Sennheiser maintains its position as a top brand for audiophile headphones while also leading the recording equipment field and reference headphone market. The HD 25 Pro and HD280 Pro serve as outstanding evidence of the German audio company’s historical achievements. The current high-end monitoring headphone market operates with growing competition because all major manufacturers introduce fresh products for improved market standing. The MDR MV1 headphone from Sony competes with the DT1990 PRO headphone from Beyerdynamic. The HD 490 Pro from Sennheiser serves as a full-size open-design headphone that audio content producers can use. The article presents this headphone and my user experiences as a general user.
Box and Accessories
The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro uses an excellent box packaging system that stands in contrast to the weak box design which the HD 660S2 and HD 25 use. The HD 490 Pro Plus version which I own costs 2 million VND more than the Pro version. You receive a carrying case with fabric cover and a 3m studio cable and a pair of fabric earpads as part of your purchase. The headband padding material which comes with the product uses fabric cover. The Plus version delivers me useful features according to my personal experience even though it costs more money than the basic version.
Design
The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro exhibits a design style which differs from all earlier Sennheiser headphone designs. The headphones appear extremely lightweight to me when I first touch them because their construction uses plastic materials. The plastic material used in this product comes from aerospace-grade materials which guarantee its long-lasting strength. The earcups feature an open design which the recessed metal mesh system uniquely protects.
The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro’s cable uses a 4-pin mini XLR connector which resembles the connectors used in Beyerdynamic headphones and connects to a 3.5mm jack. The earpads and headband padding are extremely soft and thick which creates a comfortable experience for users. The two components allow for manual replacement because users need no special tools to complete the process.
Specifications
The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro uses a 38mm driver with an impedance and sensitivity of 130 ohms and 105dB respectively. The headphones need those specifications to achieve optimal sound performance through dongles and low-powered portable DACs/amps. The equipment remains easy to operate because mid-range desktop DACs/amps like the FiiO K7 provide sufficient power while professional producers can use the Focusrite 2i2 gen 4 soundcard. The following section presents additional detailed specifications.
Total Harmonic Distortion: Transducer principle: Dynamic, open Frequency Response: 5 Hz to 36 kHz Wearing Style: Circumaural Max Sound Pressure Level: 128 dBSPL (1 kHz @ 5% THD) Connector: 3.5mm / 6.3mm Operating Relative Humidity: 10 to 80 %, not condensing Operating Temperature: +0°C to +50°C Sensitivity: 105 dBSPL (1 kHz/ 1 Vrms), 96 dBSPL (1 kHz/ 1 mW) Impedance: 130 ohms (1 kHz) Weight: 260 g. (without cable) Cable Length: 1.8m (HD 490 PRO Plus: 1.8m & 3m)
Sound Quality
The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro produces sound that is both bright and clear while creating an expansive audio space. The headphones deliver three frequency ranges which provide balanced sound with excellent detail that resembles reference headphone specifications. When I switched to fabric ear pads, I experienced a distinct sound alteration. The velvet pads delivered a warmer sound with enhanced bass, whereas the fabric pads produced a cleaner sound with stronger midrange and bass control together with increased treble. The velvet pads work better for listening to upbeat music while the fabric pads suit gentler genres like Acoustic or Pop-ballad.
Conclusion
The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro headphones provide excellent value to users who want to spend their budget between $500 and $500. The HD 490 Pro headphones display unremarkable design elements which provide users with exceptional comfort and lasting performance. The system requires mid-level DACs and amplifiers to operate because its specifications exceed mobile audio device capabilities. The product delivers an open and wide sound experience that functions as both a music listening track and a reference audio standard.
HD 490 PRO Plus – Openback Professional Headphone w/Extra Cable, Earpads and Carry Case:
Tech Reviewer & Product Analyst
Định Bia has spent over 10 years testing consumer electronics with a focus on smart technology. He work as a product advisor at Biareview where he helped customers find the right devices for their needs. He personally tests every product featured on this site using a consistent evaluation framework covering quality, durability, and value. All reviews are based on experience, not influenced by the manufacturer.
