Sennheiser HD 480 Pro

[FTB]

Ordered one to see (hear) what the fuzz is all about.

Review withing 2 weeks.

I'm pretty sure you will like them as you found the K371 neutral.
More controlled bass than the AKG and the absence of 4 kHz dip is audible in a good way. In direct comparison the K371 really sound like a recording made in a bathroom with echo.
And I think the construction is more sturdy.
The only thing is the 130 ohms impedance but with all the great amps or dongles we can have today...

 

[solderdude]

My review of the HD 480 PRO is finished.

HD480 PRO

back to Sennheiserback to measurementshome published: Aug-28-2026, updated Sept-26-2026 NO SMOOTHING is applied to the shown plots. Most measurement sites have some smoothing applied which ‘irons f…

diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com

Impressive headphone.
Slighty lacking 'clarity' and has a bit too much lows (not a Harman bass fan).

Very enjoyable and comfortable headphone especially for those that like a full, relaxed sound and are allergic to treble.

 

[ObjectiveSubjectivist]

Damn, seems like I have to try them, overall tilt bass to treble ratio seems to be into my liking.

 

[Limopard]

My review of the HD 480 PRO is finished.

HD480 PRO

back to Sennheiserback to measurementshome published: Aug-28-2026, updated Sept-26-2026 NO SMOOTHING is applied to the shown plots. Most measurement sites have some smoothing applied which ‘irons f…

diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com

Impressive headphone.
Slighty lacking 'clarity' and has a bit too much lows (not a Harman bass fan).

Very enjoyable and comfortable headphone especially for those that like a full, relaxed sound and are allergic to treble.

Very much appreciated - as always!

 

[solderdude]

Made a comparison between the HD 480 PRO with some of my preferred closed headphones.

And a comparison between the HD 480 PRO with some of my preferred open headphones.

 

[pdfield34]

My review of the HD 480 PRO is finished.

HD480 PRO

back to Sennheiserback to measurementshome published: Aug-28-2026, updated Sept-26-2026 NO SMOOTHING is applied to the shown plots. Most measurement sites have some smoothing applied which ‘irons f…

diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com

Impressive headphone.
Slighty lacking 'clarity' and has a bit too much lows (not a Harman bass fan).

Very enjoyable and comfortable headphone especially for those that like a full, relaxed sound and are allergic to treble.

Great work! Appreciate the thoroughness.

Really enjoy super user friendly no hassle comparisons (the comparisons within the review itself).





(Random note related to comparisons - For next level price point down - I'd like to call out a preference for the Beyerdynamic DT770 /280 over the Sony 7506 (cups too small), and Fiio FT1 (not as comfortable). Treble on 770 can be "exciting" for short periods or dealt with through eq).

 

[solderdude]

The DT 770 PRO / 80 is also a good headphone, just a bit below performance to the 16 ohm special edition (sadly no longer available)
The treble needs to be dealt with (easy to do) but the comparisons are in stock form and I find the treble too piercing.

 

[FTB]

I agree the K371 has more clarity in the treble but didn't you find it globally dull (due to 4k dip) compared to the HD480 ?

I'm not surprised these Sennheiser measure well.

 

[solderdude]

My main problem with the K371 was that seal was very finicky and when moving a little the bass wondered from left to right and in the other direction.
HD 480 PRO is much, much better in that aspect.

 

[ObjectiveSubjectivist]

My problem with k371 was quality issues.
I went through like 3-4 pairs some had channel imbalance some just stopped working (one channel), after pad just tore... I said enough and sold them.

 

[ngs428]

@solderdude thanks for the review! Did you happen to test the DCA Aeon Core? I see Resolve did a comparison and high praise for them, on par with this 480 pro.

 

[solderdude]

I have no easy access to DCA headphones... alas.
Would have to buy them (like the HD 480 PRO which I got a bit cheaper as it was a returned item).
The Core would be more than 3x as expensive and if that's on par than the HD 480 PRO is a bargain.
Keeping the HD 480 PRO.

 

[ngs428]

I have no easy access to DCA headphones... alas.
Would have to buy them (like the HD 480 PRO which I got a bit cheaper as it was a returned item).
The Core would be more than 3x as expensive and if that's on par than the HD 480 PRO is a bargain.
Keeping the HD 480 PRO.

Sounds good. I have the Aeon Core on the way ($810) and may get the HD 480 Pro ($400).. but I’ve been looking forward to trying a closed back planar, so DCA is the target there. Aeon Core gets a great review here on ASR by Amir.

A good comparison by Resolve here with the HD 480 pro vs Aeon Core.

 

[Salt]

Made a comparison between the HD 480 PRO with some of my preferred closed headphones.
View attachment 554912

And a comparison between the HD 480 PRO with some of my preferred open headphones.
View attachment 554914

Will stick to my (renewed) 620s, there's no significant difference to me ... but if they dy in the future, there is an alternative now.

 

[solderdude]

 

[Salt]

View attachment 554984

Have seen it in Your always appreciated work

 

[b73i57dc3f]

My review of the HD 480 PRO is finished.

Below 200Hz there is some channel mismatch.

Have you explored whether this channel mismatch might be affected by which cup the cable is plugged into?

 

[solderdude]

Yes, the rubber stopper plug has absolutely no influence and is just for aesthetics and to prevent dust from getting in..
The mini-XLR socket is totally sealed internally.

 

[enricoclaudio]

Sounds good. I have the Aeon Core on the way ($810) and may get the HD 480 Pro ($400).. but I’ve been looking forward to trying a closed back planar, so DCA is the target there. Aeon Core gets a great review here on ASR by Amir.

A good comparison by Resolve here with the HD 480 pro vs Aeon Core.

I had AEON 2 Noire and after a couple of weeks, ended up returning them. They sounded great but the pads foam shifting issue was the deal breaker for me. I followed DCA steeps to fix the foams but after 1 or 2 days, they were back to the previous out of shape state, which causes air leaking, meaning poor bass response.

 

[LiveTek]

I just got the HD480 pro in the mail. Been using them all morning for tracking and mixing and honestly I love them.

I was mostly presented with two options, construct a wall in my home to allow me work on mixes and production at all hours. Or I could just buy some good closed headphones. My production room is kind of, not great as well so speakers only go so far even with a ton of treatment. I am quite handy and have plenty of experience with woodworking, but I just don't know how good I can make drywall look. My headphone search was kind of annoying, seems like most closed headphones are kind of not good. Most seem to have nulls in the mid range, terrible HF peaks, are uncomfortable and break, or really any combo of those. HD480 seemed to tick pretty much every box so I splurged on them. So far very happy. I use them exclusively with Goodhertz Canopener which really brings those, and really any headphone/iem to life IME.

I really need something that I could track and do some mixing on that wouldn't require major reworks when going back to speakers. My last pair were DT770 and even with EQ, I had to redo everything to an extreme degree. Needed something with replacable pads and headband. I considered the DT700 prox but the headbands fail very predictably and are a downgrade from the DT770. Also wanted a pair that I didn't have to worry about having EQ for on my master while I work. I do still think these need some EQ in the lower mids, I can live without it while I work on projects. Fit was a major factor and Senn's oval earcups always fit my head really well, I often forget I'm even wearing my HD558. These are super comfy, they do a get a bit warm but nothing offensive for me.

I think the low end could come up a bit but that's an easy fix, and I'm conflicted on the build quality. On one hand, it's a lot of plastic. On the other hand I think you kind of have to use plastics to get headphones this light. Detachable cable is nice but I'll probably never take it out. I also like coily cables, fight me. Pretty expensive headphones but totally worth it for me. It's also a business expense for me so not that big of an investment.