Sennheiser HD 490 PRO Headphones Review

The Sennheiser HD490 come with two sets of pads designed to facilitate different professional audio applications. As a result, switching between the two sets of pads results in a different sound profile. We tested these headphones with both sets of pads, but we derived our scores from the tests carried out with the 'Producing' pads, which scored better according to our methodology.

Overall, these pads have a more pronounced bass response, while the 'Mixing' pads feature a slightly boosted mid-range that can be useful if you're trying to listen analytically. It's great to have this versatility, as the increased comfort and more exciting sound profile can be useful when arranging and building a track up from the ground. You can then turn to the 'Mixing' pads, with their underemphasized bass and boosted mids, to fine-tune your mix. With either set of pads, the headphones' sound more closely resembles the SoundGuys.com Studio Curve, one example of a target curve catered to audio professionals.

The frequency response consistency is great. Once you find a good fit, you can achieve consistent bass and treble delivery. Both sets of pads perform similarly in this regard, too, so even if you wear glasses or have thick hair, audio delivery consistency won't change if you switch out the pads.

You can see a graph of the raw frequency response with the 'Mixing' pads.

The bass target compliance is remarkable, especially for open-back headphones with dynamic drivers. While the low bass is slightly underemphasized, meaning your mixes lack low-end rumble, the rest of the range offers a healthy dose of bass. Kicks and basslines still have plenty of punch and slam for applications like sound production. On songs like Massive Attack's Teardrop, the kick sounds punchy and has a fast attack while still allowing the bassline to sound clear and prominent in the mix.

The mid-range target compliance is excellent. The response is virtually flat, though tilted to favor the low-mids, which beefs up bass instrument harmonics and rhythm guitars a bit. In the center of the mids, it's very flat for clear leads and speech. The top of the high-mid range is somewhat recessed, though, which can dull the upper harmonics of vocals and lead instruments.

These headphones have incredible treble target compliance. While the response never deviates greatly from our target curve, there are some minor inconsistencies across the entire range. There's a dip in the low-treble range that weakens the details of vocals and lead instruments a bit. The upper frequencies of the low-treble into mid-treble response trend toward exaggeration, adding zing and attack to acoustic guitars and the bells of ride cymbals. For a warmer treble response, the 'Mixing' pads are worth consideration.

The peaks and dips performance is great, and these headphones' response doesn't deviate much from their balanced sound profile. The bass and mids are very flat up until a small dip in the high-mid and low-treble, which robs instruments and vocals of their upper harmonics of detail. A series of small peaks and dips in the low treble into the mid-treble results in sibilants that alternate between sounding a little dull and bright, depending on their pitch. Finally, a sharp peak at the top of the mid-treble adds a harsh, piercing quality to higher-pitched sibilants.

These headphones' L/R drivers are well-matched when it comes to amplitude and frequency. While the drivers sound evenly balanced when it comes to volume, there are some inconsistencies in the phase response in the high treble that impact their ability to create a perfectly even stereo image. The phase response graph doesn't showcase any major phase shifts, but it's worth noting that this is an average of three separate passes, and you can see the varying degrees of shift between the first, second, and third passes, which deviate from each other considerably in the high treble. That said, given that we lose sensitivity to this range over time, these phase response deviations aren't as heavily weighted and are more indicative of the headphone's overall acoustic properties—you're unlikely to hear any phase mismatches during everyday listening.

The group delay performance is great. It falls under the audibility threshold across the entire frequency spectrum, resulting in tight bass, clearly defined transients, and a transparent treble range.

While the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro's PRTF measurements indicate a passable amount of interaction with the pinna, they still lack the qualities of an angled reference speaker. They aren't as immersive-sounding as top-of-the-line audiophile headphones like the Sennheiser HD 800 S, either, as their design doesn't facilitate audio interaction with the outer ear in quite the same way.

The Sennheiser HD 490 PRO have an incredible harmonic distortion performance. They can reproduce audio cleanly across the entire frequency spectrum, with no audible coloration at both 94 and 104 dB/SPL.

These headphones don't require an amp to drive them and can playback audio at high listening levels on mobile devices.

These are the settings used to test the Sennheiser HD490. We used the 'Producing' pads for all tests. Our results are only valid when used in this configuration.

The Sennheiser HD 490 PRO have a sleek look reminiscent of headphones in Sennheiser's consumer audio line. They have perforated metal grilles similar to those of the Sennheiser HD660S2, with glossy, black plastic yokes, ear cups that resemble the MOMENTUM series, and an adjustable padded headband. They come with two different sets of earpads. The 'Producing' pads are made of a black velvet-like material, while the 'Mixing' pads are made from a rougher, gray, cloth-like material. Their design also means you can plug in the audio cable on either ear cup, allowing greater flexibility and range of motion. They come in one color variant: 'Black.' It's also possible to pick up the 'Pro Plus' variant, which comes with additional headband padding.

These open-backs have a very comfortable fit when using the 'Producing' pads, even if you wear glasses. The pads have a supple, velvet-like padding that feels great on the skin. While these headphones feel light on the head, they also feature soft, comfortable padding on the headband that minimizes pressure on the top of your head. The 'Mixing' pads are less comfortable but will still allow you to achieve a solid fit if you wear glasses.

These headphones aren't particularly portable, which is normal given that the manufacturer markets them as studio headphones that aren't designed for on-the-go use. While their ear cups swivel so they can lay flat, they're still very bulky and will take up a lot of space in a bag or backpack. They also lack a case to protect them from damage while they're being transported.

These headphones have a good build quality. Although they're mostly made of plastic and look cheap at first glance, this material keeps them lightweight yet sturdy. The ear cups have a nice depth, and the two sets of washable pads seem durable enough. The 'Producing' pads are made of a soft, velvety material, while the 'Mixing' pads are constructed from a coarser, cloth-like material. The headband is also easily adjustable, with replaceable padding that provides a good amount of cushion. However, the construction is let down by flimsy plastic yokes that feel less solid than the other components. Our unit also has two screws fall out of the left hinge, but this doesn't seem to be the norm for other units. If you want a more solidly constructed, professional-oriented pair of headphones, check out the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO MKII.

These headphones have decent stability, which will be sufficient for most studio applications. They'll easily stay on your head while you sit at the mixing console but will likely fall off and need re-adjustment if you find yourself headbanging aggressively to your latest mix.

• Sennheiser HD 490 PRO headphones
• 1/8" audio cable (1.8 m/5'9")
• 1/4" to 1/8" adapter
• 'Producing' pads (attached to the headphones)
• 'Mixing' pads
• Quick start guide and warranty information

The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro's full range noise isolation performance is terrible, which is normal for open-back studio headphones. As a result, they block almost no bass or mid-range noise by virtue of their design. So if a drummer is rehearsing in the studio next door, lower-pitched elements of the kit, like the kick and snare, will make their way into your audio. They provide a slight amount of passive isolation against higher-frequency noises, like fridge hum, but it's minimal. In this case, the open-backed housings have a much greater impact on their lack of noise isolation than the ear pads, both of which isolate roughly the same amount.

The open-backed headphones are terrible at isolating noise in common scenarios. Very high-pitched sounds are slightly muffled, but keystrokes and HVAC noises still reach your ears unimpeded.

The leakage performance is terrible. While these headphones don't leak quite as much audio as other open-back models, like the Sennheiser HD 660S2, their design still means that others near you can very easily hear what you're listening to. Escaping audio is primarily concentrated in the high-mid and treble ranges, so it sounds quite tinny. If you plan to use these exclusively in a quiet studio environment, this will be fine, but if you take them on the bus or train, others around you will hear your audio at regular listening volumes.

The Sennheiser HD 490 PRO come with a 1.8m (5"9') audio cable, with a 1/8" audio jack on one side and a proprietary connection type on the other that plugs into the headphones. They also come with a 1/4" adapter, so you can use them with professional-end devices, like soundcards and headphone amps. Latency via analog connection is virtually non-existent; this is great if you ever need to use them for tracking instruments like synthesizers, as you won't experience any delay between your keystrokes and the audio signal.

You can connect these open-backs to your PC via their audio cable. However, you can't send audio to your PC without purchasing a standalone mic.

These headphones are compatible with PlayStation-family consoles; you can plug their cable directly into your controller. However, they don't have a mic, so you can't send audio.

These open-backs are compatible with Xbox-family consoles if you connect them to the controller's AUX port. However, you'll need a standalone mic to communicate with your teammates.