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.

Comfort: Absolutely, the most comfortable headset Ive ever worn with the stock "bassy" earpads. The others are a little scratchy. Sound: Great sound with crisp detail. Sounds like a pair of HD600's with the bass cranked up and a massive soundstage. Sounds are incredibly separated, defined and accurately placed on the stage. With games, I can perfectly track moving targets through walls. Earpads: Velour: Standard "fun" earpads for more bass. Keeps strong presence of mids and highs for having so much bass. Its too much really, but it doesnt muddy anything because of the strong separation of sounds. I can be playing a game and blasting music and still hear voices and footsteps. If you have a DAC thats strong and punchy you're gonna have fun with these. Analytical: Lets all that bass out so you get the real mix of these. The details are more defined and clear. If you professionally mix music or need to strip the nonsense from your games audio and hear those feet, this is the one. They do take away from the comfort... keep that in mind. These are the performance option. Bottom line: Coming from the BD DT 1990 pros these hold their own, which for the love those get is a statement. Ive had the HD 600s and 650s as well as the 590s. I feel like these are somewhere between the 650 with the soundstage of the 590. Though people do directly compare them to the 560s, which Ive owned in the past... I dont understand that one. If you are buying these for gaming youre gonna have a good time. They make most games sound like they are in surround and its very accurate and clear. If you cant afford these, a close second is the HD 590. Those are almost as good for less than half the price.

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.

Cumpre o que promete

Good build quality and comfort. Recommend for music and gaming

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

Ich habe den Sennheiser HD 490 ausführlich getestet und war von der Klangqualität sehr angetan. Der Kopfhörer bietet einen sehr ausgewogenen Sound, mit präsenten Bässen sowie klaren Höhen und Mitten. Klanglich wirklich top. Allerdings hatte ich erhebliche Probleme mit dem Tragekomfort, weil der Druck auf dem Kopf so stark war, dass ich nach etwa 20 Minuten Kopfschmerzen bekam. Auch ein Wechsel der mitgelieferten Ohrpolster hat nichts daran geändert. Zudem gab es ein störendes Knarzen, wenn man die rechte Muschel oder das Kabel berührt hat, und die Kabelbuchse war unnötig groß. Letztlich habe ich mich deshalb entschieden, den Kopfhörer zurückzugeben.

Sono comodissime, le uso sul pc per il gaming principalmente e dopo averne provate qualche paio ho scelto di tenere queste, la musica che si sente è di una qualità audio pazzesca , rispetto alle cuffie da gaming a cui ero abituato è davvero tutta un’ altra cosa. Sono perfette per tutto , gaming / musica / intrattenimento / produzione. Super consigliate. Io le collego ad un dac fosi audio k5 pro e mi stó trovando molto bene.