höhen sind klar und detailliert, aber nie nervig. Ich kann stundenlang hören, ohne dass irgendwas anstrengend wird. Und der Tragekomfort ist für mich einer der besten überhaupt – leicht, luftig, nichts wird heiß. Wichtig zu wissen: Das ist kein „Wow beim ersten Hören“-Kopfhörer. Wer sofort fetten Bass und Effekt sucht, wird ihn am Anfang vielleicht sogar langweilig finden und enttäuscht sein. Aber wenn man sich darauf einlässt, merkt man schnell, wie viel echter und richtiger Musik klingen kann. Ich hätte nie gedacht, dass ich mal sage: Weniger Bass macht mehr Spaß (ich liebe eigentlich eine drückende “Wall of Sound” bei Metal). Aber genau das ist hier passiert. Tatsächlich klingt der HD 490 Pro für mich von Song zu Song sogar voller. Für mich aktuell der beste Kopfhörer, den ich je hatte – nicht weil er spektakulär ist, sondern weil er Musik so wiedergibt, wie sie sein sollte.

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.