Sennheiser HD 490 Pro review
The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro headphones are designed with the specific needs of audio professionals in mind. They promise a perfect blend of clarity, comfort, and reliability.
In this comprehensive review, we’ll take a deep dive into the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro, exploring its detailed specifications, design, sound quality, microphone performance, and more. We’ll also discuss the pros and cons to help you decide if these headphones are the right fit for your audio workflow.
Let’s get started!
Specifications
- Frequency response: 16 Hz – 21 kHz
- Sensitivity: 110 dB SPL (1kHz at 1 Vrms)
- Transducer principle: Open-back dynamic
- Ear cup coupling: Circumaural
- Impedance: 250 Ohm
- Weight: 260g
- Cable: Detachable 3m coiled cable (with 3.5mm jack connector)
- Included accessories: Carry pouch, additional pair of earpads
Design
The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro provides a design that prioritizes both comfort and durability.
- Build Quality: Sennheiser utilizes a combination of lightweight plastic and a sturdy metal headband for a balance between comfort and longevity.
- Comfort: The circumaural ear cups are generously sized and well-padded, ensuring a comfortable fit around your ears. The adjustable headband and soft ear cup material further contribute to a fatigue-free listening experience during long studio sessions.
- Open-Back Design: As mentioned earlier, the HD 490 Pro features an open-back design. This allows for a wider soundstage and more natural audio reproduction, making it ideal for critical listening tasks like mixing and mastering. It also means the headphones leak sound and offer minimal noise isolation.
- Detachable Cable: The 3-meter coiled cable provides ample reach for studio environments and detaches for easy storage or replacement in case of damage.
Overall, the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro prioritizes functionality for audio professionals. While the design may not be as flashy as some consumer headphones, it’s built to withstand the demands of daily studio use.
Controls
The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro keeps the controls minimal, focusing on functionality for studio use.
- Limited On-board Controls: Unlike some headphones with dedicated buttons for volume or playback, the HD 490 Pro offers minimal on-board controls. This keeps the design clean and avoids accidental button presses during critical listening sessions.
- Focus on Source Device Control: The headphones rely on the controls of your audio source (mixer, interface, etc.) for volume adjustments, playback controls, and other functions. This approach ensures compatibility with a wide range of pro audio equipment.
- Detachable Cable with Optional Remote: While the standard cable lacks controls, some versions of the HD 490 Pro might include a detachable cable with an inline remote. This remote could offer basic playback controls (play/pause, skip) for convenient use with smartphones or portable devices.
Overall, the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro prioritizes a streamlined design for studio environments. While it may lack the extensive controls found in some consumer headphones, it ensures compatibility with professional audio equipment and avoids unnecessary distractions during critical listening tasks.
Connectivity
The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro offers a straightforward connection method ideal for studio environments:
- Wired Connectivity: The headphones rely solely on a wired connection for audio transmission. This eliminates the potential for latency issues that can sometimes plague Bluetooth headphones and ensures a reliable signal for critical listening tasks.
- Detachable Cable: The included 3-meter coiled cable provides ample reach and flexibility within a studio setting. The detachable design allows for easy storage, replacement in case of damage, or even connection to alternative cable options with different lengths or connectors (depending on your specific needs).
While the HD 490 Pro doesn’t offer wireless connectivity, this design choice prioritizes the needs of audio professionals who require a reliable and latency-free connection for accurate sound reproduction.
Battery Life
Since the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro relies solely on a wired connection for audio transmission, it doesn’t require a battery. This eliminates the need for charging and potential concerns about battery life running out during critical listening sessions.
For professional studio use, a wired connection offers several advantages:
- Reliable Signal: Wired connections provide a stable and consistent signal, crucial for accurate sound reproduction and avoiding any audio dropouts or glitches.
- No Latency: Unlike Bluetooth connections which can introduce a slight delay, wired headphones ensure real-time audio transmission, essential for tasks like monitoring recordings or playing instruments while hearing yourself clearly.
- Focus on Workflow: Eliminating the need to worry about battery levels allows audio professionals to focus on their work without interruptions.
While the lack of a battery might seem like a limitation at first glance, it’s a deliberate design choice by Sennheiser that caters to the specific needs of studio environments.
Isolation
Due to their open-back design, the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro offers minimal noise isolation. This is a trade-off inherent to open-back headphones.
- Pros for Studio Use:
- Wider soundstage: The open-back design creates a more spacious and natural listening experience, allowing you to better perceive the spatial positioning of instruments and audio elements within a mix.
- Improved Accuracy: The open design allows for better airflow around the drivers, which can contribute to a more accurate and neutral sound reproduction.
- Cons for Isolation:
- External Noise Leakage: Since the ear cups don’t create a closed seal, sound leaks out from the headphones, potentially disturbing those around you.
- Ambient Noise Intrusion: External noise can easily enter your ears, making them unsuitable for use in loud environments where you need to block out distractions.
Overall, the open-back design of the HD 490 Pro is ideal for professional studio use where accurate sound reproduction and a wider soundstage are paramount. However, if you require noise isolation for monitoring in loud environments or listening privately, these headphones might not be the best choice.
Sound Quality
The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro is designed for professional audio applications, and its sound quality reflects this focus.
- Neutral Sound Signature: These headphones prioritize a flat and uncolored sound signature, aiming to reproduce audio as accurately as possible without any exaggerated bass or treble. This allows audio professionals to make critical mixing decisions with confidence, knowing they’re hearing the true representation of the source material.
- Open-Back Design Impact: The open-back design contributes to a wider soundstage. This creates a more spacious listening experience where you can clearly distinguish the placement of various instruments and audio elements within a mix.
- Detailed Clarity: The HD 490 Pro boasts excellent detail retrieval across the frequency spectrum. From subtle nuances in vocals to the intricacies of complex musical arrangements, these headphones allow you to hear every detail within the audio.
- Dual Ear Pad Options: Sennheiser includes an interesting feature – two sets of ear pads with slightly different sonic characteristics. The velour pads offer a neutral and transparent sound, while the pleather pads provide a slightly warmer and bassier response. This allows you to tailor the sound signature to your preferences or the specific mixing task at hand.
Overall, the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro delivers exceptional sound quality that caters to the needs of audio professionals. The neutral sound signature, wide soundstage, and detailed clarity make them ideal for critical listening, mixing, and mastering applications.
Microphone
Important Note: It’s important to clarify that the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro does not include a built-in microphone. This design choice reinforces the focus on professional studio use where audio professionals typically rely on dedicated studio condenser microphones for capturing vocals or instruments.
Since the HD 490 Pro prioritizes accurate sound reproduction for monitoring and mixing tasks, a microphone wouldn’t be a necessary feature. It would also potentially add to the cost and complexity of the headphones.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Excellent Sound Quality: Neutral sound signature, detailed clarity, and wide soundstage ideal for professional use.
- Detachable Cable: Offers flexibility and easy replacement in case of damage.
- Comfortable Design: Lightweight and well-padded ear cups for long studio sessions.
- Durable Build Quality: Built to withstand the demands of daily studio use.
- Dual Ear Pad Options: Allows for customization of the sound signature.
- Open-Back Design: Creates a spacious listening experience for accurate monitoring and mixing.
Cons
- Open-Back Design: Leaks sound and offers minimal noise isolation.
- Limited On-board Controls: Relies on source device for volume and playback adjustments.
- High Impedance: Requires a powerful amplifier to achieve optimal volume levels.
- Not Portable: Open-back design and long cable make them less suitable for travel.
- No Built-in Microphone: Not ideal for communication purposes.
Verdict
The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro are excellent headphones for professional audio applications, particularly mixing and mastering. Their neutral sound signature, wide soundstage, and detailed clarity make them ideal for critical listening tasks. However, the open-back design and lack of a microphone make them less suitable for noise isolation or communication needs.
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